That’s right. Today is my 29th birthday.
Usually I take time on my birthday to write a to-do list for the coming year. It’s close enough to the end of the year that it serves double-duty as a list of New Year’s Resolutions. Unfortunately, I never bother to share the list, so no one holds me accountable.
And like most lists of resolutions, I rarely complete all (any) of them and end up feeling guilty at the end of the year. So this time, things will be different. Instead I’m going to reflect on what I accomplished in the last year and use that as inspiration for the days ahead.
Since my last birthday, I have:
- Climbed a mountain
- Run two marathons
- Delivered a sermon
- Spoken at three conferences
- Visited Georgia
- Started a new job
- Spent a week on mission in Haiti
I’ve done quite a bit more than this, actually. But these are some of the highlights. I’ve also continued volunteering with the Boy Scouts, started volunteering with Portland Rescue Mission, begun attending a second church, written several new pieces of code (both for work and for fun), attended friends’ parties and weddings, lost bets to my brothers, and flown first-class for the very first time.
Altogether I am quite happy with the opportunities God has blessed me with in the past year. So rather than make a personal to-do list this time, I’m going to leave myself open to the challenges and opportunities He would have me take on during my 29th year.