Thirty-nine Things I've Learned in Thirty-nine Years

1. God really is faithful.


2. Life definitely isn’t fair.


3. Even though friends let you down, it’s still worth the risk to trust them.


4. Boys really are different than girls.


5. No one loves you like your mom and dad.


6. A five-year-old, left alone for five minutes, can make a mess that will take five days to clean up.


7. The house never does stay clean.


8. Credit card debt increases faster than it decreases.


9. The only way to make progress on a project is to start working on it.


10. Girlfriends are more desirable than deserts! They make life sweet, but don’t make you fat.


11. Things change. They might not always get better, but they rarely stay the same.


12. Doing something God’s way the first time is much easier than trying to clean up the mess.


13. Some things never stop hurting.


14. The things that seem to demand my time are rarely worth spending it on.


15. You can learn a lot about God by having kids.


16. What you watch, listen to, and read, and who you talk to, actually shape who you are and what you believe.


17. Children draw their energy from their parents, and leave their parents exhausted.


18. Things usually cost me twice the expense I imagine they will, and offer half the return.


19. Quiet time with the Lord in the morning really does make a difference in my day.


20. Watching your son becoming a man is an adventure.


21. GET AN ESTIMATE!


22. After you get an estimate, GET ADVICE!


23. Life really isn’t about me.


24. You never have to completely grow up if you surround yourself with kids.


25. Don’t trust what you hear in the news, on TV, or in a movie.


26. Gossip actually hurts everyone, not just the person being talked about.


27. It is possible to deeply love someone without them ever knowing.


28. Giving is a whole lot more fun that receiving.


29. A lifetime warranty isn’t a guarantee that something won’t break.


30. Everybody needs late night friends, but for a night-owl, they are a necessity.


31. Sometimes you have to do what doesn’t make sense.


32. Plans, schedules, and budgets are tools. Not everyone uses every tool for every job, but it’s nice to have them when you need them.


33. When I’m feeling down, I usually need to look up.


34. God’s surprises are always better than my plans.


35. God loves to hear me talk to Him. God even loves for me to ask Him where the watch I lost is (or the keys . . . or the remote . . . or my wallet . . .).


36. There is no such thing as too many books.


37. We can give up and endure a lot more than we think we can


38. Solomon was right. There is nothing new under the sun.


39. Music is essential in life. It soothes the savage beast . . . including my kids!