24 Life Lessons by Age 24

As my 24th birthday came and went this past weekend, I spent some time thinking about some of the things I've learned over the past twenty-four years - things that I think would be useful for my nieces and nephews to learn before they get to be twenty four.  :)  Some of these things I learned from other people, but a lot of them I learned from my own experiences . . . often through my own mistakes.

However, a word of disclaimer:  I do not claim to have learned these lessons perfectly or completely.  I am still very much a work in progress!  This is simply a collection of good ideas and advice that I give to myself on a regular basis, and I have decided to share them with you!

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1.  Do what you say you'll do  If you want to be respected and known as a dependable and trustworthy person, follow through on your commitments.  This includes showing up where you say you'll be (on time!) and following through with what you've promised to do.

2.  Pray about everything.  All the time.  This is probably the #1 biggest thing that has changed my life in the past year.  Continual, ongoing conversation with Jesus brings so much joy, peace, grace, and wisdom to my life!

3.  Don't make decisions out of fear or exhaustion.  Everything looks radically different after a solid night of sleep, so don't make any major life decisions before you catch some zzz's!  In addition, learn to recognize how fear presents itself in your life, and resolve to make decisions based on the truth of God's Word, NOT on fear!

4.  Never pass up an opportunity to dance.

5.  When talking and/or listening to someone, do your best to give that person your full, undivided attention.  This applies to conversations both on the phone and in person.  Don't make the person feel unimportant by texting, interrupting, or having side conversations.

6.  Learn to drive a stick shift; you'll never regret learning this important skill!  If you're a girl, knowing how to drive a stick makes you feel super BA, and if you're a guy, it's a requirement in order to maintain possession of your Man Card.

7.  Read more books.  Watch less TV.

8.  Write letters.  I'm talking real pen-and-paper-letters here.  Postcards or notecards work too, just as long as its handwritten and in an envelope.  In our age of Facebook and texting, letter writing can seem like a dying art, but it can honestly do so much to brighten someone's day.  Plus they're really fun to receive too.  :)

9.  Be thankful for the big things, the small things, and everything in between.  Even when it's hard, find joy in all the details of life.

10.  Smile at strangers when you're walking down the street.

11.  Share your lunch with a homeless person.

12.  Stick with your sports team in the good years AND the "building" years.  Wins will be that much sweeter when you've been a faithful fan through the drought.

13.  Even if you're an extravert, intentionally schedule time to spend alone.  You need it, and God likes to speak to us in the stillness and the quiet.  

14.  Don't be mean.  I realize this is rather broad, but just don't do it.  Look for ways to give people the benefit of the doubt.

15.  Don't believe the Les Schwab guys when they tell you that your car will probably disintegrate into a thousand pieces on your way home.  They are usually exaggerating.  Drive your car home and ask your dad or your brother for a second opinion.

16.  Learn to say no.  Not just to drugs, but to good things as well.  You are not superman; you cannot be involved in every good thing that crosses your path.  Choose carefully which things you commit yourself to, and strive to give your very best to those things.

17.  Discover the love languages of the people closest to you and learn to speak their language fluently.

18.  You'll never outgrow taking naps.

19.  Keep your checkbook balanced.  Always know how much money you have, and don't spend more than that amount.  Period.

20.  When going on a road trip, pick your driving buddy(s) carefully.  The people you're with can make or break a road trip.  

21.  Take a chance.  Go somewhere you've never been.  Say hi to someone you've never met.  Try something you've never done.

22.  Don't be a party pooper.  Find the joy and the fun in every situation.

23.  Learn to cook.  You don't have to be a five star chef, but know how to follow a recipe, learn how to make the basics, (spaghetti, hamburgers, and chocolate chip cookies) and you'll never starve.

24.  Your relationship with Jesus is THE MOST IMPORTANT relationship in your life.  Spend lots of time intentionally working on and investing in that relationship, just like you would in an important human relationship.  

12 Highlights of 2012

1.  For my 23rd birthday in January, Alise took me to the Trailblazers vs. Lakers NBA game in Portland.  I love basketball, I love spending time with my best friend, and I love that she got me PRINTED TICKETS so that I could save them forever.  She knows me really, really well.

2.  On Super Bowl Sunday, I went to a party hosted by a family from my church.  I wound up spending the whole time talking to a girl named Rochelle whom I had met briefly in Sunday School a few weeks prior, and a precious friendship was born.  Rochelle has literally been an answer to prayer in my life, and God has used her in so many ways to challenge me to love Him more.  I am excited for many more crazy adventures and years of friendship with her!

3.  In February, I traveled to sunny Southern California for a long weekend with Alise.  I was her "date" to the Army ROTC military ball, and we explored all the cool touristy sites around LA.  Love her.

4.  Twas the year of weddings for me, and I spent a large majority of my summer weekends traveling up and down I-5 celebrating with friends.  What can I say?  I love love!

5.  In July, I had the honor of spending a week at Kids Camp as the adult advisor for a cabin of 6th grade girls, and at the end of the week, I got to watch my (not-so) baby niece participate in her 6th grade graduation ceremony and move into the youth group.  There may or may not have been a tear or two shed.

6.  A few weeks later, I got to go back to Youth Camp as a counselor for the first time in three years!  It was a great week with a very energetic cabin of young ladies, and we had a blast.  Go purple team!

7.  In August, a few friends and I embarked on an epic camping/roadtrip that wound up taking us around the entire Olympic Penninsula, sleeping on random public beaches and at sketchy campgrounds.  It was a weekend of memories for sure!

8.  In September, I began leading a small group of 20-something young women.  These ladies have been such a blessing in my life, and I absolutely love having the opportunity to spend time with them, learning to love Jesus and laughing a LOT.

9.  It was a football-filled fall, and I made a few trips up to the beautiful Century Link Stadium in Seattle (home of my Seahawks!) to watch some UW Huskies games with my dear friend Jill.  Disclaimer:  I am still a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, but Jill has season tickets to the Huskies, I love Jill, I love football, and I love The Clink, so it was a logical outing.

10.  In December, I made personal history by running my first 5K race.  Christina and Rochelle braved the cold with me and I finished in 33:28.  Not exactly the speed of light, I know, but you've gotta start somewhere!

11.  As a former ballerina, watching a well-done ballet performance thrills me to my core.  Just before Christmas, Rochelle and I got tickets to see the Oregon Ballet Theater's production of The Nutcracker, and it was absolutely incredible.  I think I sat there with an ecstatic smile on my face during the entire show.

12.  Also in December, I made a trip out to Cannon Beach to celebrate the marriage of my dear friends Danielle and Gabe.  Now, I have attended a lot of weddings, (it's sort of my hobby, remember?) but this was one of the most beautiful, intimate, God-honoring ceremonies I had ever witnessed.  I cannot wait to see how God is going to continue to use Dani and Gabe as they seek Him and follow Him with their whole hearts.

And there you have it - twelve of my top highlights of 2012.  This year certainly had it's highs and lows, but I am content to remember the good times and let the bad ones slip away when the clock strikes midnight. Here's to 2013!

Meet Carrie

1.  First and foremost, you need to know that I love Jesus with all my heart.  It is my hope and prayer that as I share my heart with you through my writing, His incredible love and grace will be found in my words.  Almost twenty years ago, I surrendered everything I knew about myself to everything I knew about Jesus, and that one decision radically altered the course of the rest of my life.  He is the One who calls the shots in my life, and He has proven again and again that He is worthy to have that control.  

2.  Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll probably tell you that I am a touch OCD.  I make lists to keep track of my lists, my calendar is color-coded, and my sheet music is arranged alphabetically.  What can I say?  I like to be organized!

3.  I'm an extravert, a people person, gregarious, outgoing, a social butterfly . . . however you describe it, the bottom line is that I love being with people!  I consider it an honor to listen to people tell their stories and hear how God has worked and is working in their lives.  I firmly believe that a whole lot of misunderstandings in the world would be avoided if we took the time to learn about other people's stories and understand how they have been shaped by their past experiences.  I love coffee dates in the winter and walks around the lake in the summer or just about anything else that gives me an opportunity to hang out with and talk to interesting people.

4.  NERD ALERT.  I love school.  I love to read.  I love to journal, blog, and even write papers.  If I could be a professional student for the rest of my life, I absolutely would.

5.  Do you want to make me feel loved?  My love language is words of affirmation (especially in written form) and a little note to tell me something you appreciate about me or just to tell me that you're thinking of me or praying for me would make my day.  I have a shoebox full of all the encouragement cards people wrote to me in college, and whenever I'm having a bad day I'll sit down and read a few of the notes in that box.  It never fails to remind me how blessed and loved I am.

6.  I'm a football girl.  The Seattle Seahawks are my all-time favorite NFL team, and I have been a faithful fan even during the "building" years.  I'm part of the 12th man forever!  I also love basketball (Portland Trailblazers) and baseball (Seattle Mariners), and attending sporting events is one of my most favorite things to do.  [Side note:  when it comes to actually playing sports though, the best phrase to describe me is "athletically challenged."  I can't shoot a hoop or hit a ball to save my life.  I can, however, play a mean game of Ultimate Frisbee.]

7.  On the flip side of my sports addiction you'll find the side of me that loves the arts.  Beautiful music, art, and dance speak to my soul in a way I can't explain.  If I had the time and money, I think I'd spend every other weekend attending an orchestra concert or a ballet.

8.  I can lick my elbow.  No joke.  Ask me to show you sometime.

9.  In my family, I'm the baby of my siblings.  My sister and brother were fifteen and seventeen years old when I was born, so it's kind of like having three sets of parents.  The upside to being the baby though, is that at only 24 years old, I am an aunt to seven incredible kids.  My nieces and nephews rock my world.

10.  Traveling is my outlet for adventure.  Whether it's by plane, on a road trip, or hiking through the wilderness, I love to see new places and experience some of the beauty in this world where we live.