Forty List

Forty List

There is a Buddhist quote that reads, “There are only two mistakes along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”  Since I am now 40 years into my journey along this winding road I thought that it would be a good mile marker to list 40 truths that I have found along the way.  They may not be true for you, but that’s fine, you have your own road to travel.

      1.        God is real, whether you like it or not.
2.        I am a terrible electrician, and an even worse plumber.
3.        I am a good painter, canvas, or living rooms.
4.        There is no good reason to ever deny a child a hug.
5.        Sugar is only healthy if you happen to be a hummingbird.
6.        There is more than one way to do just about anything, but there are a lot of wrong ways too.
7.        People are always more important than money.
8.        Small acts, over time can yield BIG results - good or bad.
9.        Jesus is not religion.
10.     Honesty really is the best policy.
11.     You can’t control love; you can only hope to point it in the right direction.
12.     People are generally good when given the opportunity to meet their basic needs.
13.     I am driven to fix things.
14.     I am inclined to break things that don’t work the way they should.
15.     There’s rarely a good enough reason to fight, but when there is there’s rarely a good enough excuse to walk away.
16.     Real butter is better.  Deal with it.
17.     You can’t fake happy.  You can fake confidence.
18.     When someone takes the time to seek you out to talk, you need to listen.
19.     Churches should be about love, not laws.
20.     I hate politics, and am not too fond of most politicians either.
21.     I would probably make a pretty good politician.
22.     I support equality.  We have no right to judge, we have the obligation to love.
23.     People need guardrails, but should drive their own lives, without cruise control.
24.     Love is a right that no government, church or institution should deny.
25.     Love is eternal, life is short.  Always choose love.
26.     Always pack extra clothes.  Always.
27.     Your keys should never cross the plane of the trunk.
28.     If you listen to your heart, you will know.  The truth has nowhere to hide in there.
29.     God does not want religion, He wants a relationship.
30.     Play should be proportional to work; you need both to be satisfied.
31.     My wife is amazing.  My wife is patient.  I love my wife.
32.     We all need to feel appreciated, and part of a team, family or community.
33.     My Momma loves me, and my Daddy is proud of me.
34.     If you want more, you should learn to need less.
35.     You never outgrow the need to have silly, unproductive fun.
36.     There is right and there is wrong, choose right even when others don’t.
37.     Credit unions are a better way to do your banking.
38.     You don’t choose who you are related to, only God knows the right mix of love and crazy.
39.     Being a husband and father changes a man.  Much like rain and sunlight change an acorn into an oak.
40.     Being 40 years old is less about where I have been, and more about where I am going! 

On to the next 40 years!