The last few years, I’ve spent some time summarizing the lessons I learned over the course of the year. Of course, these 10 things are an inadequate representation of all of the year’s experiences, and lessons like “My landlord is morbidly afraid of bats so when a bat gets in my apartment one night, he will not be much help” do not always make the cut! Nevertheless, I make the attempt more out of a desire to be able to look back and remember how I felt and what I thought in the years that have passed.

Here’s my 10 for 2019: 

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1. Feeling lonely does not mean I’m not liked by others or am unlovable.

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2. Sharing is not the same as vulnerability.

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3. I need to take more time than I think I need to take before making a major choice.

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4. When people say something kind or encouraging to me, I can believe them.

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5. At least once a week, run without a friend, music, or a podcast – the limited distractions bring about some of my best times with the Lord.

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6. Buying a grill is a great idea.

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7. Asking for help, crying in front of other people, and feeling intense emotions are not things to be embarrassed about.

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8. Hurry is easy. Silence is hard. Healing comes when I press against my tendencies to hurry and press into the practice of silence.

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9. Technology and social media has its proper place, but it’s healthiest for me when I demote its rank.

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10. Just because something didn’t work out how I hoped does not mean it was a mistake.

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Thanks for following along with me this year as I shared my thoughts and stories on this little corner of the internet. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ❤️