Yep, I did it! Walked right into a new decade, Lord! And because it’s a new decade, I felt obliged to celebrate it all month long! And what a celebration we’ve had.

I’ve been loved on by family and friends from every decade of my life. I’ve received such sweet words of affirmation through beautiful cards, calls, emails, and phone conversations.

I’ve been spoiled rotten with flowers.

Best of all, I’ve literally felt warm hugs from so many family and friends who inhabit this side of the Atlantic.

Soon we’ll be returning to France, Lord, but I want to pause today and say a huge, “Merci” for allowing me to celebrate this milestone in America. (Now, I’m not promising to stop the parties once I get to France! Au contraire!)

I’ve thought a lot about how You call Your people to celebrate. Throughout Your Word are stories of days and weeks and months of celebrating the fact that Your people belong to You, the God who loves them and provides for them, the One and Only true God, the only one worthy of receiving praise.

You call us to celebrate note only Who You are but also the gift of life. As I’ve spent the last four months speaking about mental illness and the effects of depression, I’ve also talked about the loveliest of lessons You’ve taught me along this journey of life: how to be kind to myself.

Yes, You call us to love You with all our hearts and minds and souls. And then You call us to the second most important commandment, to love others as we love ourselves.

Sometimes I think we are cruel to others because we are cruel to ourselves, listening to (or whispering to ourselves) lies about our worth: “Not good enough! Failure!” Lies from the enemy of our souls.

I’ve learned over the course of my sixty years, little by little, and through Your gracious provision of friends and counselors and especially the wisdom that comes from Your Word, to be kind to myself.

And so I’m celebrating sixty. I am so thankful to be alive, Lord. I am trying to savor each moment of these festivities and live in the present, casting worries on You and trusting You for the future.

Because I am Your beloved daughter, saved by Your grace, awaiting an eternal inheritance far better than any earthly party or gift.

But until I get ‘home’, I’m going to celebrate this season and rejoice in this part of the journey.

Won’t you, dear reader, join me in the joy?