31 Things

I just celebrated my 31st birthday a couple of days ago, and I was on the road driving to my brother's place to spend a couple of days, and I SO wanted to write a birthday post.  Sometimes I am overcome by the urge to just WRITE but I left my journal at home, and it has been a busy couple of days with family,  so writing had to wait. It's good too, because I thought of a format for this post in the meantime. A list of sorts to share a bit more about me and the things I have learned and experienced over my life. Maybe it is cheesy, maybe it is predictable, maybe no one give two poops about what I write, but I do what I want.

So here are 31 things.

1. Jesus is the real deal. It isn't enough to say I believe in God. Jesus really lived, really loved, and really lives again.  I know because I have seen Him work in my life and the life of people around me. The Holy Spirit moves and I have experienced Him and you can stop reading now if you want because I have just finished saying the most important thing I can say anyway.

2.  When I was a kid, I loved to eat sour cream and onion chips and bananas together. The. Best.

3. I am the middle kid and the only girl in my family. So it kinda worked out. I have the middle kid sarcasm and fight, but I also got my own room quicker.

4. I have learned things are not black and white. I used to hold people to a very high standard (especially young people I mentored) but I did it without grace. I still hold the high standard, but I understand now that I don't reach it either, and we need to cut some slack sometimes. Grace is Devine.

5.  I really am not interested in professional sports. I feel like it is a huge waste of resources. And sports talk radio makes me want to gouge out my eyes.

6. Plants are way cool.

7. I often feel guilty about what I am not doing. I have been given so much and I am so blessed, but I am not using my time, talents and resources to their full capacity and I have guilt about it.

8. I am an android user but am seriously considering going iPhone next time my contract comes up.

9. If you are a woman, I strongly believe you should read Captivating by John and Staci Eldridge. And if your a dude, Wild at Heart by John Eldridge.

10. I love to fish. I haven't really done it since high school, and most of my success was sheer luck, but I'm hoping to take it up again soon and actually learn more about it.

11. You are not in control.

12. It's ok.

13. What is real social justice? I struggle with this idea and the practice of it. I am passionate about it but it is so easy to mess up. (Yet also so easy to do right.)

14. I am an attachment parenter. At least I swing that direction on the pendulum. And I am not sorry about it. My gut tells me it is right for me and my kiddo(s) so that is how I do.

15. I used to be drawn in by the "show." Now it makes me wary.

16. Brain research. Do some.

17. I used to want to be a doctor. Maybe a pediatric surgeon. But in high school I decided I wasn't smart enough and l didn't pursue it.

18. I never thought of myself as creative, since most of my drawing looks like it was done by a skilled 8 year old, but I have found my creativity comes out in more tactile exploits like gardening and knitting and pottery.

19. Baby buns are the cutest thing on the face of the Earth.

20. Once my dad gave me a thumbs up.

21. Honey mustard.

22. The only thing I am anal about is sweeping and mopping the floor.  Not about how often it happens, but that it is done in a certain fashion.

23. I find the vast amount of hair I lose on a daily basis disconcerting.

24. I am unorganized, late and I make last minute plans. It doesn't mean I don't care.

25. I want to travel everywhere. I hope one day we can live abroad for a year as a family.

26. I find there is nothing so magnetic and enlivening as natural light, weather it is from the sun, moon or stars, I want it pouring through my windows or I want to be in it, soaking it up.

27. Once, when I was a teen, my "pseudo family," who have given me so much in my life, needed me to babysit when the mom got viral meningitis. I had also been invited to go round up cows with my neighbour the same weekend and his hot grandson was going to be there, so I talked myself into believing I was just protecting myself from infection and didn't go babysit. I have regretted this selfish decision ever since, but I never apologized to them for it. I am still meaning to.

28. Just do the right thing.

29. Amaretto is my favorite liqueur.

30. When you compromise on your central guiding principles, you cheapen them to the point of appearing worthless.

31. My husband deserves more credit, praise and affirmation than I give him. He really does his best for me and our family and I just want to acknowledge his hard work, care and presence.  Thank-you.