Good Bye 20s...

Only a couple of hours away before I'm celebrating my 30th birthday with my favorite people. As I reflect on the past 30 years of my life, I can only give God all the praise and glory that He is so worthy of. I've lived a blessed life with amazing friends, great stewards and lots of love.

I'm not a glamorous girl, I'm pretty simple. My friends may argue that one on me, ha but seriously, the little things in life mean the most to me. I'm going to attempt to list highlights of my 20s.

Highlights of my 20s:
20 - in college I met Marcos. God showed me he was the one by some of Marcos' 1st few English words. They were; "I love Jesus", "Do you go to Church" & "I'm not Catholic" (haha - just a joke for my Catholic friends). Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
21 - celebrated my 21st birthday in Brazil. God really broke me during this season as I was already involved in the basketball coach, Coach Barnes' wife's Tuesday night prayer group. It was a very intense group of women where we clothed ourselves in prayer shawls and cried out to the Lord. It was such an anointed time. When I in Brazil I was exposed to a very broken and poverty stricken areas that had me praying for people on the side of the streets. "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24
22 - graduated college & my dad was really sick. We got together one evening with Brittany & Ramsey Bell where I was filled with the Holy Spirit and received the gift of tongues. God opened my eyes during this time to the "supernatural" realm. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
23 - married Marcos in Disney World. My dad gotten worse with his sickness and many people were wanting me to change my wedding date. I believed God that my dad would dance with me at my wedding and guess what? He did! Praise God! My daddy ended up getting better that year. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
24 - got a puppy, Sophia & traveled to Greece.  The Lord taught us patience during this season, bc with Sophia she was tearing up our house! Also, being married we were learning a new level of patience. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." 1 Corinthians 13:4
25 - struggled getting pregnant. We had decided to start a family but that was becoming impossible. With many rounds of clomid &. then femara and lots of prayers, we finally go a positive! My blog back in the day talks about this. During this time my verse was "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5. 
26 - my aunt Lisa dies & Natalie arrived! "I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27
27 - my daddy dies. It was soon after Natalie's 1st birthday in June things got worse with my dad. Our believers were standing with us believing in a miracle. That miracle never came the way we wanted it but the celebration service my daddy left behind was something that impacted everyone who came.  His legacy was Matthew 25:36 and a reminder to me why I am here: "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me."
28 - pregnant with Gabriela / and she arrives. This is just a plain out miracle and reminder from God to me that He is faithful. Drs were concerned if I got pregnant my heart wouldn't be able to take it. I was sent to a Maternal fetal Dr who was going to make the call where I could go on meds to get preggo or not. Guess what? I got pregnant April and went to his appointment in June. :) He was shocked and needless to say even brought up the word Abortion to me. I told him, "No way, wasn't' even considering it and that it was the greatest thing since ranch on spaghetti and ketchup on Mac&Cheese. I'm not really sure on a verse for that year. I just kept singing, "Jesus loves me this I know!" God continued by my side up to the delivery when Gabriela turned and I delivered her BREACHED! Yeah baby! Breached! Because I believed God for a perfect delivery - no Csection. He knew my heart and I turned towards him in that moment.
29 -  I was told I needed a Heart transplant. :) Yes, you heard that right. It was really hard to hear. But then God reminded me of Gabriela, my messenger! Trust in the Lord. I called a dear friend, Mayaba Choonga, and her words brought me peace. She says, "Jana, the Lord says, It is well!" It is well..." Praise God, it is well! This last year in my 20s has been nothing short but marvelous (in Lauren's words). "For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God." Psalm 86:10

I'm looking forward to tomorrow - the Big 3-Oh! And I expect God to show up and show out in my 30s in a BIG way! For I believe in a miracle working God! A Great God and greatly to be Praised!