Dear 26 year old Adam,
I've just turned 25. A quarter of a century. My mid twenties. As my 24th year comes to a close and my 25th begins I can't believe how much has changed since I turned 24.
Things I'm doing now:
I'm co leading Good Fellas with Matt. I'm helping out at Better Way on Friday nights. I just finished a quarter of children's ministry with 4 year old kids. I lead a bible study at the juvenile prison every third Thursday of the month. I'm in the teaching rotation for the Monday night service at the pantry. I started my own small group discipleship program on Wednesday nights at the pantry. I'm still doing landscaping for Scott although I'm not sure how many more weeks we have left. I'm completely single without a future wife anywhere near my radar. I'm living with Brian in the Schmachelor pad. I'm working out at Soar four times a week. Tyler got married this September. In fact I went to six wedding this year with Brock's still to come in 20 days. I'm trying to make every purchase with human rights in mind. Fair trade clothes, food, toiletries, trying to shop local every chance I get. I think that's pretty much every important thing I'm doing now that I might forget about in the future.
Things I hope you're doing
I really, really, really hope you are in Tanzania right now. I hope you've spent your entire 25th year in Africa actually. If not then I hope you got hooked up with a WWOOF and have enjoyed working God's earth and soil. If not that then I hope you got a job with the Mid Ohio Food Bank, Franklinton Gardens, or a men's shelter. I hope you spent the summer living in your car down town.
Things I've learned since turning 24
2012 has been a massively educational year for me. It's funny because it's one of the few years of my life I've spent outside of school. I've grown leaps and bounds in my relationship with God. My point of view on God's heart and what the Kingdom on earth should look like has been drastically changing and broadening each month! This was also the year that Whitney got married. God taught me a lot about failure, grief, and just how good They really truly honestly are. I've learned to pick my fights. Which I should stand firm on and which I should turn the other cheek to. I've learned that a low price to me is at the expense of a high price to my brothers and sisters around the world. I've learned that God can take brokenness aside and make it beautiful. In fact I've learned that He loves to do it. I've learned that God can and will redeem! And He can and will set captives free! I've learned what love is and how much I don't understand about it. I've learned that love is about free will on both sides. I've learned how difficult forgiveness can be. I've learned forgiveness is the path to freedom. I've learned that life isn't about getting a well paid job and a pretty wife. I've learned that planning and looking forward to tomorrow costs me today. I've learned I hate money. I've learned you can spend your whole life working for something just to have it taken away. I've learned that we don't get all the answers and we don't get to understand why things happen. I've learned to be content with my lot.
1987 Born
1988 00
1989 01
1990 02
1991 03
1992 04
1993 05
1994 06 Started Grade School
1995 07
1996 08
1997 09
1998 10
1999 11
2000 12
2001 13
2002 14
2003 15
2004 16
2005 17
2006 18 Graduated High School
2007 19
2008 20
2009 21
2010 22 Graduated College
2011 23
2012 24
I've just turned 25. A quarter of a century. My mid twenties. As my 24th year comes to a close and my 25th begins I can't believe how much has changed since I turned 24.
Things I'm doing now:
I'm co leading Good Fellas with Matt. I'm helping out at Better Way on Friday nights. I just finished a quarter of children's ministry with 4 year old kids. I lead a bible study at the juvenile prison every third Thursday of the month. I'm in the teaching rotation for the Monday night service at the pantry. I started my own small group discipleship program on Wednesday nights at the pantry. I'm still doing landscaping for Scott although I'm not sure how many more weeks we have left. I'm completely single without a future wife anywhere near my radar. I'm living with Brian in the Schmachelor pad. I'm working out at Soar four times a week. Tyler got married this September. In fact I went to six wedding this year with Brock's still to come in 20 days. I'm trying to make every purchase with human rights in mind. Fair trade clothes, food, toiletries, trying to shop local every chance I get. I think that's pretty much every important thing I'm doing now that I might forget about in the future.
Things I hope you're doing
I really, really, really hope you are in Tanzania right now. I hope you've spent your entire 25th year in Africa actually. If not then I hope you got hooked up with a WWOOF and have enjoyed working God's earth and soil. If not that then I hope you got a job with the Mid Ohio Food Bank, Franklinton Gardens, or a men's shelter. I hope you spent the summer living in your car down town.
Things I've learned since turning 24
2012 has been a massively educational year for me. It's funny because it's one of the few years of my life I've spent outside of school. I've grown leaps and bounds in my relationship with God. My point of view on God's heart and what the Kingdom on earth should look like has been drastically changing and broadening each month! This was also the year that Whitney got married. God taught me a lot about failure, grief, and just how good They really truly honestly are. I've learned to pick my fights. Which I should stand firm on and which I should turn the other cheek to. I've learned that a low price to me is at the expense of a high price to my brothers and sisters around the world. I've learned that God can take brokenness aside and make it beautiful. In fact I've learned that He loves to do it. I've learned that God can and will redeem! And He can and will set captives free! I've learned what love is and how much I don't understand about it. I've learned that love is about free will on both sides. I've learned how difficult forgiveness can be. I've learned forgiveness is the path to freedom. I've learned that life isn't about getting a well paid job and a pretty wife. I've learned that planning and looking forward to tomorrow costs me today. I've learned I hate money. I've learned you can spend your whole life working for something just to have it taken away. I've learned that we don't get all the answers and we don't get to understand why things happen. I've learned to be content with my lot.
1987 Born
1988 00
1989 01
1990 02
1991 03
1992 04
1993 05
1994 06 Started Grade School
1995 07
1996 08
1997 09
1998 10
1999 11
2000 12
2001 13
2002 14
2003 15
2004 16
2005 17
2006 18 Graduated High School
2007 19
2008 20
2009 21
2010 22 Graduated College
2011 23
2012 24