Happy 30th Birthday to me!



Saturday was my 30th birthday. Over the past few months I've been thinking a lot about turning 30 and the person I am and the person I want to be. There seems to be so much stigma when the birthday takes you into the next decade. Brad has been especially teasing me because he is still 29 for two more months. But despite what anyone says about turning 30, I resolved to make the most of it as well as treat this birthday with the dignity it deserves.

I think birthdays are a better time to re-evaluate your past year and make new resolutions than New Year's. In the case of this 30th birthday, it is a chance to improve on some things that I did in my 20s and leave behind a few things that I'd rather forget. I will share a few of my resolutions here, but some things I will keep to myself because it might take a while for them to be implemented.

First of all, I've heard heard and read about women who really become comfortable in their "skin" after a certain age. I think some of that has to do with maturity, some of it with facing the reality that they aren't getting any skinnier or less flabby, and some with plain old common sense. I've decided that now at 30 I'm not going to wait any longer for that "comfortableness" to develop - I'm going to embrace it!

I'm going to be "less modest" with my necklines, wear capris even if they make my legs look short and chunky, and not be so concerned about what other people think about my wardrobe. Besides, I'm not going to look this good forever, so I'd better "flaunt it while I got it"! I may even wear leggings again now they've come back in style.

Secondly, I'm going to try harder at being that industrious Proverbs 31 woman. If you haven't read Proverbs 31 lately, this is a good time to do so. You'll notice that she is very organized, which is a characteristic I've generally had in the past, but have let slip since I've moved to the Netherlands. So I'm hoping to retain that characteristic and then some to be a better woman, wife, and someday a mother, to my family, church, and community.

The first and most practical step in this direction is organizing my daily activities to get the most done throughout the day. Even a simple list of activities will help me get more accomplished. Plus, organizing my day will also allow me to schedule a regular devotional time. That often gets lost in the shuffle. And I will have to be disciplined to say "no" to something if it conflicts with my daily priorities.

Finally, I'm going to try and reign in the anxiety that sometimes plagues me. This process may take a variety of forms of which I haven't figured out yet. This might be a challenge since it has both physical and mental ramifications. However, I want to be more bold in facing this problem head on especially as we hope to get pregnant in the next year or so and having a child will probably only add to the anxiety.

The first step is to put again to memory Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything..." The verse goes on to talk about being filled with God's peace after talking to Him about the anxieties and cares in my life. This verse was a real comfort to me at university when I was really struggling with anxiety. I encourage you all to memorize it also.

Other than that, I hope to blog and email more, waste less time surfing the net (because I can't purchase anything online here anyways!), spend less time shopping, more time reading, and keep my house a bit cleaner so I can invite guests in who randomly ring my doorbell on Sunday afternoon (that's an upcoming post).

I'm sure I'll think of more things along the way, but for now Happy Birthday to me!