Hey, Carpooling with Jesus family. Guess what today is? It's my birthday. That's right. Pastor Justin is one year older, and I'm so excited to celebrate it with all of you today. Birthdays are so special, aren't they? They're not just about cake and candles though, those things are great too. They're about celebrating something even bigger: God's gift of life. If Jesus was sitting with you in the car today on your way to school, what do you think he'd say about birthdays? Because we all have them. He'd probably remind us of how amazing and unique we are because God made each of us with so much love, and exactly the way he wants us to be. Buckle up and let's dive into today's faith-filled moments in Carpooling with Jesus. I would love to read a couple beautiful verses from the book of Psalms from the Old Testament, chapter 139, verses 13 and 14. For it was you who created my inward parts. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise you because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. Wow. What a powerful reminder. God made you exactly as you are, on purpose, with love, and with a special plan in mind for your life. When the Bible says you knit me together, it means God thought about every single detail of who you would be. Your eyes, your laugh, your talents, your personality. Everything. When we celebrate a birthday, we're celebrating not just another year of life. We're also celebrating the fact that God made us all wonderfully unique and has a plan for us, no matter how old we are. Let me tell you a quick story. When I was a kid, I always loved my birthday. Every year I'd make a wish when I blew out my candles for, you know, toys or a cool trip, or just something fun to have in the garage to play with on the weekends. But one year I decided to thank God for the life he gave me instead. I prayed something really simple like this. God, thank you for making me just the way you want me. And guess what? That birthday turned out to be one of my favorite birthdays. It was the year I turned 10 years old. Now it wasn't because of the presents. It wasn't because of the arcade we were at and having a blast playing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade. But it was because I felt much closer to God that year than ever before. Because I acknowledged that he has a special plan for my life. When you celebrate your birthday, whenever it may be, remember, it's not just about the cake or the balloons, though those things are pretty great. It's about remembering that God has given you another year to grow into the person he made you to be. And here's the best part. It's not just your birthday that's special. Every single day is a gift. You don't have to wait for your next birthday to pray that simple prayer. God, thank you for making me exactly the way you wanted me. Each morning when you wake up, you could pray that prayer, acknowledging that God is the creator and he made you with a purpose. Think about something you love about yourself. Maybe it's your ability to make people laugh. Maybe you love drawing and you want to be an artist one day, or a football player. Or how you're really good at helping others when they're in need. Those are gifts from God. Your job as a young person is to use those gifts to bring kindness, joy, and love to the world, whether it be your neighborhood, your home, or at school. Your birthday is a great chance to remember how much God loves you and how special you are. So whenever your birthday is, when you celebrate, take a moment to thank him for the amazing gift of life. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus, and parents, if you love this podcast, go leave a rating and a review so we can see it, and tell your parent friends so they can have faith-filled moments in their car rides too. Here's today's question. Take some time and answer it before you get out of the car. What's one thing you're thankful for about the way God made you? Have a great day.
