30 and Worthy :)

Mood Leading Up to My 30th

OK, I promise... I do understand that I've been an adult for at least the last 5 years, but THIRTY? What. The. Flip? My cutesie twenties are officially leaving the building, but I hear it gets better from here, and that's nice... I'll take it :) 

To commemorate the end of my roaring twenties, and begin my celebration to THIRTY, here are 30 lessons I've pulled from my last 10 sets of 365 days :) 

1. You don't have to be wrong to apologize first.
2. Save your money. You'll need it.
3. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich with milk makes a great breakfast. 

4. You won’t make it to work by 9:30 if you wake up at 9:07.



5. Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." -- Write your plans in pencil.. (or face a nervous breakdown :o ). JK:)


6. Travel. Take a road trip. Fly to an island. Sightsee. Bring your friends...they help take pictures; they're funny when they're not getting on your nerves.

7. Keep learning and keep sharing...be mentored and be a mentor.

8. You live once. Love hard. Say what you need to say. Withhold nothing.   
Be willing to have hard conversations or suffer the consequences of having ongoing, unnecessary, awkward exchanges for no reason at all. I've learned to pray for wisdom in guarding my heart and employing honesty as the best policy. I've learned to live for peace and resolution - whatever it takes to get there.  Pursue perfect love. Be enhanced by it. Be filled by it. Throw it around like confetti ;) Every honest conversation doesn't end with a pact for best friendship, but you can agree to disagree, and you can agree to move in whatever direction you both desire, peacefully.






9.Good humor is always in style. And by always, I mean, almost always...not everywhere, and not on every occasion : ) Keep icepacks on hand if you plan on telling jokes at the wrong time. #lessons

10.  Your daily routine can be interrupted sometimes. Make time for what matters.
 Enjoy your family and take care of yourself.These are the sacrifices worth making...

11. It is often said that hurt people, hurt people. Be an exception to the rule. Don't let cruelty change your kindness. Don't let hurt turn you into someone you're not. Never forfeit your right to keeping a forgiving heart. The cement walls that we erect due to past hurt help absolutely no one when it's time to tear them down... we lose tremendously when we live in fear of love. Guard your heart with wisdom.. do not guard it with pain.

12. Prepare for what you pray for! You can have an idea of where you'd like to end up, but if you're not preparing for it - don't hold your breath!

13. You cannot LIVE or make decisions for anyone. People have to learn their own lessons. Sometimes the hard way, sometimes never. Free yourself.

14. It's okay to say no...
 
15. On my husband and his whereabouts: God's what and when. God's who and where.. God's how and God's why... is so much better than my who, what, when, where, why and how....I do have to stop acting like I don't want to be bothered, though.

16. Be nice. We are all fighting battles and no one likes a meanie.... Except meanies... meanies like meanies.


 17. If Jesus died for the entire world, the issues of one man (or one woman) cannot intimidate Him. Your mistakes are your messages. Take heart.

18. Nothing outside of you can answer questions better than that still, small voice... I'm still learning this. 

19. Busy is fine when you're accomplishing something. Busy is fine when there's an end in sight. But busy isn't fine when you're getting nowhere fast. Busy isn't fine when you're NOT a taskmaster. Busy isn't fine when you no longer make or find the time to do what brings you joy, or what sustains you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Don't over-commit to a life of mayhem. You can't do it all, but you can do something, and you can do that something well. Get rest. Then produce.

20. Make a practice of being as kind to yourself as you are to others. Be gentle with yourself. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself second chances.

21. Books are friends. I can have as many as I want and I can bring them wherever I want. To cookouts, parties, family reunions. To weddings, graduations, and work. So can you.This is a free country.

22. Doubt your doubts. Believe your beliefs.

23. A day without prayer is risky business and a recipe for all things classified: no BUENO.
 
24. Sometimes there is no "closure" as we'd prefer, define or imagine, but open wounds do heal in time. Give life time.

25. Give it a go! You'll never know what's on the other side of a new journey until you take it. RISK it or REGRET it.  #thosearetherules...Our safety is in the goodness of God & His faithfulness to be with us always. Even in missteps - all is not lost.

 
26. Your true friends are revealed in the worst of times and the best of times. They're with you at every stop. They don't get off the bus once you morph into a better version of yourself. They don't get off the bus if you've somehow slid into the most horrible version of yourself.... They stay. They pray.. They cheer. They're there. And... the people who are closest to you say a great deal about who you are. Choose wisely!

27. Don't let hard times or the mishaps of life disqualify you from living the life you know you should be living.Your potential and purpose surpass any ditch that's taken you by surprise - even the ones that you've willingly walked into. God's grace is irrational. Head up. Keep walking.

28.  Promotion comes from the Lord & rejection really is redirection. One day we'll understand that all those prayers in the wrong direction were left "unanswered" because God had a better idea.You can trust His orchestration. You can trust His favor, His timing and His placement. With that being said, the Holy Spirit is really our compass, so if there is no peace where you're headed, it's best not to proceed. 

29.  There's no medication like laughter or the beauty & relief of God's presence. The best thing about time spent with Jesus is the reconditioning of a heart in need of Him.  JOY is LIFE.

30. I've learned to place my hope in God.. to continually, intentionally to make a practice of it, and not just trust Him in the way that I place all work in His hands, but to rightly understand that He is also waiting for me - for my faith in action. I've learned that He's given me all I need to start - to live, to thrive, but if another need rises up, He is still my source - He is still the well that won't run dry. I've learned He's full of surprises. He's got the plot twists and happy endings under control. He's got my instructions. And, I can seek as much knowledge as I can possibly contain, but if I have not sought Him in prayer, I'm missing a MAJOR ingredient... I've learned that He's got my strength on reserve... and that before I decide that I'm growing weary in well-doing, I've got to make sure what I'm doing is... well --  indeed what He'd like me to be doing. I've learned that He will always be God. He is not limited by my setbacks. I've learned to talk to Him - just like a best friend. Just like a Father who loves a call from His daughter... whose joy it is to come through. I've learned that letting Jesus reign in my living is not just about following the rules I know to follow, but being led by His spirit as well -  it's living from the excitement of paying attention to the little things He places in my heart, and then, well - trying courageous obedience for a change of pace. I am literally learning to  continually be mindful of the fact that my truest life is realized in Him.

So.. how do I really feel about 30? Apprehension has moved to embrace. I feel like a real adult... like I may know a little something now:) ...I feel like I'm just getting started - like this will be a great decade and I'm gonna win it. 

Have you crossed an "age" threshold lately?
How are you feeling about it?

Happy Birthday Shea Shea, Cray Cray.

As a birthday gift to myself - I get to lose one "cray" - the second should fall off by 40 ; )

Signing Off,

Shea Shea, Cray :)