Today is my 26^th Birthday!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! I accept gift cards on and offline and I love Maurices, JC Penney, leggings, and shoes ;) I have been spoiled enough I guess - my husband brought me a .38 Special Rugar Revolver and he’s taking me out to eat and to see Mockingjay Part 1 this weekend. I received wonderful gift from my family and I know I’ll be getting a few more this week from grandparents. 

Getting a little more serious, I would like to share 25 things I learned/did/lived in my 25^th year. This year has been a rough one, but I have learned so much that I would love to share with you so you can gain encouragement from my struggles, victories, and life I've experienced.

1.       Nathan and I brought a house. Now I feel like a real adult – you know what? It sucks lol I’m not sure if we were ready for all the responsibilities that came with it, but I love my new home and would do it all over again
2.      Nathan and I joined our wonderful church family at North Christian Church on Sunday, November 9, 2014. This is HUGE step for both of us
3.      I started my own Freelance Writing business
4.      I worked in a Non-Profit – what an experience! I would never want to work in a non-profit again. I’m sorry, but I can’t stand the whole “we don’t have enough money” ordeal. I get it, but I got so annoyed the time I worked there.
5.      I learned that forgiveness is not about the other person, but for me. God doesn’t want unforgiveness to ruin my heart, so that is why He says to forgive and to practice it often
6.      I learned that Satan will attack HARD whenever one of us is pursing God in the marriage
7.      I learned to pray harder than ever this past year over everything!
8.     I’ve learned one of the hardest lessons: I am not responsible for anyone elses actions, words, and deeds. I am responsible for my own. I am realizing that I should be accountable for myself, take responsibility of my actions, and not take ownership of others.
9.      I learned that God says sex is HOLY
10.  I wrote a Marriage Purpose Statement and that has encouraged me to remember Who to praise when I see His Light shining in my life and other's lives
11.   I have been learning to look at the little things and praising God for them; sometime I get caught up in all the big, ugly things in life that I forget to look at the small things that God is doing. It made me realize that God is working at all times, whether I see it or not.
12.  I learned that Satan attacks us by using half filled truths, causing us to believe the lie that gets us soaked in ourselves and sin.
13.  God has blessed Nathan with a job after he got out of the Air Force
14.  I have made friends my age thanks to randomness and the Spouses group on the base. I have been aching for friends my age, because I love my older friends and their wisdom, but I had just missed the randomness that comes from having friends my age.
15.   I survived my first real winter! Georgia doesn’t have a winter and Germany winter wasn’t that bad compared to what I survived in Wyoming. I have also experienced negative degree temperatures for the first time too
16.  Nathan and I went to Estes Park, CO, a beautiful mountain town with snow capped peaks, tons of Elk, and beauty all around. That was an amazing experience
17.   My family came up to visit Nathan and I in June and we took them to Estes Park, CO, where we had SO much fun! I love my family and they are still talking about our adventure!
18.  I am a part of the Chamber of Commerce here in Cheyenne and I am hoping that I will find clients through the Chamber
19.  I am the Point of Contact for an Arts and Crafts group for the Spouses Club - my first time ever being a group leader like this
20. I am leading a Passion Pursuit Bible study along with my friend Lisa. I have never led or help lead a Bible study before until Lisa asked me to partner up with her. I am grateful for her faith and trust in me as we discover God’s passion for our earthly passion
21.  God has provided me ways to get to know people in my community through my job at the non-profit that I worked for. That is one reason why I felt like I could start my own business now because I know many influential people in the community
22. I experienced a tornado threat in June; my first. My poor sister was at my house, taking a nap, when I called her to tell her to get to the basement with my pets. She actually saw the tornado since Cheyenne is so flat. Nothing came of it though, it dissipated before it hit the town
23.  I drove in 4+ inches of snow - never done that before
24.  I rode a train up to Pikes Peak where I experienced the cold and wind on top of a 14,000 foot mountain!
25.  I am now closer to God than I was last year. This time last year I was going through Passion Pursuit for the first time. HOW TIME HAS CHANGED! Satan has been attacking me and my marriage BIG time since then! But it has taught me to rely on God more and more, rebuking the devil, and to pray for my husband. This year, I have prayed and rebuked Satan’s foothold so many times, and if it has taught me anything, it has taught me that prayer works and God is honoring my prayers. Maybe not in the way I would like for them to work, but He’s definitely working

I want to share 1,000 more things with you! I was sad when I reached #25! But you can see this list was only a handful of experiences and learning that God has taken me through this journey I call life. I know that God has so much more in store for me in my 26^th year! And I know I can make it because I have my God on my side!

 

Happy Birthday to me as well as a new beginning in my wonderful journey in Wyoming, with my husband Nathan, and our new church family!