Happy Birthday Miriam!

You wonder why I was so eager to make it home yesterday? And, yes, I made the plane… the last seat on an over booked flight… prayer works. Thank you!

Yes, today is my beautiful wife Miriam’s birthday! She is a constant fountain of blessing to me. Nothing I do in ministry and otherwise would be accomplished without her. The Lord has blessed me abundantly by having her a part of my life.

So Happy Birthday Miriam! I’m a better man because of you!

I’ve been hearing tons lately about New Years Resolutions. They mainly revolve about getting healthy: either eating better or exercising more. I for one, and not big into resolutions. I don’t think they work. You either want to change or you don’t. The fact that it’s the New Year shouldn’t matter. But I digress…

What I wanted to do in this post was brag on the awesomeness of my wife. About a year and a half ago, she decided that we needed to be a family that ate healthy and was more environmentally friendly. It’s been a process for us to refine our eating and living habits, but it’s truly been great. We’ve gone partial organic, she makes her own bread and pretty much everything else from scratch. The processed foods aren’t all gone, but they are a rarity around here. We recycle more and buy less. It’s been a family thing. We didn’t do it all at once, like I said, it’s been a process. Each day we’re a little more healthy and a little more green. I don’t know where this family would be without her.

If you’re ever interested about being green and a Christian, I’d recommend this excellent book by Matthew Sleeth: Serve God, Save the Planet. It’s a great starting point.

The Gallup poll recently listed the the most admired people in 2006.

Here are the results.

The top ten most admired men include:

1. George W. Bush - 13%
2. Bill Clinton - 5%
3. Jimmy Carter - 4%
4. Barack Obama - 3%
5. Billy Graham - 3%
6. Colin Powell - 2%
7. Pope Benedict XVI - 2%
8. Nelson Mandela - 1%
9. George H.W. Bush - 1%
10. Bill Gates - 1%

The most admired women include:

1. Hillary Clinton - 13%
2. Oprah Winfrey - 9%
3. Condoleeza Rice - 8%
4. Laura Bush - 4%
5. Margaret Thatcher - 2%
6. Angelina Jolie - 2%
7. Nancy Pelosi - 1%
8. Madeline Albright - 1%
9. Barbara Bush - 1%
10. Maya Angelou - 1%

So my question to you is: WHO DO YOU ADMIRE MOST?

My vote (beyond Jesus - that’s a given) would go to my wife, Miriam Delony, who is the strongest person I know. She’s a person whose opinon I hold over all others and whose steadfastness I glean from on a daily basis. So move over Hilary and Dubah, you’ve done nothing for me in 2006!  

 [idea and link courtesy of big daddy weave]

Happy Birthday Miriam! Any woman who can put up with me for seven years must be a saint! (Oh and if you notice Aida’s eyes, that’s the easiest way to tell if she’s being bad - they’re red).