Thirty-[mumble] years ago today, I was born! I was a scrawny little thing, arriving a few weeks early, weighing a little over 5 1/2 pounds.

Last month, one of our sermons at church was about the Titus 2 woman, and my pastor said he left it up to our Women’s Ministry to define what an “older” woman was. They deemed women over the age of forty as the “older” women: Yikes! I’m getting dangerously close to that!

But really, age is just a number — even though I never can remember exactly how old I am anymore without doing a little mental math. I mentioned before about the 78 year old lady we overheard telling a cashier — who was afraid to offer her a senior discount because so many people get mad about being asked if they are old to qualify — that “Anyone who complains about getting older ought to be spanked!” She went on to say that she was thankful for every year she had because so many of her friends and family had already passed on, and she vowed to celebrate every year God gives her!

I’m okay with getting older, but I still look like this (above) when I laugh, so Ken knows he is not allowed to post any laughing or talking photos of me without my express written consent. 😉 In the photo below, I am still scrawny (perhaps some would say I still am!), but I am rockin’ a super-cool Dorothy Hamil bowl haircut. You can also totally tell that I had a major cross-bite, and based on the closed-mouth smile, I was probably missing a few front teeth.

A good friend of mine made a little speech at her 40th birthday party, saying we should wake up excited to be alive every morning, saying, “Woohoo! I woke up!” And greet that day as a chance to live for God as a thank-you for granting us another day on this earth. Amen to that! I still don’t do this well enough, but I want to “make the most of the time” on this earth. And that includes NEVER having a hair-do like this again:

Anyway, happy birthday to me! “This is the day [and year] that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!” I want to learn to celebrate every single day. So, happy June 9th to you! Go celebrate it, not because it’s my birthday, but just because it is a day! Then tomorrow, let’s celebrate June 10th — just because! And the next day… well, you get the idea. 😉

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »