CELEBRATE, Faith & Encouragement, Holidays, LIFESTYLE

31 and Relevant

Today is my birthday and I am turning thirty… plus 1 year, YAY! I am not one to obsess on turning another year older. To me, age is just a number. What matters to me is looking back at what I have done with that number and being thankful and proud of my time spent here on earth. I have been married for almost 8 years, I have 2 little girls under the age of 4 and a very happy home… this is what makes me cherish each passing year. I want to look back and think that my time has been well spent (relevant). What a shame it would be to look back one day and realize that I didn’t make an impact, or that I succeeded in many things, but that none of them mattered, or to realize that I hoarded God’s blessings and didn’t share them with others.

I recently stumbled upon this fabulous article from RELEVANT Magazine – 15 Things to Start Doing By the Time You’re 30.

I know what you are thinking; “Jenna… you are turning 31”, and you are right. But it is never too early, or too late, to start working on positive progress in our lives. This article is all about the things we should be doing to improve life choices, use of time, and help prepare us for our future… yes please! Today, on this milestone day in my life, I wanted to focus in on these important things and make a change! Do you want to take that step with me?

Here are a few points that really resinated with me, some that I have been working on and others that I definitely need to implement in my daily life!…

Waking Up Earlier Than You Need To. I just recently can say I agree with this. As a mom of two, the quiet time of the morning is the only time of the day that I can peacefully enjoy my coffee and devotional time with God. I have just realized how crucial this time is for me and, in return, for my family! It was a hard change at first, but once I experienced the serenity of it, I now long for that special hour every morning!

Be Intentional with Relationships. How true is this?! Our time is precious, so spend it with people that are important to you, and who encourage you to be the best version of you, and vice versa. Make sure the people that are most important to you are feeling the love!

Actively Combating Spiritual Complacency. I really want to improve on this point this year. I never want to put Jesus on the back burner, or make Him an accessory to my life… I want to make him my entire life, and continue to show my girls how the most important thing in life is our vertical relationship with the Lord. *This was a great bonus point from the author … “As other parts of your life grow, make sure your faith does too.”

Actually Caring About What You Eat & Making Exercise a Lifestyle. These two go hand in hand for me. Since having baby number 2, loosing baby weight and changing my eating habits have been high on my list. I have been working hard on this for 3 months now, and I am so pleased with my progress. I look better, but more importantly, I feel better from the inside out. Even when life gets cray-cray, don’t neglect yourself. If you don’t take care of you, no one else will!

Learning to Unplug. I don’t want to ever look back at my life and realize that I lived it attached to my phone. I want to be a positive role model to my girls and I can’t always do that staring at my phone. Here is an idea; put it down and look at the world around you! I have implemented “device-free” times in my daily life so that I don’t have to worry about this regret. I don’t want to miss out on special moments because I never took the time to put it down and look up.

Being Content With the Life You Have – While Still Trying to Accomplish Your Dreams. This statement from the author really sums this point up for me … “Finding the balance between ambition and contentment isn’t easy, but it’s part of living with big dreams.” I want to be a BIG DREAMER, always! I feel that believing in ourselves and reaching for the stars is what makes life worth living. But, it is such a great reminder that we should never let our goals and dreams overpower us to be prideful and desire or covet things that we don’t currently have. It is important to remember that God blessed each of us with different desires and gifts and to continue to use them to glorify God and His kingdom, not our own. In the end, all that matters is loving God and loving people.

To read the full list, visit RELEVANT Magazine HERE. I hope it inspires you, no matter what age you are, to start living or continue to live the life that God has intended for you!