Birthday Reflections

A big shout out to niece Leah in Conway who turned 15 yesterday! AND, to nephew Ben in Michigan who celebrated his birthday yesterday too!

Am I wiser or am I just older?

I went to a See You At The Pole party with the youth group last night and I feared I would have to tell 15 year olds that I was 39! When I was 15, 39 year olds were...my parents! Yeah, it's a cycle but I'm in denial.

I don't mind being older...possibly the biggest challenge is trying to keep my body aging at the same speed as my years. I'm also OK with the multitude of things that are different from my 20s and early 30s: I want different things, I focus on different things, I fight different battles and it's OK.

This year I have been challenged mostly by my prayer life. I have been inspired and have tasted of the relationship that comes from constantly communicating with He who has the answers and He who has said He will direct me in all my ways. It's been the best part of this year so far, helping me through the new business adventure, fighting my health and medicine issues, sending my youngest to kindergarten, and shifting from a stay-at-home-Mom to who knows? I do long for His peace as He already knows what is best for me. It's a good feeling to be older and feel as loved by God the same as when I was younger.

I am most thankful that Richard also loves me, maybe even more than when I was younger, fit into smaller jeans, had a larger sense of spontaneity and we had fewer responsibilities. That's certainly a blessing of God-sized proportion!

So here's to growing older - with a God who doesn't, and a husband and family who thinks I'm aging well.