I have thought about turning 50 since about the age of 46, when my then nine, about to turn ten, year old daughter came home from school and gleefully proclaimed her latest epiphany. Her teacher had informed her that she was about to hit a milestone. That milestone would become mine as well. What grand news was my daughter excited to share with me on that fateful day? The fact that (as her blessed teacher had told her) she would be a decade old.
I looked at her sweet little face and rejoiced with her and it was in this joyous moment that it hit me. If she was going to be a decade, my milestone would be…would be…let’s see. I calculated my age quickly…certainly not a century, no. That would be a HALF CENTURY.
Suddenly, I felt cryptic.
And very wise.
Then I found this news hilarious, since most days I waver between feeling acting 12 and 20.
I have no problem regressing all the way down to the age of my Sunday School kiddos if the right circumstances are provided.
Childlike wonder is not an uncommon experience. I still gawk in awe at planes flying over me. Chasing butterflies is not out of the question. Each night I take the dog out and gaze at the stars as if it’s the first time I’m seeing them. I not only brake for turtles, frogs and any other creature but I will also assist them across the street. Much to the surprise of oncoming traffic, forced to stop as I scooch thus said creature out of harms way.
But honestly, I got a giggle about being a half century old. That’s how it started. For the next years I kept saying the same thing, “I’m almost 50!” My mother would look at me incredulously and say, “Stop saying that , you have a few years to go. ”
I would just “Hmf” at her and chuckle. After all she’s heading toward the century mark. But don’t tell her I said that …she has a few more years to go. Or thirty- ish.
But anyhoo, it’s finally here.
The BIG 50.
So how does one celebrate being a half century old?
By:
Diving with sharks?
Swimming the English Channel?
Free-falling from the tallest building in the state onto a trampoline?
Nah! I will keep it somewhat realistic, legal and safe!
Here are my random Big ideas for celebrating my 50th on the big day and/or throughout the year:
Collecting 50 rocks from a beach walk on my birthday.
Doing 50 Random Acts of Kindness over the next 50 days ( or spread over my 50th year…or both).
Trying 50 things I’ve never tried before.
Exercising for 50 Minutes a day.
Donating 50 items of clothing. Each season.
Giving away 50 books. (Um. no. Just no. Sorry, honey.)
Finding 50 ways to drive my hubby crazy show my hubby appreciation and love.
Memorizing 50 Bible Verses.
Sharing the love of God and truth of the Gospel with 50 people.
Spending 50 minutes a day praying for others.
Reading 50 books.
Giving 50 items away to others who either needs or wants the item I have.
Finding 50 new ways to YIELD my will for His and say YES to God in daily life.
Do you have any other ideas?
I am not sure what I will be doing with the next year God gives me (if He does give it to me) BUT the ONE thing I am purposing to do today and I pray all of the days of my life is to Praise God continuously.
I want to go into my 50th year singing, speaking and sharing His praises.
I want so much for praise to be my default…not grumbling, complaining and criticizing.
So, what I would like more than anything else for my 50th Birthday is to Praise His Holy Name every day.
Do you long to praise Him in the ordinary of your days?
I want to invite you to do this with me!
And to help get you started on praising Him daily I am gifting you with the 31 Ways to Praise card by Bob Hostetler .
If would like me to send you the card so you can practice praising God daily just email me your snail mail mailing address and I will pop it in the mail. Please note, this is a Card Stock copy – not a pdf or e-mail copy. I have to mail it to your real life mailing address!
Or go ahead and start a Praise Revolution by ordering your own set to share with friends and family, however old you are!
Join me on the journey and I will be sharing praises on my Facebook page daily all September!
God willing! Let’s exalt His name together!
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3
Linking with Miss Kathy @ The Writer’s Reverie
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
18 responses to “How to Celebrate Turning 50 (and a present for YOU!)”
Happy birthday, dear Dawn – I hope your day is magical and you have the most blessed year ever!
I love your list and might just have to borrow the idea as I’ve just had a birthday of my own!
Love the praise card – would love for you to pop one in my e-mail when you have a moment! 🙂
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Hi my friend! I need your actual MAILING address. It is a card stock copy! 😉 Hugs!
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Happy Butterfly Birthday, Dawn!!!!!! That’s what I called my fiftieth–actually, my Butterfly Birthday Jubilee (read Lev. 25 for the Jubilee part!) I felt I was leaving the boring chrysalis of youth and spreading my colorful wings of maturity and soaring! I love all your “50” lists. Great idea. I’d not thought of that. You might think of 50 ways of soaring or breaking free from any chrysalides that are impeding flight. Thank you for your endearing, heartfelt letter-by-hand. I was incredibly touched, very suprised, and am working on a handwritten response. I hope you will be able to read it! Bear w/ me; my hands are arthritic, and it hurts to write.
Is today (Sunday) actually your b/day? HAPPY 50TH!!!! I’m so happy for you!!!!!
Love
Lynn
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PS. I love your singing idea. For my sixtieth, I had a Sixtieth Birthday Serenade (and had an actual opera singer here to serenade my friends and me. He had formerly sung with the New York City Opera)! Wow! What a great day that was. You gotta celebrate these milestones!
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Happy birthday, Dawn!! You are both reflective and reactive in all the right ways. It’s a big occasion that demands deep pondering and deciding how to spend it. I love the list and may just have to consider one of my own for my milestone birthday next month! May you enjoy your special day itself and the unfolding year ahead. Judging by your ideas here, there will be much to occupy you! Lots of love to you and a big ‘Yes, please’ to the 31 Day Praise Card ~ unless the UK is a tad too far away, of course. 🙂 xx
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I love all your 50th ideas!! I hope you had a great birthday–from all the pics it sure looks like you did! 🙂 I’d love a copy of the praise card (you have my addy 🙂 ) Thanks love!
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Have a wonderful 50th birthday…and I won’t be the least bit legalistic about all of your “to-do” list celebrating your 1/2 century of life! I think that is marvelous! You are definitely living up to your blog name, “Enthusiastically Dawn”! Making this 60+ “older woman” wish she had 1/2 of your energy! Love ya girlfriend. Meet you at the OK Corral sometime soon! 🙂
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Hi Dawn! i hope you had a fabulous birthday…every milestone is a blessing! i just hit the speed limit this year, 55 🙂
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I can’t drive 55! lol. Well that is a cool age too, right? May 55 rock for you!
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Hey, sorry it took me a couple days to get here to this post! I LOVE your list of ideas….do them all!! Haha, only you could be enthusiastic enough to do that! I love your ability to see wonder in the stars and all around you. Love you cutie-pie!
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Yes and AMEN! I did the same thing two and (almost three) years ago. I just decided to embrace it with great joy. I didn’t call it turning 50. I called it my Jubilee instead. I love your suggestions for things to do, too. Wish I had seen them two (almost three…) years ago.
One thing I adopted that blissful day in 2011 was the “I’m too 50 for that” theme of my life. When life starts to drag me into drama or other such fluff and nonsense, I just say, “I’m too 50 for that!” with a grin and shooosh it away.
Found you on All things bright and beautiful. So glad that though I’m late, I visited.
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LOL – you are a riot, Dawn! Great post and many happy returns on your big 50 milestone. I’m checking off 55 on Monday the 1st. And, yes – I usually feel somewhere between 12 and 20, too. This past month I did a four part series titled, As Little Children – did you see it? My last part will be published this week then I’ll upload the first one with links to all four on my linkup before it ends Friday night. I see where your enthusiasm for celebrating had you linking in twice – I’ll fix that. But, link in another of your posts fitting the theme – up to four (one for each line of the hymn) is the boundary. Know you’re taking great joy!
Blessings!
Kathy
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Miss Kathy,
I will have to check those post out! And Happy Birthday, early. I love September – it is one of my favorite months!
THanks for all, Hugs!
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[…] the first bunch was mailed today! If you have not sent me your mailing address and would like to receive your own 31 Ways to Praise Card, it’s not too late! Just e-mail me your address. I will keep mailing until they are gone. […]
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[…] I write this tonight (Sunday), I am still celebrating my 50th birthday (Started August 24th, 2014) …well in my perception of reality…ahem. Pretty sure […]
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Dawn I am finally now seeing this.Wow I did not know you are 50! I thought early 40’s!! You do not look 50,,, I just turned 40 myself and it was unreal I turned 40 ,, I do not feel it and most think I do not look it (yay)
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This is a late arrival to you, Dawn, but I couldn’t resist writing “Happy belated B-day to you” and sharing what I had done on my 50th 7 years ago–I played pool and drank beer! This was before I re-dedicated my life to our Lord!!
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However, I must say…Pool playing and beer drinking are not necessarily ungodly activities. LOL. BUT, I guess it depends on many varying factors and who you ask. NOT to stir up the pot or anything…;) I prefer Scrabble to Pool and Wine to Beer. 😉 In moderation , of course. Especially with Scrabble. lol.
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