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Writer's pictureMichael Vitales

It’s my birthday! (And 34 Things I Learned This Year)

Updated: Nov 24, 2023

Friendsgiving 2023

Some words of wisdom I picked up along the way:


  1. Orthodox or Non-Orthodox, people are still people.

  2. You don't have to stay where you're not welcomed.

  3. If people are forcing you to change your values and principles to fit in with them, let them go. Their heart is not your home.

  4. Some people may be part of my story, but I don't let them hinder my journey.

  5. Some people must be loved from a distance.

  6. Acceptance and Approval are not the same thing.

  7. Forgiveness and Reconciliation are not the same thing.

  8. Stop explaining yourself to people who don't care.

  9. Here's one way to tell if people don't care: they're dismissive of your concerns.

  10. Here's another: they lie about situations that harmed you, saying things like "That's not what happened" or "You're exaggerating" or "I don't remember that" or "You're wrong for saying that."

  11. Lying is the language of Satan

  12. Honesty is the language of recovery

  13. You can't recover what you've lost if you think you still have it.

  14. Delusional people perpetuate their own delusions.

  15. The foundation of delusion is self-deception.

  16. Self-deception is self-destruction.

  17. The more I lie the more I die.

  18. Telling the truth is a lonely road, but it's the path to freedom.

  19. Pursuing righteousness is a lonely path, so make sure you marry a righteous person to do life with (I'm glad I did!)

  20. People often sacrifice truth for false companionship.

  21. The companionship of demons will lead you to hell.

  22. A snake can shed its skin, but it'll always be a snake.

  23. You can tell someone is a snake by the way they hiss and slither: they're full of flattery, but their words are venomous sting. They quietly draw close to you with a smile, then strike a poisonous bite when least expected.

  24. There's always a snake in the garden.

  25. You overcome the poisonous snakes by looking at the bronze snake on the wooden pole.

  26. Without repentance there is no reconciliation, either with God or with man.

  27. Without reconciliation there is no relationship.

  28. Without relationship there is no reason to keep going.

  29. Treasure the relationships that bring you closer to Christ.

  30. Not everyone who is friendly is your friend.

  31. The blessedness of being merciful is a heavy cross to bear.

  32. I hate spineless cowardice and I hate stupid rules.

  33. Courage comes from the pursuit of truth, but cowardice comes from living a lie. Liars are people who lie with their words, and cowards are people who lie with their actions.

  34. God is my True North. When I follow my True North I find my true self.



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