Things I wish I could tell my younger self . . .

 There are a lot of things I wish I could tell my younger self.  I probably wouldn't have listened.  I mean, you are at your smartest from 15 years old  to 30 years old, right?  That's probably what I would start with (although the rest are in no particular order):

1. Listen to people.  You can always learn something from everyone. You don't know nearly as much as you think you do.

2. It is almost impossible to get back to your "ideal" weight or to "get back in shape" so maintain and stay in shape.  This is especially true with flexibility. 😊

3. It is much easier to teach your kids the right way the first time rather than to go back and correct things you let them get away with because it was cute when they were tiny.  Set the standard from the beginning and do the work to teach them from the beginning.  It may seem hard, but it is harder if you put it off.

4. From the moment you are saved you should be studying Scripture, spending a lot of prayerful time listening to God teach you from His Word.  This is where you should go for answers to everything.  Even your parents don't always give the best advice.

5. Sinful fear and anxiety prevents you from obeying God when He asks you to do something scary or hard.  Go to Him with that fear and anxiety and then obey anyway.  In the long run, obedience is the much better way to go even when it is hard, messy, scary, and means you have to give up things and relationships that you like.

6. Make your marriage the priority.  This means sometimes telling the kids "no" because your husband needs your time and attention at that moment.  It means planning dates and making time and effort with conversations.  It means finding things you can do together, just the two of you.  

7. Manage your home well, don't let it manage you.  This means setting up meal times, cleaning times, and laundry times.  Make sure you have set up your meals so that you will have lots of time for family meals together.  This will only get harder as your kids get older, so set the standard from the beginning.  Make sure the kids and your husband all know the standards for cleanliness - what to do with dirty laundry, dirty dishes, etc., from the beginning and keep at it even when you get tired of dealing with it after years of struggle.

8. Make your home and family the priority of your life.  Everything else should come second.  This includes jobs, church work, friends, and hobbies.

9. Be willing to be interrupted, but don't teach your kids that they can just have your attention and whatever they want whenever they want.  It's about balance.  They need to know how to wait their turn, but they also need to know that you love them enough to pay attention to them.

10. Remember that JOY comes from putting Jesus first, others second, and yourself last.  Sometimes in the years of daily grind it will feel like no one is caring for you.  It will feel like all anyone ever does it take.  But God cares.  God gave you the ultimate gift.  And that is enough.

There are probably a lot of other things my younger self needed to know, but that's my thoughts for now.