I love birthdays, especially mine. I celebrate all month long. What’s better than warm greetings from friends, gifts, and sweet treats? But this year is a bit different. As I wrote my blog last week, I realized my tagline would have to change from faith, family, and my forties to faith, family, and my fifties!

It’s strange because, when I was a little girl, I thought fifty meant old. In my mind, women in their fifties wore their gray hair in tight buns, chose sturdy shoes, and complained about their rheumatism. I’m not like that—I’m not old. It seems surreal.

Okay, well, I do have white hair coming in at my temples. I did rate arch support over style when buying summer shoes, and I’ve upgraded to arthritis-strength Tylenol. Maybe my body is getting a little older, but I don’t feel old. Part of this strange feeling comes from Peck. Aged people don’t dance in the aisle of the grocery store with their fourth graders.

I think this disconnect with my age comes from more than Peck keeping me young. My faith has grown more in the last decade than it ever has. I didn’t start memorizing scripture until my mid-forties. I’ve embraced new ministries and new frontiers for ministry.

In the last couple of years, I’ve experienced many firsts–building my first website, writing my first book proposal, and creating my first graphic design. I could list more. These tasks pushed me, stretched me, and challenged me. They utilized skills I didn’t realize I possessed.

I think the secret is not to focus on how my body feels but how my mind feels. Am I learning new things? Am I challenging myself? Am I asking the Lord for new opportunities in his kingdom? When I think I’ve accomplished enough and sit down to rest, that’s when I’ll start to feel old. So, yes, I’m going to change my tagline, but I won’t be sad. Fifty is just a number. I won’t be old until I stop achieving firsts.  

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