23 years.

What an incredible birthday.

- Serving alongside some amazing brothers and sisters at Vintage21 Church.
- Soaking up sweet summertime at the neighborhood pool with a handful of incredible friends.
- Grilling and chilling at the house with those same folks, and a few additions.
- Worshiping the one true God, back at Vintage21.
- Remembering my baptism into the death that Jesus died, and the true life I've found in Him.
- Walking around beautiful downtown Raleigh.
- And finally, back to the house to sit around, talk, laugh, and share life with loved ones.

I really don't understand how I can be so blessed.  And to imagine that all of these moments are mere glimpses of what will be.  Standing in God's presence, there will be no other response than to praise Him and his glory.  If we think we're worshiping now--just wait.  One of my new favorite images of this day:

When we arrive at eternity's shore, where death is just a memory and tears are no more, we'll enter in as the wedding bells ring--your bride will come together and we'll sing: "You're beautiful"
Phil Wickham, "Beautiful"

Go.  Look around and know you're blessed right now.  It's there, and yeah, sometimes it's really hard to see.  Let those glimpses remind you that there's a louder shout to come, that we have a more certain hope, and that our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)