Life Lessons

As I am anticipating my 45th year on this earth, I am reflecting on some of the things I have learned about faith, love and myself. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few of life's lessons.

1. God cares about the details of my life.
2. God hears me.
3. God is always there for me.
4. God is sometimes hard to find, but can always be located.
5. God is faithful.
6. His Word is true.
7. God has given me a measure of faith and it is my responsibility to grow it.
8. When my faith is lacking, God understands and can help me believe.
9. God gives me the ability to do what He has called me to do. But I don't always feel it.
10. He loves me better than anyone could love me.
11. He cares about my desires and needs and it is his joy to fulfill them.
12. I am created by Him and was made for Him.
11. There are things about life I just don't understand...and that's ok.
12. When I don't understand, God doesn't hold that against me.
13. When no one else understands me, God does.
14. A number of the desires I have were placed in me by God.
15. He is patient with me.
16. There are times I just do not know what to do. And there are times I know, but just don't do it.
17. I will stand before God and give an account for how I have loved the people He has placed in my life.
18. Love has nothing to do with what I want and need, but how I can love and serve regardless.
19. You cannot force people to love you.
20. A vow should be kept without excuse, but it doesn't always happen that way.
21. Change is a choice and as someone once told me: "People will do jolly well what they want to do."
22. The longer I live with my wife, the more I just want to be near her.
23. I can do, for the most part, what I set my mind to do.
24. Children are a heritage of The Lord...and can make you laugh and cry.
25. I have remembered the words spoken to me by my parents and others, both the positive and negative, and they have impacted me.
26. I can trust all my hopes and dreams to the care of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
27. Some of my dreams will come true.
28. The question "why?" does not offend God.
29. The answer to the question why has never satisfied me.
30. I am more concerned with what God thinks of me than what other people think of me.
31. I am more interested in what God's plans are for me than what I have planned for myself.
32. I am learning more and more to listen to that still, small voice inside of me that gives me instructions.
33. I know that God has great plans for me.
34. I know that God believes in me.
35. I know that Jesus is interceding for me.
36. There are days that I look at how far I have come in life, and there are days that the road ahead seems endless.
37. I am very task oriented.
38. I am pretty comfortable in my own skin.
39. My love language is physical touch and words of affirmation. When thriving in this area I feel a deep sense of motivation, joy and a desire to do more.
40. I never remember a day growing up at home, that I wasn't hugged, kissed and told that I was loved by my parents. That has had a profound impact on who I am.
41. My parents really did love me and were right more than I gave them credit for.
42. I am highly organized person when I am working. Everything has a place.
43. There have been monumental moments in my life that have forever changed me: the day I was saved, the day I was called to ministry, my wedding day, the births of each of my children, and the day my dad was promoted to heaven.
44. Faithfulness is key in serving wherever you are.
45. A positive attitude is necessary when facing adversity.

Looking forward to what God has in store!
Stan