It’s funny how time passes so quickly.

Actually it’s not funny at all, I don’t know why people say that.

On Monday I turn 27. That sounds so weird. It’s like the last 6 years have all ran together and I am at that strange age of having to really think about if I’m 22 or 25 or 27. They all kind of feel the same.

In my short 27 years of life, I have learned a few things and I am trying to learn something new everyday. I say to my husband a lot, “Guess what I learned today!” Most of the time its things we laugh about. Sometimes its everyday things like learning to double check to make sure all the van doors have been closed before walking away, common sense things like knowing how to tell which side your gas tank is on, or that you cant leave clothes in the washer all night without having to re wash them in the morning. Other days its big lesson moments I will never forget.

So without further ado, here are some of my 27 lessons I’ve learned (in no particular order) in my short 27 years of life:

1 –  Slow down. In a world of rush and busyness, slow down to watch and to breathe. Take in the small moments for they are the most important.

2 – Ask lots of questions. Ask why, and don’t be afraid to ask until you understand. Be curious about things.

3 – Skiing is not for me. It is not fun. It is scary. I never want to do that again.

4 – When you don’t want to pray or read your bible, that is when you need to the most. So do it.

5 – Do what you love. Do what inspires you, and sparks that fire inside of you. Don’t wait for the perfect time because it won’t come. God put dreams in your heart for a reason. Make a plan and start at step 1. It’s not too late.

6 – Stand on the Word of God. Doing what is pleasing in God’s sight is far more important and (better) than pleasing people.

7 – You are not responsible for someone else’s choices. People make mistakes and it is not your fault or your job to fix it.

8 – God WILL provide for those who love Him and He IS always faithful. Again & again God has showed up and He will again. He is always good; even when our circumstances are not.

9 – Happy kids are more important than a clean house. This one has been so hard to learn. Big belly laughs coming from the messy play room with sticky handprints on the windows somehow seems to all balance out.

10 – Coffee is magnificent and needed to make it through a day of adulting. As is time with the Lord every morning. I love a good cup of coffee in a mug with my bible first thing in the morning. It warms and fills my soul.

11 – Forgive.  Life is too short to not make things right. Don’t wait to fix things and say what you need to say.

12 – I love farm life. I am a farm girl at heart. I love cows and baby cows and the smell of cows.

13 – The simpler the better. 

14 – Laundry is never ending. It will always be there as long as we have to wear clothes. I’m not failing at life because I looked for clothes out of laundry baskets today. It’s A-okay.

15 – Getting groceries delivered is the best thing ever invented. Use it, the delivery fee is worth it. I love my grocery delivery people. I want to hug them every time for taking such a big job off my hands.

16 – Let people help. I can’t do it all. I don’t want to do it all. Ask for help when you need it.

17 – Eat the chocolate. 7 AM or 12 AM it doesn’t matter.

18 – Be real with people & about what your going through. When you love people right where they are & your honest about what your going through it opens conversations and doors to build relationships and friendships with people who may have never talked about what their dealing with. You can help each other.

19 – How to change the oil in my car. How to shoot a gun, how to change a tire, how to get stains out of little human shirts,  how to stack Kohls coupons to get the best deal, ya know, all the necessities.

20 – Keep a journal. The keepsake boxes are also worth the time. Take pictures. Print the pictures. Write in journals about your kids, about your struggles and the things that make you laugh. Your family will one day cherish your words and your honesty about life, love, and grief.

21 – Makeup covers up more than just blemishes. I’ve learned to feel more confident and beautiful without it than I ever did with it by knowing WHOSE I am. (Psalm 139:14)

22 – Be thankful. Look for things to be thankful for. Write them down and even when its hard, find something to thank God for. A grateful heart is a loving heart.

23 –Wear your heart on your sleeve, no one ever complained they were loved too much or too well. You won’t regret that.

24 – Not everything has to be planned. Some of my greatest days with people I love have been unplanned with unexpected adventures along the way, with no care of the time.

25 – Some people are just unreliable. Some people do not know what a boundary is. Take note, be cautious, and move on.

26- You don’t know everything. You never will, so be teachable and listen when someone is speaking.

27 – Pray pray pray your way through everything & then pray some more.