23.
I have to be honest. The approach of year 23 was not a pleasant one. In fact, I was a bit anxious… not to turn a year older but to be the age my brother David was when I last saw him. About a month and a half after he turned 23, he died suddenly in a car accident on the way home from work. So yeah, like I said, 23 just didn’t seem pleasant.
But alas, I must grow older and eventually I knew… I would catch up with him and in about a month and a half, I will in fact be older than my “older” brother.
Now that I have depressed you, I would like to lift your spirits a bit.
It starting out like any good Sunday: sleeping in late to realize I must get up NOW! Church starts in 45 minutes!
Walking into the church was normal. I passed the files of members from the first service to be greeted by smiling volunteers and handed an announcement flyer. But it only took me half a second to notice the eagle on the front with the script “They will soar on wings like eagles.” I immediately thought, Huh.. that’s interesting. (As you might not know a lot about my brother, he was into eagles for awhile and was also an Eagle scout. My family holds eagles pretty dear to their hearts).
As for the service, we worshiped the entire time. No message, just weepy Pastor Jenzten telling us about his dad who is about to have intensive surgery; so we prayed and we worshiped more and praised our God who “is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” Huh… that’s also interesting. That was David’s confirmation verse and is the script on his head stone.
It was a special touch from heaven that loved me, and it was worship that touched heaven in return. Thank you God for loving me.
After church I had a practice birthday party on the day of my actual birth (because I wanted to save the real party for when some of my friends get back from leading trips).
Here are some highlights:
- We decided to go to the Chestatee River in Dahlonega and floaty floaty on the tubes. It was beautiful and fun. The best part was getting stuck on the rocks… or maybe when Alana jumped in her tube that I was holding only to flip me out of mine.
- Courtney made me a cake using my Meme’s banana/yellow cake recipe and put chocolate daisies on top with a bathtub just like the field on daisies with the random bathtub that we saw in New Zealand (World Race month 1).
- We had homeade Mexican food for dinner and I was sung to in English and Spanish.
- I rode on a kayak in a pool.
- There was a double rainbow! (Yes, a double rainbow!!).
- I was joined by such wonderful people on a great summer day and night. Thank you for loving me.
I feel so blessed and honored to be 23 years old with such a crazy life in front of me. Bring it on!
