Happy Birthday Blessings!

So today marks the gift of sixty-four years of life given by my Savior!  Because of Him I breathe, because of Him I have certain hope of eternal life in Heaven.  I truly cannot imagine a more precious gift than God’s grace and forgiveness.  God extended His arms of grace to me thirty-three years ago and He has showered His patience, love, and mercy upon my life as He has taught me to follow His truths.

As I count my blessings, my heart swells with gratitude for my Lord.  Because of Him –

Each of my children have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord,

Their spouses also love and follow God,

I have six grandchildren, the oldest was baptized by her dad, my first-born, as she responded to God’s call last year,

Our family knows one day we will meet our three sweet grandbabies who are in heaven now,

My Dad, although departed from this earth, is enjoying his rest in Heaven in the presence of our Savior,

My Mom, ninety-six this year, knows Jesus as her Lord and Savior and I have heard the sweet words of Truth from her mouth as she shares with others what is most important.

I could go on and on with blessings of my dear husband, faithful friends, an incredible church family, God’s hand carrying us through some really difficult times, His care during illness and recovery, His guidance and strength in times of uncertainty, His provision for all things needed and more.

He is the one celebrated!  I pray you recognize His blessings in your own life.  Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, your sin is forgiven.  God offers His gift of salvation because He is gracious.  It is only by His grace, through faith, in Christ, that you are saved.  His grace allows a sinner like myself to believe in Him, to fully place my trust in the work of Jesus on the cross.  My boasting can only be of His love and faithfulness.

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Thank you, God, for life.  Thank you, God, for being my Father in Heaven.  I pray my days shine for you through all circumstances for all time.  It is a joyful day filled with blessings of remembrance and future hope.

Author: Sharyn Balogh

You know it's difficult to write about yourself. The most important fact I can disclose is that I'm saved by God's grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My desire is to live a life honoring to God in response for the gift of salvation I've been given. This is so much easier said than done! I struggle daily with right choices, right words, right thoughts, and right actions. My best and only defense against sin is the power of God in me and for that I am inexpressibly thankful. I have three amazing grown-up children who have responded to God's call in their lives along with their spouses. One of the great joys of my life is knowing my children and their families strive to serve and follow God. My grandchildren are another wonderful joy in my life! My husband and I are blessed with four beautiful grandchildren to date with another expected very soon on September 12th. We also are thankful for the comforting knowledge that an additional three of our grandchildren, a set of twins at three months gestation and a little boy, Isaac, at four and a half months gestation, are in our Savior's presence. I have attended the same church since the day my eyes were opened to Truth over thirty years ago. How fortunate it is to have been led by God’s hand immediately to a church body that follows the Bible, no man-made doctrines, just the Word clear and strong. My husband is my best friend, my confidant, my encourager, and I still can't believe how blessed I am by his example of love and generosity towards everyone around him. He is God-fearing, compassionate, and kind and I have learned so much from him. I am a daughter to my almost 92 year-old mother, sister to three brothers, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, neighbor and friend. That means, whomever is reading this, we probably have something in common! I love every unique role I have been placed in. I'm frequently stretched and sometimes feel like silly putty that wants to bounce right back into my comfort zone. My greatest ambition is to be a follower of Jesus; a light that shines for Him at all times, in all circumstances. So, there it is, a bit about me. I guess I was able to write about myself after all! However, my existence cannot be defined without Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. His love has permeated my life to His glory and my eternal thankfulness.