26 Things I've learned by Age 26. (but not exactly in this order.)

I've been blessed by many incredible people and experiences in my life, and I've been given some amazing gifts. I've learned and grown tons and learned so much through out my life - especially these last 5 years. Just a bit of documentation of what I've learned. :)

26 Things I've learned by Age 26 (but not exactly in this order.)

I've learned that..... 

1. Mr Beaver was right - Aslan is not a tame Lion. But He's good, and trustworthy.
2. growing up with two big brothers on a farm makes you pretty shock-proof. So does spending a significant amount of time with people under the age of 18 and over the age of 70. But still, by this point you haven't seen and heard it all. Just a lot of it. 
3. true friends are the ones that you can go a while without much communication with, but when you do catch up, you just pick up from where you left off. These are the same friends who would drop everything to celebrate or cry with you when life happens. Those are the true friends. I know some people would suggest that the real friends are the ones you keep in touch with regularly and see frequently. I've found value and need for both in my life.
4. "God will never give you more than you can handle." is true, right? I would emphatically argue false! Often, God will absolutely give you more than you can handle. But it's never more than HE can empower you to handle. You will be pushed past your limits, your heart will break, you will feel helpless and maybe even hopeless sometimes. And that's okay because none of those things are ever true of Him. He is the healer of the broken, uplifter of the weary and the source of hope and help. He is always at work. And it's all about HIM. ALL of it. ALL. OF. The. TIME.
5. ....after you've had your good cry with The Lord about your overwhelming life - chocolate, hot drinks and showers and a sweet dog are great expeditors in further recovery. 
6. if you need even more time for recovery: you're never too old to enjoy Disney and Pixar movies. (You're welcome to disagree, just please understand that this would mean we can no longer remain on speaking terms. A girl's gotta have her standards.)
7. life is not an emergency. Calm. DOWN, Oh, Dramatic One. (See, I'm talking to myself there. It's a sign of intelligence. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself.)
8. the World is the best classroom, breaking comfort zones is the best professor, and new places the best text book. I highly doubt it's possible to overestimate the value of the rich experience of traveling.  
9. Driver's Ed is a life-saver!
10. trying to haggle in a Turkish rug shop unsupervised is a dumb, dumb, dumb (and expensive!) idea. They saw me coming a mile away. Just, don't...
11. pumping your own gas is an important life skill. How many blonde Oregonian girls does it take to figure out how to pump their own gas? Just one. But you might need to give her about 45 minutes to figure out why the heck the tank isn't filling up. Right. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you pressed the "Regular" button, but that hose you're trying to use only pumps diesel....? There really should be a sign...Oh. Wait, there it --- I quit. Just when I thought I had it figured out too....
12. public transportation isn't as daunting as it can seem! Be adventurous.
13. doing things at your own pace, and taking life one step, one season and assignment at a time is totally okay! (Assuming God is setting your pace!) Or you know, you could also compare yourself to others. Just like you could stab yourself in the eye with a dull pencil. But why would you do that to yourself?!?
14. a great pair of boots, snazzy scarf and fun earrings can make any outfit.
15. less really is more, and simplicity is the height of elegance.
16. God can handle - no He invites - the raw, honest, unpolished version of you.
17. kids laugh a lot. Laughter is contagious, and it's good medicine. By that logic kids are good medicine.
18. fresh air and circulating the blood is sometimes all it takes.
19. hugs are the best. Sometimes our hugs say things when our words can't.
20. miracles happen every day. Keep your eyes open. 
21. a confidant smile, handshake and looking people in the eye is an important life skill.
22. somebody will always have it tougher and somebody will always have it easier than you. Which means you have no right to complain or brag and every reason to be thankful. It's all about perspective.
23. good is the arch enemy of The Best. Don't get distracted. Don't settle.  
24. a thankful heart changes everything. So does a prayerful heart. The two are married.
25. prioritizing is an all-important life skill that translates to every aspect of your life. An equally important one is living within those priorities.
26. laughing is important. Especially at youreself. Don't take youreself too seriously. Humility is attractive. Besides, none of us are the hot snot we'd like to think we are anyways. (Especially when you're trying to drive a hard bargain with Turkish con-artists or pumping gas.....)