Monday, February 26, 2007

Willitts at 36


I turn 36 years old today. And I have to say that I can't imagine being happier with where my life has taken me. It has taken me 36 years, but I really believe that I have found my sweet spot and I am hoping to say here doing what I am doing for a long time. I have been given so much by God and most of what I have dreamed of for my life has and is coming true. What a great place to be. I know that life is much about surviving very difficult times and let me say we have had our share of dark days with infertility. In addition, my Ph.D. experience was not exactly a walk in the park. But here I am with a degree from Cambridge--or should I say soon to be when James Carleton Paget finally gets around to checking off on my revisions that have been sitting on a table in his office since August of 2006, a wonderful post at a great university and a great faculty, a condo in the city of Chicago, a beautifully pregnant wife, twins on the way, and a great new church.

Please praise God with me for his goodness in my life, in spite of my own unfaithful and wayward heart.

And 36 is still mid-thirties!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy B-day Joel!

Congratulations too, you will soon to be a dad. Welcome to the club.

Blessings,

celucien

metalepsis said...

Happy B-Day Bro! God has been good to ya, no doubt.

Cheers,

Bryan

Michael F. Bird said...

Joel, Congrats and may blessings be multiplied to you and Karla.

Denny Burk said...

Hey bro, we are rejoicing with you!

Much luf,
Denny

Tony Siew said...

Dear Joel,

Happy birthday! May there be at least another 36 years more of active service and teaching and doing what you enjoy most for the Lord's glory.

James Crossley said...

Happy birthday Joel.


Does your 'unfaithful and wayward heart' include that time in North Wales with cigars, beer, whiskey and a wayward Irishman and a wayward Dutchman and a perfectly normal and decent Englishman?

Anonymous said...

Crossley:

To the contrary, I consider those times to be when I am at my best! I hope we can do that again! Are you going to the conf this year? O, those were fun times.

Brant Pitre said...

Happy Birthday, Joel!
And heartiest congratulations on the two twins on the way! Do your reading while you still can! (Number 4 is on the way for me and Liz, and I'm only 31--I think.)

Eric Sowell said...

Congrats. You're not old, you're mature. It's all a matter of perspective.