Author / Bethe

by Bethe

By the numbers


It was one year ago tonight that I went on my first date with Mr. Right. 365 days. He says that was the night he knew he wanted to marry me. I get a bit sentimental about anniversaries – my sweet husband has been hearing a lot of this lately…

“Honey, one year ago today I started liking you.”
“Honey, one year ago today you asked for my phone number.”
“Honey, one year ago today I got so mad at you because you didn’t call me for a WHOLE WEEK after asking for my number… and then you made it all better by FINALLY asking me out. And I melted. And I’ve never been the same.”
So it’s been 365 glorious days. Here are some other recent milestones, by the numbers:
44: Number of days since I married Mr. Right
78,943: Number of times I’ve thanked the Lord for blessing me with Mr. Right.
0: Number of nights I’ve slept through the night since marrying Mr. Right
0: Number of nights I’d trade Mr. Right for a good night’s sleep
3: Number of books I’ve read on my Nook in the past 44 days
2: Number of those books I’d recommend (Laura Bush’s autobiography, and the new John Grisham novel)
1: Number of Nicholas Sparks books I’ve read this month that I thought were utterly worthless
15: Number of days I’ve been on antibiotics this month (three more to go)
4: Number of meds I’ve run through trying to get better
3: Number of times I’ve forced myself to eat yogurt because that’s what you do when you take antibiotics, even though I’m not sure why (and I hate yogurt)
2: Number of times I’ve been to the doctor
2: Number of dates we’ve been on that ended with me ALMOST throwing up on my husband
687: Number of times people have joked/suggested/thought that the reason I’m sick is because I’m pregnant (they’re wrong)
1: Number of dinner parties I’ve hosted since January (we’ll make that two, later this week)
15: Number of times I would have hosted a dinner party if I hadn’t been sick all month
1: Number of times I visited my beloved old Sunday School class, just to say hello
1: Number of new Bible studies I’ve joined this month – Isaiah is rocking my socks off
768: Number of times I’ve thought, “Ummmm….????” while studying Isaiah
Every time: Number of times I’ve studied Isaiah and been convicted, encouraged, or in awe of the God I serve
I may now glow in the dark from all of the drugs that have flowed through my system these past few weeks, but this time has been such a blessing… full of belly laughs and aha moments, good books and forced rest.
by Bethe

Adventures as a newlywed: The “Aha!” Moments


I’m not sure I ever thought I’d get married. I always hoped I would, but deep down in the darkest recesses of my mind there was always a lingering thought of “What if I NEVER find Mr. Right?” I prayed for years that if God wanted me single, that I could be content with that. In fact, that was the toughest prayer to pray – even the “Lord, wherever you lead me, I’ll go” missionary prayer was easier than the “If you want me to be single, then I’ll be single”prayer. And yet I finally got there, and prayed it, and most days I meant it.

But thankfully God knew I’d find Mr. Right. It just took me 30 years, three apartments, one rent house, my current home, and 13 roommates to seal the deal. In the meantime, I got pretty good at taking care of myself. Good at figuring out how to hang pictures, lift heavy boxes, and repair things with duct tape (you can fix ANYTHING with duct tape).
And then one day I woke up and I found myself living with a HUSBAND. (gasp). Let me tell you, it’s glorious. And funny. And a little weird. But mostly glorious. Here are some of my favorite “Aha!” moments of our first month as newlyweds.
1. Before Mr. Right, I slept on a bed frame that was held together by duct tape. For SEVEN YEARS. Back in 2004 I didn’t know how to put it together, so instead I figured I’d just wrap it in a pound of duct tape and pray that my mattress never came crashing down. And it didn’t, even through three moves. But now I have a handy husband who not only correctly put together our bed frame, but drilled it into our headboard. Watching him with his power drill was SO hot.
2. There is a work bench. In my garage. With tools on it. Before Mr. Right moved in, all of the tools I owned could fit into a tiny clear plastic Target bin, slightly larger than a bread box. I’m pretty sure Mr. Right just threw all of that out. I’m also pretty sure he’ll never use my high heel as a hammer… which I did too many times to count.
3. I wash boy clothes. Mr. Right found me gigglin in the laundry room one night, saying “I’m folding MEN’S underwear!” Who would have ever thought! Silly thing is, I’m secretly so grateful to have the chance to do that for him. There were many lonely nights where I would have given my right arm for the chance to fold a man’s clothes if it meant having one to love me. Mr. Right told me that folding his underoos isn’t necessary, but I can’t bear the thought of stuffing a jumbled mess into his drawers. And so I fold his laundry and thank the good Lord for bringing him to me.
4. Someone else brings my trash cans in from the curb. This is something I’ve hated doing all my life, and every time I come home to find my trash cans neatly back in their place inside our garage, I get a bit sentimental. I think Mr. Right is just relieved that I’m so easily pleased.
5. There is a man in my bed! For a girl who has slept alone for 30 years, this has taken some getting used to. I haven’t had a solid night’s sleep in over a month, but every time I wake up to the sensation that someone is lying next to me, I am so thankful that he’s there. And he knows I’m there, because my icy cold feet keep kicking him in my sleep. Sorry about that.
6. He brings me coffee in the morning. Before Mr. Right came along, one of my favorite things was the rare occasion where I would remember to set the coffee pot up the night before and the automatic timer would brew my coffee and have it ready when I woke up. Now my automatic brewer is this cute brown-eyed thing who brings it in every morning as I shake off my sleepiness. It’s my favorite thing. He also cooks me breakfast.
7. Before Mr. Right came, I used to hang pictures with thumb tacks and duct tape. Now we use wall anchors and a drill. We were lying in bed one night, and I bragged to him that I had hung the very large, very heavy piece of artwork that was hanging over our headboard. And then I saw a look of panic rush over his face as he very quietly asked me… “What did you hang that with?” Don’t worry… I used a LOT of tacks. You can never be too safe! (Just kidding, I used wall anchors. But I’m not good at measuring so there may or may not be about a dozen mistake-holes behind that gorgeous piece of artwork, which we can NEVER TAKE DOWN.)
8. He asked me why I don’t have any towel hooks in my bathroom. I told him it’s because I don’t know how to install them. The same reason every Christmas decoration I own was in my garage – because I can’t lift the boxes into my attic. I have spent my whole life trying to figure out how to create a life that doesn’t require much help, and all of a sudden I have a helper living with me. I still can’t believe it. I am so, so thankful.
So married life is a bit weird (there is a 5-pound bag of protein in my pantry and men’s razors on my shopping list), but it’s also the most fun thing I’ve ever experienced. I think I could get used to this.
PS–Photo above is courtesy of McGowan Images. Check ’em out! (Our entire wedding gallery is posted there.)
by Bethe

Love, homemaking, and ear wax

There are some things I knew marriage would be. I knew it would be fun. And challenging. I knew I would get to live with my very best friend, that we would share a lot of laughs, some tears, and that we would grow closer than we ever knew was possible.

But three weeks in, I never knew we’d be SO COMFORTABLE with each other. Like, scary comfortable. Look-at-each-others’-ear-wax-comfortable.

That’s right, we decided to undergo an ear candling experiment, and we’re hooked! It was pain-free, effective, and both of us will do it again. We’ve had a lot of “I can’t believe we’re doing this” moments since we got married, but this one might have been the funniest. I’m not sure a couple has ever laughed as hard as we did as we took turns holding a giant flame 12 inches from one another’s heads. A total riot.

I think my hippie husband is starting to rub off on me. He even has me listening to NPR. (gasp)

Other than the wild and crazy ear candling date, we’ve been hard at work trying to get our home unpacked and organized. I’ve lived here for four years now, but suddenly combining my things, his things, our new wedding gifts, plus all of our wedding supplies made for an unruly house. Slowly but surely we’re tackling the house room-by-room until everything is finished. As if everything ever could be finished.

Here’s what I want my entire house to look like:

(photo from the decor8 blog)

But this is what my spare bedroom looks like right now:
Now, in my defense, this is the VERY LAST ROOM on our list. This is what we have so lovingly called “the wedding room” because it housed all of our wedding supplies, wedding gifts, and anything else that I had to furiously move out of the way so my beloved Mr. Right could move in. It’s still where we stash all the stuff we don’t know what to do with, and it’s so easy to close the door and make everything disappear. It’s my lowest priority. But very soon, I promise it’ll look like this:

(Photos from decor8… can you tell I’m sort of in love?)

Never fear, my whole house isn’t in shambles… just that one room. And maybe a closet or two. Last night I tackled my home office, and I’m quite proud of how it turned out! I even ended up with TWO EMPTY CABINETS! Go me.

by Bethe

What I’m reading…

I’ve got so many blogs swimming in my head that I can’t commit to what I want to write next. That, and my friend Andrea is on her way to watch The Bachelor with me, and I’m going to get two blissful hours of knitting time while we yell at the TV. I can’t wait, and my husband will benefit if I can finish his cool yellow scarf in time for the ice storm tomorrow (brrr). In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some really cool blogs to peruse while I brainstorm.
I just discovered this today, and I’m already in love. My next project (after I finish my scarf and my quilt) will be this ruffle pillow.
I never followed her before, but now I anxiously read each morning to see if Joann is recovering from her stroke. I stumbled across it after a post on Beth Moore’s blog, and the heartfelt posts by her husband bring tears to my eyes. Such a great example of unconditional love and a strong marriage.
My sister started a blog! She’s a super-talented interior designer and artist, and this new blog will feature projects she tackles. She has done a lot of design work at my house, as well as created some one-of-a-kind furniture pieces that other folks drool over. She’s uber talented. Check out the coffee table she made from my favorite novels. (photo courtesy of McGowan Images)
I’ll probably never be able to do half the quilts this pro does, but I get so inspired by looking at all of her pictures and color combinations. Who knows, maybe one of these days I’ll master the math involved in cutting out all of those pieces. Here’s the quilt I’m almost finished with.
I’m off now to finish my dinner dishes and curl up on the couch with my knitting needles to enjoy the last calm evening before our little blizzard hits North Texas.
by Bethe

How I froze my husband out on our first date as a married couple

It all started about a week ago. I felt “off,” but thought I was just tired from the honeymoon. By Wednesday, when Mr. Right had finally convinced me to go to the doctor, I was in full-fledged misery. I get so nervous when I have to go to the doctor – part of me hopes they don’t accuse me of faking anything, and the other part hopes they don’t find out that I have some sort of exotic and totally embarrassing disease that I won’t be able to tell anyone about.
Which explains why this doctor visit went so… badly. First stop at this doctor is the ever-so-fun pee-in-the-cup test. I was feeling so crummy and was so anxious to see the doctor and get back to a busy day at work, that I got distracted. And went. But not in the cup.
(gasp)
Just as I finished my going, I realized I was STILL HOLDING THE CUP. That I forgot to actually use the cup for the aforementioned purpose. And there was NOTHING left in me. You can imagine my panic. I tried and tried and begged the good Lord to let me go just a little bit more. But nothing. I grabbed my water bottle out of my gigantic-yet-fashionable mom-purse and chugged it, hoping that by some miracle my body would quickly do whatever it does with water to make me need to go to the bathroom. Nothing.
I heard the lab folks open the tiny door to see if I had finished with my “specimen.” After all, I’d been in there several minutes. Nothing. I started to wonder… maybe I could just retrieve a little out of the toilet? Or maybe jumping up and down might help?
I finally managed a minuscule amount, and then found the nurse and explained to her what happened, trying to use a little humor to diffuse the situation.
She didn’t think it was funny. She looked at me like I was an alien.
Luckily, a minuscule amount was plenty. And the doc confirmed that I was indeed sick, doped me up on plenty of meds, and sent me on my way. Yet I got sicker, and sicker, so Friday she switched my meds. And I learned a valuable lesson.
Don’t take new meds for the first time on a hot date with your husband. Especially after eating a hamburger as big as your head. And especially when the side effect of those meds involves nausea. And vomiting.
Mr. Right takes great joy in planning the most fun dates EVER, and Friday night was no exception. He took me to our favorite burger dive M&O (seriously the best burger in the whole world), and then off to the Fort Worth Rodeo. We had to park about a mile away, and I realized on that walk that I wasn’t feeling well. But I was so excited that I thought I’d plug through and the feeling would pass.
It didn’t. It got worse as we hiked up to the very top of the coliseum. As we watched cowboys rope, wrestle, and ride various livestock, I started feeling worse. And worse. And worse. ‘Til Mr. Right looked over at me, about half-way through the show, and said, “I need to take you home – you look like you’re about to pass out.” Which, for the record, that was exactly how I felt, but I kept hoping the passing out feeling would pass, and I could get back to my hot date with my hot husband. Did I mention he was wearing a cowboy hat? (sigh)
So we walked another mile back to the car. At one point, my sweet husband, who’s the most hot-natured person I know, complained about how cold it was–it was below 30 degrees. And I told him that I felt fine, maybe even a bit warm. That’s when he knew I was really sick.
Oh, and I almost puked on his shoes in the parking lot. But I didn’t. Mr. Right piled me into his pickup truck and drove me home. He and I both knew that one bad bump and I’d be throwing up all those meds I’d taken with dinner (along with the greatest burger in the world). He very sweetly moved his cowboy hat out of my lap and onto his head for safe keeping, and suggested I crack the window to allow some fresh air to come in. Which I did…
Did I mention it was about 28 degrees? And we were going 60 on the highway? The more cold air that came in, the better I felt. My feverish self was so hot that the frigid air was a tiny relief. Soon I was practically hanging my head out the window.
My husband, on the other hand, almost froze to death on that 20 minute ride home. But true to his character, he didn’t complain. He just said, “If you had ever told me that YOU would freeze ME out, I never would have believed it!”
Mr. Right got me home, and I ever so gingerly crawled into bed, fully clothed in my best rodeo get-up. Sometimes you’re just too sick to change clothes. And my sweet husband, in a gesture of true romantic chivalry, found a trash can and placed it next to my bed. You know, just in case.
And that’s how my first date as a newlywed ended. No romance, just me curled up in the fetal position, wearing my rodeo clothes. Not exactly the date we had both envisioned… but it made me love him so much more.
by Bethe

I’m a Mrs.

I’m sitting in my hotel room, listening to the sound of the waves crash below my window and waiting for a fierce storm to blow through. The wind is howling outside, and yet inside it’s peaceful. As I sit here in bed, sipping my coffee, waiting for my husband to come back from the gym so we can go to breakfast, I am thankful. Thankful that the wedding went off without a hitch. Thankful that I married my best friend. And thankful that this week, the biggest decision I have to make is what I want to eat for dinner.

Aren’t honeymoons wonderful?

by Bethe

2010 Year in Review

This is my fourth year to do a year-in-review. It’s fun to look back on how my life has changed over these past few years, and I think 2010 may have been one filled with the most changes, and the MOSTS fun. For past years, feel free to check out 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Where did you begin 2010?
I went to a church party, but left a little before midnight, so I rang in the new year on the telephone with my sister. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were both filled with dozens of media calls, and on January 2 I had a story on the front page of the paper (the best New Year’s gift a PR gal can have).
New Year’s Eve
What random cool things happened in 2010?
I went on a first date with a certain Mr. Right who ended up being the man of my dreams… six months later he asked me to marry him, and VERY soon we’ll officially be husband and wife! Other than that rather cool thing, I also went on a mission trip to Colombia, a beach trip to Florida, cooked a ton, hosted 30 people at my house for Easter, attended my first World Series game, watched my sister marry her best friend, bought a car, had my picture made with the governor, I got a new office with a window, and went on some amazing dates. Oh, and my house got hit by a tornado.
Books read in 2010?
Beth Moore’s So Long Insecurity
Son of Hamas (one of my favorites of the year)
Laura Bush’s autobiography: Spoken from the Heart (this is what I’m reading now, only half-way finished)
Orange is the New Black (such a fun book!)
Forgiveness: Breaking the Power of the Past (maybe the best study I’ve ever taught… life changing)
The Magician’s Nephew (a Narnia book)
The Horse and his Boy (a Narnia book)
Do anything embarrassing?
Right before Mr. Right asked me out, but when I knew he was kind of digging me, I had a very flirty conversation with him after church one night. I was feeling really good about myself… probably too good. As I was walking away, still looking at him as I said goodbye, I walked STRAIGHT into the visitor welcome desk. HARD.

What scripture did you study? (this is for me… fun to keep a record)
I did pretty deep studies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, John, and all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. I did an amazing study during Christmas on the Advent with Mr. Right (we’re going to make this a new family tradition) and taught Sunday School classes on forgiveness, prayer, and fasting. I had never studied much on fasting, let alone practiced it, and this year I loved learning about this often missed spiritual discipline. Even better, we had some much older and wiser people come speak and give us tips – it was so interesting to learn from them.

Did you know anybody who got married?
2010 was the year of the wedding. My other sister got married (Sarah & Philip), Sara & Dave, Amanda & Kevin, Amanda & James, my boss’ daughter, and two of Mr. Right’s closest friends. I was a bridesmaid twice and ALMOST a bride (I’ll make the 2011 list).
(With my sister @ her wedding)

Did you move anywhere?
Celebrating four years in my house this January. And getting a new roommate!

What sporting events did you attend?
I went to the last game of the Rangers World Series (we lost), and also to a Division Series playoff game against the Yankees. I went to Opening Day of the Rangers and saw a handful of their games through the summer. I also attended my favorite marathon, where I single-handedly handed out about 8,000 finisher shirts. Woah nelly, that was a crazy exhausting but very fun day.

(at the World Series)

Describe your birthday:

Mr. Right threw me a lovely birthday party at our favorite coffee shop (site of our first “sort of” date) and our two families and some friends came by for cake made by our wedding cake designer (my favorite). Since it was my 30th we did a lot of celebrating – I also went to dinner with some girlfriends, and my family and his family both had family dinners.

(at my 30th birthday)

What’s something you learned about yourself?
I learned that God really did have plans for me that were better than my own. I learned a lot about what it takes to love someone else in the way they want to be loved, and I got lot’s of great advice from married couples young and old about how to make a good marriage. Hopefully I can put those things into practice!
I also traveled to my first third-world country and learned so much about myself, my desire to serve the Lord, and my willingness to follow Him wherever He leads me. I learned a lot about people – we’re all the same, whether we live in the interior of Colombia or in the suburbs of DFW. It’s one of my favorite parts of traveling – realizing just how similar we all really are.

(in one of the barrios in Cartagena, Colombia)

Were you in school this year?

NO! For the first time since 2006… no school for me!

(NEW!) Where did you travel this year?
I got to add South America to my ever-growing list of places I’ve conquered. We took a week-long mission trip to Colombia, where I discovered that I love the people there and LOVE the food.

I also went to Destin, Florida with my family for a week, I went to “The Lake” with Mr. Right (aka – his family reunion), drove to Oklahoma for a wedding shower, took two trips to Midland, and squeezed in a quick road trip to Abilene.

Destin, Florida

Any new additions to your family?
I got another new brother-in-law (Philip), plus an enormous family through Mr. Right. I am so blessed to be marrying into a solid, laid-back Christian family who has been absolutely welcoming. All my life I hoped I’d marry into a big family, and last year when I attended their family reunion with 100+ people (complete with an old-fashioned baptist hymn sing-along), I knew my prayers had been answered!

Favorite night out?
There were several. Our first date at my favorite Italian restaurant (Taverna) and then a walk through downtown and our favorite bookstore. Or the night we had a private tour of the Amon Carter Museum and then a walk through the museum grounds and a nightcap on the patio at Starbucks. Or maybe it was the night he took me to Babe’s for old-fashioned comfort food after a particularly stressful day, and then we walked out onto the dock overlooking the lake, dipped our feet in the water and watched the stars… for hours. Or maybe it was a simple evening of hanging out next to the glow of our Christmas tree listening to the crackle of a warm fire. There were MANY favorite nights this year.

What do you want to change in 2011?

I think I’m going to get married. Maybe gain a new roommate–seems like a good idea. I also look forward to finding a new way to serve in our new ministry. There’s lot’s of new folks I don’t know very well, and that has to be remedied quickly. It’s time to start hosting dinner parties again.

Where did you spend most of your time?
I spent a lot of time home in my kitchen, cooking dozens and dozens of dinners with Mr. Right. It’s kind of “our thing” and probably why he and I have had to hit the gym a bit harder lately. Worth it though.

Do you have a new year’s resolution?
Get married.
Memorize 2 verses per month.
Read through the Bible chronologically.

What was your favorite purchase?
I didn’t purchase any of these things, but my new favorite things are (1) my engagement ring, (2) my new chaise lounge, (3) my Nook.

Did you get sick this year?
I was very healthy this year – what a blessing.

Start a new hobby?
No, but I picked my quilting and knitting back up. It seems to go in spurts, but I think this year I’ll have more time than ever before to work on projects, since Mr. Right is in grad school and will have lot’s of homework to keep him occupied. I also sorely neglected my writing (and this blog), but hope to remedy that in 2011.
My latest quilt, made from scraps of material samples from Ethan Allen

What are you hoping and planning for in 2011?

I plan to learn how to be a good wife to Mr. Right. I plan to learn how to serve in a new ministry–this includes figuring out how to be a good minister’s wife (not the cookie-cutter stereotypical minister’s wife, but one who can help my man love on our people and reach out to folks who desperately need to know Christ’s love), but it also involves me finding my own “place” in a new ministry and different areas of the church than I’ve been for the past seven years. I plan to read through the Bible in a year, this time chronologically (I have been going in book order before). And I plan to log a lot of time on my knees asking God where he wants us… whether it’s here or in some far off land. Either way, I pray that we can both be faithful to the Lord and his calling for us in 2011, whatever that looks like.
by Bethe

Wedding Crazy

My whole life I’ve judged Bridezilla. I’m a professional event planner, and I knew planning a wedding would be a breeze. Ain’t nothin’.

And then I went wedding crazy.
It started with a to-do list a mile long. Add in a crazy-busy fall at work,
by Bethe

Hello Thirty

I never really thought I’d be 30. It always seemed like such a far-off adult number, and I’ve always felt like a kid. But here it is, something that seemed to be lurking in the shadows, and then one day I looked up and I was almost 30. And now tomorrow, it’ll officially be here.

So in honor of my birthday, I thought I’d write a letter to myself at 20, to pass on the wisdom I wish I had known on that birthday.
Dear 20-year-old Bethe,
Life at 20 is exciting. You’re in your first apartment, with your first roommates, living in a room barely large enough to hold a twin bed, and yet you think you have made it BIG because it’s your very own. Life is about to get much bigger. Your teenage years were hard, like almost any teenager, not knowing who you are or what you want to be, but trust me, your twenties will be SO MUCH BETTER.
First… dump that college boyfriend of yours. You’re not going to marry him.
And guess what… I know that at 20 you think everybody who doesn’t get married by 23 is an old maid, destined to be a broom skirt-wearing librarian. You think your life will be so unfulfilling if you have to spend part of it alone. But trust me, you’re going to live a lot of adventures over the next few years, and you’ll be so glad it worked out this way.
You’re going to have many more roommates. Some are going to become life-long friends. Others aren’t going to work out, but you’ll learn a lot of lessons about how to live with other people, how to be less selfish, and how to love people who are very different from yourself.
You’re going to live in some RANDOM places. You’ll live in a run-down apartment on the wrong side of the tracks, and yes, you’ll even hear occasional gunshots. But don’t be alarmed, you’ll survive with nothing more than a car robbery. Then you’ll leave the ghetto for (gasp) your parents’ house. That will be such a glamorous way to spend your first six months out of college (not really). But you’ll learn to love living with your parents because they’re actually pretty cool. You’ll live with them again when you’re 25 while you build your house, and you’ll all become hopelessly addicted to this silly show called Dancing With the Stars. In between you’ll live in a swanky apartment and an old rent house with a heater that barely works.
You’ll learn to live alone. It seems like the last thing a people-person like yourself should do, and while it’ll definitely be lonely at times, you’ll soon make so many friends that it won’t matter. And, it’ll toughen you up, make you brave enough to stay alone, make you learn how to fix things, and force you to become more independent. You’re going to need that.
You’re going to build a house. By yourself. It’ll be one of the best experiences of your life.
You’re going to suffer heartbreak. Actually, you’re going to suffer heartbreak a several times. Each time will get harder, but it’ll also make you stronger. Each time you’ll learn more about yourself, and what traits you want (and need) in a man. You’ll never be particularly good at breakups. Prepare to do a lot of crying, drink a lot of Sonic strawberry milkshakes, and spend a lot of time hanging out with your family, who will make you laugh so much that your heart will start to heal. And during those times when you feel most alone, you’ll get to experience Christ’s love at its fullest. You’ll grow more and in the end, the pain will bring great growth. So stick it out.
You’re going to finally learn how to study your Bible. Like, REALLY study your Bible, not just listen to preachers and teachers explain it. You’re finally going to open it up for yourself and devour the pages and learn the Word for yourself. It’s going to be life changing. You’ll love it so much that it will become your passion to help other girls do the same thing. Yes, I realize at 20 you don’t really enjoy hanging out with other girls. But someday it’ll become your ministry. And here’s a little secret… someday you’ll become a minister’s wife.
You’re going to travel the world. I realize at 20 you’ve only been to a few states, but in the next ten years you’re going to visit 11 countries and a dozen more states. You’ll realize that your favorite city in the world is Paris, that Colombia has the most amazing food, and that the Greek islands are paradise. You’ll grow to love other cultures, which will help you love people better when you get back home.
I realize at 20 you’ve never even run a 5k, but you’re going to finish a half marathon. No joke. You’re going to take salsa lessons, learn how to lift weights, play in a church softball league, and every Sunday afternoon for about 5 years, you’re going to play flag football. Crazy, huh? You won’t be any GOOD at most of those things, but you’re going to do them anyway.
You’re going to make the most amazing friends in your 20s. Your best friends will come from your church, which is going to have a huge impact on your life. You’ll gain friends of all ages and each one will teach you something about life, and yourself. And those little sisters of yours? I know they seem so young now, but trust me, they’re going to become your very closest friends. Soon you’ll be dancing at their weddings.
You’re going to find a career that you love. At 20 you have no clue what you want to do… trust me, you’ll end up changing your major about five times. And that’s okay, because soon you’ll settle into public relations, and eventually you’ll get your dream job. You’re going to get to do so many fun things – plan black tie galas, design billboards, get to know Santa Claus on a first name basis (you’re in charge of the Christmas activities at your work). You’re even going to get a master’s degree. It’s going to be exhausting juggling night school and work, but you’ll survive and you’ll never regret it.
And just when you start to wonder if you’re going to be single forever… you’re going to meet the most amazing man. At first you’ll just be friends, and then one day you’re going to look at him and something about him is going to fascinate you. Lucky for you, he’s going to experience the same thing at the very same time, and next thing you know you’ll be madly in love. He’s going to treat you like a queen, pursue you in a way that speaks to your heart, encourage you, love on you, and serve you in a sacrificial way. You’re not going to know what to do with yourself… so just enjoy every minute of it. In the meantime, don’t stress… enjoy your singleness while you have it, and trust that the Lord loves you, and has good plans for you, and knows what you need more than you do. When Mr. Wright comes along, he’ll be worth the wait. And he’ll be an amazing cook.
I could tell you more, but you’ll have to discover it for yourself. Just remember… never give up. Your twenties will be amazing and scary and exhausting a total adventure. Relish them. And don’t take yourself so seriously.
I’ll see you at 30.
-Bethe
ps–Here’s some old birthday posts: 25, 27, 28, and 29.