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  • Rhonda Kelley

Birthday Blues and Birthday Blessings



As another birthday rolls around, I am tempted to sing the blues! Woe is me as I get older. While my mind thinks I am in my prime, my body reminds me I have covered many miles. I feel the wear and tear. My body aches, and my bones crack. I don’t move or think as quickly. I realize I am a senior adult who is retired. And, I know that I am approaching my last quarter of life. But, I refuse to sing the blues—not just because of my vanity but because of my blessings!


My life has been filled with so many blessings from the Lord. So another birthday gives me another opportunity to thank God for His many blessings.


  • I am grateful for my godly mother Joyce Harrington who gave birth to me and continues to nurture and love me. God healed her from Covid this year. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for my dad Bob Harrington whose salvation led me to Jesus and who encouraged me to develop my spiritual gifts for the Lord. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for my grandparents Pop and Mama Lu, Granddaddy and Grandmother Harrington who began a legacy of faith in my life. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for my sister Mitzi Woodson, her husband Steve, and her children who create a loving and fun immediate family for us. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for the Harringtons and Kelleys who comprise my extended family. Each family member contributes a unique personality and personal experiences to my life. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for my many Christian friends who have entered my life at different ages and stages providing connection and community. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for my devoted husband Chuck Kelley who for 46 years has been my greatest companion, counselor, and confidante. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for meaningful ministry that began with my call to Christian service as a teenager and continues today in ministry to women. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for His generous grace which I first received in salvation at the age of six and is poured out on me lavishly each and every day. What a blessing!

  • I thank God for every single year of my life because without any moment of it, I would have missed out on God’s perfect purpose and plan for my life. What a blessing!

So, this year I am singing Happy Birthday to Rhonda and I am NOT singing the blues! I am shouting thanks to the Lord for His many, many blessings even in this unprecedented year of the pandemic and political strife and civil unrest. Don’t sing the blues…count your blessings!

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