Well friends, I'm just about to kiss year 26 goodbye .. tomorrow is my birthday and I am so excited!! --- cue ALLLL the confetti in the new iOS 10 messaging.. I LOVE that stuff and I love birthdays!
But before 26 is gone, I decided to spend a little time this morning reflecting on the last year and all that I've learned in the last 365 (because leap year ;)) days. I thought I would share my thoughts with you.. some are serious and some are random/funny... Without further ado & in no particular order:
one > When praying for God to change someone else's heart, He often changes yours.
Not that I know from experience or anything. (insert hands over eyes monkey emoji)
two > God is most definitely not pleased with a naggy wife... again, not that I know from experience. HA.
three > It's okay to cheat on my diet. I'm pretty sure come year 87 I won't be saying "Man, I sure am glad I didn't eat those m&ms!" If I want to eat the m&ms, I'm going to eat the m&ms. Because seriously.. there's more to life than a 6-pack of abs and a size 00 jeans.
four > I heard this one from Craig Groeschel .. Be intentional with your encouragement. .. if you think something good about someone, say it to them. You never know what kind of smile you might put on someone's face!!
five > This one goes along with the naggy wife thing ..It is far more impactful to pray for my husband and live out what I believe, rather than quoting Scripture to him and nagging at him all day long. Much of the time, a quiet influence is far greater an impact than an obnoxiously, loud one.
six > Eating no sugar really isn't as rough as I thought it would be. Until last week when all stress and emotions came with the death of Tyler's grandma... Then is was rough. Hence the reason I cheated almost every single day.
seven > I'm slightly obsessed with eating potatoes. And by slightly I mean I eat them almost every single day in some form.
eight > I'm done doing things out of guilt and for the desire to people please.. If I don't feel like doing it, I'm not going to do it.
nine > Loving Tyler is an absolute honor and one of the biggest blessings God could've ever called me to. He is a treasure and gift from God to me.
ten > I've decided to leave gossip and running my mouth for the paparazzi & magazines. Seriously, this used to be a huge struggle and sin of mine. Over the last few years God has been convicting my heart deeply and I'm happy to report I no longer have any desire to participate in gossip.
eleven > I have developed the passion and love for drawing and being artistic. Much of my morning quiet times consist of drawing out Scripture. It is relaxing and therapeutic!
twelve > The golden buzzer on America's Got Talent makes me cry every single time. Watch this one & this one and then try telling me you don't cry too!
thirteen > Donuts will be HEALTHY in heaven. I'm not changing my mind about this one so don't even try!
fourteen > I am addicted to puzzles. I'm pretty sure I've done 10-12 in the last few weeks. That puzzle table Tyler bought me a few weeks ago is really getting its use!
fifteen > I'm SO thankful for God, His strength, & unending grace. I don't know how people live without Him.
sixteen > If I sleep until 7:30 I call that sleeping in. I just don't have the desire to sleep in late anymore. Mornings are my favorite for getting things done!
seventeen > I LOVE mowing the lawn.. sometimes I mow ours twice a week for fun. I know I'm a dork. But seriously.. there's something good about seeing a job accomplished. Wanna hire me?
eighteen > Grace. Grace. Grace. I need it. Other people need it. Jesus freely gives it to us, so I freely need to give it to other people.
nineteen > I like salmon, disguised with a little ketchup of course, but it's still salmon none the less. I'm not really a sea food girl so this is huge for me!
twenty > I can and know how to build a privacy fence. Tyler and I built ours a few weeks ago and it looks fantastic if I might add ;)
twenty-one > My morning quiet time is my absolute favorite time of the day. I'm a cranky hot mess without it.
twenty-two > I want Jesus to boldly shine through me and use me as a vessel for Him now more than I've ever wanted before.
twenty-three > It's okay to not enjoy cooking. If I'm being honest, not only do I not enjoy it, I can honestly say that I hate it. Now baking.. that's a whole other story. I could bake all day long.
twenty-four > I am a busy person and I desperately need to slow down and just BE. Life isn't all about just doing, but BEING.
twenty-five > I could watch Safe Haven or really any Nicholas Sparks movie and it would never get old.
twenty-six > God is deeply pleased and glorified when we pray and ask for miracles that are only possible through Him. I won't EVER stop praying for our miracles. Tyler's Grandpa spoke these words (over a different situation) and He will never know how impactful and meaningful they are to me.
I think as the years go by, God is increasing my wisdom and understanding of what matters most in life. I'm so thankful He has my heart.
And there you have it. Here's to year 27. The year I'm believing God for more and trusting Him for the impossible. If you made it all the way through my list, let me know and I'll send you some confetti through iMessage! For real, I will ;) I just love it and you THAT much.
