Lessons learned...

1. Life is not meant to be lived alone.
2. Ambiguous relationships with members of the opposite sex are dangerous.
3. Sometimes you lose when you win.
4. Spinach is really a super food.
5. Cheesy, casserole caf. food won't make you feel better.
6. Take initiative.
7. Think about the longterm effects of actions.
8. Don't live by the flesh.
9. Patience, patience, patience.
10. Peace is more valuable than justice sometimes.
11. Have a life, work/school don't make a life.
...

Just some things I've learned in the past few years, mainly during college. I'm so glad we have the past to learn from. I wish I didn't make mistakes in the first place but I'm so grateful that they teach me so that I don't have to make the same mistakes again.

This week I've been really tempted to make certain mistakes again... For instance a situation arose on Thursday where my roommate opened one of my four bottles of wine and drank it thinking it was her's. I was very frustrated with the situation because it happened to be one of my bottles of Pine Ridge. I only drink good wine and I drink it very rarely so I was kind of offended. I recognized it was an honest mistake, but I was more frustrated when she kind of blamed me for the mistake.

The temptation... to be right, to seek justice for myself. But thinking back on certain roommate situations where, in my mind, I won the battle, I lost the war meaning that I felt justified. But in the process I had burned bridges in pursuit of that justice and was left with my war path of brokenness in relationship and grace.

So here I am four years later, a new woman. I'm swallowing my pride in the desire for peace. Oh what a difficult pill to take. I'm certainly not perfect, but I'm wiser than I once was and I have a little bit more grace though it still can be distorted.