This past week, I celebrated my 50th birthday, and to my amazement it was quite exciting…

I had thought I would dread leaving my 5th decade to enter my 6th … but, to my surprise, I feel a spring in my step and see life has the potential to be quite a bit more fun!  Why?  I think it’s because I see 50 as over the hill.  Yes, over the hill!  Life has often been extremely hard work these past years (and, boy, did I ever make it really hard!) … pushing, pushing … now I’m on the other side of the hill where I see myself cruising along with a lot less wasted effort – it’s like being on vacation.  Now doesn’t that sound fun?  I think of 50 as the ‘Year of Jubilee’ – when all debts are canceled.   It’s a fresh start.

At a recent midweek church service, the speaker challenged the listeners to make a list of 5 year goals.  I had done that when I was in college but haven’t done so in quite a while.  I know that writing out goals does help you to focus more.  My goals in college were to achieve a certain status … my goals now are to accomplish certain dreams.

Since I am a nutrition enthusiast, one of my first goals is to give myself a challenge as I enter this new half century.  Over the first 100 days, I have purposed in my heart to eat a strictly raw foods diet.  I have done this before for 40 consecutive days, but I chose 100 days this time because I was thinking how important the first 100 days of a new president’s term is; how it determines the course of his presidency.   These first 100 days of my second half century are important and, hey, eating raw can really help the course – right?   The living food helps recover and renew my physical body at the cellular level.  Our cells are the building blocks for the outside person we see when we look in the mirror and for the energy we need to go through daily life.

I’m thankful for hitting 50.  It was questionable that I would ever make it when I was in my early 40s.  My hope is that I am faithful to God’s purpose for my life, and that I will be known as His friend.

Me standing next to my Friend’s handiwork!