Power Struggles With Your Kids

I have one child, a six year old boy. He is every bit the spitting image of his mama both on the inside and out. That can be a bit of a problem sometimes.

     Lately we have been struggling a lot with him feeling like he needs to be in control. For example, he always wants to decide what we do during the day, where we go, what he wears in the morning, what he eats for breakfast and so on. Sometimes it is no big deal, but this morning he pitched a fit about every thing I asked him to do. His main objection lately is that he doesn't want to wear pants. It is fifty degrees outside and he wants to make sure he wears his shorts. He feels like he can move around better without the pants to hinder his mobility.
     While I agree with him and am thrilled that he is so athletic and gets plenty of exercise at school, I insist he wears pants if it is cold out. He doesn't want to and so he fusses.
At this point I feel like I have three options

1. Insist he wear the pants. When he later whines, insist again. Try ignoring, doesn't work
2. insist again.
3. Give in and let him wear the shorts because it's "not that big of a deal"

     Thankfully I have a few of Dr. Kevin Lehman's books in my arsenal and this morning after said power struggle, I decided to pull some ideas from his book, "Have a New Kid By Friday". I've read it before, but sometimes the information doesn't quite take hold and it's great to have a copy to refer back to!

     He said that when the child is refusing to do what you ask you have entered into a very dangerous power struggle where you have MUCH more to lose than your child. You can lose all power by letting the child win, or you could lose your temper and then you BOTH lose. 

     Dr. Lehman's advice is to let the child win the power struggle by not fighting it. I'm sure this doesn't apply to every situation, but I think it would apply to mine. The child will go on about their business thinking they have won the fight. Your job is to set up consequences for refusing to do what you asked and then sticking to them.

     So instead of fighting my son about wearing his pants, I would let him change into the shorts and go off to school happy as a lark. Then upon returning home from school he would learn that he was grounded for not listening. The important thing here would be to make sure I stick to the punishment. I have to make sure he knows that if he crosses the line, he can't get away with it. Mom is to be listened to, all day, every day. 

     This is my new strategy that I am going to try to apply. I am also planning on laying out his clothes before the week begins and working together to put outfits that we both agree on together in advance to avoid the morning struggle. I don't want to completely control his every move, but I don't want him to feel like he is in control either. 

Parenting is tricky. If you have power struggles with your kids or know how to avoid them, leave me a comment below! I'll be updating the blog if anything happens where I can test the new plan. I'm sure it will.

Colorful Thoughts

"Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread."

D.T. Niles

I feel burdened by this this morning. So therefore, I must share :)
It could be that I am slightly exhausted this morning because I'm down on sleep this week making me highly emotional, or it could be what I think it is- That God is leading me back to a place I've been before, a place of pain, so I can remember where I came from. Sometimes we get so far ahead, so healed, that we think we can stand on our own two, that we somehow got there by our own know-how. I don't think God wants me to get to a place where I am secure in any thing else except him. I think he wants me to break. He wants me to hunger so I can crave him and his love more and more. If I'm not craving, sometimes I'm not seeking. 

So here is a little bit of my brain, splashed on the screen for you to see. I'll even use color to make it just downright pretty! 

....................................................................................................................

When you hear me say that I'm a 

CHRISTIAN

Or see that I talk about 

GOD

PLEASE DON'T 

for a second

think that I think 

that I am better than you

That I am worthy

Or more moral

or just a better person

in general

because 

I DON'T

I despise my "habits"

The things I do

That no one knows

The things that are in my heart

That I want to squash

Just like 

Moses

Noah

Peter

These people from the bible

From the records that GOD gave us

They

were sinful

That's why the bible says there is none righteous

Not one

Even King David

A "man after Gods own heart"

as he is called

Committed adultery 

then had the husband of his lover killed

You see,

We Christians

aren't perfect

some may claim to be better

or demonstrate it by their actions 

that you are beneath them

and under gods judgement

which on one hand is true

but, we all are

You see, there is this thing called

Sin

evil

death.

It came into a once perfect world

created for us

We brought it actually

Man kind

Even though we were created intricately

Designed by a brilliant artist

we rebelled

as we so often do

and chose to do what we thought was right in our own eyes.

Ever

since

then

There has been separation

between us

and our creator

the giver of life and love

That is why we yearn for better

we feel incomplete

we seek satisfaction

we yearn for love

because at one time we were whole

now, only half

we wonder

where did it go?

We have all turned our backs

Chosen to live for ourselves

Not to acknowledge God

at one point or another

and he knows it

Our sin

Separates us

from God

How can dirty

filthy

sinners

be ONE

with a holy

pure 

God

?

but thankfully

God didn't want to keep us away

he knows we are broken without him 

and he wants 

what is 

best for us

To be 

BACK 

in a relationship

with him

that sustains

and gives us life

real life

not the stressed out

messed up

chock-full-of-nothing

life we think we want
.........................................................

Does that suprise you?

To know that God

the God

loves you?

Wants you?

Wants to be loved by 

you.

Not just Mother Theresa

Not just that Pastor from down the road

but little

old

you..

me too. 

God sent his son

to die in our place

to make atonement

basically a fine was due

sin racks up a hefty bill in our lives

we have to pay for the wrongs we commit 

every single day

except for that

 Jesus 

was the payment

God accepted the payment of Jesus' death in place of 

my

your

our

sin

now we are able to be reconnected 

to god

to be forgiven

by the holy one

.........................................................................

I'll confess

I'm broken

I sin

-do wrong

think evil thoughts

am selfish

a combination of all the bad things I do 

and have done

 make me a complete

and utter

mess.

The times I've been hurt in the past

rejected

When I STILL feel rejection

it can

Eat

me 

up

because my heart needs a love 

it needs something pure

don't all of our hearts yearn for that?

acceptance

mercy

grace

Thankfully

I've found

everything I need

In a relationship with Jesus

He came 

he saw

he conquered the power of sin to destroy me

he set me free

Because of what he did

I am alive again inside

He gives me a love that is never ending

and forgiveness no matter what I do

he gives me purpose

LIGHT in the dark

hope where there was none

and peace no matter what

Through his word

and love

I am made whole.

.............................................

So when I invite you to church

or talk about God

PLEASE 

don't see it as me trying to convert you

or make you feel guilty

Just know 

that what I've found

has healed my heart

and continues

to heal it 

more and more

Like the quote said

I am a beggar

who has found bread.

Chicken Drama- My Thoughts on the Chick-Fil-A Saga

Am I the only one who feels this has all gotten a bit out of hand?


It all started when Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy told a Baptist newspaper that his company operated on "biblical principles" and were supportive of the biblical definition of the family unit. What followed was a huge uproar from same-sex activists who saw Cathy's comments as hate speech filled with discrimination. 


I've watched as everyone has argued on social media, through blogs, Facebook, Twitter and even television news coverage. It's like a snowball rolling down the hill. First the comments were made, then there was the negative reaction to them, then people decided they wanted to boycott the restaurant with mayors of Chicago and Boston both openly saying that they didn't want any more of the popular chain popping up in their cities. Facebook groups were created called, "Support Chick-Fil-A", and then the real whopper came yesterday when I heard that there will also be a "Same Sex Kiss Day" where people will meet across the country and kiss a partner of the same sex on a Chick-Fil-A restaurant property. 


My thoughts are as follows..


Really?


First of all, what Cathy voiced was his viewpoint. The issue of gay marriage is just that, an issue or a topic. When a topic is discussed such as abortion, gun control, legalization of marijuana or anything else, people will have different viewpoints on the topic. 


What the gay community wants is tolerance, and I understand that, even though I don't support or agree with their position, I will tolerate it. I will not hate them, or say anything hateful about or to them because they have a human right to an opinion even though it may differ with my own. If asked to vote on said issue I would follow my opinions and make my choice based on what I believe. Part of being a respective part of society is that you respect each other's rights to individual opinions. 


I do think we should see the same courtesy for people who are on the other side of the issue as well. Where is the tolerance from the gay community? I'm a little confused as to how you can ask for tolerance, even demand it, but then refuse to give it. 


All this whole thing seems to have done to me is divide our country more. We are even more at each other's throats due to our differences of opinion. That is all we ever do as a country- disagree with one another and then claim that the disagreeing party is stupid, intolerant, prudish, close minded, or flat out wrong.


When did it become wrong to disagree? 


That is one of the things that makes life beautiful is that not everyone is just like you or me.  


Honestly, I don't even want to go out to the "Support Chick-Fil-A" day, because I just feel like that adds fuel to the fire. Hypes up the "us and them" mentality. That we have to go support on this day and we have to go attack for our rights on this day! All it does is divide us  as a people more and more.


I say have your opinions about Gay marriage. Take your stand. If questioned what you believe, feel free to tell. However, if someone doesn't agree with you, don't take up arms against them, instead respond with peace, compassion, and acceptance for them as a person. 


No one deserves to be rejected even if we don't agree with how they live their lives. 


What do you think?
Tell me about it in the comments below.. 

Atheists Don't Exist

"Functional Saviors Ain't Hip, They're a Real Waste" - Trip Lee


When I first heard that line in Trip Lee's song "New Dreams", I understood it, but not fully. Then I watched some of Tim Keller teaching about Idols. He referenced a commencement speech that an atheist had given. During the speech, the man said that there really is no such thing as an atheist (this really upset the atheist community!!), that we all serve some sort of God. Whether we choose to acknowledge a divine creator or not, we all wake up every day and worship something.

Take a minute and think of what you worship in your life. What is your God? What is the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning? When you succeed in it, you feel accomplished. When you fail in it, you feel devastated, and feel like you have no meaning. What thing in your life, if lost, would completely devastate you, and erase all meaning from your life?

It could be your children, your spouse, your career, the pursuit of success or fame. It could really be anything. Your parents approval, having material wealth, and the list goes on and on. All of these things are idols. They are "functional saviors". Things we give our hearts over to and beg them to fill us. We look for meaning in these things that weren't designed to give us meaning. The only problem with these functional saviors is that they never actually save us! If we are looking for our husband to save us, he may for a little while. He may make us feel loved and accepted for a short amount of time, but what if he leaves you for a younger woman? Your whole world would be over because your savior had just deemed you unworthy of love and affection and you would probably agree with him. What if you put your hope in gaining success? "If I just get promoted, I'll finally be loved and accepted.When I'm the boss, I'll feel like I'm worth something!"


What if that never happens? What then? Will you live your whole life feeling unworthy?

There is only one savior

one thing

that can make you whole.

I'm not talking about religion. There are numerous religions that will try to convince you to join them then leave you feeling worse than before because you aren't as righteous as they think you should be. All major religions put an emphasis on living a moral life, living a life of good works, THEN you will be rewarded by their god's favor.

Only one god

one savior

says, I'll take you, just as you are.

Just as you are you are worthy, lovely, and wonderful, because I said so.

One god, thought you were worth it to send his son to live a human life and die a human death on a cross for you. We are all hopeless without a savior. We will find something to save us, even if it is the wrong thing. However, if we use these "functional saviors", we eventually find ourselves empty again.

Let me give you an example of some of the functional saviors I've tried to use in my life.

Drugs

Love (Men)

Career

All may give you a temporary good feeling, but they just can't fill you. No matter how great they are, they just won't last forever..

Except the savior on the cross.

You see the cross means everything to a christian. It's more than just a charm to wear around your neck and if you don't get it, then you don't get God.

Jesus came to show us God. To show how he really feels about us. He doesn't see us how we see ourselves. He sees us as his dearly loved children, if only we would believe him and turn from our sins. The sins that hurt us and leave us wounded. He wants us to leave those, trust him, and believe what he says about us in his word. That we are accepted, loved, and destined for more. He payed the ultimate price so you could live the ultimate life and be his forever. Never to have your heart hurt by a functional savior again.

He's in the business of healing hearts and changing lives.

Doubting Thomas- Doubting Me

John 20 (NLT)


The Resurrection
20 Early on Sunday morning,[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 That Sunday evening[b] the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

I have always loved this story because I can relate to it.

 In so many places, The Bible describes situations that perfectly mirror our lives today. Take the disciples for example; ordinary men from humble beginnings who desired more. They risked everything to follow the one they believed in. This Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah, he was different than anyone else they had ever met. He sent demons out of people who were possessed, he loved the unlovable and even gave sight to the blind. Think how difficult it must have been to see their master, teacher, messiah hanging on a cross? someone they had talked with and walked with; Their saving grace; Their hope- defeated by evil and hanging on a cross; or so they thought. It took faith to be Jesus' disciple and it took an enormous amount of faith to believe Mary's claims that she had seen the risen Jesus Christ. Faith. recurring theme over and over. We miss it in todays day and age. Sin and its effects on our world have made us hopeless cynics who don't see faith as an essential ingredient to life. We have faith, but in all the wrong things. Lets read the scripture.


Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),[c] was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”



Other people are telling Thomas, "We've seen him, He is alive!!" Look at Thomas's response, "Unless I see the nail wounds in his hands." Unless I see, unless I touch. 

Is there faith there? I don't see it. 

That's how a lot of us live our lives. Only if I see God, only if I can touch God will I believe. We don't realize that he has been touching us all along. The light of Jesus, new life, freedom from sin and darkness(you know darkness- the pain, rejection, hopelessness that creeps in), it has been accessible to us all along through The Bible- God's word. To go from walking in darkness, (insecurity, doubt, feelings of low self worth, hopelessness) to walking in light (freedom knowing you are God's child and are made right with him, not through your good deeds, but simply because you believe in Jesus's death and resurrection as a gift) is ready and available to anyone who has FAITH. 

I like how the passage ends. Throughout the bible it is hammered home, have faith, have faith, you must have faith. It's impossible to please God without faith, faith, faith, and more faith. Never does it say, God will show himself to you in a physical form and then you will know him. Nor does it say you will ask God to poof in front of you and then he will. There is something to the concept of believing in what you can not see that gives you the blessing of Jesus. It's like he knew that there would come a time when people would not see him. They would still need to believe. Why would he have said that in verse 29 if he didn't know that a time would come when we would need faith.

The time is now and what we need is faith. Faith that there is a God and faith that the bible is his word, is truth, and is the only way to a real peace and happiness that won't let us down. There are numerous reasons to believe and have faith. Don't be a cynic or a "Doubting Thomas" and miss out on what a faith in Jesus has to offer you. It's worth it to explore.

I Know He Watches Me

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel lonely?
And long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion.
A constant friend is he
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches over me

His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free

His eye is on the sparrow
And I know
he watches me.

As I grow in my knowledge and relationship with Jesus, these words ring ever more true. The only hope for my soul and my heart is found in Jesus.

His word speaks truth and love into a world where there is darkness and pain. Why should I feel discouraged? Why should I weep and feel disheartened when tough times come? Jesus is my portion; my daily bread. A constant friend who loves at all times, heals, restores, forgives, comforts and guides is he. If he watches even the birds, how much more will he watch over me?

I'm so thankful for THE TRUTH of God's word.

50 years

I just had a really neat experience and, it being too long for a status update or a tweet, I figured I would blog it. That makes two blogs in one day! Which means I am on a roll, right?


Anyways,

The church where I work has two members that are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend. The husband asked me to come look at something in the room where they were setting up. As I went to check some stain on the carpet, my eyes were distracted by some old photos. I saw two young people holding hands, looking very different from their current grey-haired selves.


I took a few minutes and took in how special it was.


Then I was led into another room. After inspecting said stain on the carpet, the husband showed me some even older photographs on a table, set up for everyone to see. They were pictures of his parents and her parents, each taken on their 50th wedding anniversary. One picture was even of his parents' parents at their 50th wedding anniversary. "Wow", is what I was thinking. What a legacy to leave behind for your children. The legacy of hard work, sacrifice, and never giving up on a person you love.

As I walked out and went back to my area of the church to finish working, I was brought to tears. Here I am, this young wife, barely even an adult, struggling with the thought of if my marriage will make it to 50 years or not. It is incredibly hard to stay committed to someone when things don't always go your way. Getting married at a young age has taught me so much, but it has put me through a lot also. My husband and I are both committed to staying together, but that doesn't mean there isn't the occasional painful bump.

I just was taken aback and wondered, what kind of people are we these days? Are we still the kind of people who stay committed? Are we the kind who surrender themselves and love selflessly? Can we, can I do that? Marriage is the craziest thing in the world. Telling yourself that regardless of how you feel, you will pursue another's best interest at all cost. Sometimes, it totally goes against the grain. Living for yourself is easy.

Lately I've been looking for purpose. I realized today that even when I feel like I'm a little unsure of what I will do with this life I live I can be certain of a few things.


A. I will live it with and for Jesus Christ.

B. I will strive and seek to be more like him.

C. I will do whatever it takes to see that my son can look back at those pictures and say,

yeah, dad went through a rough patch, or mom sure was crazy.. but look at how they turned out.


Maybe we are just an unfinished book; a painting that has just begun. An artist doesn't throw down his brush after a few strokes if the masterpiece hasn't come together just right. He works on it. Everything beautiful takes time to create.


The actions we make today set us up for our future and the futures of our children. Depending on what you do, you could set your self up for a fifty year anniversary, or a fifty year life sentence to prison. What kind of legacy will we leave? What pictures for our children to see?

The Me I Am VS. the Me I Want to Be

Has anyone else ever felt this way?

Like, there is a you that you want to be, but you aren't that person just yet.

Even Paul said in the bible, Romans 7:15, "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." (NLT).

This is a problem that has been around for ages. Lately, I've noticed it an uncomfortable amount in my life. There are things that I want to do and goals I want to achieve, but all of that gives way to my emotions. There truly is a war that rages for our minds. If you let your emotions(which shift and change like the winds blow) control you, you will get rocked around a lot.

This has been something God has been teaching me recently. Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I am emotional (bordering on extremely emotional- I like to call it, "big-heart syndrome"), but I have to be more. I have to take charge- to lead my heart and mind to still waters, and not let them be rocked by whatever happens in my day to day life.

That is why Jesus gave the parable of the man who built his house on solid rock vs. the man who built a house on sand.

Check out Matthew 7:24(NLT)

Building on a Solid Foundation
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

My translation..

Anyone who hears or reads the word of God and accepts it as truth will have the strength to make it through any trial. When hard times come or they have a horrible day, they will not lose hope, because their hope is not in their earthly circumstances, but in God alone.

It really is a daily fight.

Each day, I have to tell myself I believe in God and his promises. Building my life on those promises takes faith. When my emotions start to rock the ship of my mental well being, I just remind myself who is in control of all things. That's why it's important to memorize scripture, so that when you feel that urge to dive into the sea of self-pity, you can combat that with truth from the bible. That you are made for more. You have a purpose beyond what you can think or imagine.

I also realize that I have to cut myself some slack. There is "no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ"(Romans 8:1). So as I'm on the path to becoming the me I want to be, I have to be patient with myself; I'm only human. I'm trusting that God is using everything I'm going through right now to teach me something and draw me closer to him. I spend time every day trying to get closer to God, to learn more about him, and to follow him more diligently. Creating a deeper and more passionate relationship and giving me more and more motivation to try to spread his love and hope to anyone who needs it.

Calm the Storm

Matthew 8:23-27

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then he(Jesus) got into the boat and his disciples followed him.24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
This passage made me realize something this morning as I read it, and I just wanted to share it.

The boat is like my life. I play the role of a disciple, probably Thomas, because I am such a stinkin' skeptic. I'm in it and I know Jesus is with me; the Son of God; God in the flesh. I'm going through a storm and I'm freaking out. I literally sometimes feel like I am going to drown. Jesus (being wiser than I) knows that everything is going to be okay because he knows that we are in the care of our capable heavenly father. I scream out to him, "Jesus! HELLLOOOOOO! What is going on here? I'm dying here! Where are you?"

I think it's interesting that it says Jesus was sleeping. There is literally a tempest going on right next to him, but he is content enough to sleep. We are supposed to live like Jesus and are fully enabled to do so when we accept him into our lives. What an example of faith! To be able to basically sit back, and relax, knowing that we are in the care of a God who made the oceans and can certainly calm them.

He says gently and calmly, "Oh, you of little faith, didn't you know that I was with you the whole time? Don't you know that since I'm with you, everything will all be fine? Why don't you trust me? Why don't you trust me to take care of you no matter how grim the situation looks? Where is your faith in me?"

I know Jesus is with me and he is my helper. I know that I shouldn't worry because God has a master plan for everything and that even the hard times are here for a reason. I know there is beauty and purpose even in the ugliest and stickiest situations. I think it shows how little we trust Jesus when we panic through our trials. He can calm the storm either internally or externally with the flick of his wrist. He is more powerful than any force we can encounter and his word can calm even the toughest internal storm if we take the time to read it and build our lives on it.

I want to frame this scripture passage and hang it on my wall, so that when I go through what I would call a "storm", I will remember that Jesus is with me and will calm it for me if I just have faith in him and trust that he is with me so everything is okay.

What Matters?

What matters the most at the end of the day? The question crossed my mind.

Is it the money I've earned as a result of hard work,

is it the career I've tried so hard to find? Is it whether or not I've got a fat bank account? A car? A nice house? Is it whether I'm successful, popular, liked by all, or famous?

What matters? To me...

Seeing the silliness in the kid's faces and knowing that I can be a mom and sister that allows them to be free and encourages them to be goofs. Helping them know that they are great and worthy of love just as the are. Knowing that I can change who they become by how I treat them.

 Enjoying the simple things like watermelon in the sun on a beach day. Teaching my son to stop and smell the roses.

 Playing. Never being too busy, tired or stressed to take time to play and engage with the people I love. Enjoying every second and living in the moment despite circumstances. That is being free!

Loving the people that God placed in my path with all that I can. Always being willing to give to build them up.

 Being a friend to all. Even when we don't look, feel, or act the same. 

Being a family, even when we don't look or feel perfect. Loving each other in spite of our differences. Not holding each other to preconceived standards that the other can't meet. Just living together and loving, no matter what comes.

Seeing the beauty and wonder in a child's eyes and doing everything I can to feel the same way about life as they do. Realizing that I am God's child and that he delights in me the way the little ones I have delight in my presence. Seeing the beauty in everything. Not having a doom and gloom perspective, but seeing where I can act to make the world better and loving the beauty God put into it.

Making time for family and loving them regardless of time, space, or distance. Being who you are and not trying to be someone else.

 Knowing the God who made you. Spending time with him. Knowing that he wants a relationship with you and partaking in it. Not giving him your leftovers, but giving him all of you. Passionately knowing, loving, and experiencing God and serving in his kingdom

Being who you are and loving others the way they are.

Knowing how totally awesome you are. Regardless of where you came from and what you've done. There is forgiveness and a fresh start in Jesus. You are awesome just as you are because you've been made in the image of an awesome God. Be your own biggest fan, stop doubting yourself and putting yourself down, and know that you are one bad mama jamma.

Taking time to marvel at the world God made. Realize how intricate and complex the world we live in is and know that it's not by accident. Then.. just gaze in amazement.

Being brave! Doing what you never thought possible because you stepped out in faith and tried!

"Forget the fear it's just a crutch that tries to hold you back and turn your dreams to dust."

-Fireflight, from the song "Unbreakable"

Exploring and trying new things! Even when you feel unprepared!

Being silly! 

Remembering the good times you have together with family and friends, and remembering just how you felt when you look at a picture. 

Being proud of yourself when you accomplish something. 

Knowing where to go for wisdom and knowing where your help comes from!

Laughing and making other's laugh. 

(working out and letting your leg hair grow for three months to take this pic ;) )

These are not the only things that matter in life, but just a few things that are important and special to me that I wanted to take some time to highlight. 

I hope you can relate/ benefit from my thoughts :)