 Good afternoon, Pastor David. Hey, John. Welcome everybody to a random moment with Pastor David unfiltered. Pastor David, today's a special day. Today's your birthday. It is, huh? Happy birthday. Yeah, and so 72 years old. 72. Wow. You know looking at that pastor 72 years, you know reflecting back the vantage point that you have of being alive 72 years and doing ministry for all these years. Looking back at that pastor, what do you have to even just say about, you know, being 72 years old, the Lord's been gracious to allow you to be a part of our lives for so many years. And how would you describe that? Well, I would say that it's a blessing of the Lord. Obviously, the Psalmist, to paraphrase the Psalmist, he said that the length of a man's life, the span of his life is 70 years, 80 years by reason of strength. So the fact that that God has granted me more than 70 years, 72 today, to me is a blessing by itself in and of itself. My father went home to be with Jesus at 74. So for me to reach 72, that's really significant. So the idea that he's given me life that has lasted up to this point is a real blessing. And so over the years, I've had people ask me, especially as I've grown older and serving the Lord and all, what is the number one lesson that you've learned over those years that you've lived because because I began teaching the word in 1973, got saved in 1970, and planted this church 41 years ago. What have you learned in all of these years? And I would say, I'm trying to learn because when I think I've gotten it, then the Lord puts me through the ringer again, and I have to relearn it. But it all works out in the end. Somebody had asked me if you could change something or anything in your life, what would you change? If I had the ability to go back and change, I don't know that I'd change anything, John, because over the years, what I've learned is that no matter what it is, God can use it for good. You know, even as in the time of Joseph in the Old Testament, after being sold into slavery and and everything for all of those years, and his brothers finally come, those who had sold them into slavery, and they're afraid he's going to punish them. And Joseph says, what was intended for evil, God has made it good, he's used it for good, and what has gone on in the disappointing parts of my life, in the in the hurts, in the variety of things that you go through over the years, you know, where you have to deal with so many things. Sometimes we forget that with long life comes many troubles. You know, Solomon made that clear in the book of Ecclesiastes, you know, long life brings many things along with the things you didn't plan on, things you weren't expecting, things that hurt deeper than you thought you could go through. And you discover that with God, all things are possible with the Lord. You can go through things in trials and hurts. And you have pain, you have sorrow, you have disappointment, you have rejection, you have, you have betrayal, you have all of those things. If Jesus went through betrayal and things like that, why should I think I won't? But at the same time, there are joys that are really innumerable, the joys of having your babies born to you, the joy of grand babies that I have now, the joy of having a wife who loves me more than she loves life, you know, who is the greatest gift God could have given to me outside of Jesus, my babies and all of that that I've already mentioned. But dear friends, people who are in this fellowship have, have remained with me throughout everything, men like David's signs and so many others. If I begin to mention names, I'm going to, I'm going to forget one, but I think of Dave because our church began in his home as a midweek Bible study. So what have I learned over 72 years and over the years I've served the Lord as he is faithful, that he can do abundantly above all I could ever ask or think, that he didn't raise this fellowship to let it fall, that he selected me for a purpose and that purpose has been lived out here in this fellowship. That joy, even though weeping may endure for a night, always comes in the morning, joy comes in the morning. That God has never left me nor has he ever forsaken me, that though I'm going through a valley of the shadow of death, I don't stay there, I don't live there, that his rod, his staff, they do comfort me. He has prepared a banquet for me in the presence of mine enemies and goodness and mercy do follow me all the days of my life. So those are things you learn over the years. Some of the things when people say, well, I want to live a long life, they must be young because they don't realize that long life brings lots of hurt, lots of disappointment, lots of pain, many trials, much loss, losing in the sense of having to say goodbye to many friends, John over the years, many who've died, my parents, my father-in-law, and dear friends who I wouldn't have known had I not pasted this church and they've gone on to glory and all. There's an emptiness, a loss that you feel that can only be satisfied when you're entering into heaven. So, yeah, all of those things to say that it's a beautiful thing to have health, to be able to continue serving Jesus. And I don't know what the Lord has for us in the future. I don't know how long he is going to allow me to stay here in this fellowship. It's not as if I'm planning to leave it, but I'm going to one day. So, I'm aware of that. I'm aware that one day the Lord will say, well done, it's well done now, you need to take your ease and you need to do something different until I bring you home. I know that. So, I'm just waiting on him for that right now. But all together, today is my birthday, right? And I'm grateful for one more year of serving the Lord. Amen. Well, thank you, pastor. And, you know, from the congregation on the behalf of the congregation, we do say happy birthday to you. And thank you so much. Thank you. You've been a gift to many of us and you and Marie. Yes. And so, thank you for allowing us to celebrate your birthday with you. Thank you, John. And we love you, pastor, and happy birthday. Love you too. Thank you, guys, for tuning in. Want to remind you that we do have our services tomorrow at 7 p.m. as a spiritual warfare. We're going to start a series on spiritual warfare out of Ephesians 6, and we celebrate communion. So, what a great time to come out and hear. I mean, we're engaged in battle every day. Amen. So, come on out, invite your friends and family, worship, get into God's Word, and celebrate communion together. Amen. Thank you, pastor. Happy birthday. Thank you, guys. God bless you.