Reflections on Turning 30
Whoa. In one week I will join Kelsey and enter my 30s. I'm not scared per se, but rather, I've just been thinking about what it will mean to be 30. I don't put a lot of emphasis on milestone birthdays, and I think it kind of silly to think things will change between March 4 and March 5 when I am 29 and 30 respectively. But, as the day approaches, I've just been trying to both dig back into my 20s and look forward to my 30s. To both remember and be grateful for what I've been given, learn from the past and dream about the next decade of my life. I'm not sure anything truly meaningful will come out of this post for you (or me), but here is a list of 10 big things that happened in my 20s and 10 things I hope to accomplish in my 30s.
10 Big Things That Happened in My 20s
- Graduated college with a bachelor's degree (first one in my family)
- Married my best friend
- Bought a house
- Spent a lot of vacation time in Okoboji
- Visited Disney World for the first time
- Took an epic road trip with great friends to see great friends in Charleston, S.C.
- Went through Financial Peace University with Kelsey (changed our lives)
- Started a few blogs
- Had a daughter (also changed my life)
- Wrote a book available on Amazon
At the surface, this list looks pretty typical. I listed most of the milestones that friends of mine would have listed as some of my most joyful memories as well. But, most of these items didn't come without some level of effort. Effort, conflict and an uphill battle. But that's what makes them great. And it has made them into great scenes in the movie of my life. Lots of laughter, lots of tears, lots of frustration and lots of joy.
I wouldn't trade the tough times for less painful ones. They've shaped me into who I am and have helped equip me for my 30s. I'm living, I'm learning and God is teaching me some amazing things in both the good and the bad.
10 Questions I Would Ask God About the Next Decade
- I wonder how we will celebrate our 10- and 15-year anniversaries?
- Will we have another child? Or more than one?
- When will our basement be finished and furnished?
- Will I learn to find joy in my daily work?
- What will Rooney be like as a little girl? When I am 40 she will be 12!
- Will we pay off our mortgage before I'm 40?
- How will our parenting styles change over the years? (All I know is Kelsey is a solid rock of a mom.)
- How long before I have to push our 1998 Grand Prix to the junk yard?
- Will we lose any loved ones in the next decade?
- Will I find the true purpose for my life?
Of course, having these answers would be nice, but I'm also not worried about them. In my late teens and early 20s I worried a lot. Kelsey used to have me programed in her Nokia cell phone as "worry bear." I was a young believer, but I've since then I've come to trust God in all things. It's not always easy, but God knows what he's doing. And I rest on Matthew 6:34:
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Bring it on, 30s! I certainly don't feel 30, but I'll accept you, embrace you and do my best to make the most of you. Let's do this!
What are some of your big milestones from the last decade? What are you looking forward to the most in the coming decade?
P.S. My birthday last year, the year before that and the year before that.