Happy Birthday to You! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When I was a kid, 40 years old seemed ancient. It doesn’t seem so old anymore. It’s funny, mentally, I swear I’m still in my twenties, and most of the time, physically, I feel like I’m spot on, but there are times (and they’re becoming more frequent), where I know my birthdate is wrong, someone screwed up my birth certificate, my parents lied to me . . . because this must be what fifty feels like.
I think 40 is an age where most people pause to take stock of their life. To reflect on where they’ve been, what they’ve accomplished, and how much more living they want to do. I’ve been doing a lot of this lately.
Looking back I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed and humbled. I have four beautiful daughters, six published books, and beat colon cancer. I’ve been married to a wonderful, loyal, faithful, loving wife for fifteen years (today is our anniversary as well as my birthday). I’m still amazed by how patient and tender Jen was during our battle with cancer. I’ve had the opportunity to work in a field where I touch people’s lives every day. I’ve worked with and met some of the best and most interesting folks you can imagine. And I still wake up every morning anxious to see what the day will hold.
But looking forward is when I feel the anxiety begin to creep in. I’m a restless person by nature, always wanting to push myself, to cover new ground, expand, progress, conquer new challenges, and to me, the future looks fuzzy. And that makes me uncomfortable.
There’s so much more I want to accomplish, so many goals that have yet to be reached, and forty is a reminder that time is running short. Half-time is over and the second half will rush by faster than the first half did.
So where do I go? Well, I set aside my own agenda, my goals, my plans, and follow God’s. After all, my life is his, not my own. He’s calling the shots. I need to align myself with his will, not the other way around. I may not get to do all the things I’d like to but I’ll give my all to the things I am called to do. And every day I’ll continue to pray three things:
- Bless me
- Use me
- Keep me from evil
So to celebrate my birthday and anniversary I’d like to give a way a couple things:
- a signed copy of my latest full-length thriller, FRANTIC,
- and 2 copies of my recently-released novella, REARVIEW.
All you have to do is leave a comment below to be entered. This contest will run through Friday night and the winners will be announced on Saturday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr Dellosso!! You certainly are blessed! Hope you have an amazing birthday
Happy Birthday again, and happy anniversary as well! I can fully understand reaching 40 and this initiating a time of reflection. When I reached 40, one of the major reflections I had was my weight. I was overweight at this age and for many years before. Reaching 40 made me think about becoming fitter and healthier. It took me the next 5 years to get serious about this. I set myself a goal of reaching 50 and being the correct weight for height. My wake up call came at age 47 when I was my heaviest and high blood pressure and swelling of my feet started. I reached my goal of correct weight/height at age 49 and now at 51, am healthier, fitter than I have every been and I have people convinced I am 40 or a bit older!! I totally agree with you and support you in your goals and what you want from God!! You are a great encouragement to me, Mike.
Thank you, Peter. And you’re an encouragement to me!
Wow, how amazing to celebrate a birthday and an anniversary on the same day!!! What a blessing to have such an amazing, loving family. My father has bladder cancer currently and is waiting to get BCG treatments. Sure he is scared but, we are contantly praying for Gods amazing hands to lay upon my Father and completely heal him. We have come so far already and he has shown my Father just what can be done. My Fathers faith has been increased and he is getting better results with each surgery they do. Thank you for the opportunity in sharing such great talent and your love to each of your fans. It is great to know there are authors who truly care about “our” lives as well as us wanting to know how “your” doing. Bless you and your family Mike.
Much Love,
Tim Gould
Thank you, Tim. My prayers are with your father. Looking back on it now, I consider my battle with cancer a privelege because I got to see a side of God–my Daddy–that most people never get to see. What an honor.
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! God has been so very good to you and to me. We are both very blessed. I am 13 years your senior and continue to be blessed beyond measure. . .on July 25 our 3rd grandson will arrive, I have been married to the most wonderful man for 32 years. And the blessings just continue on and on. Our God is such an awesome God! My wish for you this day is that you will have a day full of blessings and to always remember. . .The Best Is Yet To Come.
Blessings to you,
Annette
Thank you for keeping things in perspective, Annette! Congrats on the near birth of your grandson. How exciting.
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! God has poured out so many blessings on you! Having been through cancer myself and having a 25 year marriage dissolve because my ex-husband found the love of his life could have left me bitter. God has given me so much more. Forty might seem old to you and I hated turning forty but I survived and so will you! I will be turning 63 next month and let me tell you that the second half of life does fly by. Some times I wonder how I got so old. I hope to focus on today because we aren’t promised tomorrow. I do know that God is good in all circumstances!
I read your book “Frantic” and loved it. Even did a review on it for you. Winning a copy of REARVIEW would be fantastic!
Blessings my friend to you and your lovely family!
Happy Birthday and Anniversary Blessing to you and your wife! May God bless you and keep you safe and healthy. I am really excited to read your new novel Franitc, I read Rearview and loved it! Will there be a paper copy of Rearview? You inspire me to write, I am working on my on story right now. Also tell Micheal King I look forward to his work
Happy Birthday and Anniversary, Mike. As someone who is nearly 22 years your senior, I can tell you that fuzzy future you can’t quite make out is going to be wonderful. God has used me more in the past couple of years than He ever has. And I know He will do the same with you because I know where your heart is. So, even though you can’t see the future like you want to, just relax and know that God’s got it under control, and you’ll enjoy every minute of it. Give my love to Jen and the girls, and have a fantastic day!
Hi MIke, Already have Frantic and Rearview, but I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday and Anniversary.
♫♪♫░H░A░P░P░Y░♥░B░I░R░T░H░D░A░Y░♫♪ and
† ♪♫•*¨*¨*•♫♪HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! ♪♫•*¨*¨*•♫♪ †
What a great reflective post. May you have a wonderful day celebrating your birth and your marriage. As one who is well ahead of you (and still feels 20 – in spirit) in numbers of celebrations I urge you to simply enjoy and celebrate every day. Your focus is spot on; God has and continues to bless you as you write for Him – and for us all. Blessings and Cyberhugs!
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful day. Your post really makes me think. My husband and I have been married for 35 years June 11. I was a very active person and loved playing on City Softball Leagues, playing golf with my husband, playing racquetball, taking hikes and anything else I could do. As of 15 years ago that all stopped because of medical problems. Some days I can’t get out of bed. I am 57 and wonder sometimes what good I can be to God. I don’t even know which Sunday I will be able to make it to Church. But God has been talking to me. I have no talents as far as anybody else knows. But I felt like God was saying Terry, you can pray. So I spend a lot of time praying for everybody. When I listen to music I pray for each Artist. When I read, I pray for each author. I pray for our country, our soldiers, familey, church and anything else I can think of. Reading the seven series really made me think about this age thing. What I wouldn’t give to go back and do it all again. We were very poor growing up but I had lots of love. I really didn’t know I was poor until I went to school and was told. So every day I pray to be used through prayer and sometimes can’t wait to see what heaven will be like. You are right, the last years go faster and faster and even though I am not active, my brain feels like I am 20. I love my husband so much I would love to fall in love all over again and take that journey with him again. We both worked our butts off and have a very good middle class life. To a lot of people it may not seem like much but to me, we are blessed. Take care and God Bless. Thank God for giving you more time with your family and love them every minute of the day.
Thank you so much for your heartfelt words, Terri. I’m surrounded by the best people!
Happy Birthday Mike! Happy Anniversary to you and your wife as well! Thank you for your thoughts and reflections on life, as they express exactly what I’m going through in my own life right now. I’m going to start using your prayer “recipe” if you don’t mind. Thanks for blessing our lives with your creativitiy and the gifts God has given you.
Have read all of Mike Dellosso books….except Rearview. This is next on my list. Great author!! Happy Birthday!!
Thanks, Marvin! Hope you get around to reading Rearview soon. It’s only a $1.99 at Amazon now
Happy Birthday, Mike! I always appreciate your reflections on life and writing. I look forward to hearing more about where God leads you and how He continues to work in your life.
Mike, Happy Birthday to you, and Happy Anniversary to you and your wife! I just finished reading Rearview and loved it. It was a great read with a powerful message. Thank you for letting yourself be used by God through your writing.
Thanks for the review on Amazon, too, Jesse! Glad you enjoyed the story and hope you like my other books
Happy Birthday, Mike!!! 40 is still so young! My son is 41!
Happy Anniversary to you and your wife!!!
Love the work you do, so keep writing! You’ve been a blessing to me re Eli. Thanks so much!
We still pray for Eli most every night, Linda. My third daughter has made it her mission to pray for him consistently.
Happy Birthday, Mike! Congratulations on your Anniversary as well. I hope the day is filled with much celebrating.
Now that’s the way to not forget your anniversary. Smart man. Celebrations must be a lot of fun at your house! Many blessings to you all.
I sat here and reflected more on “milestones” after I clicked my last comment. I remember how badly I wanted to reach 54. My dad died when he was 53. I just wanted to get past that. Then this year I hit 55. I can now eat more cheaply at places like Denny’s. I told a friend I reached a speed limit and she asked if I was 70. Some people just don’t get it. Enjoy 40. We were all wrong when we were young: it’s definitely not old–but then neither is 55…or 70, unless you want it to be.
Great thoughts. Thank you for sharing them with us!
Inspiring words Mike. I often need this little reminder that every minute of everyday is precious. My goal is to continue to live with no regrets
You have reached a milestone Mike and I congratulate you and wish you the very best!!! Jenn is a very lucky wife and your children are blessed to have you as their father !!! Best wishes and God Bless.
Thanks, Claudette. I’m the lucky one. It’s funny, when people find out I have four daughters they almost always respond, “Oh, God bless you!” I say, “Oh, he has!”
Happy Birthday and Anniversary Mike!
I hope everything went as well as you’d wanted it too! I’ve been hearing good stuff about Rearview, can’t wait to pick it up!
Enjoy the rest of your day!
(Love Dr. Seuss by the way)
I just read this. Happy birthday, Mike, and anniversary, too. I appreciate your honesty and transparency in your blog posts.
Happy birthday and congrats on the anniversary! Have enjoyed your work. Only read Scream but really enjoyed it. Look forward to reading your other work. It has been good to find other good Christian fiction for men. I read a lot as a kid…Frank Peretti and others but there has been so little over the years. Been good to find you, Tom Pawlik, Robin Parrish, among others. Thanks for doing a great work!
So glad you found us, Ryan! I hope you enjoy my other books, too. Thanks!
Happy birthday and anniversary!!! May God bless you and your family.
Happy birthday! Your writing is a blessing and an inspiration to me. I hope someday to write as well as you do (and in similar genres).
Happy belated birthday and anniversary! Thanks for your encouragement and using your gifts to bless others!
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary Mike! My friend and I were talking about this just yesterday as we celebrated a life of a friend who passed away. She was 83….and now that we are in our 40′s, we think….”That’s still young!”
Life truly is a vapor….and I have learned over the past few years that there are so many things in my past that I have wasted my time on that I thought was so important. They were things that took place of what really mattered. I think with age, we get to that place that we truly begin to see the importance of what life is all about: Loving God and loving others. Everything else is just extra!
What’s so incredible is that as I get older and I learn about what is really more important, I can pass these tidbits of wisdom on to my own children. Maybe, just maybe they will get it sooner than I did. Maybe in their youth they will accomplish much more for the Kingdom of God than I did at their age. Isn’t that part of what life is all about? Allowing our children to stand on our shoulders….our victories and failures….and reach up and out to accomplish all that God has for them while we continue to lift them higher to the One that matters?
Life is a vapor….and I pray that my last sweeping of the wind will accomplish great things for my Daddy and King!
Great thoughts, Cherie. Gave me some timely things to ponder. Thank you!
Happy Birthday and Anniversary! May God bless you and yours (and your work) for many years to come. And you’ll learn–your forties can be awesome!