celebration series. [the beginning.]

I'm turning 23 in two days.

When I began to reflect on all that 22 encompassed, I realized that my birthday actually falls on a perfect date because it comes with the closing of the school year.  So reflecting wasn't just about being 22.  I had so much more to meditate on.  Like this first full year of post-graduation and being away from college friends.  And this first taste of what it means to be on staff with InterVarsity.  It entailed thinking through church and family and friends and jobs.  It composed of every detail that Jesus had stitched together for me over this past year.

When I sat with this, I realized that I have a lot to celebrate.

So I decided to throw myself a birthday party.  I wanted to rejoice in where the Lord has brought me and also spend some time in deeper prayer and reflection.  And I wanted to invite my friends to join me in that same process, as the school year was also ending for them (as many of their jobs are on the academic calendar, as well).

I invited my good friend Aletheia--who is an artist--to come over and teach me and my friends a thing or two about painting.  And that's just what we did.  A group of us got together to laugh and cry and process our year with Jesus. [Or to play, process, and praise, as Aletheia would say.]

We got messy under the sun and each encountered Jesus in deep ways.  We created with our Creator.  Sometimes externally processing to one another when we felt stuck on a piece and sometimes sitting quietly with the Lord.

As I painted this one above, I thought of the all-encompassing way that I've seen Jesus mold me over these last 365 days.  As I've continued to say yes to my anointing to staff, yes to inviting Him into wounded parts of my soul, yes to allowing Him to expand my knowledge of Him, and yes to surrendering pieces of my life, I've seen deep transformation.  I am more than just content at where I am after a year--I am jubilant.

And even more of a reason to rejoice is that I'm still being made new.  Each and every day.  And I can't wait to see where I'll be in a year from now.

But before I start looking to the future, I wanted to take some time and celebrate this year.  I painted and processed on Saturday, and now I'm ready to share.  So I'm starting this celebration series where I'll let you in on a few of the key things that I delighted in with Jesus this weekend.  Prepare to have the next few blog posts tell the story of my last year--my story of being 22.

As I wrote that last sentence I thought to myself, "Hmmm maybe that's the reason I felt a writer's block all year and seldom posted... maybe it was all building to this series?"

So let's celebrate.  I am beyond blessed that His grace let's me end 22 with a party. :)