28 Things I've Learned...the deep end

I just got older. In recent years my birthday has been met with the resounding noise of chaos and drama. But this year, it was pleasantly calm and wonderfully uplifting. With the exception of the fact that I’m slightly freaked out that I can say “Do you remember when we were in middle school and such and such happened….gosh that was 15 years ago,” I am loving year 28. So in honor of…well…me…here is a list of things I have learned in my 28 years as a taker of space on God’s great earth.

1. God is the only consistent thing in life. Seasons change. Lives Change. Circumstances change. Hearts change. The Lord of my life is the only thing that without fail, without reservation, without hesitation….is amazingly, fulfillingly unchanging.

2. Love isn’t in the words. It’s in the actions that preface them…that follow them…that put an exclamation point on the end of them.



3. Having a baby won’t fix things. It won’t make life easier. It won’t solve your heartache. It will, however, make you think differently, love differently, and breathe differently…as if someone else’s life depends on you doing so.

4. Broken hearts keep beating regardless of the pain. And one day, when the pain subsides, the heart will turn to you and say, “I knew if I kept going…one day you would thank me for it.”

5. Life is just better with Nana Love.

6. Sacrificing who you truly are to “make something work” is a disservice to pretty much everyone.

7. If you have to stop and think “Is this really the right thing…should I do this…is this where I’m supposed to be…” the answer is very likely NO.

8. Loving without “Zing” costs $48 for the dinner and the movie. Loving without logic costs $1500 for the divorce attorney. Loving with both…absolutely priceless.

9. That voice that speaks truth to you in a calm collected way, when the world makes absolutely no sense and everything around you is clouded by emotion…that voice that comes from no where and seems completely peaceful when there’s absolutely no reason that it should…that voice is the Holy Spirit.

10. Other people think about me a lot less than I ever thought they did. And I have learned to think a lot more about me than I ever thought was ok.

11. Those few extra pounds won’t hurt me as long as I can own them and love them for part of who I am. It’s when I don’t want to own them that something needs to change.

12. There are few memories more precious than sitting up until midnight talking with your grandparents…who were much cooler than you ever gave them credit for.

13. It’s really easy to blame your issues on your parents. It’s harder to say “yeah, they could have done x or y differently. But it’s MY journey now.”

14. Christianity, like so many other things, isn’t about the things you do. It’s about who you know and who knows you.

15. Striving for perfection is much more exhausting than being the first to point out the fact that you are flawed.

16. A true role model is someone who says “I can live life better” and then proceeds to go about doing it.

17. If you’re not willing to genuinely say “I’m sorry,” then you can’t ever really mean “I love you.”

18. Sometimes I need a “time out” too.

19. When someone asks for a favor it’s ok to say no.

20. Genuine happiness doesn’t have to be broadcasted with words. It’s just there.

21. The art of being a good conversationalist is knowing when to shut up and say “your turn, I’m listening.”

22. Very few work related mishaps can’t be taken care of with the genuine statement, “I understand completely, and I’m going to take care of you.”

23. When the urge strikes you to pray with someone…YOU DO IT. No matter where. No matter what.

24. Whether it’s a piano recital, marriage, or divorce, sometimes the greatest compliment there is will be “At least you kept going.”

25. The dishes and laundry can wait if there is an opportunity to make a memory with your child. Period.

26. One of my proudest achievements thus far is getting my child to say “peeaaasssee” and “take-oo”

27. Sometimes the best gifts you can give someone are a sturdy shoulder, permission to be exactly who they are in that moment, and the assurance that you'll love them just the same.

28. One of the greatest opportunities to honor God is a second chance that is not wasted.