My girls and I have a love for a certain TV family who has been blessed with a multitude of children. They're truly precious, in my opinion. I have watched their show for a number of years and read their books. I feel like I've gleaned some great wisdom and practical advice from them.
Now I know that it's very unlikely that every minute of every day is as pretty as the episodes depict. I mean, they're real people. So I get that. However, I can't help but try to mimic that smoothness in my life. On one hand, having a role model is a healthy thing. It gives you a goal, an ideal, something to aim for. But on the other hand, it can prove to be a source of unnecessary pressure if it's not kept in check. My life will never look just like theirs for one simple reason. We lead different lives. Deep, right? That's what it boils down to, though. Just like everyone else in the world, we deal with different struggles and have different strengths.
To drive that point in, please allow me to share a little story with you. :)
This morning, after the kids and I had a successful trip to the public library, we went to the store "for just a few things". Usually when I say that, it ends up being a huge shopping trip. But today, we actually just got our few things. By the time we checked out, though, I had one little darlin on the verge of a meltdown. Stores are a challenge for him, in the first place, because the noise, lights, etc., tend to over stimulate his senses. But top that off with the fact that it was nearly lunch time and I said I wouldn't buy him the super hero sucker he wanted... Well, let's just say, we could all see how fragile the situation was. We tried to hurry along and make it to the car as quickly as possible. But it didn't work. He wailed loudly for the sucker, and louder when I told him he was going to lose video game time for not being obedient. Finally he just flat out refused to move. So really, what are your choices at that point? I did what any other self-respecting mother would do, and picked up the man child to carry him - wailing and flailing - out of the store, across the parking lot, and into our car.
It wasn't pretty. Situations like that make me thank the Lord that my life isn't a TV show. But it does occur to me most of the time that people are watching the live version anyway. Which brings me to the fun part of the story. Seriously, it's good stuff.
I was buckling the seatbelt of my little darlin when a voice from behind me startled me. She said, "Momma..." It wasn't one of my children, so I whipped around to find out who it was. There stood a sweet little lady with a compassionate face. She just simply said, "Momma, you're doing a good job." I said a confused thank you, even managed a half smile, and turned back to the seatbelt fiasco. When I turned back around, though, she was gone. After the few groceries were loaded, the basket was returned, and the car doors were closed, I felt guilty for the probable look of insanity I gave the sweet woman. I hoped that my face hadn't reflected my frustration with my child when I looked at her because I was truly thankful for the gesture. I looked all around in the parking lot, but didn't see her. Then my sister said she thought that the mystery lady had gone inside the store.
Knowing my chances of finding this one little lady in this huge store were slim, I decided to run in anyway and just see. Leaving the kids with my sister, I went in and prayed silently, "Lord, please show her to me." Sure enough, He did. She was still smiling as I walked up to her and thanked her for her encouragement. Right there next to the toothpaste, she grabbed me and hugged me. She told me that she was proud to see a mom taking care of her kids. She reminded me to never worry about people judging our situation or my methods for dealing with it. She said she is a great-grandmother now, and lost a son when he was in his early twenties. She reminded me that this is only for a season and it will be over before I know it. We stood and talked for a minute. Then she went on to shop, and I returned to my car. I have no idea who she was, but God used her to calm me and encourage me. It was just what I needed.
None of what I bought at the store today was a true necessity. But I'm so glad God had me go when He did. And I'm so thankful He put that sweet lady there and gave her the boldness to reach out to me.
So here are your take-aways from this:
1) We all deal with different struggles and have different strengths. And that's ok.
2) It's really ok to have a good, healthy role model in your life.
3) People are always watching. Be mindful of that, but don't make yourself sick over it.
4) If you feel like speaking a word of encouragement to anyone, but especially to a mom, just do it. You may feel like a weirdo, and they may look at you like you're crazy. But you never know when that's going to be just exactly what that person needed to hear in that moment.
And to the sweet mystery lady, thank you for making my day. You blessed my heart.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Dear Public School Teachers
Dear Public School Teachers,
Although I do cross paths with many of you, our worlds don't really overlap that much. I'm a homeschool momma who mostly hangs out with other homeschool mommas. I'm blessed to be able to teach my circus here at home. I have the ability to customize their learning experiences to best meet their needs. We get to take extra time to learn about things that really spark our interests. And two of the best parts are: teaching them that all of life relates back to God, and being up close and personal as they experience life and a love of learning. While I wouldn't trade my world for anything else, I feel like I need to give you the credit that is due you.
You and I have both been given incredible opportunities. And let me tell you something. I admire you. I'm not naïve enough to think that your job is easy. Not only do you have a whole herd of children you're responsible for, but you also have parents, administrators, state requirements, etc., etc., etc. I can imagine the stress. But may I take a moment to be real with you? The most important thing you do in that classroom all year long is to love on those kids - no matter what age they are. They all need you. Some of them are easy to love. They're well-mannered, studious, clean little people, and it's easy - even pleasant - to spend such a huge chunk of your time with them. But then there are some that are not so easy, and definitely not so pleasant. They may not be "put together" or smell really nice. They may be the child with the never-ending snotty nose. Or the teenager with the really bad breath. They may seem to never know what's going on in the classroom or have the slightest bit of interest in learning whatever you're teaching that day. They may be constantly falling asleep in class or just spacing out. Perhaps you have a child in your class that you're always telling to stop talking. Maybe they're outright disrespectful to you. Those kids are hard to tolerate, much less love. Just like the adult version. Most of us don't have much patience for those types of behaviors.
But what if the "difficult" kid in your class is having a hard time learning because of a legitimate learning difference? That's not too far-fetched... But what if it's not that? What if those behaviors are symptoms of a deeper issue? You have been given the opportunity to be, quite possibly, the only love and attention some of those kids get. They all need it. Not just the difficult ones. But especially the difficult ones.
Your year is wrapping up. Summer is coming, and everyone starts to get crazy excited for the break. But instead of rushing through these last few weeks, try to slow it down and really build up and encourage your students. Sometimes summer isn't so fun for these kids. Instead of it being a nice break, it's actually removing them from a relationship with you - their teacher - that may be one of the best ones in their lives. You're getting close to your much-deserved time off. But until then, I encourage you to pour yourselves into those little darlins - or big darlins, whatever the case may be. Make them feel special and important and valued. Those things may be what carries them through the break.
Please know that I pray for you. I pray that you will have the endurance and the motivation to finish the year strong. I pray that you will know you are special and important and valuable. I pray that God will use you to show His love to your students. Children hold a special place in the heart of Jesus. How amazing that we get to tend to them for Him!
You can do it. You've got this. :)
With deep admiration,
Misty Ruth
Although I do cross paths with many of you, our worlds don't really overlap that much. I'm a homeschool momma who mostly hangs out with other homeschool mommas. I'm blessed to be able to teach my circus here at home. I have the ability to customize their learning experiences to best meet their needs. We get to take extra time to learn about things that really spark our interests. And two of the best parts are: teaching them that all of life relates back to God, and being up close and personal as they experience life and a love of learning. While I wouldn't trade my world for anything else, I feel like I need to give you the credit that is due you.
You and I have both been given incredible opportunities. And let me tell you something. I admire you. I'm not naïve enough to think that your job is easy. Not only do you have a whole herd of children you're responsible for, but you also have parents, administrators, state requirements, etc., etc., etc. I can imagine the stress. But may I take a moment to be real with you? The most important thing you do in that classroom all year long is to love on those kids - no matter what age they are. They all need you. Some of them are easy to love. They're well-mannered, studious, clean little people, and it's easy - even pleasant - to spend such a huge chunk of your time with them. But then there are some that are not so easy, and definitely not so pleasant. They may not be "put together" or smell really nice. They may be the child with the never-ending snotty nose. Or the teenager with the really bad breath. They may seem to never know what's going on in the classroom or have the slightest bit of interest in learning whatever you're teaching that day. They may be constantly falling asleep in class or just spacing out. Perhaps you have a child in your class that you're always telling to stop talking. Maybe they're outright disrespectful to you. Those kids are hard to tolerate, much less love. Just like the adult version. Most of us don't have much patience for those types of behaviors.
But what if the "difficult" kid in your class is having a hard time learning because of a legitimate learning difference? That's not too far-fetched... But what if it's not that? What if those behaviors are symptoms of a deeper issue? You have been given the opportunity to be, quite possibly, the only love and attention some of those kids get. They all need it. Not just the difficult ones. But especially the difficult ones.
Your year is wrapping up. Summer is coming, and everyone starts to get crazy excited for the break. But instead of rushing through these last few weeks, try to slow it down and really build up and encourage your students. Sometimes summer isn't so fun for these kids. Instead of it being a nice break, it's actually removing them from a relationship with you - their teacher - that may be one of the best ones in their lives. You're getting close to your much-deserved time off. But until then, I encourage you to pour yourselves into those little darlins - or big darlins, whatever the case may be. Make them feel special and important and valued. Those things may be what carries them through the break.
Please know that I pray for you. I pray that you will have the endurance and the motivation to finish the year strong. I pray that you will know you are special and important and valuable. I pray that God will use you to show His love to your students. Children hold a special place in the heart of Jesus. How amazing that we get to tend to them for Him!
You can do it. You've got this. :)
With deep admiration,
Misty Ruth
Monday, March 9, 2015
Pineapple Chunks, Rain, & the Star Spangled Banner
As I sit here in my dimly lit kitchen eating the kids' leftover pineapple chunks out of a plastic bowl that I'm pretty sure has also been played with outside once or twice, I'm reflecting on my beautiful crazy life. Let me just share with you a little... Not because I feel like any of you are super eager to hear about my life, but mainly because I like to pretend someone is listening to me sometimes.
I'm thankful for rain - and precipitation, in general. I actually genuinely enjoy it. It's soothing to me. And, plus, I know in about 3 or 4 months, we'll be wishing for just a few drops to fall. So, I'm thankful we're getting it now. But what I'm not thankful for, necessarily, is mud. Mud means if I let all of these little people and dogs outside to run off energy, I will spend the rest of mine cleaning the floors later. I can deal from time to time. But it's been sleeting/snowing/raining for about 6,325 days. Ok, not really. But it's been about a week of this mess. We're all going stir-crazy. For example, today after lunch, I was cleaning up from the kids' lunch while simultaneously reheating my lunch for about the fifth time and telling my man goodbye as he headed back to the office. Then I had one loudly and repetitively announcing that he was ready to get down from his high chair, two playing "2-square" in the entry way, one singing the national anthem for the hundredth time in the last 3 days, 2 boys overexciting the dogs, and one screaming (literally) due to a random bloody nose! Sheesh.
But the beauty is that it's my crazy. No one else's. Mine. I love this life. And I honestly wouldn't trade it for any other life, no matter how appealing some other lives sound from time to time. I know one day I'll be "old", my floors will be clean, my house will be quiet, and I'll be able to sit by the fire and enjoy the sound of the rain outside. But I also know that there's a good chance that the whole time I'm doing that, I'll be sitting there thinking about these days, wishing my kids were little again or that my grandkids were there to play. Truth be told, I'm sure I won't have many days of just sitting around when I'm older. I look forward to a time in my life that I can minister to people without as many time constraints. But I'm sure there will be quiet moments that I sit and reflect. I just probably won't find them "hiding" in the kitchen during rest time like I am today.
So, I'm going to choose thankfulness. I'll mop again tonight. I'll clean tables and noses and everything else. I'll referee games of Monopoly and 2-square. I'll listen to my sweet perfectionist learn the Star Spangled Banner. I'll do it all. It will be messy, no doubt. Sometimes I yell. Sometimes I get irritated. Sometimes I hide in the pantry and eat chocolate. But griping sure doesn't help anything.
So, here's to looking past momentary chaos and toward my ultimate goal of raising kids who love the Lord with all their hearts!
~~~
"I am yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
I'm thankful for rain - and precipitation, in general. I actually genuinely enjoy it. It's soothing to me. And, plus, I know in about 3 or 4 months, we'll be wishing for just a few drops to fall. So, I'm thankful we're getting it now. But what I'm not thankful for, necessarily, is mud. Mud means if I let all of these little people and dogs outside to run off energy, I will spend the rest of mine cleaning the floors later. I can deal from time to time. But it's been sleeting/snowing/raining for about 6,325 days. Ok, not really. But it's been about a week of this mess. We're all going stir-crazy. For example, today after lunch, I was cleaning up from the kids' lunch while simultaneously reheating my lunch for about the fifth time and telling my man goodbye as he headed back to the office. Then I had one loudly and repetitively announcing that he was ready to get down from his high chair, two playing "2-square" in the entry way, one singing the national anthem for the hundredth time in the last 3 days, 2 boys overexciting the dogs, and one screaming (literally) due to a random bloody nose! Sheesh.
But the beauty is that it's my crazy. No one else's. Mine. I love this life. And I honestly wouldn't trade it for any other life, no matter how appealing some other lives sound from time to time. I know one day I'll be "old", my floors will be clean, my house will be quiet, and I'll be able to sit by the fire and enjoy the sound of the rain outside. But I also know that there's a good chance that the whole time I'm doing that, I'll be sitting there thinking about these days, wishing my kids were little again or that my grandkids were there to play. Truth be told, I'm sure I won't have many days of just sitting around when I'm older. I look forward to a time in my life that I can minister to people without as many time constraints. But I'm sure there will be quiet moments that I sit and reflect. I just probably won't find them "hiding" in the kitchen during rest time like I am today.
So, I'm going to choose thankfulness. I'll mop again tonight. I'll clean tables and noses and everything else. I'll referee games of Monopoly and 2-square. I'll listen to my sweet perfectionist learn the Star Spangled Banner. I'll do it all. It will be messy, no doubt. Sometimes I yell. Sometimes I get irritated. Sometimes I hide in the pantry and eat chocolate. But griping sure doesn't help anything.
So, here's to looking past momentary chaos and toward my ultimate goal of raising kids who love the Lord with all their hearts!
~~~
"I am yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings you glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain"
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings you glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain"
- Bring the Rain, by Mercy Me
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Does God Still Work Miracles?
You can read in the Old Testament how God performed mighty in-your-face miracles. Think: the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, the splitting of the Red Sea, consuming Elijah's offering while the Baal worshippers looked on, you get the idea. In the New Testament, you can still see God work mightily as Jesus healed and resurrected people, as well as when the early Church was performing great works of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well, does God work miracles now? A lot of people would say that He does not. I mean, when is the last time you saw a mysterious hand literally appear and write a message on the wall (Daniel 5)? But here's what I think...
My God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He performed miracles for all of the recorded history we have, what would make Him unable now? The answer is "nothing". He is God after all. My God is actively working things out for His glory. And He is constantly showing Himself to us. The catch is that we have to be attentive enough to see Him now.
I want to share with you how God has revealed Himself to me just today. It may not be a big deal to you, but man is it a big deal to me!
After over a year of monitoring, blood work, scans, and sonos, my endocrinologist (thyroid doctor) told me that he was set to retire. We had decided awhile back that my thyroid needed to be removed due to lots and lots of nodules, but I'm a procrastinator. So we ended up putting it off over and over for one reason or another until he announced his retirement. But he wanted to see me taken care of before he retired, so I now had a deadline.
Seems simple enough to just schedule it and do it. It's "just" a day surgery, so no biggie, right? Well, that's true. Except that everyone wants money for everything. So we now had a relatively short time to come up with a relatively large (for us, anyway) amount of money. I told everyone, "I'm excited to see how God will provide for this!" And that was the truth - no hint of sarcasm. I knew He would provide. I just didn't know how or when.
We talked, prayed, brainstormed, sold some items online, took some babysitting jobs, kept praying. And then God sent some wonderful people literally to our living room to say they wanted to contribute a large percentage of the cost of the surgery. In their words, God had blessed them and they wanted to bless others. My husband talks a lot (!). And I am pretty opinionated. So when we were both at a loss for words, it was a pretty incredible moment. We were watching God provide right before our eyes.
As the time for the surgery got closer, we still had a good bit of money to come up with. Up until the exact cutoff date for rescheduling the surgery, God continued to provide that money through multiple avenues. So last Thursday, I was able to have my thyroid completely removed.
God provided the money. That's a cool story. The end, right?
Nope.
I went to meet with my surgeon today as a routine follow-up. She said my incision was healing nicely, scheduled more blood tests later, etc. And then said this: The pathology report showed three spots of cancer on my thyroid. But it also showed my lymph nodes were clear, showing the cancer was contained in the thyroid only. (Praise God!!)
Here's what this means:
When I failed to respond quickly enough to the medical information showing this surgery was needed, not knowing there was cancer in my body, God prodded and nudged me through the impending retirement of my doctor. Then when I still would have postponed, He funded it. Then when I second-guessed my decision over a rough weekend filled with extremely low calcium and an emergency room trip, He confirmed it today. God protected me - and my family. He used the obedience of others to bless me. Yall just think about that... I can barely even wrap my mind around how incredible that is! Little ole me.
So here are two take-aways for you:
1) When you obey (or disobey), it NEVER affects only you. Your story is intertwined with hundreds of other stories, and God is using the obedient to accomplish His will. Why wouldn't we want to be a part of that?
2) He absolutely IS working in our days. It just may not look the same as it did three or four thousand years ago. And I'm ok with that.
I hope you'll take a minute or two to share with someone how God is working in your life. He deserves our praise!
Well, does God work miracles now? A lot of people would say that He does not. I mean, when is the last time you saw a mysterious hand literally appear and write a message on the wall (Daniel 5)? But here's what I think...
My God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He performed miracles for all of the recorded history we have, what would make Him unable now? The answer is "nothing". He is God after all. My God is actively working things out for His glory. And He is constantly showing Himself to us. The catch is that we have to be attentive enough to see Him now.
I want to share with you how God has revealed Himself to me just today. It may not be a big deal to you, but man is it a big deal to me!
After over a year of monitoring, blood work, scans, and sonos, my endocrinologist (thyroid doctor) told me that he was set to retire. We had decided awhile back that my thyroid needed to be removed due to lots and lots of nodules, but I'm a procrastinator. So we ended up putting it off over and over for one reason or another until he announced his retirement. But he wanted to see me taken care of before he retired, so I now had a deadline.
Seems simple enough to just schedule it and do it. It's "just" a day surgery, so no biggie, right? Well, that's true. Except that everyone wants money for everything. So we now had a relatively short time to come up with a relatively large (for us, anyway) amount of money. I told everyone, "I'm excited to see how God will provide for this!" And that was the truth - no hint of sarcasm. I knew He would provide. I just didn't know how or when.
We talked, prayed, brainstormed, sold some items online, took some babysitting jobs, kept praying. And then God sent some wonderful people literally to our living room to say they wanted to contribute a large percentage of the cost of the surgery. In their words, God had blessed them and they wanted to bless others. My husband talks a lot (!). And I am pretty opinionated. So when we were both at a loss for words, it was a pretty incredible moment. We were watching God provide right before our eyes.
As the time for the surgery got closer, we still had a good bit of money to come up with. Up until the exact cutoff date for rescheduling the surgery, God continued to provide that money through multiple avenues. So last Thursday, I was able to have my thyroid completely removed.
God provided the money. That's a cool story. The end, right?
Nope.
I went to meet with my surgeon today as a routine follow-up. She said my incision was healing nicely, scheduled more blood tests later, etc. And then said this: The pathology report showed three spots of cancer on my thyroid. But it also showed my lymph nodes were clear, showing the cancer was contained in the thyroid only. (Praise God!!)
Here's what this means:
When I failed to respond quickly enough to the medical information showing this surgery was needed, not knowing there was cancer in my body, God prodded and nudged me through the impending retirement of my doctor. Then when I still would have postponed, He funded it. Then when I second-guessed my decision over a rough weekend filled with extremely low calcium and an emergency room trip, He confirmed it today. God protected me - and my family. He used the obedience of others to bless me. Yall just think about that... I can barely even wrap my mind around how incredible that is! Little ole me.
So here are two take-aways for you:
1) When you obey (or disobey), it NEVER affects only you. Your story is intertwined with hundreds of other stories, and God is using the obedient to accomplish His will. Why wouldn't we want to be a part of that?
2) He absolutely IS working in our days. It just may not look the same as it did three or four thousand years ago. And I'm ok with that.
I hope you'll take a minute or two to share with someone how God is working in your life. He deserves our praise!
Monday, May 26, 2014
The Good Ole Days & War Heroes
I've been known to say in the past that I wished I had been born in a different decade - particularly the 1930s or 40s. In my mind, this was a time in our recent history when it seemed like almost everything was balanced. There wasn't much confusion when it came to morals or family dynamics or work ethics. I'm not saying at all that this time period was perfect or easy. I understand that it was quite the opposite for most Americans. However, I do believe that this was one of the times that the lives of Americans were the richest and most full of meaning. People, as a whole, honored God, their families, and their country in ways that most people today have never even considered. People worked hard. They knew the value of persistence and having the right priorities. I'm convinced that these were truly the good ole days.
Yesterday, as I sat in my air conditioned church in my comfy chair sipping my coffee, it struck me how blessed my generation really is because of the sacrifices, planning, and hard work of those past generations. This realization stirred up a feeling of pride in me for the people of our country. Here's why this is so profound to me: I realized at that moment that I can (and should) have a healthy amount of pride in the people of our country who are willing to do everything they can to protect the ideals and freedoms of the rest of us. But that does not mean I have to take pride in our current government leadership or what they stand for/don't stand for. I'm proud of where we've come from. I get to relax in the shadow of men and women who literally gave up everything to set this up for us. I am not so proud of what we've come to be now as a country. We've lost sight of where our priorities should be, of what true success is, of what it means to be a family. We've forgotten how to work hard and how to honor God. We've lost sight of the things that men and women of the past held in such high importance that they were willing to give up their lives to insure that their children and grandchildren would be able to experience.
So now we have a holiday right before the end of each school year that most people just think is a nice long weekend. Yeah, we might post a "remember the true meaning" status or set up our fruit tray to look like an American flag, but is that really honoring the people who died for us? I'd like to suggest that a more respectful way to honor their lives would be to hold on tightly to the freedoms we still have, to live out priorities that make sense, and to work hard to leave a legacy for our children and grandchildren to enjoy and respect.
Here's one more thought to leave you with: most people enjoy hearing stories of war heroes - perhaps those who died in order to save the lives of others. I read this morning of a man in his early twenties who laid on a grenade so that the team with him could live. People like this are truly heroes. They're the ones who maintain composure and spring into action when the rest of the world is in chaos. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to tell you about my favorite hero of all times. "While we were still weak" - lost in our chaos, facing inevitable death - "at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6) Just like all of the American war heroes who died for people who use a holiday in their honor to get drunk and play on the lake, Jesus died for people who wouldn't all even care that he did it. He didn't just die for the ones who were "good enough". He died for all of us that couldn't protect ourselves from our sin - to be clear, that is everyone. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) There is no way we could have done enough to remedy the problem of sin in our lives. No way. So Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, literally, by willingly dying for all of us. The best part of this story, though, is that after he died so that we didn't have to experience eternal death, he wasn't finished. After three days in the grave, he came back to life. Jesus Christ was and is the ultimate hero. How do you honor the ultimate war hero? We honor him by holding on tightly to what he has given us, by living our lives in light of his priorities, and by working hard to share Jesus' story with everyone we can so that they can enjoy the same freedoms we do.
Thank you, Lord, for dying in my place and for being my Hero! I want to honor You most of all because You died to give me the eternal life I have. Please also remind me to honor, through my life, the men and women who died to give me this comfortable life in America.
May God bless America.
Yesterday, as I sat in my air conditioned church in my comfy chair sipping my coffee, it struck me how blessed my generation really is because of the sacrifices, planning, and hard work of those past generations. This realization stirred up a feeling of pride in me for the people of our country. Here's why this is so profound to me: I realized at that moment that I can (and should) have a healthy amount of pride in the people of our country who are willing to do everything they can to protect the ideals and freedoms of the rest of us. But that does not mean I have to take pride in our current government leadership or what they stand for/don't stand for. I'm proud of where we've come from. I get to relax in the shadow of men and women who literally gave up everything to set this up for us. I am not so proud of what we've come to be now as a country. We've lost sight of where our priorities should be, of what true success is, of what it means to be a family. We've forgotten how to work hard and how to honor God. We've lost sight of the things that men and women of the past held in such high importance that they were willing to give up their lives to insure that their children and grandchildren would be able to experience.
So now we have a holiday right before the end of each school year that most people just think is a nice long weekend. Yeah, we might post a "remember the true meaning" status or set up our fruit tray to look like an American flag, but is that really honoring the people who died for us? I'd like to suggest that a more respectful way to honor their lives would be to hold on tightly to the freedoms we still have, to live out priorities that make sense, and to work hard to leave a legacy for our children and grandchildren to enjoy and respect.
Here's one more thought to leave you with: most people enjoy hearing stories of war heroes - perhaps those who died in order to save the lives of others. I read this morning of a man in his early twenties who laid on a grenade so that the team with him could live. People like this are truly heroes. They're the ones who maintain composure and spring into action when the rest of the world is in chaos. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to tell you about my favorite hero of all times. "While we were still weak" - lost in our chaos, facing inevitable death - "at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6) Just like all of the American war heroes who died for people who use a holiday in their honor to get drunk and play on the lake, Jesus died for people who wouldn't all even care that he did it. He didn't just die for the ones who were "good enough". He died for all of us that couldn't protect ourselves from our sin - to be clear, that is everyone. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) There is no way we could have done enough to remedy the problem of sin in our lives. No way. So Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, literally, by willingly dying for all of us. The best part of this story, though, is that after he died so that we didn't have to experience eternal death, he wasn't finished. After three days in the grave, he came back to life. Jesus Christ was and is the ultimate hero. How do you honor the ultimate war hero? We honor him by holding on tightly to what he has given us, by living our lives in light of his priorities, and by working hard to share Jesus' story with everyone we can so that they can enjoy the same freedoms we do.
Thank you, Lord, for dying in my place and for being my Hero! I want to honor You most of all because You died to give me the eternal life I have. Please also remind me to honor, through my life, the men and women who died to give me this comfortable life in America.
May God bless America.
Friday, May 16, 2014
29 Things I've Learned in the Last 29 Years
Well, tomorrow is my 30th birthday. How weird! That sounds so grown up, and I do not feel so grown up most of the time.
I'm not at all an expert at life, but I feel like I've been taught quite a bit in these last 29 years. I've filled a lot of roles, made a lot of mistakes, and had a lot of sweet happy moments. So I wanted to share just a little bit of what I've learned with you.
1. People change - sometimes for the good; sometimes for the bad. But you can never force a person to change.
2. "Stuff" really doesn't matter. There's no reason to hold so tightly to things - that's not where the memories are.
3. Coffee is fantastic. Really.
4. If you put Jesus first, all of the other things in life really do fall into place.
5. Just because things fall into place, it doesn't mean things will go smoothly. They almost never do.
6. When a bill is paid off, it is very likely that a new one will take its place.
7. They say, "Time flies." It does.
8. Someone always has it better than you. Someone also always has it worse than you.
9. There is more in the world than what I see.
10. Likewise, I am actually not the center of the universe.
11. Planning, in general, is a good thing.
12. They just don't make TV shows like they used to.
13. The Bible says that children are a blessing from the Lord, and they absolutely are.
14. Sometimes even your blessings make you want to pull your hair out.
15. Godly parents, grandparents, and other family members are also a blessing from the Lord. Their wisdom is irreplaceable.
16. Don't be too quick to think someone else's way of doing things is strange. You may find yourself doing things the same way one day.
17. It is possible to be tactfully honest without "sugarcoating" things.
18. Real friendship is not limited by distance or time.
19. There's just nothing like eating peanuts at the ballpark and watching the Rangers play.
20. There's a thing I call the "mother's curse" ("You'll have a child that acts just like you one day!"). It's for real. And some of us were such "blessings" that it takes 7 kids to bring all of those special qualities back into our lives.
21. Cherish what & who you have in your life. Nothing is guaranteed to be there forever.
22. Pain, whether physical or emotional, is never fun. But pain brings strength. Pain brings growth. Pain brings something new.
23. Life is too short to save your fine china. Eat a hot dog on it.
24. Being the parent who says "no" stinks. But it's necessary.
25. Making good friends is harder as a grown-up than it was as a child.
26. Games like tether ball, 4-square, hide-and-seek, and kickball are still the best ever.
27. You're never too old. For anything.
28. "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" - 1 Corinthians 15:33
29. There is nothing in life more important than making sure you are right with God.
Bonus:
30. Take lots of pictures. Because you really will forget.
Can't wait to see what God teaches me in the next 30 years! :)
I'm not at all an expert at life, but I feel like I've been taught quite a bit in these last 29 years. I've filled a lot of roles, made a lot of mistakes, and had a lot of sweet happy moments. So I wanted to share just a little bit of what I've learned with you.
29 Things I've Learned in the Last 29 Years
1. People change - sometimes for the good; sometimes for the bad. But you can never force a person to change.
2. "Stuff" really doesn't matter. There's no reason to hold so tightly to things - that's not where the memories are.
3. Coffee is fantastic. Really.
4. If you put Jesus first, all of the other things in life really do fall into place.
5. Just because things fall into place, it doesn't mean things will go smoothly. They almost never do.
6. When a bill is paid off, it is very likely that a new one will take its place.
7. They say, "Time flies." It does.
8. Someone always has it better than you. Someone also always has it worse than you.
9. There is more in the world than what I see.
10. Likewise, I am actually not the center of the universe.
11. Planning, in general, is a good thing.
12. They just don't make TV shows like they used to.
13. The Bible says that children are a blessing from the Lord, and they absolutely are.
14. Sometimes even your blessings make you want to pull your hair out.
15. Godly parents, grandparents, and other family members are also a blessing from the Lord. Their wisdom is irreplaceable.
16. Don't be too quick to think someone else's way of doing things is strange. You may find yourself doing things the same way one day.
17. It is possible to be tactfully honest without "sugarcoating" things.
18. Real friendship is not limited by distance or time.
19. There's just nothing like eating peanuts at the ballpark and watching the Rangers play.
20. There's a thing I call the "mother's curse" ("You'll have a child that acts just like you one day!"). It's for real. And some of us were such "blessings" that it takes 7 kids to bring all of those special qualities back into our lives.
21. Cherish what & who you have in your life. Nothing is guaranteed to be there forever.
22. Pain, whether physical or emotional, is never fun. But pain brings strength. Pain brings growth. Pain brings something new.
23. Life is too short to save your fine china. Eat a hot dog on it.
24. Being the parent who says "no" stinks. But it's necessary.
25. Making good friends is harder as a grown-up than it was as a child.
26. Games like tether ball, 4-square, hide-and-seek, and kickball are still the best ever.
27. You're never too old. For anything.
28. "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" - 1 Corinthians 15:33
29. There is nothing in life more important than making sure you are right with God.
Bonus:
30. Take lots of pictures. Because you really will forget.
Can't wait to see what God teaches me in the next 30 years! :)
Monday, October 14, 2013
What Makes Me... Me
The last post that shows on here was 7 months ago, and it's actually been about 5 months since I last posted. At the request of people of great importance to me, I removed my last post. A lot has happened in these past few months. Strangely, I just haven't had the desire to really post much - until now.
I'm sure I'll get to all of the fun things I want to post on here - decorating ideas, crafts with my kids, organizational tips, I could keep going... But for now, I want to share with you all just what makes me me. This stuff is the most important of all of the "stuff" in my life. It's really what makes me who I am. Because all on my own, I'm nothing to talk about - and certainly nothing to blog about. But with Jesus Christ in my life, I'm a daughter of the King of kings. I still may not be much to talk about, but my Jesus is. I hope that you'll please let me tell you about Him...
First of all, I want you to know that God cannot sin. We're told this in Hebrews 4:15. He won't mess up. He won't slip up. He won't make a bad choice. He just won't. He's not capable of it. Perfection is the very essence of His being. Here's what Hebrews 4:15 says: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Did you catch that? He knows what we're going through. He's not just looking at us from up in the clouds, totally displaced from our lives. He's been here! He knows how it feels to hurt and to fear. The difference is, He experienced a very real existence but did not sin. Not once. That very real existence was through Jesus' life on earth. It's important that you understand that Jesus is God (John 10:30). Otherwise, a lot of this will not make sense.
In saying that God is sinless, we can easily transition to the fact that He is just. As in, He is in the business of bringing justice. I say that's an easy transition in our thought process because God, who is perfect, will obviously be about bringing justice. If He was perfect, how could He allow for injustice? Likewise, if He was imperfect, how could He bring true justice? Psalm 9:7-8 says, "But the LORD sits enthroned forever; He has established his throne for justice, and He judges the world with righteousness, He judges the peoples with uprightness." Some people will say, "How can a loving/just/good/etc. God allow ____ to happen?" My answer for this is that we only see the things that affect us. God sees the whole big picture. I believe that things happen in our lives sometimes in order to accomplish a greater purpose. Let's be real. I think most of us really do know that the world doesn't revolve around us. How could I really think that just because something isn't the way I think it should be in my life that it must be unfair overall? Perhaps I don't really know everything...
Another thing I want you to know is that God loves you (and me) regardless of our performance in this life. We don't have to be good enough for Him to love us. We don't have to be the best at something for Him to pay attention to us. He loves us no matter what. Romans 5:7-8 says, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That means that Jesus didn't wait for us to get it all right before He came and died for our sins. He looked at us, even in all of the messes we make, and said, "I love you so much. Let me clean you up." You don't have to be perfect - or even close - to come to Jesus. We can come in our brokenness, and He takes those pieces, fills in the gaps, and makes something totally new.
Now, this God who loves us no matter what also wants each of us to have a real relationship with Him. We're told that He wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He doesn't just love some of us. He loves all of us. And it's up to us to love Him back.
The last thing I want to share with you tonight is that, contrary to the cultural norm in America today, God's number one priority is not to make us happy, healthy, & financially prosperous. Rather, His first priority is to receive the glory and honor that is rightfully due Him. Isaiah 42:8 says that He gives His glory to no other, and Isaiah 43:7 says we are created for His glory. We aren't made to try to make the most money we can before we die, or to have the nicest house we can, or even to have the most well-behaved children we can, or to give the most shoes to the homeless. Those things (money, houses, well-behaved children, charity, etc.) are not bad things in and of themselves. But if that's our focus in life, rather than pointing everything we do back to the One who made us all, then we have sadly missed the mark.
There is so much more I want to tell you, but I'll save it for another post. For now, please give careful consideration to these points. Without these things, I'm convinced that the rest of our beliefs aren't really relevant.
Jesus, please use these words however you see fit. Your word to us in the Bible says you give wisdom and knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6), so I pray you will make your word clear to anyone who reads this so that they can see and understand even just a glimpse of who you really are. Thank you, Lord.
I'm sure I'll get to all of the fun things I want to post on here - decorating ideas, crafts with my kids, organizational tips, I could keep going... But for now, I want to share with you all just what makes me me. This stuff is the most important of all of the "stuff" in my life. It's really what makes me who I am. Because all on my own, I'm nothing to talk about - and certainly nothing to blog about. But with Jesus Christ in my life, I'm a daughter of the King of kings. I still may not be much to talk about, but my Jesus is. I hope that you'll please let me tell you about Him...
First of all, I want you to know that God cannot sin. We're told this in Hebrews 4:15. He won't mess up. He won't slip up. He won't make a bad choice. He just won't. He's not capable of it. Perfection is the very essence of His being. Here's what Hebrews 4:15 says: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Did you catch that? He knows what we're going through. He's not just looking at us from up in the clouds, totally displaced from our lives. He's been here! He knows how it feels to hurt and to fear. The difference is, He experienced a very real existence but did not sin. Not once. That very real existence was through Jesus' life on earth. It's important that you understand that Jesus is God (John 10:30). Otherwise, a lot of this will not make sense.
In saying that God is sinless, we can easily transition to the fact that He is just. As in, He is in the business of bringing justice. I say that's an easy transition in our thought process because God, who is perfect, will obviously be about bringing justice. If He was perfect, how could He allow for injustice? Likewise, if He was imperfect, how could He bring true justice? Psalm 9:7-8 says, "But the LORD sits enthroned forever; He has established his throne for justice, and He judges the world with righteousness, He judges the peoples with uprightness." Some people will say, "How can a loving/just/good/etc. God allow ____ to happen?" My answer for this is that we only see the things that affect us. God sees the whole big picture. I believe that things happen in our lives sometimes in order to accomplish a greater purpose. Let's be real. I think most of us really do know that the world doesn't revolve around us. How could I really think that just because something isn't the way I think it should be in my life that it must be unfair overall? Perhaps I don't really know everything...
Another thing I want you to know is that God loves you (and me) regardless of our performance in this life. We don't have to be good enough for Him to love us. We don't have to be the best at something for Him to pay attention to us. He loves us no matter what. Romans 5:7-8 says, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That means that Jesus didn't wait for us to get it all right before He came and died for our sins. He looked at us, even in all of the messes we make, and said, "I love you so much. Let me clean you up." You don't have to be perfect - or even close - to come to Jesus. We can come in our brokenness, and He takes those pieces, fills in the gaps, and makes something totally new.
Now, this God who loves us no matter what also wants each of us to have a real relationship with Him. We're told that He wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He doesn't just love some of us. He loves all of us. And it's up to us to love Him back.
The last thing I want to share with you tonight is that, contrary to the cultural norm in America today, God's number one priority is not to make us happy, healthy, & financially prosperous. Rather, His first priority is to receive the glory and honor that is rightfully due Him. Isaiah 42:8 says that He gives His glory to no other, and Isaiah 43:7 says we are created for His glory. We aren't made to try to make the most money we can before we die, or to have the nicest house we can, or even to have the most well-behaved children we can, or to give the most shoes to the homeless. Those things (money, houses, well-behaved children, charity, etc.) are not bad things in and of themselves. But if that's our focus in life, rather than pointing everything we do back to the One who made us all, then we have sadly missed the mark.
There is so much more I want to tell you, but I'll save it for another post. For now, please give careful consideration to these points. Without these things, I'm convinced that the rest of our beliefs aren't really relevant.
Jesus, please use these words however you see fit. Your word to us in the Bible says you give wisdom and knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6), so I pray you will make your word clear to anyone who reads this so that they can see and understand even just a glimpse of who you really are. Thank you, Lord.
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