Turning 61: Another Season

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance...."                                                                                                       Ecclesiastes 3

Week 59

Tomorrow I will turn 61.  It was over a year ago that I began my blog 'Small Steps 4 Big Results' with the intention of celebrating turning 60.  I had an idea that I wanted to do an experiment to find out if I could be better at 61 than I was at 60.  I wanted to make improvements to me and my life by taking small steps to get those results. So I began with a rather methodical plan of determining the areas I wanted to work on.  I went about my journey with new weekly goals/ small steps.  And, like most of our journeys in life, they don't take a straight path...they find winding roads, barriers and wrong turns along the way. I'll use Charles Dickens words from A Tale of Two Cities to sum up my year of  being 60: " It was the best of times and the worst of times."

I received so many blessings in my year of being 60.  I was blessed to be an observer in God's miracle of life with two new healthy granddaughters. And recently we received surprising news of  yet another one on her way.  I spent many wonderfully memorable days with my family.  I managed to stay healthy, for the most part, and I just recently celebrated 41 years of marriage to the man that I dearly love. My Lord and My God has showered me this year, like all of the rest,  with his grace, his mercy and his peace. ('peace': a word I now have a better understanding of).

But as the Lord reminds us, we have seasons in our lives:  'A time to be born and a time to die'. This year I lost my mother.  Her death came 39 days after my youngest daughter gave birth to her first child (our fourth granddaughter). I lost another mother this year, when my husband's mom passed away.....just four days before our 5th granddaughter was born...such a vivid and painful reality in the circle of life.   I wept with a dear friend when she shared her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.... wasn't it only weeks before that we had giggled and laughed together?  I watched helplessly as dear family members got caught up in this challenging financial time.  My heart ached as I learned of loved ones that were suffering from depression and anxiety.  'To everything there is a season. ..... and a purpose under heaven'.

Our quote for this week comes from the book of Ecclesiastes.  In my Bible it prefaces the book with these words: ".... in the final analysis life is meaningless without the proper respect and reverence for God....  Without God everything is meaningless." So true!  God is in charge and his will, not mine, is what has value.  I can and should do my best to create a better life, a healthier body and mind, a more positive attitude, a planned out financial path....but God is ultimately in charge. And who wouldn't rather have Him driving the bus?

I had a friend recently ask me if I was going to continue with my small steps ...I thought she was referring to my blog...I replied, "I'm not sure yet".  Then I realized her question was about continuing with the small steps and changes I had made..."Oh, you mean keep doing the steps...of course",  I said, "I'm hooked!"  As to my blog continuing?....I'm reflecting on that one.  But for at least the next few weeks, I would like to share with you some of the results of my experiment, as well as a few more areas that I'm particularly interested in.

 Please share some of your 'aha' moments or observations on the blog or email me at smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com