soli deo gloria

David Brainerd on his twenty-fifth.... April 1718
"Set apart this day for fasting and prayer, to bow my soul before God for the bestowment of divine grace; especially that all my sprirtual afflictions and inward distresses might be sanctified to my soul. And endeavoured also to remember the goodness of God to me the year past, this day being my birthday. Having obtained help of God, I have hitherto lived and am now arriving at the age of twenty-five years. My soul was pained to think of my barrenness and deadness; that I have lived so little to the glory of the eternal God. I spent the day in the woods alone, and there poured out my complaint to God. Oh, that God would enable me to live to His glory for the future!"

Ok, so I haven't spent the day fasting alone in the woods... but I want to echo that last sentence on my twenty-fifth :)

1984

I was gardening in the lovely sunshine with my granny today... or I should say pretending to garden... she is starting to need a bit of help but to be honest, I don't really have a clue so I was just following orders! She grows amazing rhubarb which she makes into jam but I stole some of it this week :)Anyway, she found loads of her old diaries and specifically this entry (23rd) when she was sorting through some things this week, so she gave it to me today!

For some reason, the fact that I was born on an easter monday feels more significant for me this year, although it's probably just because I’ve just thought about it more. Maybe it’s because I see easter monday as the day that celebrating the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection is lived out – where what I believe seeps into the ordinary - giving purpose and hope in the mundane of a monday...

Or maybe not. But even so, i thought the diary was kinda cool... (and my brother looks like he was totally trying to steal my thunder on the 24th...)