Sunday, December 1, 2013

33 Ways to Really Live (Or "It's My Birthday")

"Calendars can con: there are really only as many days left as you actually really live.
                                                                       In the end, everyone ends up at the length of their lives 
— but only a few live the whole width of a life."  Ann Voskamp
33 Ways to Really Live, No Important Order:

33.  Choose a close family over a clean house as much as possible.
32.  Make friendship a priority, not a convenience.  
31.  Fight for your marriage, because you have an enemy fighting to destroy it.

30.  Never stop learning something new.
29.  Give your children yourself, not stuff.
28.  Allow your living room to have real life happen.  Invite people in, even when you may have to clear a spot on the couch.
27.  Don't let lack of a gourmet meal stop you from inviting friends over for lunch.
26.  Give away as much as you can; your time, your money, your stuff.  You can't keep it anyway.
25.  Memorize God's Word together as a family; you can remind each other of the Truth when lies come.
24.  Learn to forgive.  You'll find freedom in the forgiving, even when you can't forget.
23.  Be willing to say hard things; the world is waiting for someone to say them.  
22.  Be willing to hear hard things; we're all a little blind.
21.  Drive for miles to see friends, their love is worth $30 of gas that you would have spent on fast food at some point anyway.
20.  Die as much as possible, and be amazed at how Jesus lives through you then.

19.  Ask how someone's doing and stop to listen, prepared for the real answer.
18.  Treat everyone, from the pastor to your waiter, like Jesus gave His life for them.
17.  Say "thank you" as many times as you can every day.
16.  Look for burning bushes everywhere.
15.  Make your siblings your best friends, love them fiercely.
14.  Guard the time you spend with your family; let them know they are that important.
13.  Make memories, not obligations, not Pinterest pictures.
12.  Your house should be your home, not an investment for profit.
11.  Really be there, wherever you are, in that moment.  

10.  Always say "I love you" when you part with a loved one.
9.  Kiss your husband anytime you can.
8.  Memorize your children's faces.
7.  Learn what you can from everyone you meet.
6.  Celebrate the "little things."
5.  Run farther than your body thinks it can.
4.  Climb up on the top bunk to snuggle.
3.  Seek justice for those who have no voice or power.
2.  Love, even when it hurts.  Especially when it hurts.
1.  Remember that you are not the main character in your story.

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