28 Life Thoughts On My 28 Years On This Earth (In No Particular Order)

1. The more I view myself as the perfect, blameless, sanctified, elected, placed, and called daughter of the King - the less I find myself comparing to others, coveting, wallowing, shaming myself, and feeling inadequate. I’ve realized what a dishonor it is to reject myself, as that rejects who made me. My manufacturer. God didn’t mess up when he made me.

2. Stay faithful and committed. Be a (wo)man of your word. If you are a Jesus follower, stay faithful and committed to your church. Stay faithful to your spouse. Stay committed to your job, responsibilities, and your health. Don’t allow this wishy washy world affect your values. You will always find an excuse to quit if you look for one.

3. Encourage people every chance you get. After growing up in a family that didn’t do this - I have to work extra hard and it’s still awkward sometimes. But, come on - if they look nice, tell them! If they helped you,tell them! If they positively influence you in any way, tell them. You neverknow what your life giving words can do.

4. People pleasing. Somehow, someway - stop. You live for the audience of One. Getting your worth, confidence, happiness, and value from a boss, a boyfriend/girlfriend, promotion, dress size, your family, etc - will only leave you with unmet expectations. This will also leave you with inconsistency in your emotions and a chaotic life. When you live a life to honor The One, you will find it a lot easier to sleep at night knowing the creator of the universe is your judge, your defender, your father, your promoter. Life will become incredibly free and joyous when you don’t need the approval of others to be happy.

5. Don’t play it safe. Don’t be an observer. Don’t be a wallflower. Jump in! Explore! Experience! Embrace relational uncertainty. It’s called romance. Embrace occupational uncertainty. It’s called destiny. Embrace emotional uncertainty. It’s called joy. Embrace intellectual uncertainty. It’s called revelation.

6. Community is everything. You become like those you surround yourself with. Who do you want to be? What kind of spouse do you want to be? What kind of parent do you want to be? Go find them. Hang out with them. Learn from them. Do life with them.

7. Listen more. Troy taught me about this one. You already know what you know, but you don’t know what you don’t know. So listen! Learn something! As soon as you become a knower, you stop learning. (Confessions of a former know it all).

8. If you want what everyone else has, do what they do. If you want something different, something better, you must have higher standards. You must set yourself apart.

9. Pruning. Get ready for it. Read John 15 over and over until you are comfortable with the fact that God is going to cut parts of you out, and it will hurt. Remind yourself to remain in Jesus as he remains in you, so that when you ask from Him, he will freely give. Fall in love with this concept.

10. Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have at changing others.

11. Get off selfie mode. Pastor Kevin Gerald taught me this one. When you have your phone on selfie mode, you literally cannot see anyone else but yourself. That is just a selfish way to live. I don’t want to be the girl who just sees every situation from her point of view. The girl who wants everyone to accommodate her needs. I want to be the girl who intentionally seeks to help others. I want to be the girl who realizes how blessed she is so all she wants to do is bless others.

12. Get out of the driver’s seat. You can have faith or you can have control, but you cannot have both. If you want God to do something off the chart, you have to take your hands off the controls.

13. You must actively take captive your thoughts and emotions or they will control you and run your life. The best way I have learned to do this is worshiping. Worship through the chatter. Worship through the pain. Worship through the despair. Worship through the valleys. The lies in your mind will become apparent, and you can rebuke them and send them to the nasty place they came from.

14. Be honest with those you love. Don’t harbor bitterness. Don’t expect people to read your mind. Become a good truth teller and become a good truth hearer.

15. Pray. Literally. Out loud. About everything. All the time.

16. Think of every obstacle in your life as a game. A game where you just need small incremental gains to win. It is never too late from a fresh start or a new beginning. Just like in football – you are either moving backwards, staying the same, or moving forward. Chose to move forward. You don’t need magical earth shattering events to happen for you to gain financial freedom, to gain healthy relationships, to kick a habit, to begin a path to recovery.

17. Be present, be authentic. Don’t over-schedule yourself, so when you are with someone, really be there. Put your phone away.

18. Believe in the depths of your soul that God answers prayers. Pray with this expectation.

19. It is a fact that God’s timing and timeline are ludicrous. It simply does not make sense to me. I gave God control, and he literally erased over five years of pain, hurt, and rejection in five months.

20. Realize that most of your problems are small potatoes. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)

21. Tithing works. Generosity works.

22. Actively seek growth. Ask the people you trust ‘how you I be better?’. Beg the Lord to show you the ugly parts in you to change. Create the vision of the woman or man you want to be, and work every day to get closer to being that person. Realize that your surrender to Jesus will create the playground for him to transform you.

23. Be complex, not complicated. A complex person is consistent, straightforward, sophisticated, understanding, forgiving, and mature. A complex person is like an oak tree. A complicated person is like an orchid. Both are beautiful plants. An oak tree is a picture of strength and beauty. An orchid is a picture of fragility and beauty.

24. Learn to view your scars, struggles, and mistakes as part of your narrative. Part of your life that God will use to reach others. These mistakes make you relatable, make you a credible source. People will be drawn to your scars. They will want to know how you got through that hard time. They will find strength in their battle through your testimony.

25. It is absolutely worth it to wait for God’s match for you. It is absolutely worth it to honor your body. To date with purpose. From a girl who started sleeping with men when she was 15, I can explain in epic detail why doing it God’s way is the best way. Why God designed marriage the way he did. When you find someone who knows you (even the ugly parts), loves you, and points you to Jesus, he or she will become so attractive to you. As you seek God together, you will find your relationship with each other incredibly strong, meaningful, selfless, unconditional, and relentless.

26. Read as much as you can. Read the Bible. Read C.S. Lewis. Read Tim Keller.

27. Ask questions.

28. My brother taught me this one. Learn to tell great stories. Tell one with your life.

@aprilswaine

Influences:

The Bible Pastors Kevin and Sheila Gerald Pastors Ryan and Jodi Cameron Troy Pollock Aaron Ventura Pastors Steven and Holly Furtick Pastor Craig Groeschel Pastor Christine Caine Lysa TerKeurst 4Word Propel