50 years ago this January, I was celebrating my brother’s birthday for the first time. Of course, I didn’t know anything about it as I was only 9 months old.

46 years ago I realized that all of this talk about Jesus applied to me and to my life personally. That realization has shaped my life ever since.

45 years ago, I was starting up the second half of Kindergarten at Pleasant Street School in Spencer, Ma.

44 years ago, I was attending Lake Street School.

40 years ago we had sold the house in Spencer and were living in missionary housing in Rhode Island. That year I did fourth grade by correspondence course. The next year we lived in Charlton and I went to a Christian private school in Southbridge. Then we headed up for a month and a half in Canada.

38 years ago, I was living in France. I remember it being very cold in January, but the water pipes under the ground melted all of the snow on the sidewalks.

36 years ago, I was living in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa. After a break full of beach days and fresh pineapples, January 2nd was arrival day at boarding school.

32 years ago we celebrated New Year’s at a neighbor’s house in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, watching movies and setting off firecrackers.

34 years ago we were stateside. I went to David Prouty High School and met my best friend for life that year! I don’t know what I’d do without her and the shenanigans we still get into.

33 years ago we were packing our bags to head back to Africa.

30 years ago, I celebrated my daughter’s first Christmas and New Year’s. There’s no way she’s 30 years old! I still think of myself as thirty…

28 years ago I started my student teaching practicum at Chandler Magnet School in Worcester, MA. I loved every minute of it!

27 years ago I was beginning the second half of my first year as a reading specialist in the same school I attended as a child. I was working with my own kindergarten, second, and third grade teachers. My first grade teacher had just retired.

26 years ago I learned how to knit.

25 years ago, my daughter decided to become ‘upright’ after reading Methuselah’s Heart by Mary E. Edgrin.

24 years ago Dad was fighting prostate cancer. He won.

22 years ago, my daughter and I celebrated the New Year with Grammy, eating s’mores and playing scrabble. That January, I was asked to be the Sunday School Superintendent at church. I was also the AWANA Commander.

20 years ago I watched my daughter get baptised.

17 years ago I was recovering from bilateral mastectomies, finishing up chemo, and prepping for radiation.

12 years ago I was gluten free.

11 years ago we finished reconstruction. No more surgeries. That year, I published my first book: In His Hands.

10 years ago, the new year started by a shattering waterfall sound in the middle of the night. The bathroom mirror had fallen off the wall, covering the floor and toilet with tiny shards of mirror. I spent that January house hunting (not because of the broken mirror) and bought the perfect house.

7 years ago, my beloved RAV4 gave his all to get me safely to work. AAA towed him home, then I traded him in. The rumor is that he was sent on a shipment to Africa. My doctoral proposal got approved that January, too.

6 years ago I tried beets for the first time. I liked them.

5 years ago I was working on my Administrative Licence. I got my 500 hours in and passed the first PALs test. Then I decided that I wanted to be a college professor instead. I became an adjunct professor at Anna Maria College.

4 years ago I got my first bingo playing scrabble!

3 years ago we had mini splits installed. Now I can hang out in my upstairs living room all year round!

Last year, we were saying ‘see you later’ to my Dad.

This year, I’m fighting pneumonia. The coughing is quite annoying, but I have enjoyed the time it’s forced me to spend just resting.

In the words of my current favorite Matthew West song, “This life ain’t always wonderful, but what a wonderful life it is.” Of course, if you keep listening, he goes on to sing, “No, this life ain’t’ always wonderful, but this life ain’t all there is.”

This is just the practice round. The dress rehearsal. The chance to make the choice.

I challenge you to sit down and take a look at your years and your choices. I’m sure you’ve had a lot of ups and downs as you’ve lived each day. But look for the patterns. Look for His Hand weaving in and out the places and the players. Look for the wonderful.