Birthday + Brunch + Knowledge

This past Sunday was my birthday!

You know, I am getting older!!! I can hardly believe that I have been wandering around on this terrestrial plane for two whole massive decades!

Here are a couple of things that I have been learning.

1) Well, I am twenty. But I totally thought I would have my life together by now. Like, for sure, by twenty I would have life all figured out!?? Turns out, the more you know, the more you know you don't know!

2) Coffee is amazing.

3) Chocolate is also amazing.

4) You can never have too much tea on hand. I have an obscene amount of tea on my tea shelf. And I can justify each and every tea bag. and loose leaf that I possess.

5) Unexpected kindness is my favorite. It is so much better when it is unexpected!!

6) God moves and speaks to us in different ways in our various seasons... Not hearing from God in one particular way doesn't mean He is not involved in the happenings of your life at those points.

7) There is always something beautiful in life. Just look around. Or just breathe, and let the wonder of human breath that flows into your lungs and supplies your heart with life-giving oxygen that circulates throughout your body amaze you. Sorry I just nerded out on you. I love the circulatory system...

8) Going out to brunch is my favorite meal to treat myself to. With a good friend. Quality company and some scrambled eggs or seasonally blissful pumpkin pecan waffels... Oh yes please! The picture above is from my latest brunch adventure... I went with the scrambled eggs of glory. They were... quite glorious!

9) Prayer is amazing. It reels us back into a place of peace and assurance of our God. It is a perspective shifter and a heart changer. We can hardly align ourselves with God's will without soaking ourselves in God's presence (and prayer is an effective way to do that!).

10) You know what? Everybody has pain. Everyone has a story. Give grace freely and stop to hear what people have to say. Don't listen with your own agendas, but genuinely hear them with ears that will dole out grace and mercy and hold them in prayer because God can do what man cannot do.

11) I often don't get things perfectly right the first time around in life. I used to think we only had one shot at life- but I am learning that it doesn't mean we have to get things right the first time around. Of course, I am not saying to just blaze through life without trying- rather, be patient as you learn from your mistakes. Consult wise counsel and apply wisdom from the Word of God and that of those that are wiser and older (as long as their advice lines up with God's Word as well!). Be a diligent student of life. Don't give up on yourself, but be humble and willing to dust yourself off and try again over and over. You'll get there when you get there.

12) Following Christ is a destination, but it is also a direction. When we fall or get distracted or discouraged, the important thing is that we reset our direction towards the cross. Getting things wrong is not a complete waste because there are lessons in our human imperfection. They can show us how much we need Christ. And we get stronger when we continuously pick ourselves up and look back up at Calvary, deciding once again that yes, I will follow you Jesus.

Cheers to picking ourselves up.
Cheers to following Jesus, choosing Him again and again.


In Christ,
Melissa