30

I have 3 months left in my 20's. What a strange thought. Not good or bad... just strange.

Age is so irrelevant to me. I have really close friends who are almost twice my age. And some just as close that I used to teach in youth ministry, years ago. I have friends who have kids my age, and some who don't have any yet.

In my very humble opinion, age is irrelevant when you know Jesus.

I graduated at age 17, engaged at 18, married at 19.

Hey, little known fact: At the age of 18 I was the youngest "Senior Sales Associate" in the entire Family Christian Store chain. I started full time at 16 (which I could do because I homeschooled), worked my way up and quit just before Ashley was born. That's one of my few accomplishments in life that doesn't somehow revolve around motherhood. :)

Speaking of motherhood.

I had my first baby at 20. I completed an international adoption at 26. And at 28 I gave birth to my 6th child.

As I write this, I've already got 10 years of marriage under my belt.

Its funny to me... Jake and I used to say we wanted to be done having kids by the time we were 30 so that we'd be empty nesters by the time we were 50. So naive. Yes, we are "done" but now I'm praying my daughters don't leave home as early as I did... and two of our children could quite possibly live with us for the rest of their our lives.

And this year I turn 30.

Part of me is a little freaked out and the other part of me is laughing because I've felt 30 for years.

Thinking about all this today, I've had the song "My next 30 years" by Tim McGraw stuck in my head. "I'll do it better in my next 30 years". The thought of "doing it better" in the next 30 years... I don't want to do anything "better". I just want to do more of it with Jesus. I want to surrender every second of every day of every year. I'm an imperfect sinner, but with all that's in me, I try to lean on Him. And its by his grace alone that I've made it this far.


I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now I've conquered all my adolescent fears
And I'll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I'm doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
In my next thirty years