birthday | Vita By Design

A Day of Remembering

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Angela Madaha

Memorial Day is a pretty special day for me for several reasons.

First, it’s a dedicated day of remembering the courage of our military, those that have given their lives by dying for our country, and those that are actively giving their lives for our benefit.

The reality of the sacrifice of our military is especially close to me and my family. There are six kids in my family and three of them are actively in the military.

Come to think of it, if you ever come into our home when all our family gets together, it may be rather intimidating: 1 former Marine, 2 active Army guys, 1 Navy specialist, 1 kickboxing trainer, 2 biology med students, and mom that can make a casserole that’ll knock your socks off.

I pity the fool that intrudes our house when we’re all there. In the words of Antoine Dodson, “You are so dumb.” After 5 of us beat the living daylights out of him, we’ll send him to the med brothers who’ll resuscitate his life and replace his limbs. My mom will then make him a meal fit for kings, and then we’ll tell him about Jesus and send him on his merry way.

Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but it paints a picture nonetheless.

But mostly I want to paint a picture of sacrifice. I want to say thank you. Thank you for serving our country. Yes, all of us that work jobs are still serving our country and economy by being faithful and productive, but last time I checked our slogan where I work at 9Round is, “Get fit, Never hit.”

When you join the military, however, you get fit because you prepare for that moment when you willingly go into a battle where you very well may be hit. That’s the kind of service that makes our military vastly different from every other career in our country. Would you second-guess accepting your job offer if that were written on the job description? Yet every day hundreds of normal everyday citizens volunteer for this job. How amazing is that? Every person protecting your country today, the greatest country on earth, is a volunteer. Pretty awesome.

Thank you for the sacrifices: missing your youngest brother’s graduation party, missing the birth of your first daughter, moving all across the country and world, being separated from your wife or fiance for extended months at a time, for your faithfulness and commitment.

Thank you for our benefits: that I can work for a small, local business, that your dad can be a Christian pastor and speak with freedom, that I can write and post on a free blogging platform without interference, that I can be an entrepreneur and creator in my free time, that I can go to sleep tonight without fear of bomb threats and invasion.

For all the endless sacrifices and benefits for our sake, we say thank you. We’ll never know the beauty of these freedoms unless one day they are gone. So we enjoy them and honor you for all that you do, seen and unseen.

Charity Jackson, Navy

Jon and Kristin with baby Elanie, arriving home from Iraq; Army

Nate and Jeanie; Army

Memorial Day is also a special day to me because, well, I was born on Memorial Day. And apparently I’m a pretty memorable person, according to my mom (well-played, Mom).

So I’ve been remembering my recent birthdays, and honestly my last 2 birthdays haven’t exactly been stellar.

2 years ago: I was in Philadelphia with a whole bunch of people I didn’t know and spent most of the day by myself. After a quick trip to Starbucks to celebrate with a coconut mocha frappe, I retreated back to my room. So sad. (Granted, the next day I would be leaving for Europe, but I still want a pity party)

Last year: After several attempts to find somebody, anybody, to go with me to watch Colbie Caillat at the Memorial Day celebration in Simpsonville, I resigned to spend the evening house-sitting for my friend. just me and the dogs. eating chips and salsa. and Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. and watching The Vow. alone.

that’s one very depressing birthday.

Thankfully, every year we get a chance to make up for the mistakes we made in the past, and now I’m with my family in Indiana, having a duo-celebration with my youngest brother as he graduates from high school. and we all breath a sigh of relief.

That was a really unnecessary introduction. But it does remind me of how thankful I am for the changes that have come about this past year and all the craziness that has happened. So I just wanted to share a quick little photo journal of some highlights this past year. It really has been unbelievably wild. If I were really cool, I’d make an Infographic, complete with diagrams, timelines and neat swirly arrows.

but I’m not cool. so pitch that thought.

and enjoy.

These guys attended my birthday party last year. Obviously, they were about as thrilled about watching The Vow as I was.

First time Broadway experience. And it was WICKED AWESOME!

I was flown out to LA area for a job interview. The drive through the mountain pass to get there was phenomenal!

That same week I got to drive down to San Diego for my first time. All in one day I was in the desert, mountains, and beach. That is why Cali is legit.

This year I got to be very involved with the homeless in Greenville and had a lot of unique experiences that have changed my life.

Snowboarding in West Virginia, baby!

This was my last day at my former job. We donated windows to the Ronald McDonald House in Greenville. It was a great way to end a season and enter a new one.

This is Lilly. 6 months after the 5K, she was connected with a specialist in New York, and after an intense surgery, she was declared cancer-free! Praise Jesus!

This is 3 year old Lilly. 6 months after my first 5K which raised money for her fight against brain cancer, she was connected with a specialist in New York. After an intense surgery, she was declared cancer-free! Praise Jesus!

Enter 9Round into my life. In March I started training to become manager and head trainer at the 9Round location on Wade Hampton. Amazing job, amazing organization! I love every minute there.

During my first week we had our annual national 9Round convention downtown at the Westin Poinsett. Yeah, we were running around the Gold Room in boxing gloves. Be jealous.

My youngest brother Jared had his high school graduation party the same day as my birthday this year. Now I call that good timing.

Well folks, there’s the overview of year 25. Now onward to 26. Do I have plans, dreams, goals?

eh, ish. Here’s what I’ve learned: pray, plan, dream … and then go. One day you have to make the decision to actually do something, to walk forward, even if you have no idea what step to take after the first one. But that’s ok, because you’re never, ever alone, no matter how dark it may seem or how fearful you feel. Are you a child of God? Then be aware that before the words ever cross your lips that you need His presence, God’s presence has always been there and has never, and will never, leave.

25 years.

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Angela Madaha

25.

It’s a pretty good number. It’s the cost of obtaining a treasure from the gum ball machine. It’s the year your car insurance goes down (supposedly). 1925 was the year Scotch tape was invented!

It’s also a great time for everyone to remind you that you have crossed the quarter-century threshold.

thanks friends.

It’s been a great time to think. remember. I clearly remember the day I turned 24. If my calculations are correct, that would be 1 year ago.

1 year ago. I had just graduated from grad school.

The next day I was leaving for a 2 month missions trip to Spain, England and Italy. My life was very simple. and condensed. like Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. And I had about 5 banana boxes and 3 suitcases to my name packed away in Greenville.

All I knew at that moment was that I was going to Europe to live with broken people and serve where needed. After that there were no plans, no job, no income, no “direct revelation” about next steps.

I would not in a million years dreamed up what has happened in 1 year. 1 single, solitary year. Can I even begin to describe…? A couple thoughts come to mind about this past year.

Unstable.

The 5 months after graduation were a little out-of-hand, borderline ridiculous: 14 homes, 9 churches, 4 countries, 6 cultures, 15 couches/beds/mattresses, 7 ministry offers, thousands of dollars. And when it was all said and done I was still broke, jobless, homeless, and directionless, without a clue of where in the world I was supposed to be.

Even when I got a job (check that: when God gave me a job) and came back to Greenville, I had a huge struggle with financial instability. I had to wait 3 weeks before getting paid, on top of being unemployed for 5 months. Back to my mathematical insight, when you add $0 + $0, you get a very stressful life transition.

It took a long time to recover from that, longer than I wanted to wait. Through tears and faith-straining, God taught me patience and trust. I was horrible at it, but He was teaching me none-the-less.

He taught me to practically boot strap.

He taught me to not feel guilty about saying “no” to certain activities or opportunities.

He taught me to pray, and to love Him more than money by thinking about Him more than money.

He showed me I’m actually a very fearful, controlling person that is in need of a Savior every single day.

Bi-polar

This descriptive overlaps with the previous one, yet focuses more on my emotions. My emotions were up and down, and tended to stay down for long periods. Then I’d go through deep, soul-stirring moments of Jesus-love and be soaring, and then I’d be discouraged about a difficult situation or sin. I knew that I wanted Jesus more than anything, but this war kept raging in my heart more than I’ve ever noticed before in my life.

Identity Crisis

Actually, it was more of an identity loss. crushed. God piled up everything that I loved and was finding my identity in and called it “Idolatry” and that was really hard for me to take, so I fell flat on my face. He told me to burn my idols and turn from them before they turned on me.

But, everything? Even my mind? My thoughts, my dreams, my passions?

God: “Yes, they have become idols. Your heart is an idol factory. You sacrifice them and I’ll give them back when and where I decide, if I ever do. You say you’re ‘Complete in Thee’, but you’re not. So let go and cling to Christ. Do you love me more than these?”

That was a very dark time for me because I had for the first time truly come face-to-face with my wicked heart of idolatry. And it was not fun. And then I wasn’t sure whether I had ever truly loved Him, or wanted Him for the gifts He gives. Yes, Jesus became more precious to me that anything during that time, but it took months to “recover” and fully understand the hope, promise and victory of the Gospel. It’s still a struggle.

By the way, yesterday (after I wrote the first draft of this post) a friend sent me this sermon from T4G to listen to about God’s plan in disappointments and dashed hopes. HIGHLY recommend it. Disappointments are purposeful!

Faith

Always remember that it’s not about the quality or quantity of faith, but WHO IT’S IN! My faith was often with fear and trepidation and cold sweats, but thank God it never was or is about me! How relieving!

This past year I was more often that not in situations where I had no other alternatives but to pray for God’s protection, guidance, and provision.

Obstacles included traveling alone, finding correct buses and trains in foreign places, language, money for travel, money for bills, money for moving, money for gas, a job, place to live, a table to eat at, a bed to sleep on, a friend to encourage me…the list is endless.

Yet here I am. Still sane. ish. And full of praise to Him because HE DID IT! Don’t forget that. Don’t praise me. Just stop. I mean go. Go praise Him.

Single

Yes, I just said the bad 6-letter S-word. Let’s face it– it often awkward and/or inferior, and not only in our culture, but also in the church. I mean, have you ever seen a movie where this awesome person is going about life, trying to find this missing piece that will make their world complete, looking for that true love and affirmation…and then they find it! They get to be single for the rest of their life!!

Highly unlikely.

Yet– watch this– isn’t it awesome that no one has to “wait” for fulfillment and completeness and purpose?? Please read the Gospel! Jesus fills that empty hole and missing piece in our hearts! every. single. time.

So…. anyway, on this earth, I am experiencing challenges that naturally come as a result of living alone and being single, not married or dating. The main one has been the need and desire to talk about something discouraging or exciting or even mundane, and there’s simply no one around to share that with in the moment. In particular I have had many discouraging times coming home from work, and I often just wished I had someone to talk to. I found myself keeping things to myself and mulling over it in my mind.

But I soon found that to be unhealthy and, actually, ungodly. That’s why the Body of Christ is so important. I now make it a practice to immediately text or call a very close friend if something happens that I need to release and be open about.

It’s also been challenging not having another person closely peering into my life and challenging me. Not many people challenge me, question my intentions, point out inconsistencies, reveal my laziness. I’m always unsure if I have gone as far as I could’ve, because I’m the only standard to my standards.

Again, I’m finding that I shouldn’t just “accept” these things, but need to do the extra leg-work to seek out others in the Body to meet those needs of mine. And it’s ok to admit need, weakness, insecurity. Christ DIED for His Church, so it’s pretty important that I work hard to involve them in my life. And practically, if I practice keeping to myself while I’m single, then that is how I’ll eventually live out marriage.

So that just about sums it up. I’d like to think that this time next year will be full of stability and normality…but, eh, that is pretty unlikely. Actually this past week right before my birthday God has been specifically guiding my prayers about a next step and/or phase in my life. Scary, exciting, fearful, invigorating, challenging…

I can’t wait to see what next year’s post “26” will be. Praising Him for 25.

The day of my birthday. 25 years ago.