I think this applies to people, recipes, and activities as well. Every year is another chance at discovery and delight.

Last year this time, I had no Sarah P. or Shannon W. in my life. Now they are two favorites in my friend collection. My latest recipe treasure is the Roasted Chicken with Radishes, discovered less than two months ago. And just last week, we fell in love with Golden Delicious melons. Now I join the others at Costco who knew what I didn’t.

I read the paper now, maybe just an article or two a day, but it’s new and surprisingly fun. I take history lessons from my neighbor and listen to audiobooks with my kids and talk to a therapist regularly. New, new, and newish. My haircut is not a year old so buying mousse and using a curling iron still counts as new too.

And oh, the places: Aldi all the time. My new writing desk from Ikea. Village Church’s new location at Bethel UMC. Lunch and dinner at GB&D, which wasn’t in my repertoire last summer. Sarah’s and Shannon’s houses. Mine and TJ’s new morning liturgy of making our bed, so we have a place to sit to read a little bit more of The Divine Hours each day.

Me being in this world takes on new meaning with every new day I get, with every year that goes by. Dallas Willard said, The gospel means that this world is a perfectly safe place for you to be. I think it's a perfectly safe place for me to celebrate my birthday today too. My heart is another year older, another year more thankful. 

This must be the life. This must be the place.