Saying Goodbye to 22...

As I greet my 23rd birthday, I find myself reflecting on the past year of my life. The past year has not been like any other. I have faced some of the biggest challenges in my life, yet it has been the best year yet!

At Teresa's request, I have made a list of a few things I have processed while I was 22 years old. Hope it's as good as you hoped it would be!

Things I processed while I was 22:

- The most precious friendships I have are the ones that are inconvenient for both parties. These friends have shown me that giving of themselves and their time, despite hectic schedules and other relationships and commitments, is truly how love is demonstrated.

- I learned that perseverance makes the end all that much sweeter. Patience is not wasted.

- I took a step away from legalism and realized that by doing so, my faith became stronger and more fulfilling.

- It's worth going through difficult situations so you are prepared to give support and encouragement to those facing those same hard times after you.

- It may be hard to hold my tongue when I have the answer and someone else doesn't, but sometimes giving them time and grace to figure it out helps them more than saying anything would have.

- Serving people any way I possibly can is still one of the most rewarding tasks I have in my life. Jesus came to serve and love; He really is the perfect example.

- Owning a vehicle is a privilege. Driving people around who do not own a vehicle is an even bigger privilege.

- Miracles happen every day, ones that are obvious and ones that are not obvious, and I ought never to believe anything different.

- Laughing with good friends is one of the most heart warming activities in life. Getting older does not mean you get more serious. Always take the opportunity to be silly.

- Joking around is fun, but it is important to be careful. Sarcasm hurts and is often used as indirect personal attacks. I'm sorry if I've hurt you by something I have said.

- Having a close friendship with your siblings is an amazing blessing. My brother is an amazing young man and I love him.

- When in a position of leadership, humility is one of the best characteristics to possess.

- Obedience and submission are two very different concepts. Obedience is an action and submissiveness is a heart attitude. I would rather be submissive because it reflects a respectful and willing heart.

- Spending time with young children and watching them learn new things is one of the most exciting and interesting activities in my life right now.

- Forgiveness is the way to peace. Sometimes forgiving someone is easy and other times it is quite difficult. We want mercy for ourselves and justice for everyone else. The problem is, if you demand justice for others, you'll only continue to be angry and you will remain hurt. Jesus died out of mercy, not justice. We need to be merciful.

- Believe in Jesus because if you have that in place, everything else will fall into place too.