Reflecting on turning 50!

50! Is it just a number or is it more?  So many people have struggled with turning a certain age. I remember a friend not wanting to celebrate their 40th birthday, it was about their expectation of what life was supposed to look like at 40.  Is that why the milestone birthdays affect people?

Each new year I like to take the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to what lies on the horizon.  As I approach the 50 mile marker I find myself in transition once again.  This journey has definitely not been a dull one.  I chose to follow Christ as a teenager and the older I get the more I realize how much I don't know.

As Joyce Meyer often puts it "I'm not where I want to be but thank God I'm not where I use to be".  I see God's handiwork everywhere in my life.  I have so many reasons to be thankful.  If I never accomplished another thing...with God's help I've raised 5 incredible young adults.  No career could surpass the joy of seeing five lives choosing a faith walk.

I see so many families with young children and can encourage you to stay the course, fight the good fight of teaching a disciplined life to your kids. They do come back and thank you when they become adults!

For all those women that are aspiring to become Proverbs 31 women, I can tell you that the moment your children 'arise and call her blessed' every sleep deprived night, the hundreds of nursemaid moments, the many repeated discussions and countless hours as a taxi driver are all worth it.

One of life's greatest moments recently has been to watch my child become a parent and bond with their baby.  To know that they are capable of loving and leading.

I can look back and remember the people I've loved and lost. Today I look around me and am thankful for the many programs that have inspired me to continue to grow (Coffee Break, Amway, Divorce Care, Celebrate Recovery) and the coaches/counsellors that have given me perspective when I've lost sight of the bigger goals. It is truly the people; family, friends and small groups that help us see who we are and how we can improve.

I've moved 16 times now and I know there will be more to add to that number. From empty nesting to hot flashes....there is always a new season of adjustment.

I look forward and own my choices in work and play. I treasure each new day as a fresh start with God's grace and mercy as ^'I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.' Phil 3:14 

I encourage others to discover their God given gifts and pursue their destiny, knowing that we are not islands and one day we'll account for our time here on earth.

My birthday wish is that you may know the richness of serving others in love and measure success by the number of lives you affect along the way.