Monday, February 26, 2007

Faith, Family, Friends and Forty






Yesterday was a big day - I turned the big 4-oh! I can't believe I'm a "fortysomething"! Yikes!


I've been thinking about turning forty for several weeks now. As the big day approached, I spent some time evaluating what the Lord has taught me about Himself and myself in recent years. Since January 2005 the Lord has graciously been breaking me of my self-centeredness and the pervasive presence of pride in my life. Every day, it seems, the Lord points out another area where I need to change. For a guy whose first thoughts have centered on myself and my "rightness", it has become painfully clear how wrong I have been. The first forty years of my life have been so much about self! I pray the second forty (if Jesus doesn't come back before then and if God gives me that long to live) will center on knowing God and serving others! At forty, I'm thankful for God's gracious gifts to me: my faith, my family and my friends!


I've included some pictures of these gifts!


3 comments:

My Middle Age Moments said...

Happy Birthday, I hope it was a good one. You are getting old...not me of course..just you. Great pictures...keep em coming.

The SC Elwarts said...

Happy Birthday, old man. :) You hit the big 4-0 with grace and beauty. :) Thanks for the pictures. We wish we could have been there. Oh well. We'll photoshop our family into the picture at the restaurant. Thanks for the pictures. By the way, Lauren says that "Uncle Tracy's so silly." (She said that after the picture of you and the boys.) Happy Birthday.

Leah Kadwell said...

Hi Tracy,
Well, if you're 40, then that means I'm the next one to go on the Fressel side of the family... Those February birthdays become a little harder every year. So sad... Thanks for updating your blog.