Happy October, friends! So good to be back in this space today after a few weeks away. September ended on a very busy and full note, and the start of this month has been quite the riot already too! As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What’s really hard to believe is that earlier this week (Tuesday) I celebrated my 33rd birthday. (Year 32 went fast!) If you’ve been following along with me here for any length of time, you know how much I love a new beginning and fresh start – and that’s exactly what birthdays feel like to me – a whole new year with endless possibilities ahead! What’s not to love about that?
I kicked off my birthday celebration late last week with a long-weekend trip to Minnesota to visit my dear college buddy, Stephanie, and her darling family. What made the trip all the more fun was that my bestie, Emily, came along for the adventure this year! Both Stephanie and Emily are such dear sister friends of mine (each from different phases of my life) and I’m so glad they had the opportunity to finally meet! We had a blast catching up, doing crafts with the kiddos, exploring some Minnesota sites, watching Spartan football, and just hanging out together and taking it easy – a nice break after a few weeks of back-to-back activities between home and work!
Upon returning home from my trip, I’ve been celebrating with the hubby, family and friends! It wouldn’t be my birthday if I didn’t celebrate for an entire week! LOL! I absolutely love it! And I am so incredibly blessed to have all the people in my life that I do. They make everything better!
I’ve mentioned on here before that I am really, REALLY enjoying my 30’s, and that sentiment still holds true. I am finding myself to be much more grounded and knowing myself more in this phase of life, and that is something I am truly thankful for. I’m definitely still growing and learning, and there are hurdles I’m working to overcome and things I’m praying for – hey, it’s not perfect (big surprise!) – BUT, when I take a step back from all that “stuff” and look over things, I see just how sweet and full and rich life is. And I see how far God has brought me and the things He’s working out around, in, and through me and it’s just really beautiful. Only He could write this story of redemption and healing and things being made new over my days.
As I begin this new year with God, I feel excited, grateful, hopeful, and expectant for what will come in the days and months ahead. I have some specific hopes and dreams I’m praying over and look forward to how God will unfold His plans and purposes for me in His time. More and more, I’m learning to trust in Him and walk more closely with Him on the daily, and I honestly believe that has made all of the difference from where I once was to where I am now. I look forward to diving deeper with Him in year 33 – dancing in His grace, standing my holy ground, and running on mission where He calls me to go!