The Roaring 20s

This week I turn 30. That seems like a big number. The past 10 years I learned a lot about myself. I thought I would break down some of the last 10 years and highlights as I look forward to the next decade. Here are some of the highlights from my 20's....

-The Baylor Years-age 20-23. I thrived at Baylor. I loved it from the beginning. Growing up going to homecomings and games, it was kind of surreal being an actual student there. I made tons of life-long friends through my years there. People like Wes Cash, Trey Guinn, Greg Rowe, Davi, Erik Olson, Toby Tull, Drew Mitchell, the Boehrs, Laura Collins, and many more. BRH Choir and Phi Chi were the two things I cherished most. In BRH, I was able to travel to Mexico, Paris, and Canada on trips each May. My only regret is waiting until sophomore year to join. Through the fraternity I was in, I made some great friends, did SING 2 years, mission trips to Tennessee, and a lot more. I spent many days eating lunch in the SUB, napping upstairs in the great couches, and just walking around the beautiful campus. I spent long nights at Common Grounds, the library basement, and the business school. I remember on 9/11 getting ready to take an ISY test and running over to the SUB to watch the coverage on TV. Also, I loved my Baylor sports. I went to every home football game, lots of away games (Boston College, Kansas, A&M, etc). Basketball was just as fun, although the team wasn't as good back then. We saw BU beat #6 Kansas when I was pledging, including lots of Terry Black dunks. I was really upset when I had to leave Baylor in Dec of 2003. Seriously, I almost had to be dragged away from my house kicking and screaming. Sic'em Bears! -Backpacking in Europe- age 21-29. I went to Europe 9 times in my 20's. I went for the first time in May of 2002 with the BRH Choir to Paris. It was so fun. Afterwards, about 6 of us stayed for a week and went backpacking/hostelling in Switzerland and Italy. It was love at first train trip. I went again after I graduated in Jan of 2004, and every year since (mostly in October). A couple of years I went twice. Highlights include Poland, Auschwitz, Norway fjords, Switzerland, Munich, Edinburgh, Ireland, and many many more. I enjoy backpacking because it lets me get my mind off of life and just get to live as a vagabond for 2 weeks. Seeing different cultures and how people interact give you a different perspective on life.

-IBM- I interned at IBM at age 22, and came back once I graduated in Dec 2003, and have now been there nearly 7 years. I have really enjoyed working for the company. I have enjoyed the 5 managers I have worked for. I made some great friends in Dallas working at IBM in Coppell. I loved travelling to Colorado every couple of months for customer visits. My favorite memories are the 100% Club trips for when I made my number. I especially liked San Diego and Palm Springs. We went on a cool hummer tour through the desert, and got to see Jay Leno perform for us on the last night. Very memorable.

-Investing in my home church- When I graduated, I spent age 23 to 27 back at my home church working in the singles ministry and later, working with 6th graders in youth for 2 years. I love my home church, Plymouth Park Baptist, in Irving. My parents still attend. We did a lot of fun things in the singles ministry. I was Bob Barker one time (grey hair provided by lots of baby power) as we did "The Price is Right". I also lead a welcoming team where every Monday, we would take fresh Eatzi's Bread to first time guests. Later, we started taking bread to the surrounding neighborhoods. In youth, I was able to lead a couple of kids to a relationship with Christ. We did tons of football games, parties, etc. My time at PPBC was a labor of love. There were few times I did anything out of obligation. It was for the love of the Church, and wanting to see people come to know Christ. I really loved doing ministry with my longtime close friend Kim Holland-Bacon. Her husband Brett challenged me as a leader in our sunday school class and church ministries. I'm glad I chose to stay while many others were fleeing to other "cooler" churches and cities for whatever reason. That would have been the easy thing to do.

-Family life. I have a wonderful family. I always felt so loved when I came home from college and now. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. One of the things we loved and still do is get I Fratelli pizza and bring it home as we watch the classic movies like Patton, The Great Escape, and others. My mom and dad paid for my education, which left me debt free when I graduated from Baylor. That is sacrifice I am really grateful for. There are no better grandparents than the ones I have. I loved the trips to Carlsbad to see Grandma and Grandpa, including the hikes in Guadalupe Mountains, the Caverns, and recently, the new trail in town. My Papa and Granny gave me a lot of inspiration. I loved having Easter at their country club each year, and always thought it was cool that my 89 year old Papa was still selling houses.

- The Tulsa Years. Ages 27-29. I moved to Tulsa at age 27 in March of 2008. It was a hard move for me, but a really great decision. My uncle Scott and aunt Vicky helped me transition to Tulsa. They live a street over from where I moved in to, so I got lots of invites to home cooked dinners and after dinner warm chocolate chip cookies. It took me about 6 months to feel plugged in. I now have a great community of friends here, especially through church. I met Krista Rahija through a phone call thanking me for visiting the church. We've been friends ever since. She was my small group leader and is a trusted friend. I think our love of coffee and talking brought us together. I met Amber and Suzanne Winnie at Jason's Deli, and through them, was able to meet a ton of friends. They are very special to me. John Holland, aka The Motivator, is a goliath of a man, and one outstanding individual. He was my small group leader as well. I've met my match for people who like to eat out. I respect him greatly for his wisdom, and his ability to emulate what it is to be a "man". I met Jay Stevenson, my best friend, in Oct of 2009 at church. I knew we would be good friends just from our first few times hanging out. We both went to Baylor the same years, but didn't know each other, even with the same major. He has been a loyal and supportive friend. He encourages me to be a better Christian. We keep each other accountable in our Christian walk, and I'm extremely grateful for his friendship. Also, we have developed a code language that a Navajo Indian could not crack. We are headed backpacking in Europe in a couple of weeks, which will be a blast. This year, I've made more friends. Through Jay, I met Chet, Lindsey and many others that have been a real blessing. I even went to Vegas with some of them over the 4th of July. I'm grateful for these special years, and look forward to the next years and beyond.