My Birthday Thoughts

Today is here.
My big 3-0.
I couldn't be more excited!
I'm not sure what it is, but I'm so happy to be turning 30.  

I'm going to try to take a look at things closer:

I've been thinking about my life lately.  All I can really say is What.A.Blessing.  What.A.Blessing.

I've written about community in terms of raising a child-ya know...takes a village to raise a child-well, that goes for me as well.  {Here I go...getting all choked up.}  I think about the people that have come in and out of my life and can not stop to ponder God's love for me.  He has provided such a wonderful group of people to be part of my life over these 30 years.

My family. My friends. My in-laws. My church. And John and Burl.  Oh, how thankful I am for them!  Right now, I'm trying to find the words to describe how people have loved me, and I'm at a loss.  Instead, I just keep pausing and being in complete awe of the relationships that the Lord has given to me.  They have given me words, courage, strength, love and joy, joy, joy.  Man, have they give me joy.  JOY!

In all the ups and downs of my life, all the trials and tribulations, all the joys and blessings, I have to say that I've had a perfect life.  

This week I've been thinking about my life and my regrets.  Sure, I've made some mistakes, some embarrassing mistakes, said stupid things, done stupid things, but this week all I think about is high school art.  That's the only thing that I really regret (right now. this week.)

I regret being too scared to take art.  I wanted to so bad, but the practical side of me shamed me into thinking that it was a waste of time.  I couldn't draw a face, so I had no art inside me.  However, as the art students carried around their projects, talked about what to do, I had jealousy growing inside of me.  

Particularly I remember when they made books.  Page filled books.  With quotes and cut outs and really awesome paper.  And I went home and tried to do it myself with tape and cardboard and construction paper and failed miserably.  

And here I am, 30 years old, wanting to make and have fun and "waste time" doing art.  Well, art I will make.  And that community that the Lord has given me, bless them.  I have friends and family that encourage me and give me words and courage when I don't feel like I'm good enough to do it.  

Props to art.

Props to my friends.

Props to my family.

Props to birthdays that make me think.

And Mad Props to the Lord for being the first one to make art. 

{All pictures have nothing to do with this post except that they make my birthday more fun.
I got them from Suziebeezie.}