In 1965, I was the first baby born of the new year in our small town. My mom and I even made the front page of the newspaper. I think that was my 15 seconds of fame and the rest, they say, is history. ?

Each year when my birthday comes around, I reflect on my life. Have I done what God has called me to do? What goals do I want to set for the next year? What new words of wisdom do I have to offer someone? What new aches and pains do I have now? LOL  What can I look forward to?

As I look back, I find myself reflecting on my childhood. I grew up with two loving parents, an older sister and brother and usually a dog. We lived in a small community where you could ride your bike down any street, stay outside and play with neighbors until the street lights came on at night, and there was never a time that I didn’t feel safe.

My greatest gift given to me was being raised by Christian parents. They taught me to love Jesus, took me to Sunday School where I learned all about the Bible, and they modeled what a Christian marriage looked like. Were they perfect? Of course not. Did they do everything right? Absolutely not. However, at age 10, I asked Jesus into my heart and I will forever be grateful for that decision.

Asking Jesus into my heart did not mean I was perfect and I certainly made my share of mistakes and bad choices along the way. But the Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 that if you “Train up a child in the way he should go; when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That certainly holds true in my life because many of the things I learned from my parents or from a Sunday School teacher sustain me when I have trouble in my life now.

Another gift given to me by my parents was LOVE. There has never been one day in my life that I didn’t know that I was loved. I know that I disappointed my parents with some decisions that I made, but they were always there for me and showed me how much they loved me. Love didn’t mean giving us everything we wanted, but instead providing what we needed. Love didn’t mean never disciplining us, but it meant teaching us right from wrong. Love meant that no matter what, I had someone in my corner who was cheering me on.

I truly am blessed. I don’t have a perfect life, but I’m striving to be better. I’m working on listening to the nudge of the Holy Spirit and trying to follow His guide. I’m grateful and thankful for the life that I have and I pray that I never take it for granted.

For 56 years, I’ve been on the earth. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future and that is good enough for me. So for now, I will just say, “Happy Birthday to Me!” and here’s to another year older!

Be Blessed!