I just celebrated another wonderful birthday this past week. I look forward to want this next year will bring and hope that I continue to live life to the fullest every year at every age.

This past year was my “golden” birthday year, and oh man was it great! So many new things entered into my life and I’m forever grateful that they did. This past year has been a year of ushering new beginnings into my life and this next year is developing those new beginnings.

One of my staff members asked me on my birthday what were my words of wisdom for this next year. This is funny because I’m always parting my words of wisdom or things I’ve learned over the years about the work that we do that it caught me off guard that she was asking me about life lessons. I told her I had to think a little bit about what I’ve learned and what I wanted to pass on to her.

And after heartfelt reflection, my words of wisdom that I’m passing on is this statement.

Always keep your eyes, ears, and heart open because what you need is not always what you expect.

I’ve learned this past year that you can have your plans and you can have your expectations, but that doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes what comes to you when you least expect it, is what you need most. It also means that sometimes what is best for us is not within our timeline or packaged the way we thought it was going to be. Instead, we find out that all along God was planning, creating, and providing His best for me. I just needed to open myself up to realize it.

So open up your heart and allow God to move in your life in ways that you didn’t expect. You’ll soon discover like I did that God’s plan is better than my own.

Cheers to another year of getting older, wiser, and a life full of surprises!