Happy Birthday

Tomorrow May 19Th is my 42ND birthday. Wow how time has flown by. Seems like just yesterday I was graduating from high school. Now I am turning 42. A lot has gone on in 42 years. I have learned a lot, and still have a lot to learn. So here are some things that I have learned in my life. Not in any particular order, just as they come to mind.

1. Life is so much better when God is number one in my life:
2. When you are in an Elders meeting and you think the church needs to hire a youth minister, let someone else say it first :)
3. Teenagers know a lot more about stuff they shouldn't, than I did when I was a teen.
4. Marriage works a lot better when you communicate to each other. (this one took me a while, just ask Cheryl)
5. Raising kids takes patience: (I am not sure i have this one figured out yet, but still working on it)
6. No credit cards and No debt are a lot better way to live: (Got the No credit card thing down, working on the No debt, getting there)
7. I can't go back in time to fix things that I messed up, so I must strive to do what is right.
8. Integrity is a very important thing
9. Loud mufflers on pickups can be annoying; (our neighbors when I was a teen, wished i would have figured that one out a lot sooner)
10. Having a family is the greatest thing in the world.
11. I enjoy watching my daughter play basketball more than I liked playing it. (can't wait till Dylan starts.)
12. I can be kind of a loner. A lot of times I just like to be alone. It does not bother me to go into a restaurant and eat by myself.
13. I have one best Friend, that is my wife. I have found that her and I can take on the world together and win!
14. Kids are my greatest blessings
15. My son may end up being better at video games than me. (I will not give up the crown of Champion of The World easily though)
16. I still do not talk to God enough or spend enough time with him. (I have got to learn this one.)
17. One of the best things in my life right now is that I get to eat breakfasts with my parents every morning. When I was a teen you could not pay me to hang out with my parents, I have learned that it is a really cool thing to do.
18. I am not as afraid of flying as I used to be. (don't tell Cheryl, but I kinda like it)
19. I need to see more places with my family, I will look back and see how important this was when i am 82.
20. That typing class that I took in High School, was a HUGE benefit to me. Ms. Sudureth told me it would be, i did not believe her at the time. Thanks

As I look at the list, hopefully I will learn more in the next 42 years than I did in the first 42 years. Only time will tell. So how about a list of things that I need to learn in the next 42 years.

This kind of list could be a VERY, VERY long list, so here is the short list:

1. Learn to Relax. I get too up tight sometimes, Cheryl says I am going to have a heart attack one of these days.
2. Pray more, spend more time with God and in his word.
3. Be more patient
4. Be more forgiving
5. Be a better shopper, I need to shop around more for better deals, getting better at it, but have a ways to go. I am bad about seeing something that i want and just get it.
6. Learn more about technology, it has passed me by, I need to catch up.
7. Teach, I need to be a better teacher: Need to learn to relate to youth better.
8. I need to learn to look at what I have instead of what I do not have. God has blessed me greatly, I am a Rich Man, I have a beautiful wife and two great kids ( ;) Trey)

This is just a very short list of the things that I still need to learn, but I need to learn to go to bed early so I can get up in the mornings. So have a great day!

9. I need to learn how to spell!!!!!