Tomorrow begins a forty day countdown to my 40th birthday.  I wrote a couple of weeks back about birthdays and how my mom made them so special.  I love commemorating and celebrating moments in my life.  I think I used to remember days in my life as a way of holding on to the past and grieving what had gone by, but in my later years I have found it as a way to be thankful for what God has brought me through and to spur me on to becoming a better person, to look more like Jesus.

I have forty days, moments or people written down.  They are in no particular order, but each day will commemorate something important.  Some of them are hard to think about, others are embarrassing, most are sweet but they are all a part of who I am.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 4).  God had them set up a memorial of 12 stones so they would remember and testify to what the Lord had done for them.  It is good to remember what the Lord has done so that we never think we got to where we are on our own.

One of the days I will write about will be the day I turned 30-years-old.  It was such a difficult time in my life, but as I see 40 in the horizon, I am so thankful that I can say with certainty, “I am looking forward to my forties and all that it has to offer.”

I hope you enjoy reading for the next forty days and I hope you are encouraged to remember what God has done for you throughout your journey.