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Yesterday was a wonderful time with friends, family, and loved ones at church. It was a special occasion, one that I observed brought happiness to everyone. Firstly, it was the first Sunday of the year, filling us with joy as we spent quality time worshiping and thanking God for another year. 

I always love the first service of the year like this; everyone appears in their white attire as a sign of victory and thanksgiving, grateful for having transitioned from the previous year into the new year. While not many people were seen wearing white, I noticed that everyone appeared nicely dressed for the service.

The second reason for our joy was a surprise birthday celebration for our head pastor, who turned 50 on the first of January. I recall him mentioning last year, when he was 49, that he planned to have a big birthday party the following year.While expressing gratitude for the love shown to him, he remembered how his wife arranged his white African attire and pleaded that he wears to church, unaware that more surprises awaited him.

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To his surprise, something had been arranged ahead of time without his knowledge, making the entire celebration truly memorable. One of life's beautiful moments is turning 50 or coming of age while still looking young, our pastor looks young still for his age, a blessing that we appreciate as a manifestation of God's goodness in his life. 

The party began right after the church service, catching the celebrant off guard as everyone started singing birthday songs during what was supposed to be the benediction. The celebration continued in a separate hall, which was behind the main hall.







 
As we were singing happy birthday to him, the retractable partition to the next hall was unfolded to everyone's surprise, unveiling  a stunning turquoise cake. I guess the cake was the celebrant's favorite color, carefully chosen by his wife; she planned the surprise birthday. 

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The celebrant, along with his wife, children and some of the congregation, graciously cut the cake. Our pastor's exceptional love, care, and support for the church has been felt by everyone and it was no surprise that everyone was delighted to honor him in this way. 

I believe such is life, a reciprocal process, people appreciate and respond in kind to the kindness they receive. Food and drinks were provided for everyone present, and despite the extended time, the joy of the event made us forget how much time had passed. 
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Some of us, myself included, missed out on enjoying Christmas due to work commitments, so for me this celebration was like my own Christmas. Moreover, it was a wonderful time marking my first new year event spent with friends in a special way. Such a beautiful time, I believe, should be enjoyed whenever we have the chance. If you ask me, birthdays shouldn't be that expensive to organize. Should you have friends and loved ones around, they can truly create memorable moments, just like we did for our pastor. </div>