JOYFUL WORDS
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri

Fifty

1/2/2014

5 Comments

 
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by virtuous living.  Proverbs 16:31

So, what would you like to have 50 of? Dollars, dinners out, loads of laundry done for you…oh wait…those are my wishes!  What would yours be?  Today is 50 day for me…50 years of life. Holy Cow…50 years old…how did that happen!!  I remember when my Mom was sick; one of the things she really wanted to do the summer before she died was throw a 50th birthday party for my Dad.  It was an excellent day!  The yard was full of family and friends laughing, eating, pitching horseshoes and enjoying life!  I remember my little brother and I talking about it on the patio where we stood watching and soaking it in and we discussed how OLD 50 was.  We agreed that Dad was so old he would probably “fart dust” (little brother’s words…not mine!)  Oh my, has time changed my perspective!  Honestly, my perspective began to change the first year I was a teacher.  There I was, fresh out of college and my first hour class asked how old I was.  Stupidly, I smiled and said, “How old do you think I am?”  HUGE mistake!  One sweet (or not so sweet) little 15 year old said, “Oh, I’ll be nice, maybe 30 or so!”  Nice…Nice…how was that nice!  I was 23 and felt like I’d been kicked in the knees!  From that day forward, I have NEVER told a class of any grade level my age.  For a while I told my classes I was 112.  That drove one determined little seven year old absolutely nuts one year.  She asked at least once a week for the correct number and reminded me how it was a sin to lie.  I just smiled and said, “I’m OLD honey…I’m OLD.”  I remember her telling the little boy next to her I could NOT be 112 because I didn’t have any grandbabies so I had to be in my 80’s or 90’s and not my hundreds.  Oh my...it took all the composure I had not to laugh out loud!  That was of course the same year one of my students asked me if I was “there” the night Jesus was born!  I tell ya…education can be a tough gig sometimes!

Half a century is a pretty cool thing to witness...I’m blessed to have been a part of lots of great stuff in the past half century.   I hope this is the stage where the “wiser” part of “older and wiser” kicks in!  Upon hearing that I was turning the big 50 a lady I know mentioned that it was “better than the alternative”.  There was a time I would have completely agreed with her but I have to tell you my perspective on that has changed as well.  If we do discipleship right, the end is the prize not the punishment.  There are still gobs and gobs of things I’d like to see and do but meeting Jesus is one of them and if that happens at 70 or 112 or next week then I’m hoping I’ll see heaven…I figure that’s a goal not a consequence.

In honor of my 50th, I’ve started to make a list of my 50 greatest blessings and a list of 50 things I’d like to do for somebody else.  I’ll take a look behind and a look ahead as I begin this new decade.  I realized I’ve “wished” a lot of days away waiting for something bigger and better or funnier or happier or less stressful.  I suppose I’ve missed a lot in those moments.  I have a hunch those moments I wanted to skip contained some of His most powerful lessons and blessings…I’ll try really hard not to do that in my next half century.  I’ve decided there are some things I’m going to try not to say now that I’m 50.  Some of them are, “I’m so busy”, “I wish I had”, “Oh I can’t” and “I’m too thin”…no wait, I’d LOVE to say that!!!  I think I’ll trade worry for trust, procrastination for prayer and comparison for service.  I want to grow in humility and holiness while I shrink in selfishness and pursuit of worldly success. Wow, I’ve got a lot to do, it’s a good thing I’m only 50, if I was old all this work might make me tired!

A Seed To Plant:  Even if it’s not your 50th birthday, go ahead and make a list of your blessings and some things you can do to serve others.

Blessings on your day!


                                                                                                                   

 

 

 

5 Comments
Stephanie Stone
1/2/2014 01:13:07 am

Happy 50th! I am so glad I found your blog. I love reading your inspiring words. You were always so inspiring in the classroom. Enjoy your day!

Reply
Kim Klein
1/2/2014 06:13:33 am

Happy Birthday Sheri! Thanks for your wonderful messages. They make me laugh, cry, think, pray, and most of all strive to be a better person! Praying you have a wonderful birthday and blessed year ahead!

Reply
brenda bengel
1/2/2014 06:53:34 am

Happy 50th Sheri, Thank you for all your words of wisdom. May God continue his work through you. May God bless you.

Reply
Beckie Mitchell
1/2/2014 09:38:06 am

Happy Birthday! God bless you and your joyful words!

Reply
prov31wannabe
1/21/2014 04:32:58 am

Happy Birthday! I am 51 and am trying to embrace the aging process and fight the Culture of Youth! I do not use Clairol to cover the grey in my hair, but I still feel very self conscious about it in this day and age, even though I do receive many compliments on my hair! I take comfort in the bible verse but I never knew where it was located! Thanks! However, in one of my bible translations, it said, "A hoary head is . . ." as in hoarfrost, it does have a pretty silver cast to it. Still, "hoary" just doesn't sound very flattering, does it? Thanks for your wisdom!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Joyful Words magnet picture

    ​Click on the items below to expand the options available to you to explore the Joyful Words blog.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Corinthians
    Acts Of Love
    Advent
    Ageing
    All In
    Amazing
    Anxiety
    Armor Of God
    Asking For Help
    Bad Habits
    Balance
    Baptism
    Be
    Beauty
    Being Gracious
    Blessed Mother Teresa Of Calcutta
    Blessing
    Blessings
    Brokenness
    Carry Our Cross
    Catholic Education
    Change
    Changes
    Cheerfulness
    Children
    Choices
    Christian Belief
    Christmas
    Colossians
    Commitment
    Comparisons
    Compassion
    Consistent
    Content
    Contentment
    Courage
    Crosses
    Crumbs
    Dad
    Daughters Of God
    Delight
    Desire
    Desire God
    Details
    Dicipleship
    Die To Self
    Discipleship
    Dissapointment
    Dying To Self
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Education
    Election
    Encouragement
    Enemy
    Ephesians
    Evangelization
    Exodus
    Expectations
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Falling Short
    Family
    Fathers Love
    Fear
    Flag
    Footstool
    Forgiveness
    Fresh Start
    Friendship
    Fr. Mike
    Fr. Mike Schmitz
    Galatians
    Generosity
    God In Everyday Things
    God In Scripture
    Gods Beloved
    God's Enough
    God's Forgiveness
    Gods Gifts
    God's Guidance
    God's Love
    Gods Love
    God's Plan
    Gods P Lan
    God's Restoration
    Gods Strength
    God's Timing
    Gods Timing
    Gods Ways
    God's Will
    Gods Will
    Goodness
    Good News
    Grace
    Grandma
    Grandpa
    Gratefulness
    Gratitude
    Greatness
    Gretness
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hebrews
    He Chose Me
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Thrusday
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Week
    Hope
    Humble
    Humility
    Identity In Christ
    Intimacy
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    John
    Joshua
    Joy
    Judgement
    Justice
    Kids
    Kindne
    Kindness
    Labor
    Laughter
    Lent
    Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Little
    Love
    Lovelies
    Luke
    Mark
    Marriage
    Mary
    Matthew
    Meekness
    Mercy
    Mom
    Mornings
    Mud
    Obedience
    Openness
    Parenting
    Parentng
    Patience
    Peace
    Pentacost
    People
    Perseverance
    Perspeceive
    Perspective
    Philippians
    Pioneers
    Pleasing God
    Poor
    Porch
    Positive
    Possibilities
    Pray
    Prayer
    Priorities
    Promises
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Relationship
    Religion
    Respect
    Romans
    Sacrifice
    Sacrifices
    Sainthood
    Saints
    Samuel
    Scripture
    Seeking God
    Service
    Serving God
    Signs
    Silence
    Simple
    Sin
    Sinfulness
    Slow Down
    Small Stuff
    Steve Ray
    Stillness
    St. Mary's 4th Of July
    Strength
    Stress
    Suffering
    Surprises
    Surrender
    Temptation
    Thanks
    The Right Thing
    Time
    Troubled Times
    Trust
    Trust In God
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unravelled
    Valentines
    Waiting
    Weddings
    Word Of The Year
    Words
    Works Of Mercy
    Worry


    ​Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012


    Back to Home

    RSS Feed


      HOME                        BLOG                       SPEAKING                        WRITING                        HOSPITALITY                        MEET SHERI  

CONTACT: 989.640.6673
Picture
EMAIL

FACEBOOK

Twitter

Content is the intellectual property of Sheri Wohlfert 2017
Created by dhengesbach
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri