Billy Graham celebrates 99th birthday

Evangelist Billy Graham celebrates his 99th birthday Tuesday, surrounded by family. “As a family, we are just so very grateful that he is still with us,” Graham’s son Franklin said in a statement on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website. “His mind is good, but he’s quieter these days. He can’t see or hear well, but his health is stable. … I know my father is grateful for all the prayers for him and birthday wishes on this special occasion.” Graham requested his favorite cake: lemon with lard icing. Next year, leading up to his centennial celebration, Graham’s organization will highlight major milestones in his more than six decades of ministry. “My father always wants the focus to be on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not on him; and so we will point to the amazing ways God has worked in lives around the world, through the ministry of Billy Graham,” Franklin Graham said.