“Happy Birthday…”

The servers sing…

The family sings…

And celebrates…

The birthday boy…

A man of about 40…

Smiles as the servers place the desert and its token candle in front of him…

At the table next to us sits a large group…

Eleven people or more…

Including several children and one baby…

“Excuse me,” says one of the adults to a server…

“It’s the one year old’s birthday, and I was wondering….”

In moments, a desert with a single candle that’s more than a token appears…

And everybody sings

And everybody celebrates…

My wife and I smile at each other…

Every time we eat at this restaurant…

We see celebrations.

Why, we’ve wondered, do so many people come here to celebrate?

It’s not a fancy restaurant…

The “decor” hasn’t changed in twenty years…

It’s not a kid-themed restaurant…

It’s a single location restaurant with really good food.

Why do so many people come here to celebrate?

Could it be because it feels so comfortable?

Because it feels like home?

How do we choose the places where we celebrate?

How do we chose the places we celebrate God?

Do we have to go to altars and Temples and churches to celebrate God?

Where is the temple of God?

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God…  1 Corinthians 6:19

If our bodies are the temple of God

Then God is with us everywhere…

…“I am with you, declares the Lord  Haggai 1:13

Everywhere and always…

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5

So where should we celebrate God?

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31

When should we celebrate God?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Philippians 4:4

Even in the bad times?

… for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

And so, we celebrate God and His goodness…

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals  Psalm 150:1-6

Everywhere.

All the time.

All of us…

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.  Psalm 150:6