Jeremy L. Berg

Bake me a cake, light some candles and break out the noisemakers and party hats.  I am turning the big 30 on July 3.  I am leaving behind the tumultuous twenties with much hesitancy but even more gratitude.  I am not going to let this birthday pass by without reflecting back on the past decade of my life.  Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates and I would have probably been good friends. I love self-examination and pulling over regularly to take inventory of the journey so far.

What a ride the 20s have been for me!  I will be celebrating my birthday with my wife, Keri, on vacation this week.  But I will be sharing some very special, very personal autobiographical journal entries on Daily Illumination over the course of the week.  Let me just say it right now loud and clear: Keeping a personal journal takes time and effort, but is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and family.  I have not kept a journal for years now.  But I am so very grateful I did jot down some of my thoughts and internal struggles during some of my most formative years — my early 20s.

In the days ahead, I will be sharing journal entries that provide a vivid glimpse into the heart and mind of a sincere, scared, confused, self-doubting, God-trusting, dream-chasing, hopelessly romantic young 20-something.  The following journal entries cover a small but potent period of my life, from age 20-24, beginning in 2000 and ending in 2003.

What word or theme captures the essence of my 20s?  I suppose the best word would be “NEW.”  Beginning in 1999 at Bethel College, I began a powerfully transformational season of my life.  From age 20 to 25 I experienced new faith, new identity, new friends, new passions and desires, new fears and anxieties (mostly concerning my search for a major, a calling and career), new source of security, peace and comfort, new struggles (mostly with being “in the world but not of it”) and, of course, new love.

As Christians we have no more powerful means of sharing Christ’s love and saving power than by the sharing our own faith story or testimony.  READ MINE HERE. I have been blessed over the past 30 years in more ways than I could ever begin to capture in a few posts.  I dedicate the following memories to all my friends and family who have been part of my journey the past ten years.  In particular I want to thank mom and dad for loving me unconditionally even as they watched me change in some radical ways right before their eyes. I went through a prickly,  judgmental phase during my faith transformation and was not always gracious and loving toward my family.  They loved me through it, and have always supported and believed in me in all of my pursuits.

Second, I want to thank Peter Herzog for being the best Christian friend a man can ask for.  He has shared every high and every low, has been Christ to me more times than he’ll know.  He knows my every flaw and every strength, is my greatest cheerleader, and strongest challenger.  He keeps me honest and holds me accountable to God.  I don’t know how I would have made it through my 20s without you, Peter.

Third, I dedicate these years to the one who, according to the song I wrote on our 1st Anniversary, “threw a smile at me and nearly knocked me off my feet”, my dear wife Keri Jo. A quick glance at my journals will make abundantly clear that my 20s revolved around two life-changing encounters — my transforming encounter with God and my heart-stopping encounter with the love of my life.  She is truly my little pink angel and I can’t wait to spend everyday of my 30s next to her.

Finally, I want to thank the One who, by His grace, takes center stage in this trip back into Jeremy’s heart and soul.  My greatest gift on my 30th birthday is that Christ has taken up residence there and given me a new heart.  When Jesus exploded onto my scene those early years of college, he left nothing unchanged.  To be completely honest: He really messed up all my plans — and what a beautiful mess he made!  Thank you, Jesus, for taking the wheel and for not leaving my side once along the way.  I can’t wait to see what blessings and challenges await my 30s!

So, please stop by each day this week for some very personal posts that I hope will bless you.  I especially invite my family and friends to take this opportunity to learn more deeply how God has been at work in my life the past 10 years.