19 lessons in 19 years.

•  Running helps anything

endorphins are your friends. i'm an empty  head runner, meaning i don't think while i run. it is such a beautiful thing.

• You always have more people to support you than you realize

sometimes you will hate the fact that people are on your side because you'd rather hate them; sometimes you have no idea that someone is supporting you and they turn out to be invaluable...but those people always exist.

• Good coffee fixes almost anything

there are precious few things that a venti latte extra shot does not fix; even in these 'unfixable' situations, it helps

• Yes, Jesus is always the answer

always always always always always.

• Typewriters are a great investment, as is good chocolate 

yes, it's sort of like going back in history, but i LOVE my typewriter.

and expensive chocolate is always a good choice.

• Homework before Netflix, but Netflix sill needs to happen

NETFLIX IS DISTRACTING!! but sometimes you write better papers when you're watching netflix. if you don't take a break, your head will implode. i am not kidding.

• Get out of your dorm, be friendly, & do stuff

this one took me pretty much a whole semester to learn, but 99% of the time, if you want to be friends with people, you actually have to leave your dorm room for more than just class

• Ask hard questions & grapple with the answers

I have been told time and time again that there is no better place or time to deal with hard questions of theology than here and now. USE YOUR DANG RESOURCES to figure out what you believe.

• Stick to your guns, but be respectful of others 

what you decide that you believe won't always be popular. even in a small, Christian community, my views are different than some other people's. do not change your views for someone else, but do not try to stuff your theology down someone else's throat. (this does not mean that heated discussions are not allowed...heated discussions can be REALLY GOOD things, respect just has to be understood).

• Take risks, be vulnerable, go out on a limb

nobody wants to be "that one guy" different from everyone else, but if you dare to be that guy, chances are that there will be people who will stand alongside you & everyone will be better because of it

• Make intentional time for Jesus every day

It's easy to claim to be a Christian, to call on God when we need something, and to go about our day as decently good individuals, but growth and learning only happen when you're intentionally open and receptive to listening.

• Pray before your meals

It can be the same prayer. It can be three words or three minutes. But it's a really good reminder.

• Boys are dumb & sometimes they hurt you; don't make excuses for them 

Sometimes you date them and they hurt you. Sometimes you're friends and they're confusing. They will be dumb. But they're their own species and their own individuals and let them do what they do. But never settle for someone who treats you any less than you deserve.

• Sleep is the most important thing you can do for yourself

sleep is more important than good food and working out and doing your homework. you have to do all of the other things, too. but sleep is kind of the most important by a long shot.

• There are people that you don't like; be nice, but realize you're not going to be everyone's best friend

sometimes people are jerks or are just weird. you can't go out and change people, just let them be weird and try to limit your funny looks and eye rolls.

• An iPhone will not make you happy; be content with whatever you're given in life

my crap trac phone serves me just fine. yes, everyone else has the latest and greatest of everything, but it's not an essential. get over it.

• Work to have a big group of friends in college, it'll broaden your horizons

being friends with only people in your major, dorm, year, or classes won't really push you. plus you'll miss out on meeting a lot of great people and a ton of potential friendships. so meet people. and then meet people that those people know. and then talk to the people that they know.

• Grades are not everything, but try hard anyway

there will be scores that you're not proud of. there will be technical errors that will steal points from you. news flash: YOU WILL NOT ACE EVERY SINGLE CLASS AND THAT IS OK. but that doesn't mean you get a free pass to fail; keep trying.

• Writing things out will always help you make sense of them

i love my typewriter for this. and my blog. and any one of my multiple journals. but when you process things in words, outside of your head, you can realize how dumb some of your logic is.