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This is my mom and dad.  Forty years ago, today. T his afternoon, my parents are being somewhat surprised with a party in their honor. Not just for forty years of staying married. But for forty years of serving God with their whole lives.  Just two people who love Jesus and work really hard to obey Him.  Those are my parents. I am so proud to come from such beautiful heritage. And look, they still love each other, probably more than ever.  And they're even more beautiful now than then.  I love those smiles! And they still stop what they're doing to answer the call.  ;)  This was a funny shot. Forty years is a very significant number to God.  Or at least it appears that way to me when i read the Bible. I am excited to see what God has in store for my parents in these next 40 years.  I don't have anything super significant to say about it.  I just want to honor my ...

but first, an explanation. I have a love for the format of a psalm.  I don't know what the literary prescribed format of a psalm is - or if there is such a prescription.  But i know what i have observed.  And that is that the psalms, as David wrote them, often appear in the form of complaints.  Long pity parties on how bad and unbearable the present circumstances overwhelm - is how many psalms begin.  The especially long and unbearable psalms continue with whining to God about how He has left then more and more fairly long and annoying lamentations on the hopelessness of everything ... and then.... the sun comes out. It's amazing. suddenly the psalmist realizes that God does live and that God has proven Himself enough times for the psalmist to know better than to do all this waling.  And in spite of all his circumstances, his heart is raised to worship God in faith and confidence that his faithful God will rescue him and cause him to triumph over ...