Birthdays

There is not much more that can make me stop and think than turning a year older. Another day, another year. It feels weird turning another year older. I have been trying to get myself used to the idea of being 31 over the past couple of months, but still not there.

I find it funny that we as people have “feelings” about different ages, and they are just numbers. Inanimate, logical, simple numbers, and yet not quite when we add them to who we are. Those numbers turn pretty quickly from objective to relative when we apply them to ourselves. “I don't feel that old. I feel like I am still 23.” “How can I be nearly 200 lbs? I was 160 in High School.” “Ahh, kids, they think they are old at graduation, 23 is not old.” And I can just imagine my parents and grandparents thinking the same thing of me at 31.

All fascinating, and what does the Bible say? We are as a vapor in the wind. A blink of an eye. And yet we hold on so dearly to what we have here. Talk about perspective.

So a recap of this year... Mostly bouncing back and forth from here to Arkansas and back. Working nights, but still getting several weeks off at a time which was nice. (Hopefully that will continue right now.) I did get out of credit card debt in August which was a huge blessing. I look back right now at where I had been over the past 10 years, and am amazed. I actually have a positive net worth, some savings, and have wise counsel I listen to. The wise counsel is by far the most valuable thing I have access to.

I don't feel like I have accomplished much over the past year, but the more I think about it, maybe I did. I got to grow friendships, which is quite important. I read some, but was somewhat random, and didn't finish all the books I started. (A bad habit) I did renew and add quite a bit to my genealogical research. The biggest goal of the year, was getting out of credit card debt. It took a little longer than I thought it would, but God has blessed tremendously. This coming year I should have a few more things to concretely show what have been done. More on that to come with New Year's Resolutions.

Well, enough reverie. It is a good day. And not just because it is my birthday. God is good regardless. And I have to remind myself of that everyday.

33 Days

Is a long time to be at work. I got off Sunday, but have been sick, so it feels like I am still not off. It is so good though to be home, at my own house, awake during daylight hours. This time off has been very difficult switching back to a day schedule, for some reason. (33 working nights probably has something to do with it.) Usually within two days I can be back to a regular sleeping schedule, but I keep waking up at 2:00 in the morning. Even Nyquil which usually puts me out for a straight 4 hours isn't helping. Strange times.

It's December! I love December. Part of it is the cold weather. Part of it is Christmas. Part of it is the month of my birthday. There is just something about the combination that I love.

There are a lot of things going through my head right now, and with my head stopped up, and my nose running, it probably will not come out just right. So I will save my thoughts till later, and enjoy a cold afternoon, waiting out a cold, resting in my warm bed, reading. (Another great reason for cold weather: warm bed, good book)