32 Life Lessons

1. Give love a chance, you just never know.
2. My mother taught me to always wear matching underwear. Yellow panties do not belong with pink bras. No ma'am.
3. Talk to God about everything, he already knows.
4. Don't come before God with a bag of sins and ask for blanket forgiveness. Go through them like dirty laundry, sort them out and pray specifically about each sin. I learned that from my pastor, Dr. Tony Evans.
5. Don't go to a party or someone's celebration empty handed.
6. Read as many books as you can.
7. Be interesting.
8. Understand that you have something to offer to the world that no one else has or ever will.
9. Seize every opportunity. Even if it doesn't work out you at least know you tried.
10. Give alms to those who are less fortunate. What they do with the money is none of your business.
11. You reap what you sow. This is a painful lesson because I have not always sown the right seeds.
12. There is truly no such thing as being overdressed. I can't help it if I'm in heels and everyone else chose to come in flats.
13. Study the Bible. There is no substitute for the sword of the Spirit. I keep finding gems in the scripture every time I open up my Bible.
14. Be kind to little children, there is no excuse for being mean to them.
15. Respect your parents and listen to them. They want what's best for you ultimately.
16. Turn away from "SALE" signs often.
17. Spending money one does not have is often a terrible idea. Credit card debt is no joke, especially if it's bad debt. There's good debt too; educational loans.
18. Invest in yourself.
19. Learn new things and keep pushing yourself.
20. Take care of your teeth. Brush at least twice a day. You don't get another set of teeth past a certain age.
21. Do the right thing.
22. Try to see the best in others. Believe that their intentions are right unless they give you good reason not to.
23. I'm learning to not be as sensitive and to give people the benefit of the doubt, make allowances for their faults and make excuses for them in love.
24. Failure is almost inevitable. It is bound to happen as long as you make an attempt to live. Failure in itself does not sound the death knell, but rather our response to it.
25. Do not let anyone speak words over your life that you do not agree with. It might sound like fun and games but don't smile at every ill word spoken. Rebuke the speaker and reject their words.
26. Be kind to yourself. I'm learning this everyday. If a friend said the things I sometimes say to myself, would I still be friends with them?
27. Do not judge every book by its cover. But sometimes do, your instincts might be right.
28. Tithe
29. Do not compare yourself to others. Everyone's path is different and everyone's journey is unique. Trust that God is sovereign and made you whom you are and gave you what you have for a reason.
30. Do not be afraid to challenge the status quo or fight the system. Rosa Parks knows a thing or two about that.
31. One person can indeed change the world for good or evil. Look at Hitler.
32. Do not wallow in self pity and don't be overly angry. Lost moments can never be regained, once time goes by, there's no reclaiming it.

These are the reflections of a 32 year old lady, who just had a very happy birthday. Some lessons are profound and some are mundane. But she has learned them along her journey that has been filled with challenges but been so sweet and graced with abundant love.