30 Years in the Making

Today marks 30 years I have been on this Earth. 30 years that I have been blessed with life. Today I celebrate 30 years of life, and I wonder "Have I been a good steward of my years?" Every day is a gift, but am I treating each day as the precious jewel it truly is? Our life here on Earth is so temporal, like sands in the hour glass - wait no - that's not what I mean, or is it?

How did I spend my time? I think of my current life in decades, since I have lived for three. The first ten years of my life were spent establishing myself on this Earth. I learned all the essential life skills such as walking, talking, reading and writing. I had a stong spiritual belief instilled in my mind and heart. I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and committed my life to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I established relationships with family and began to develop a sense of self. I have many wonderful memories of these years!

The next ten years involved an equal amount of changing for me. From age ten to age twenty, I experienced real loss for the first time. In that time I lost three of my six grandparents. Each as devastating as the next. I learned to appreciate those around me and began to understand this life really doesn't last forever. The value of money became real to me as I started working, earning my own dollar, and buying my own things. Friendships became an integral part of my life, and I finally felt like I figured out who I was. School was important to me; I knew college was neccessary to succeed in life. Church remained a strong influence in my life, and my relationship with Jesus Christ grew stronger. Challenging circumstances and situations rocked my family to the core, but we made it through and I learned much through those trying times. Our family was blessed with a niece and four nephews before my 20th birthday, and I met the man I would soon marry. Many people influenced me and played important roles in my life. Family and friends of the family, church leaders, and teachers. I tried to learn from watching the lives of others.

I played in the HS band, sang in choir, spoke speeches, created yearbooks, was a teacher's assistant, helped with a children's after school program, went to camps, worked at McDonald's, babysat kids (a lot!), played softball, mowed the yard, fished with family, received scholarships, attended college, played/marched in the Pride of Oklahoma, moved out of my parent's house for good, performed medical research, lived in dorms, kissed boys, dissed boys, cried over boys, spent countless hours at Wal-Mart, changed my major five times, and called home way to little. Oh yeah, I went skydiving - three times!!! And my dad and favorite cousin went with me. Wow, that's a lot. Thanks for sticking with me.

Finally the decade whose last chapter has been written, age 20 to age 30. So many wonderful developments. My marriage to the most amazing man, the birth of my first baby and the conception of my second. I now have my very own family to love and cherish. I graduated from college - twice! I have been to Korea, Cambodia, and Japan(airport only but I count it, shush). As a military wife, I developed friendships to last a lifetime, and experienced the pain of separation from my spouse as well as the pride in my country and his efforts to protect and defend. After swearing off 8-5 work prior to my 20's, now I work 8:30-5:30 and it isn't so bad. OK, it's kind of killing me, but I do it anyway. We moved more times than a family should, but have finally lived in a home for more than 2 years! I am a home-owner, and we have land. We have changed cars like some people change underwear (the funky kind of people that only change undies a couple times a year). We are established in an amazing church and are serving God each and every day, although there are several other churches which offered spiritual support for us along the way. We have been blessed, and believe it is our calling tobe a blessing to others.

The last ten years have been so surreal. Ten years ago Terry and I spent our first birthdays together (his b-day is June 10th). We went to the zoo and then to Bricktown and walked around the canal. There was no Harkins Theater and very few restaurants. It was still beautiful and we took pictures of one another in front of the flowers. A few short months later we were married and he was off to Korea while I stayed in Norman to finish school. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. After that separation time, we went on to live together only about 8 months total of the first four years of our marriage. Post military we moved back to Oklahoma and began our life here. I lost more loved ones, two more grandparents and, most devastating, my favorite cousin. There are others too that have gone on before us, but we will see them again. The experiences of love and loss have definitely shaped my life.

So what now? As a new decade begins I wonder where will it lead? I know I want more in life. I still have goals I haven't reached. I still have mountains to climb (figuratively and literally). Places to go and people to see. Missions to accomplish. What will the next decade hold for me and my family? I can't predict the future, but I can plan for it. I want to go back to school. Yeah I know, you are shocked I'm sure. I love to learn and I would love to teach on the college level some day. I want to go on more missions trips. I have been sending, but I want to GO! I want to live my life in such a way that people are drawn to my Savior. I want to be the best wife and mother I can be; a true Proverbs 31 woman. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I can say with absolute certainty - The BEST is yet to come!