25.

I am 25 years and two days old. I will spare you the details on how I am not where I always thought I would be by the age of 25, and will choose to share the details of where I AM at the age of 25.



I am:



-Saved by grace. Growing up in a Christian home is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because you grow up in church and hear constant encouragement to grow in a friendship with Christ; however, you hear it so much that you become accustomed to it and it becomes routine instead of REAL. For many years I felt numb to God, but in the last few years, He thawed out my heart and I felt real grace for the first time.



-Married to the man of my dreams ♥. I do not mean this in a cliche way. I simply mean, that from the time I was old enough to know what I wanted in marriage, the person I pictured was Nate. I did not know what his face looked like or his hair color...but I knew I wanted a man of integrity, that possessed spiritual leadership, was handsome, was wise, and was HILARIOUS. That man is Nate. He is a man's man with a kind heart. It is a perfect combination.



-In the Bellefontaine Examiner. Yesterday, my Grandpa Downing found an article in the Bellefontaine Examiner that highlighted events from 25 years ago. In the article, it posted my birth announcement from April 5, 1984. Pretty neat!



-Driven. There was a time (and honestly, it was not so long ago) when I wondered what kind of person I was really choosing to become. I felt lazy, unmotivated, and rude. I wondered if this is who I was. I liked watching tv, I disliked working and that was that. Today, I am proud to say that I find joy in work. I wake up early and go to my job (it may not be my dream job, but God has provided me with it), I leave my job and and work some more (only this time, on my body), after working-out I go home and let the dogs out, feed the dogs, maybe throw the dishes in the dishwasher, perhaps finally pull the laundry out of the dyer and fold it, maybe even water the flowers. And when it is time to enjoy my time with my hubby and relax, I enjoy that. But the point is... I am not lazy anymore and I no longer question what kind of person I am becoming...because NOW, I allow God to work in me.



-Still impatient. A work in progress. Please come back at a later date for more.



-Excited. I am so excited about the future. We have NO idea what is in front of us and sometimes that is scary, but overall, I cannot wait to see what God has waiting for Nate and me together.



-Healthy. I took 2009 as a challenge to get myself in the best shape of my life. I am learning that "healthy" is not a nicer way of saying "skinny," and I am closer to my goal of being healthy each day. Each time I pick up carrots instead of french fries, each time I look at the label for natural foods instead of preservatives, each time I put down the cookies and pick up the grapes are all small battles in the war towards a healthy life. I am thankful for my health and for the opportunity to be able to choose what foods go into my body.



-An aunt. I am "Aunt Amber" to Hunter, Autumn, Grace, Addison, Andrew, Randon and Leighton.



-Boring [to some]. I prefer sitting on the couch with my husband over a party (anyday!). I prefer waking up before 11am on the weekends, so we can actually enjoy the day. I prefer PG-13-rated movies over R-rated movies because I feel more secure about what is going in my mind. I'll take the cranberry juice, but hold the vodka please.



-Exciting [to others]. I have four tattoos and I think they are fun. I wear earrings that are unnecessarily long. I shop in the juniors section (from time-to-time) and try to keep up with the trends. I spend 3/4 of my morning putting on makeup (however, I have now added an anti-aging ritual). I want to go sky-diving...who is in?



-Loved. I am loved by the Creator of the universe. I could just stop there, but I will keep going...I am loved by my husband, my parents, my sisters, my nieces/nephews, my in-laws, my friends, and I will even venture to say that I am loved by some co-workers. :)



All in all, being 25 years old is not so shabby.☻