she’s 30

Next April, I will be turning thirty, the age that Becky and I used to think was ancient as we were sitting here enjoying our tea.  We were only two at the time, so what else were we to think?

In just a few months, I will spend some time reflecting on all that God has done for me in the past three decades.  I will have a running list of things to turn and thank God for.  Near the top of that list will be the friendships that He has given me in Christ.  And among the most precious is my friendship with Becky.

There’s not a time in my life that I can remember her not being a part of.  We’ve truly been friends that long.  And it has been one of the sweetest gifts in my life.  So today, as it’s Becky’s turn to turn thirty, I wanted to get a jump start on giving thanks to God for her.

And what better way to give specific thanks than to make a list of 30 things!  The systematic list-maker in me is jumping up and down right now…

30 things I love about Becky on her 30th birthday…

1. Without exaggeration, I think she is the most prayerful person I’ve ever met.  There isn’t a care too small that she won’t take to the Lord.  I can’t remember many mornings in college when I didn’t wake up to find her praying and studying God’s Word.  She knew she needed him daily.

2. When we were roommates in college, she once agreed to have a movie marathon with me.  So we watched Rocky I, II, III, IV, and V.  Don’t ask me why I chose this?!  Regardless, we watched them all one weekend and still agree that Rocky I is the best.

3. She is an extremely disciplined, organized, scheduled, and thoughtful individual.  When I’m with her, I can relax because I know she’s thought through everything.  She loves routine and has taught me the value of it throughout the years.

4. If you’ve ever received a card or gift from her, you know what a treat it is!  She is a wonderful gift-giver.  So thoughtful and intentional with every little detail.

5. She keeps a beautiful, clean, and welcoming home.  You feel right at home when you walk in her house.  She had this gift in college as well, she kept our room and house clean and smelling delicious!

6. She sincerely cares about the people God has placed in her life.  She invests her life in the lost and seeks to show them the love of Jesus.  Whether it’s her neighbors, co-workers, or friends, she is prayerful that they would come to know the Lord.

7. She followed God’s leading down a different educational path than she had originally planned and left Texas A&M to pursue a career as a dental hygienist.  And she stuck with it, even when it felt grueling at times.

8. She trusted the Lord during her unmarried years and spent her time serving Him overseas on a number of different mission trips providing dental care to those in need.

9. We once got in trouble together during Jr.High P.E. class and had to be quarantined off to the side of the gym to do a more “strenuous” (read: embarrassing) workout.  To this day, we can still crack up at each other imitating our gym coach.

10. Speaking of cracking up, Becky can make me laugh like no one else.  Our faces and stomachs hurt after being together.  Some of my favorite memories with her are when we would stay up late at night during college (keeping our other roommates awake for sure!) belly laughing until we were told to knock it off.  She’s definitely the friend that I shouldn’t look at if something funny happens in church, during a wedding, or at a funeral.  We both would just lose it.

11. Speaking of weddings.  She was the maid-of-honor in mine and I was the matron-of-honor in hers.  She made everything so special for me leading up to my wedding.  I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive friend.

12. She was by my side in the 4th grade when I accidentally fell into the baptistry at school.  My only regret from that day was that I didn’t pull her in with me.

13. We once got in trouble during Spanish class for laughing too much in the back of the class.  Our teacher had to take us outside and reprimand us in the hall.  What’s most embarrassing about this story was that we were Sophomores…in College. (We also got “tickled” (as my mom would say) one day in Horticulture class at A&M and were reprimanded by the professor for being disruptive.  I’m certain that he would have laughed, too, if he knew what we were laughing about.)

14. Becky and I, along with our other roommate, Holly, spent an entire afternoon cashing in all of our Meal Plan meals at Texas A&M for pints of Blue Bell Ice Cream.  Our freezer was stocked! It was near the end of the semester and we didn’t want our meals to go to waste. We gained our Freshman 15 in style that year.

15. Becky gets as excited as I do about the “little things.”  I love this about her. Whether it’s a new recipe she loves, a new song she likes, a fun new restaurant or coffee shop she’s found, or a book she’s read- she delights in the simple joys of life and it just spills over when you are with her!

16. Scripture is the most valuable influence in her life.  She studies, knows, and loves the Word of God and has for as long as I can remember.  The Word of God is on her lips and in her heart.

17. Becky loves her family.  She is a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, and granddaughter. And I love that her family feels like family to me.  It  also makes me happy that my parents love her like a second daughter.  If something concerns her, it concerns them as well!

18. While serving on a mission trip with her church to Afghanistan, God deepened her friendship with a wonderful man named, Kyle, who became her husband the following year.  They have a beautiful, fun, and happy marriage.

19.  A few years later, God blessed Becky and Kyle with one of the sweetest babies around named, Bennett. I love when I look at his face, I see her in him.  It is a joy to walk through motherhood together.

20. It doesn’t matter how long Becky and I go without talking.  We can pick right back up where we left off and talk for days.

21. We grew up together going to the same church, elementary school, middle school, High School, and University together.  This provides a lifetime worth of conversations and references to things that she can understand that others won’t.

22. Becky taught me the importance of trusting and waiting on God with a gentle and quiet spirit.  Her faith is strong and her sensitivity to the Spirit of God is what gives her such a deep joy in life.

23. She stokes my love and appreciation for celebrating holidays and keeping traditions.  Even in college, she made these special days important.

24. With the help of her mom, she threw me a surprise birthday party with all of my friends and family when I turned 21.  To this day, my 21st is still one of my favorite birthdays.

25. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, Becky always encourages me and points me to the Lord. She loves Jesus more than she loves me, so I can trust her counsel.  She is wise beyond her years.

26. In everything she does, she strives to do it excellently.  She knows her weaknesses and seeks the Lord’s help.  She truly wants to honor the Lord with her life.

27. She praises her husband with her words- she never tears him down or speaks negatively of him to me or others.  She is a wise woman who builds her home and doesn’t tear it down with her own hands.

28. She cleans my teeth for free.

29. Becky has a wonderful reputation, which is a beautiful thing.  People admire her and want to emulate her, which is also a beautiful thing because she follows Christ with her whole heart.

30. She has been a faithful, encouraging, hilarious, honest, caring, intentional friend to me for 30 years.  There is never even a hint of competition or uneasiness between us- no one is putting on airs- we truly are for each other.

So, Happy 30th Birthday to one of my most favorite people in the world!  I love you, Becky.  I don’t deserve the countless blessings that have come into my life these past three decades because of you.  But thanks be to God who is the giver of all good things.  I wish I could be there to celebrate with you today.  I’m sure we’d laugh until someone told us to knock it off!

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