Emerson, the philosopher wrote, "I woke up this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends - the old and the new." Well, I want to echo his thoughts and I would add; I wake up each morning thanking God for Who He is and what He means to me. He is so great, so good and so gracious and He is my Friend. And He has given me so many friends who mean much to me and my wife. Thank God for family and friends.
Well, I have reached the ripe old age of 77! I received many cards, e-mail messages, sms, telephone calls wishing me 'Many happy returns.' Messages have come from all over the world. Thank God for these wonderful friends who remember my birthday.
I've had so many birthday lunches and dinners this year, I must be putting on weight, but what to do? It is our Singaporean culture - makan! Despite the recession, our restaurants and eating places are still very crowded. We just came back from Liang Court Hotel at Clarke Quay where we had a wonderful meal given by two of our close friends. They belong to our Corps (church) and cell group which meets every Friday morning at our home.
Some friends from another Corps wanted us to have dinner with them last night, but we had to decline as we had already promised our daughter and family to have dinner with them.
The Arabs have this lovely definition of a friend:
"A true friend is one to whom you can tip out all the contents of your heart. chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
I end with this thought from William Shakespeare in Richard II: "I count myself in nothing else so happy, as in a soul remembering my good friends."
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