Celebrating Jen

This year, 2009, is a year of minor milestones for Jen and I.

This past Valentine's Day marked the 10th anniversary of our meeting. What a glorious day that was, on the snowy hills of northern Minnesota!

This past Sunday (April 5) marked Jen's 30th birthday!

We had a great time with a low-key gathering of some friends. Jen had a super busy weekend taking a class to continue her credentials as a group exercise instructor at Tulane, so I made my plans a bit more simple. I'm looking forward to surprising her with something big and crazy, in the next few years :)

Here's Jen showing off the pearl ring I got her for Christmas, and behind her hand, the matching pearl earrings I gave her for her birthday. I did pretty well, it seems. Yay!

I've posted the facebook photo album from the night on my facebook profile. Check it out, if you can.

The other "present" I got for Jen was a booklet of pictures and memories from the year, as well as notes from friends and relatives near and far regarding special memories they have of Jen, and/or ways Jen has made their world a little brighter. Let's see if I can pop a few quotes in here, as a celebration of this wonderful woman:

What if you didn’t care about bringing joy to people? What if you weren’t generous or fun to be with? Would I still love you if you weren’t trustworthy and dependable? I’ll never know, because you are all these things and more, my precious friend!

So I guess all I have to say is good things, and when it comes to Jen, there's A LOT of good things. She's a great listener, she's always full of energy, she's always willing to help out, you can talk with her about ANYTHING, and--best of all--she introduced me to $15 massages!

...you have become the most consistent and formative spiritual influence in my life since I became a Christian "for real." You've spent countless hours mentoring me, listening to me, praying for me, and ever-so-gently suggesting that my plans to hurl myself off many a metaphoric cliff might not be the best idea. You counseled me through a tumultuous relationship and the heartbreak of its ending. You pushed me to build my character and try new things, to grow in areas of leadership that I would have never have had the guts to try on my own. You have been involved, either directly through your friendship or indirectly through your example, in every major decision I've made in the past three years, and it is because of your obedience to God's calling and the incredible heart that He's given you that I have had the courage to pursue a life of reckless, unapologetic Christianity.

I think my greatest story about you, Jen, is the time we shared in Haiti, playing with kids at the orphanage. I was lucky to catch this wonderful moment when you and a little girl said, “I love you,” each in your own language. For me, it captured our purpose for the mission trip to Haiti but also our purpose here on Earth. As my campus pastor and my friend, you’ve given me a little clearer picture of what love looks like and I’m so thankful for you. Happy Birthday!!

I jumped at the opportunity to write about Jen for her birthday because she has meant so much in the lives of so many...and particularly in mine! I can't tell you what a gift it is to have a young, Holy Spirit filled woman as a model during your college years. When I first came to Tulane, I emailed Chi Alpha and got a reply back from Jen. Of course, having seen her facebook picture, I thought she was a student (yes Jen...you can't fool us with 30 years...we know you aren't really that old.) I remember she met me for salsa (with Jill, i think) and it was such an easy, fun way to meet a someone at Tulane. Jen has a gift with women, for connecting with them, for laughing with them, and for leading them deeper in Christ. God has used her at some very crucial moments in my life.

Those are just a few excerpts from the responses I received. Of course, if you know Jen, you have your own stories and memories. Please feel free to share them in the comments on this post. I'll be sure to pass them on to Jen. It's been a blast to see these notes encourage her, as we head towards the landing strip of a long academic year.