The Big 2-4

So...

My 24th birthday came and went.  No big deal, right?  (Especially given the fact that I've been saying I'm 24 since last fall...and my birthday fell on a Sunday.)

To commemorate turning 24, I stole an idea from a blog I found on Pinterest.  A woman performed 38 acts of service on her 38th birthday.  Brilliant, right?  After reading what she did, I quickly "pinned" the idea myself (and tried to think of alternative acts of service I could perform given that most of hers required mucho dinero).  A couple of months later, my birthday came to pass and the time to perform the services was upon me. 

1.  Cleaned the stove for dad.
2.  Took Misti on a walk.
3.  Put a neighbor's garbage can away.
4.  Did the laundry for mom.
5.  Sent *** flowers.
6.  Sent *** flowers.
7.  Visited grandpa's grave.
8.  Baked treats for the OC meeting.
9.  Visited ***.
10.  Visited ***.
11.  Visited ***.
12.  Wrote *** (a missionary) a letter.
13.  Took *** cupcakes.
14.  Baked treats for ***.
15.  Talked to *** on the phone.
16.  Sat with *** at church.
17.  Visited grandma.
18.  Prayed for ***.
19.  Called ***.
20.  Wrote a letter to a soldier.
21.  Visited *** in the nursing home.
22.  Visited *** while he was sick.
23.  Wrote my testimony in a Book of Mormon to give away.
24.  Wrote a "thank you" card to ***.
*** Names have been removed.

I don't think I could have spent my birthday any better way.  Not only was I not focused on the fact that I was turning 24 (which, actually, has been really great to me already), but I was focused on helping others.  And you know what, I re-discovered something:

Service = Love.  Love = Joy.  Service = Joy.

I am so grateful for the opportunities I had to serve those around me.  I know that many of these acts seem menial, and there are a few repetitions, but I truly believe that the smallest things can make the biggest difference.  

This is definitely a tradition I'd like to keep going for a long time coming.