Fun Post: 20 Thoughts On Turning 20

As some of you know, I turned 20 on October 4th. As an ancient person now, I have some thoughts for all you young'uns. ;P (I am totally joking...my dear great-grandma, who is 96, always says, "I will do _______ when I grow up." That's how I want to be at 96. :) Anyway, I don't have it all together in any way, shape, or form, but I was pondering some things yesterday, and thought I would share them. If only to get them written out for my brain's benefit. ;) Hope you enjoy!

1. Your relationship with the Lord isn't going to suddenly get better as you get older. You have to work on it. You can't just coast along, reading His Word once in a while, and praying at mealtimes and expect to have a close relationship.

2. You have to treasure every day, not just the "special" ones. Though I always love my birthday, I was thinking about how I need to love every day for the blessing that it truly is!

3. You need the advice of those older than you, now more than ever. This process of growing doesn't end until you're with The Lord! Those who have spent their years in growing closer to God truly do have wisdom that you don't yet. 

4. You are not old. ;P There are a lot of people who would give anything to go back and start at their 20th birthday again. Right now is the perfect age! Just as 30 will be the perfect age then! And 40 after that! :) Make the most of the opportunities you have during your current stage of life.

5. Don't be a stick in the mud. Go on adventures!! Be spontaneous once in a while! For goodness' sakes, do something you'll remember for the rest of your life. :)

6. Tell others about Christ. And if you already are doing this, do it more. It will never be a waste. 

7. Drink more water. While I very often fail to take this advice, please do it because it's really important. ;) 

8. Learning new things is awesome! I think sometimes I forget that even though I'm out of school now, I need to be constantly learning new things, preparing myself for whatever God brings into my life. From life skills to being patient with siblings, it is good to have a thirst for knowledge!

9. Don't take anything for granted. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...Don't take anything for granted.

10. I AM NO LONGER A TEEN?!?! What in the world...I no longer have "-teen" at the end of my age? It feels so weird to be 20, I dunno guys... ;P

11. Save! Don't squander your money!! Looking back, I am realizing that if I had been a bit more frugal with my money, and put more away, I would have a lot bigger nest egg than I do right now. It's always good to be prepared for whatever may come along! 

12. I am learning to not sweat the small stuff. I'm LEARNING. ;) But seriously, loosen up a little. If it won't matter a year from now, it's not a biggie.

13. Life is too short to drink bad coffee, watch bad movies, or read bad books.

14. Life is also too short to hold grudges. Let it go.

15. Learn to acknowledge those who are usually overlooked. Smile and say hello to the janitor. Look into that homeless woman's eyes instead of looking through her. Show the love of Christ.

16. Smile!!

17. Be confident. Act in a way that is pleasing to The Lord, and be who He made you to be! Hold your head high (but never your nose). You are valuable and loved by God! Lift up others who struggle with trying to change to meet others' expectations. Let them know who they can be through Christ.

18. Give generously. Of your time, your money, your talents; just give. And if you get hurt, keep giving. Your reward is yet to come!

19. Save everything that you can for your future spouse. :) Don't give away anything that you would be disappointed to learn your future husband had given away. It will be worth it!

20. Pray. Everywhere you go, any time of day, talk to God in your heart. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)

There you have it! Random advice that I've learned in my two decades of life. :) Most that I am still working on. 

Funny story: yesterday I was at work, and a patron came in who comes nearly every day. His name is Jonathan, and he is such a sweet guy with a ready smile and laugh. Jonathan has a developmental problem, so he is simple but so so kind, and I love seeing him come in and chatting with him. Jonathan is absolutely amazing at remembering names...if he meets someone one time, he will remember them and their name forever! Anyway, yesterday he came with a young man who is a friend of his (and works at the home where Jonathan lives), and as they were checking out, Jonathan mentioned that someone he knew had a birthday that day. I told him that I had just had a birthday on Tuesday, and asked him to guess how old I was. His friend laughed and said, "That's a dangerous trap!" ;) Anyway, Jonathan guessed 30, and then hesitatingly went down to 25. Oh, dear. Do I look that old?! :P Haha!! Anyway, when I told him I was 20 now, he congratulated me and said happy birthday, etc. His friend, though, was totally blown away! I asked how old he had thought I was, and after I had promised that I wouldn't be offended, he said, "I legitimately thought you were 25 or 26. You are just very mature, I guess." As promised, I was not offended, but I thought that was so funny! ;)

Anyway, I've rambled long enough here...I hope you all are having as gorgeous an autumn as I am! If you need some incredible music this week, listen to Dan Forrest's Jubilate Deo. I think I'm in love. You can read in the description of the video what the different movements mean and everything...basically it's Psalm 100 in 7 or 8 different languages and music styles, representing the whole earth praising The Lord. It's too beautiful...I don't think I could even take going to a concert of it live (though that is now a dream of mine), I think I would probably go into cardiac arrest from the sheer incredibleness of this piece of music. :) If you want to hear my favorite movement, you can find it here. So much amazing. I hope you all have a lovely week!
Mykaela