(note: I began this post on the 23rd, my birthday. However, it was pretty hard to write, so I had to step away from it for a couple of days.)
It's official! I am 31 years old today! I WELCOME this new year with OPEN ARMS, because to be honest, 30 kinda stunk. That is NOT to say that there weren't amazing things that happened in the past 12 months, but when my friend, Abby, asked me last night, "So how was 30?" I had to reply honestly.
This time last year, I was standing in my kitchen bawling. I had received texts, Facebook messages, and phone calls. My family had treated me like a queen in the week leading up to my birthday. We had gone to dinner with extended family. I had received gifts of many kinds. But my heart hurt. My life was in a period of transition. Everything seemed to be changing, and my expectations of what life should look like at 30 were turned on their head. The solid group of friends that I had been walking with for the past 6 years had changed drastically as our family walked in obedience to worship with another community on the weekends, then we had sent our dear friends, the Raneys, to Oregon in December, and we had sent our precious neighbors, the Mullins Family, to Kentucky in December as well. On what I anticipated to be a fun day of celebration, I actually mourned the absence of these sweet friends. I also was hit with the reality that our reservations at dinner were for one less than I had thought. Momma had reached the point where she was not able to meet us for dinner anymore. She would not be taking me birthday shopping either, and I didn't get a good morning wake up call with her singing "Happy Birthday" to me. Lastly, my thirtieth birthday had come and gone without a cake, as that was typically the task of Momma. It was a really crummy start to thirty, and missing friends and missing Momma were often the themes of my life as a 30 year old.
Highs and Lows of 30:
(some of these will be their own posts soon!)
-No cake and lots of tears.
-First Camping Trip as Team Bassett- COLD, but super fun!
-First Seder Meal
-Called to Adopt
-Celebrating Charlotte at the Mother's Milk Bank
-Smile from Momma on Mother's Day
-First Goat Show
-Bassett Girls' Beach Trip
-Got my Nose Pierced
-Date Nights with the Campbells
-8 States in 8 Days! Journey to Louisville and back to see the Mullins crew
-Alumni Council for Phi Lamb
-Painting with Momma
-Austin Trip and the BEST Donut of my Life
-Cooked my First Whole Chicken
-Second year to Tutor Classical Conversations
-Hosted my First Slumber Party for Lizzie's 7th birthday
-Began Truthful Tuesday Posts
-My First Visit to the State Fair
-Second Year to Help with the Sparrow Conference
-New Mexico Trip
-Hot Air Balloon Festival
-Mosier Family Visits
-Began using Young Living
-Raneys Came to Visit
-Motor on Washing Machine Quit Working
-Gifted a Washing Machine From a Friend's Uncle Getting Rid of His Old One
-Fuzzy's Life Group
-Meeting with Dr. about the future for Momma
-Last Days by Momma's side despite Icy roads to get there
-Momma's last breath
-Transmission Went Out on the Car
-Momma's Memorial Service
-Sending the Campbells to Training
-First Goat Show at the FW Stock Show for our Family
-Began the Jesus Project
-Snow for Charlotte's Birthday Party
-Finished 1,000 Gifts
-Got My Car Back from the Shop for Valentine's Day
-First Trip to the Perot Museum
-Abby Came to CELEBRATE
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By God's kindness, as I type this list and look at all of these photos, I see that there really were A LOT of great things in my life over the past 12 months, but most of them were accompanied by an undercurrent of loss. There was a lot of me wishing I could share these events or experiences with Momma or friends who were absent. There was a lot of me fighting to believe truth as the enemy whispered otherwise. There was a lot of me fighting for truth when the enemy BLATANTLY stood against me. The past year has been an all out war, but guess what?! My God has been faithful! Nothing formed against me has stood. I have clung to His promises. The God of the Universe has loved me well and revealed more of His goodness toward me in the darkness of this year. I praise Him more because of this year. Maybe 30 wasn't so bad after all.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Here are a few songs that have been extra special to me this year.
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