I’m happy to welcome my cousin, Ashley, to my blog again! Last time she shared about the miracle of her twin girls, and this time she’s sharing about turning 30. Enjoy!

A couple of months ago, I turned 30! I honestly had been excited about it since my birthday last year, but it seems like I might have been the only one. For some people, it seems like it is considered to be a traumatic experience. Some that I talked to asked me how I was “taking it”. Others told me their stories about how turning 30 made them so sad. Wow, thanks. The rain clouds were gathering over my parade. I was still excited, but it made me wonder what exactly made turning 30 seem so bad to so many people.

I suppose I do understand, and I’m not immune to the thought of my life likely being at least 1/3 over. It didn’t really bother me. It’s been a good third, and if the blessings continue to flow as they have, the next third is likely to be good too. And it’s not like it was a surprise – I’ve known how to count for some time. I haven’t been in a coma for 10 years, recently waking up to find that I’m 30 and my twenties have been completely useless to me. I’ve made good use of the last ten years. God has filled my twenties up with blessings and obstacles that will likely enrich the rest of my life. In the next few years, will I start to see what God was preparing me for during my twenties. How I’m going to be using some of those experiences? Maybe!

I keep thinking of the Israelites and their piles of stones. When God rescued them from certain death, or some other important thing happened, to mark the occasion, God would have them set up a pile of stones so they would not forget. In years to come, they and their future generations could look at that pile of stones and remember how God had blessed them or rescued them. What a good idea! Having a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness helps me think about my circumstances the right way. Significant birthdays seem like they have the same potential, to cause me to remember God’s faithfulness.

Looking on the positive side, these are the things I’m thinking about: In ten more years, my family is going to look drastically different, and I’m so excited to experience all that! I’ll have 3 teenagers when I’m done with my thirties! I need to do a very good job at being a 30-something. Half the time when I think of my own mother, I think of her as a 30-something. Those were formative years for me and she made a big impression. I will make a big impression on my daughters in the next ten years too and my goal is that it will be an amazing one.

Photo by Jacelin Wall Photography http://jocelinwall.wixsite.com/photography