Today is my 33rd birthday. Birthdays have a way of making me take stock of my life, and even though I’m not freaking out today, I still like to look back. (BTW I really freaked out over turning 29.) I figure that, even with wishful thinking, at least a third of my life has passed. So, just for fun, I’ll break down my life so far into thirds and share some highlights.

Age birth – 11: I really accomplished a lot, relatively speaking. Mostly, like other kids, it’s learning stuff. Here’s a partial list that is in no particular order.

• Successfully navigated the birth canal
• Learned to walk
• Learned to talk (possibly learned this one a little too well)
• Inherited my brother and promptly, through regular beat-downs, established my dominance
• Survived a bout with a life-threatening illness.
• Learned how to use the toilet and clean up after myself (very important skill)
• Learned to tie my shoes even though in the early 80s we all thought velcro would replace laces
• Learned to ride a bike (this one took me a while)
• Learned to read and write
• Successfully passed Kindergarten through 5^th grade (I turned 12 during the 6^th grade)
• Moved 10 times or so through 4 different cities (Franklin KY, Somerset KY, Bristol VA, Hopkinsville KY, Cerulean KY)
• Became a Christian
• Participated in a school play
• Got pretty fat
• Made it to the dice and bowtie (I can’t remember which is better) levels of Megamania

Age 12-22: Not so much about learning stuff, as accomplishing stuff or failing to accomplish stuff. This is obviously what I would refer to as my formative years. I am who I am mostly because of these 11 years. Again, here’s a list.

• Managed to get through 6^th-12^th grade in one try (I won’t be saying that later on)
• Survived the divorce of my parents
• Saved the princess in Super Mario Brothers
• Saw my Dad become a Christian
• Inherited a step family (which included 2 more brothers and a sister. Again I had to establish my dominance through regular beat-downs)
• Actually went on a few dates
• Played trombone in High School band
• Totally graduated high school (again, it only took one try)
• Lost a bunch of weight then got fat again
• Moved away from home for college at UK
• Spent a summer in Washington & Oregon as a NAMB summer missionary (This was life changing. If you are in college and want to be used by God, apply at apply.namb.net)
• Spent a summer as youth director at the church I grew up in
• Went to the 1997 final 4 and had great seats (Sadly, Kentucky lost)
  
• Served as youth minister at Durbin Memorial Baptist Church
• Flunked out of UK
• Moved about 6 more times during this period
• Worked for Universal Property & Casualty insurance company (I didn’t live in Florida. It was operated by Kentucky National.)

Age 23-33: I realize that I’m just beginning my 33^rd year, but I can talk about the previous 10.

• Was licensed to the ministry
• Served as youth minister at Mexico Baptist Church
• Went back to college
• Successfully led Sam Fisher on 4 missions
• Made straight A’s with only one B my second trip through college
• Ordained to the ministry
• Graduated from College (after a mere 13 semesters and 2 universities)
  
• Moved to North Carolina
• Attended my first Southern Baptist Convention
• Graduated Seminary
• Served as youth & children’s minister at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
• Moved 4 more times
• Became youth minister at LaGrange Park Baptist Church
• Fished almost all the lakes on Fort Bragg
• Survived a bout with a silly, non-life-threatening disease
• Started this rocking blog with tons of awesome readers
• Produced this list which became more boring as it grew longer

Making that list was kinda fun. Hope you enjoyed it