At 40: Shrinking in Height, Growing in Grace

When you roll into a new decade of life, people start asking if you feel whatever your age is. The answer for me is yes. I feel 40. My driver’s license still says I’m 4’11”, but I’m reminded at every check-up that I’m steadily shrinking. Besides my compressing spine and forehead wrinkles, I have much to be grateful for. And you know, I suppose I’m thankful for the signs of aging too.

The scraggly grays sprouting from my scalp aren’t quite a “crown of glory,” but I’m on my way (see Prov. 16:31). My adult years have had their ups and downs, but the trajectory over time has been a steady trend closer to Jesus. I’m grateful for His abundant mercy and grace, and that I’m less self-centered and more Christ-centered than I was in my 20s.

Here’s a life update. Thanks for stopping by. I pray you will reflect on how the Lord is working in each of these spheres of your life as well!

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1. Spirituality

My aim in life is to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbor as myself (see Matt. 22:37–39). I don’t do this perfectly, of course! My husband, kids, and closest friends can tell you that. If ever this wee wad of anxiety and good intentions reflects the love of Christ, it is all to His glory. As Scripture reminds us, “In my weakness, He is strong” (2 Cor. 12:9–10).

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2. Marriage

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3. Parenting

I’ll lump the pets into this section too. Our border collie and two cats keep us on our toes and bring loads of joy. They also bring loads of fur-covered laundry, but that’s what the lint trap is for.

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4. Friends

In this phase of my life, however, the Lord has blessed me with some very dear friends who have stuck with me. We pray for each other, trade wisdom, and share laughs. If you care enough to read this line of text, you’re likely one of them. Thank you, friend.

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5. Work

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6. Ministry

Here are the ministries closest to my heart:

• Apologetics for the Church
  Equipping ordinary believers to effectively and confidently share the gospel. Learn More →
• Isaac–Ishmael Initiative
  A Christ-centered organization promoting peace among Jewish and Muslim communities. Learn More →
• Friends in Action, Intl.
  Working in areas of limited infrastructure by using construction projects and practical service to speed the gospel to those who have never heard. Learn More →

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7. Hobbies

Once a nerd, always a nerd. I’ve wanted to learn a non-European language for a while. Lately, I’ve been learning Korean through the Talk to Me in Korean curriculum along with Korean with Ina. So far, I’ve mainly learned some greeting phrases, how to sound out words in Hangul, and counting in the Native and Sino number systems.

In other news, I just finished a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a train. I didn’t know I liked puzzles, but six days ago, my son pulled one out of the closet that he received as a gift and never opened. The dopamine hit that accompanies the snap of matching pieces is addictive and offers an insidious false sense of accomplishment.

Besides that, here are a few good books I’ve read recently:

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If you’ve made it this far, even if you only skimmed the headings, thank you! Feel free to drop a comment to share how you’re doing and how I can pray for you on your journey.

Stock images courtesy of Pexels.com