Turning 30!

Goodbye 20's!  As of yesterday, I joined the 30 Club!  I have had some friends who were really sad about turning 30, and I am not sure how I really feel about it.  I am not really sad, but I guess I am not jumping up and down for joy either.  I think I just kind of feel like, "Well, another day older!"  In a way, I am just thankful.  I am thankful as I think back over the past 10 years and all that has happened.  And, I am also thankful as I think forward over the next 10 years as I know God has great and awesome plans in store!

Looking Back....

The 20's were really quite good to me!  They started out at UGA with my bestest friends in the whole world.  I was just a college student, dating a wonderful guy, wondering what my life would be like in 10 years.  They ended in Savannah, with a husband (that same wonderful guy) and two precious boys, with many dear friends, and looking back thinking, "God has surely blessed me over these past 10 years."

Some highlights from my 20's-

-Graduated from UGA
-Worked in full time ministry for a year at PABC with the college ministry
-Married my best friend and love of my life
-Traveled to Colorado, New York, Honduras, Barbados, Washington DC, the Bahamas, Boston, Maine (and some other more local trips)
-Worked as a college intern in full time ministry at PABC in Athens (probably my dream job)
-Got my first job as a 4th grade teacher at Blandford Elementary
-Got my Master's Degree from Nova Southeastern University in Brain Based Learning
-Moved 3 times and bought 3 houses (with my husband, of course).  This 3rd house, which we just moved into it, is hopefully where we will live for a very long time.  I hope there is no more moving in this next decade!)
-Got pregnant twice and had two, beautiful, baby boys
-Became a stay at home mom
-Became an aunt to my precious niece, Jaymie

I have so many things to be thankful for!  It is hard to believe that 10 years have come and gone since I turned 20.  In so many ways, it feels like such a short time ago, but then again, so much has happened!  Of course, there have been down times too...times where loved ones have passed, times of fear of the future, times of family members being sick, times where things weren't going the way I had hoped.  But, I praise God for His faithfulness to me and to my family!  I praise God for His many blessings that are far more than anything I deserve.  Yesterday, our family was visiting a local church in Savannah, and we sang a song called "Always."  Every time we sang the chorus, I had to stop singing because I kept tearing up.  After just coming through a trying season of clinging hard to God's promises, these words mean so much to me.  These were the words to the chorus:

"Oh, my God. He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always."

So, in reflecting on my 20's, I praise God that He is constant.  In this crazy life full of ups and downs, trying times and good times, fearful times and thankful times, He remains the same.  His timing is perfect, and He will not delay.  He is ALWAYS true to His promises, and MY God will come through ALWAYS, ALWAYS!

Hello, 30's!  Bring it on!