31 Lessons I've Learned...on the Eve of My 31st Birthday

1. Color using up and down strokes, and if you go outside the lines, make it look like it was on purpose. 
2. Saying “I’m Sorry” is harder than saying “I’m right” but it means a lot more.
3. Trees, like grass and flowers and everything lively, need water and sunlight and someone who’s willing to get in there and prune.
4. People need pruning too.
5. Pictures are worth a thousand words...but don’t miss the memory in order to get the shot.
6. Chocolate milk tastes better than white milk, but if your kindergarten teacher makes you drink white milk, don’t throw up on her shoes.
7. In general, don’t throw up on anyone’s shoes.
8. A parent’s love supersedes that of any other...EVER.
9. Avoid raw meat, mean people, and traffic jams at all costs. Meat should be cooked; people should be kind; and the view on the way around is often worth the extra 30 minutes.
10. Time, like money, is spent. Unlike money, time can’t be earned again, so spend it wisely.
11. It’s ok to sleep with a blanket...even if you’re 31 and married.
12. Don’t cry in gym class. When all else fails, dress out, smile, and pretend like you meant to get hit in dodgeball.
13. Never...NEVER...try out for a talent show with a baton act. Even if you’re good at baton twirling.
14. If adding fruit to ice cream, it feels like a healthy choice.
15. Swing, slide, and get messy in the sandbox. Eventually, the swings dig into your hips, your bottom sticks on the slide, and you’re in the sandbox thinking about how dirty the shower will get.
16. High heels complete any outfit. Unless you’re a man.
17. Crisco sticks make the best chocolate chip cookies. Follow the recipe on the box, and the cookies will stay soft for days (if they last that long).
18. Everyone’s behavior makes sense if given enough information. 
19. Reading teaches without a lecture, inspires without effort, and seamlessly provides conversation topics with a large variety of people.
20. When you find someone you love, brave the deep waters, and love them with abandon. 
21. Always be working towards something.
22. Use your manners. Please and thank you are never overrated. 
23. Do everything with excellence. Even if unnoticed by others, you’ll sleep better at night knowing you gave it everything you’ve got.
24. For every negative thing you want to say, think of a positive instead. 
25. Look for God in everyday experiences. The Creator of the Universe has written your story with the ink of eternity...not one detail shows up accidently.
26. Sing in the shower, and tell yourself that no one can hear how bad it is over the sound of the water.
27. When looking at a patch of green grass in the middle of a bunch of dirt, stop what you’re doing, take your shoes and socks off, step over and wiggle your toes. 
28. Likewise when you meet a kindred spirit amongst otherwise difficult people, stop what you’re doing, and ask them about their story.
29. Don’t make anyone else responsible for making you happy.
30. A good marriage is not give and take, it’s give and give. 
31. “Charm can mislead, and beauty fades...The woman to be admired is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.” Proverbs 31:30 (The Message)