Happy birthday to me! It’s been a while since my last blog, I don’t know why I’m getting so lazy with this lately. I’ve had plenty to talk about, I just haven’t done it, my bad. So here’s a quick review of just a few of the exciting things that have happened in the past 2 1/2 weeks….I moved in with Gregg and his family (the worship pastor at The Vine), which has been really good; I got my first letter from Godfrey, my Compassion child from Kenya; a homeless guy named Larry came to know Christ as his Savior and Lord of his life last Wednesday in the streets (that was awesome! It felt like God was spitting the words right out of my mouth!); and today I’m turning 24! So today is my birthday and I’m celebrating like it’s any other Monday, going to the Garden to have Bible study with the women and children. I could easily take the night off, and let Jason have it tonight, and some people have asked me why I don’t do that…but I feel like I can’t do that. It’s kinda hard to explain, but I’ll try….a few Mondays ago, one of the boys that lives at the Garden had his 9th birthday. So I was talking to him when I got there about what all he did on his b-day, he said he just went to school…and that’s it. I don’t know why my 9th birthday sticks out so well in my mind, but it does, and I have some pretty cool memories from it. But the only thing this kid could say about his 9th b-day was that some guy(I’m sure he doesn’t remember my name) threw a football with him in the parking lot of the "homeless" shelter where he lived, and for some reason, that messed me up. I don’t know why that makes me feel compelled to go on my birthday, maybe it’s guilt, I don’t know, or maybe I love those ladies and kids, actually I know I do…or maybe I’m just getting off my donkey and doing something. And you know I just thought of something, Jesus’ ministry lasted about 3 1/2 years, but we never read of him "taking the day off" because it was his birthday…hhmmmm. Actually, we read can read on numerous occations where he was busy doing something, or going somewhere, or maybe he was just tired and wanted some time alone with his disciples, but he never let the fact that he was busy get in the way of loving others. Check out Matthew 14:13-14…Jesus had just heard the news of John being beheaded, and the disciples had told him about all they had done, now Jesus just wanted to get away with them and maybe "debrief," but the people figured out where they were going and followed. Even though Jesus was tired, had been doing a LOT of ministry, he still had "compassion on them and healed their sick." He always took the time to care for those that needed him, so as "little Christs" we must do the same, take the time to care for those that need Jesus…even if it is your birthday.