By HIS Grace

Last year I turned 40! I can't tell you how long I have waited to reach this milestone. I envisioned it to be one of the greatest moments of my life. After all, they say "40 is the new 30" I had my first birthday party ever and the event created a moment for me to look back over my life and realize all that the Lord had done and acknowledge the connection of friends and family who played important roles over the years.  The journey has definitely been one that has shaped who I am today. If you are anything like me,  you are constantly examining your life and finding ways to improve "YOU" and if you are really honest, you are doing your best to prevent the worst of any situation from happening. In my final year in my 30's, I started reading articles on what to expect when you turn 40 (sounds cliché enough).  I needed to prepare myself for the heat flashes, that I was already experiencing. I was hopeful that even my " sweat episodes " were enough t

Work deadlines, family demands, and ongoing life issues, can really set the tone of your day. Not to mention if it's a day that you are bumping heads with your boss or coworkers, having shouting matches with your teenagers, and your spouse has decided to be emotionally absence, only to appear when they have a request. Life is happening all around you and every day you keep telling yourself, "it can't get any worst than this!" All to find out that it can! Well, here's the good news.   "On your worst day...you're still good!" You see because we live in a world where time does not stand still and life is taking place during every breath. It's easy to feel like you are loosing.  As a people, we measure ourselves on accomplishments and we are identified by the roles we have acquired on the journey of life; parent, spouse, employee, etc. On the days when we feel like we are failing in any of those areas, it's easy for us to forget who we truly are

I'm starting to realize more and more how important it is to be relational.  I also understand that it is going to look different in the various areas of my life. My relationship with my family, will be very different from my relationships with friends and coworkers. But, never the less, it's still important that I am engaging in all of those units of my life. Before I get in to this, let me put the disclaimer out now that,  "I'm not saying everyone needs to act the same way."   W hat I am saying is that, "for any relationship to work, you have to be aware of what is required on your behalf." People that knows me, will tell you that I love people. I am a socialist! I love to network, engage with other people, and I enjoy learning about others.  I'm comfortable in a big setting with a lot going on. I can cope in small, intimate settings, but they are definitely not my preference. Recently I was out with a good friend and our children at a local amusem