Birthdays and Getting Old

Last week marked another birthday. How do you deal with them? So you won't be wondering how old I am, I will just tell you, 47. Back to my question, how do you deal with them? How do we react?

My daughter announced earlier this year that they were going to have a baby. I am going to be a grandmother in 10 weeks. She asked me what I wanted to be called, which was about everyone's question after they congratulated me. I thought about it for about a half a second and decided...grandma. What other time do you get "grand" before your name. My grandmothers were some of my most favorite people. I count it a privilege. 

Christmas is around the corner. I'm sure I will get my share of family letters which I love to read. What a great look at the year, trials and celebrations. For my birthday I made a list of goals for 47. I definitely want to celebrate what a great year 46 was. But you all know that as you get older, the years go faster. I want to be intentional about each one that I am given. Here is a look at some of the things that made the list.

• I don't like that my body feels older but that is mostly my fault. It went down on my list to get in shape. 
• I put family on my list. With my kids all adults and their lives getting busy. I don't want to get to far away from being a part of their life.
• For work and my entire life, I want to be totally centered on what God has for me. He created me for a purpose and I want to make sure I fulfill it. No more wrong turns ... no more Ishmaels.
• It is also a time to really focus my work. As one that has a tendency to say "yes" to lots of things. It's time to trim back the things that don't fit. It's no longer about saying no to bad things, it saying no to good things that keep you from great things.
• In the spirit of bringing things together, God came through with a great blessing. And that is faith for a family business that my husband and I are starting. Only He (our Abba father) could pull our strengths, our past experiences, and our desires from two relatively different people. 
• Here is what I say to 47...bring it!

Each year is not something to regret but something to look forward to. God has something for us every day, every week, every month, and every year. It's a testimony of His faithfulness and goodness. 

Ephesians 3:13-21

Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory