Here’s to 29!!
Good morning and happy Tuesday! I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far.
Every year during my birthday week, I write the newsletter about what I’ve learned during that year. (You can go back and look at 27 Lessons for 27 Years, and last year’s Ten Truths for 28 Years… I’m sure I relearned most of these lessons this year too!)
But this year, instead of writing a list of lessons or truths, I want to talk about the one thing that has defined my 29th year: God’s Providence.
I turned 28 during my final months in NYC. The year ahead had some knowns (I would be spending the summer in California, then moving to DC to start work in the fall), but also many (many) unknowns. Transition years are always interesting, and not knowing what the year held was an invitation to trust in Jesus and the providence of the Good Father.
And boy oh boy, has God provided! This year has been defined by a depth and abundance of new relationships, challenges, and opportunities to grow in virtue, joy, and humility (those are the least fun, but most important!) It’s been beyond anything I could have orchestrated for myself. There have been weeks and days that were really, really hard… but those have been far outweighed by the moments of overwhelming joy and delight provided by God’s generous hand.
Frankly, I came in hot with my plans and ideas; expectations of what I thought this year should look like, and how it should go. But day after day, week after week, it became so clear that God was doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). He was asking me to let go of my tightly gripped plans and expectations and lean back in His loving arms.
The result has been a freedom, joy, and confidence I had never experienced before. In moments when I feel afraid or unsure, I’ve learned to look upward and say, “Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!” And He does, every time, without fail.
And so, looking forward to 29, I’m releasing the pressure I typically feel when my birthday comes around to do more. Instead, I want to be more present. I want to make my friends feel seen, known and loved. I want to be available for interruptions, and receptive to the needs of the people I love. I want to lead with gratitude and generosity, celebrating the good things that happen to the people around me with joy.
I know that God is taking care of everything, that He loves me more than I love myself, that He knows me better than I know myself, and so I am completely free to rest as His beloved daughter! I’ve linked a few things above that have helped me so much this year in living this, but here are a few more:
- This icon of the Good Shepherd (I pray with it every single morning)
- This playlist (It was for Lent but has been hitting in the Easter season too!)
- This podcast, Poco a Poco, from the CFRs
- This YouTube channel, especially this video on being a good loser
- The Father Meditations by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames
- The Father’s Love letter (the audio version is my favorite)
- The Chosen (available on a few different streaming services)!
- Good friends (not linkable, but findable with prayer!!)
Thank you all for making this year so special, I can’t wait to kick off a new one this Sunday! Please keep me in your prayers, I’m praying for you 🙂
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
Trader Joe’s sunscreen and lip mask
I am *obsessed* with this new vanilla lip mask and Supergoop sunscreen dupe!! Trader Joe’s strikes again!
Art projects
I’ve spent a couple of months looking for the perfect piece of art for my brick wall, and finally decided it was time to make one myself (based on a piece of art I found at my friend’s house last weekend.) I am so happy with how it turned out!!
Birthday celebrations!!
My friend Delaney and I co-hosted a birthday picnic this past weekend on the National Mall and it was a total ball!! I love birthday picnics because they’re so fun and casual and create a space for everyone to come together. One of the sweetest parts of throwing a party (I think) is that my friends from different groups come together, and now they’ve built their own unique friendships with one another, which I love!
Prayer requests
- For all the April birthdays!! (woohoo)
- For the awareness of God’s providence in our lives
- For a reader’s special intention
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Jane was born in Australia, raised in California, and is overjoyed to now call NYC home. She graduated from UCSB with degrees in Political Science and Communication and spent the past two years working in criminal justice reform. She is currently an MBA student at NYU Stern, focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy.