:. life rules .:

1. never throw away the instructions to your waffle maker.
2. never judge, because whatever measure you use to judge others will be the one God uses on you. Yikes! Do you really always meet your own standards? (not to mention God's?)
3. always try to think of yourself as "Plank-Eye", and the other guy as "Speck". Then when you think you need to remove the dust mote from someone else's life, you'll realize you have a log that needs some attention. (and let's be honest: sometimes the log in our own eye is more like an entire forest. We might be fooling others, but we can never fool the One who matters.)
4. always be ready to forgive. "If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins". (these aren't my words, Jesus said that.) Again, yikes!
5. never forget just how much you've been forgiven by God. Really helps with rule number 4.
6. never buy sheets with a thread count of less than 250.
7. life is much nicer with a canary.
8. if you're over the age of 18, please stop using your crappy childhood as an excuse to be a crappy adult. We all have baggage, but it doesn't have to be carry-on. Check it at the door and start living in a way that reflects who you really want to be.
9. never prepare your prize-winning 'manicotti with meat and ricotta filling' for a vegetarian. Trust me, you'll be sorry you did.
10. when inviting dinner guests, always ask beforehand if they're vegetarian.
11. 'whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.' (I love that; it's from Ecclesiastics. Such a great life rule.)
12. always choose your words carefully. (see post below.) And then just shut your mouth, if that is the better option.
13. as much as you are able, drive a car with heated seats.
14. as much as possible, snuggle a child in your lap.
15. as often as you can, talk face-to-face with a friend.
16. contrary to popular opinion, you should never buy lemonade from a kid with a lemonade stand. The last time I did, the cup was dirty and there was grass floating in it. Yuck. Oh yeah, and they never have the correct change.