Today is my 25th Birthday.

So far, it’s a great day. I’m brewing some coffee sent by my parents from the local rostarie back home, and I’m about to have an english muffin with some homemade rasberry jam.

Today, in an odd way, marks a new chapter for me. When I was in high school my best friend, Jim, and I promised eachother we’d go sky diving before we turned 25. It’s now been 7 years since we made that promise, and I’m realising that I’m not who or where nor with the people I thought I’d be.

The first thing is that I don’t live back in Castle Rock. If you’ve been reading on this blog for longer than a day you probably know how much I love Colorado.

Other things that are differnet is that I’m not around the guys I grew up with. Half of them live in California now, only is still back in Colorado.

The third thing different about my life is what I’m doing. I went to college to be a youth minister with expectations of traveling around speaking at youth conferences. Although I’m quite close to that dream while doing the Onething Regionals, it’s not quite what I had in mind.

These differences however are not bad. I would say the only thing I really bum about is not living in Colorado, but Anna and I will be moving back one day so I don’t mind waiting.

The comrades I have now are some of the most marvelous, amazing men and women of God I can imagine. Obviously they don’t replace my childhood buddies, but I have realized that they’re not supposed to replace them nor will the friends I have now be replaced when I move back to Colorado.

My job with IHOP is so far from what I thought I’d be doing in ministry for my twenties. I graduated high school with full plans to go into the ministry, but not into one that has kept me so ‘hidden.’ As I think about what I’ve been doing with the past 5 years of my life since I moved out here to Kansas City, I am so thankful. I’m thankful for a leadership staff that has discipled me in a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. I am so glad the Lord has put me in this ministry.

Looking ahead to the next 7 years in my life and thinking about the same three questions, Who, Where, What; I realize that the only one I have control over is none. The only thing I can do between now and then is to daily maintain my relationship with God and to continually grow in meekness and love towards the Word and towards others.

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