5 on Friday.

Happy last day of my 20’s, everyone.

Did you hear that?

Today is my last day of my 20s.

WHAAATTTT.

Can we all agree that after today, I’m officially no longer an age? Nobody believes my age anyway. Â I mean, at church this lady who knew me when I was little asked my dad if I was driving yet. He laughed and said I was almost 30 and she said I looked like a teenager. And then a few days ago, Kristen texted me this lovely picture of my 3 favorite Halter girls. Lucy loves her Duck Face.

Naturally, I had to send them a response. How much do you love my really big forehead? Channeling my inner Tyra.

Anyway. Lucy said I look like a teenager. I don’t really know what that means, but I’ll take it. I think I look kind of alien-ish.

Moving on. Today is my last day of my 20s. That’s the big point of that.This is a very special 5 on Friday.

5 Things I wish I could tell “today is my last day of my teens” Stephanie:

ONE //

There are children you’ll meet who will become your best friends. But they’ll start as children. Invest everything into them, because someday they will be the ones who see you at your very worst and somehow still love you despite that. Never underestimate what God is going to do in your relationships with children.

TWO //

Look at your MySpace Top 8. See that Ernie Halter guy? As of now, you’ve never met him.Â One day you’ll meet him. and you’ll become friends with him. and you’ll stay by his side through a lot of stuff, and he’ll stay by yours. When boys break your heart, you’ll turn to his voice – on the phone and through speakers. He’s going to marry an amazing girl, and she’s going to become one of your close friends. Together they’re going to create the most wonderful twins you’ve ever met and one day he’ll say “did you ever imagine you’d be sitting here at my house in Nashville with my twin daughters running around?” and the answer is a firm no.

Luckily Ernie is going to take a picture of you two within the first five minutes of meeting so you’ll be able to look at this picture and smile because neither of you could have ever dreamedÂ up or imagined going from this moment to where your friendship is at now.

THREE //

God is so much more concerned with you than you could ever imagine. Right now you’re going through the motions. You’re playing the church game. It’ll take you awhile to become completely surrendered to God, and I don’t think you need to rush the processâ€¦ but when you let go, when you step out of the boatâ€¦ you areÂ going to be shaken to the core of your being. You won’t understand it or be able to explain it, but you’ll feel the freedom and peace of a life surrendered to your Creator. It’ll happen in its own time, but it is going to be the best thing you currently have ahead of you.

FOUR //

You love Camp Arnold, but you are about to be a camp counselor for the first timeâ€¦ and your life is going to change. Your love for Camp is going to blossom into something that is so much deeper and wider than the word “love.” Over the next 10 years, you’ll work at camp for 6 of those summers and God is going to use those summers to completely rewire you. The hallowed ground of Camp Arnold will hold a lot of your tears. You’ll convince them to name an iced espresso beverage after you. During the off season, you’ll crave camp more than any other place. And spoiler alert: they’re going to tear down the a-frames, and it’s going to be okay. The new cabins are awesome.

FIVE //

In the next 10 years, you’ll be sitting at Dave Yaden’s house, eating a meal with him. Before he serves it up, he’ll ask you if you’ve ever had tofu. You’ll say no, and he’ll give you some words of wisdom about eating tofu that will carry over into so many areas of your life. “If you eat this and expect it to be like meat, you’ll be disappointed. So just eat it with no expectations.”Â Don’t get in the habit of building high expectations for everything within moments of the idea, the meeting, the conversation. Give things space and time and try to see things for all they are – the mess of the masterpiece.