So. This is 40.... Now what???

If you hadn't already guessed.... today is my birthday.

My 40th birthday..... (wow!!)

All my babies have wished me a Happy Birthday, and my hubby has as well.

Last week we moved into our brand new home!

Well, it's new to us anyway... ;) And such a blessing!! I'm SO thankful for this home that is ours! Renting was starting wear on us (11 years of renting...)

Needless to say, it has been a very very busy time.

Back in the beginning of September I went on a trip with my sister to Orlando, FLorida that was a 40th birthday hurrah from my sweet family to me. It was a ton of fun, and yes..we missed the hurricane...

When I got back there was more to be done for moving, our anniversary, my daughter's 11th birthday AND our move!!

I'm sweating just typing that...haha...

So, here I am! In our new house, a year older (and wiser, I have the white hair to prove it. ;)), getting ready to start another run of school with my kiddos and trying to get unpacked in the midst of that. My hands are officially full!!

(But good full....;))

I came into this year with three understandings from God that I am going to share with you now....

1. This was going to be a year of trusting in Him. My word for the year is actually Unafraid. Which coincidentally made me just a teensy bit nervous... which I am sure you understand..

2. Things were going to change...but I didn't know HOW they were going to change.

3. That He was going to be doing a very deep work in me during this time, and while it would not be pleasant, it would be GOOD.

All of that has come to pass! God is ALWAYS good and faithful to fulfill what He says He will. Even when it looks different than we thought it might. Amen?

This morning I woke up at 5am. I have come to love 5am because I know that Jesus and I are going to talk...and I love those talks. My devotionals this morning spoke into everything that my heart and mind were chewing on. Boy, can I chew on things!!!! ;)

You see, God has been birthing something of a revolution in me this year. Lots and lots of change.... clearing out of old crud to make way for restoration. (When God restores something, it never means that He is bringing it back to a time that was better in our life, or made us happier...it means that He is completely removing the grossness of what we accrued in the world before coming to Him, so that He can place in us the perfect plan He always intended for our lives...pretty cool huh?)

Restoring of how I see myself to how He always intended it to be.....

Restoring the understanding that I AM valuable and I DO have something to offer....

Restoring the dreams and hopes that He gave me to begin birthing what He created to come through me....

And SO much more!! However, I want you to be able to get through this post within the century, so I just leave it at those three.

I am being called to balance, peace, and grace filled living in Him.

Which means relying ONLY on Him for my every need.

It also means carrying with me daily the truth of who I am according to Him... not according to the world and those around me.

Being who I was for so many years (a people pleaser who was terrified of not being like, but never believed that she really was liked...what a mess huh??) I held the opinions of people about me over the truth of what God said. I put too much stock and value in it.

Well.

No more.

.....and that is a little scary....but also really freeing and feels amazing!!

So. This is 40.

And that, my friends, is something I am looking forward to delving deeply into with Jesus at the wheel.

Blessings from my heart to yours, Michelle