{what's in a name}

April 21, 2014

I have always loved names.

I've made lists for as long as I can remember of what names I would give to my children.

Nomi. 

{I was a young teenager trying desperately to avoid fitting into a mold.}

My second son was named Saylor for about two weeks when he lived in my uterus.

Ultimately, I ended up with 

Karli Blayne 

{She's named after my godfather.}

Drake William Elie 

{ He's named after Freddie's 2 grandfathers.}

Brant James Lee 

{ He's named after Freddie Thomas James and Freddie's parents- both who have Lee as a middle name.}

Aubree AnnaLynn

{She's named after my grandmother and my godmother.}

Their names are very significant to me.

Their first names are names that I liked. 

Names that settled into a place within me that just felt right.

I have always taught my children to treat their names with respect.

Especially their family name.

My boys need to be certain that they give that name to the right girl.

Their names are significant and special and important.

When their name is spoken, a thought will be come to mind.

It is important to make sure that those thoughts are honorable.

Maybe, they will do so much with their life here on earth 

that their names will live on like many others before them.

Abraham Lincoln.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mother Theresa

Moses

Jesus.

But what if they don't?

Will their name fade away into history, 

etched only onto a headstone never to be spoken again?

I believe that no matter how long their names, 

or mine,

is spoken of here on earth

it will never sound as sweet or mean so much 

as when our name is called in Heaven!

I will hear Jesus present me to His Father one day by my name.

What about you?

"Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels." Revelation 3:5

{time marches on}

March 26, 2014

I sit here.
One week before teenager #2 joins our family.
How did I get here?

He asked me last night,
"Mom, on a scale from 1-10, how attractive am I?"
I look at him in a different light.
The boy { MY boy} becoming man, too fast.
Pure perfection..
In this moment my heart smiles at the rare memory I have of him as a "baby".
His dirty blonde hair and big, brown, curious eyes.
I remember always thinking how gorgeous he is.

the TORTURE of having an older sister

I don't know why, but I cannot recall very much of him as a baby.
I remember once, breastfeeding Brant-
I think that kid was constantly hooked up to the milk jugs-
Anyway, I was hooked up to the baby and I turned to my right
and there was my little, two year old Drake sitting on the floor
about ten feet from the rocker I was in
moving his hands to his mouth holding the BIGGEST butcher knife I had in my house.
Needless to say, Brant was very rudely and abruptly ripped from his feeding post and
all but thrown to the floor as I darted to rescue the inevitable disaster that was about to ensue.

Another memory I have of baby Drake is when, once again, I was feeding Brant
and I could hear Drake down the hallway in his bathroom.
Curious, I managed to finish the meal and sneak in to see what was going on.
My little boy was in the toilet with nothing on but his diaper
having a fun little "bath" with the baby soap.
It's one of my favorite stories to tell.

One other time, I must have made Drake really mad because
he ran away from home to my mom's next door.
Poor little boy.
Once he realized what he had done and that he actually had to return home
he started to panic.
He didn't want to come home to certain discipline,
but he knew he couldn't stay at Grammie's forever.
Let's just say this was definitely one time that his amazing good looks came in handy.

"9.9", I tell him.
And he smiles.
Satisfied with the result.

I whisper a prayer that he will always believe me.
I pray that God always lets Drake's ears hear His truth about who he is.
I never want his heart to be confused with any message that the world might feed him
that would contradict the Word of God.
I want my son to walk in confidence and the knowledge that he is SO loved!

Time is constant.
It is not slow.
I knew this day would come.
And I knew it would come quickly.
I am grateful that I have been blessed to be present in so many of the moments
that make up the years.

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16

{reality check from a six year old}

February 19, 2014

I'm driving home from dancing.
The dancing class where I wait 3 hours for my girls to both finish.
Two of the three hours I sit with an antsy and energetic 6 year old.
Okay. Driving.
From the back seat I hear Karli yelling at correcting Aubree about how
"if it wasn't already broken it certainly is now";
referring to the DVD player.
Freddie recently ordered two DVD player head rests for my van.
They're very nice. It made our vacation car ride much more bearable.
I've been enthusiastically telling Aubree for a few months now to leave the DVD player
and DVD's alone because she broke the last one by kicking it with her feet.
Furthermore, I don't think there is one single DVD,
including the ones they just got for CHRISTmas,
that is not scratched from improper care.
So, hearing the skirmish from the backseat,
I offer a few loud words towards Aubree about the matter.
Then I find out that the DVD player that Karli was talking about
was the one that we have already established is broken.
It was in the seat back pocket.
God only knows why I haven't thrown it away yet.
Okay. Fine.
Now, here's where I'm going with all of this:
Aubree then, full on whimpering for the most effect, proceeds to inform me that
"you need to say sorry, Mom, because you really hurt my feelings!"
And so, I did.
I have {we all do} taught my children to offer apologies when they hurt someone else
or when they do something wrong.

Why do we not treat each other the way we expect our children to?
When we say something that is un-thoughtful, rude, or unkind to someone
why do we not just apologize for hurting them?
We all make mistakes.
I know that I tend to react poorly when I'm stressed, tired, or grumpy.
There have been many times where I have said something thinking it was going to be funny
and it turned out to really hurt someone's feelings.
We need to just say sorry.
It goes such a long way in preserving relationships.
Don't let pride stop you.
That's just Satan wanting to divide us so that we are weaker.
Take a stand and commit to take care of your friendships.
Make them important enough to put your self aside
and tend to the heart of those you care about.

"As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt." 1Samuel 18:1-4

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

{it's raining, it's pouring}

February 4, 2014

{LOVE}.
It's where I've purposed to live this year.
But the funny thing is, God is full of surprises.
I thought that I was going to be the only one exercising my heart.
And then, He sends the showers to drench me, violently and swiftly~
everywhere I turn it's thundering and lightening with those who rain {LOVE}.
What a blessing it is to know that I am {LOVEd} by the Creator.

Sometimes it's hardest to {love} yourself.
Or to let yourself be {loved}.
I'm learning that it may be one of the most important parts of being able to {love} others well.

I find myself in a season that I don't particularly want to be in.
It's a hassle.
A change.
An awakening.
And as soon as I reach out for help, just the tiniest bit,
I've got an army of girls, armed to the teeth,
standing at attention, ready to go to the Throne on my behalf.
They empty their hearts of {love} all over me.

This is a lesson.
I must mark it down in red and underline it.
Even the smallest gesture I can give in {love}~
Like an encouraging word,
Or an earnest prayer~
Can make such an impact and help to lighten the load of the weary.
{love}
It's that simple.
Who would've thought that this journey would begin with me receiving what I've set out to give?

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." 1John 4:16-19

{love} on purpose

January 28, 2104

So, in my last post, several weeks ago, I promised to reveal my new

"Word of the Year".

{love}

Seems simple.

We all have the instinct to love.

I love my kids~ fiercely.

I love my husband~ passionately.

I love my parents, family, & friends~ faithfully.

But I don't always {love} well.

It's very easy to {love} my kids when they are being nice to each other.

How can I not {love} my husband when he pays me a much needed compliment?

I {love} the lovable.

It's in the shadows of a cranky mood or selfish intentions

that I am challenged and tested to push through in {love}.

I want to begin to {love} on purpose.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

We are COMMANDED to {love}.

To {love} God. To {love} everyone else. To {love} ourselves.

Not just a little.

We are to {love} with ALL that we are and ALL that we have.

No other commandment is greater!

How do I {love} God?

Sometimes it's like a comfortable relationship; the {love} is always there,

but the passion may be on simmer.

Other times I feel like I can't even come up with the words to express how intense my feelings of {love} are for Him.

In reality, if I am to {love} on purpose, it must start with my {love} affair with Jesus.

He is the only example of true, real, pure {love}.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

Romans 5:8

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." 

John 15:13

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." 

1Peter 3:18

The Bible is full of examples of how Jesus loved those that were deemed unlovable.

He lived {love} on purpose!

That's what I want.

I want it to flow through me, naturally.

I am so not there. 

It's actually scary to think that this is how I am going to focus myself this year.

I cannot do this on my own will power.

I must rely on the strength that comes from Christ alone.

{resolve}

January 8, 2014

Happy New Year!

November called for Thankfulness.

December called for Giving.

January calls for Resolutions.

Have you jumped on that bandwagon and

made a list of things that you want to accomplish

just to realize that in a few short weeks 

you'll be slapped in the face with the reality

that you may have been just a tad too ambitious?

You'll find that you're in way over your head

and you'll abandon The List 

and promptly begin beating yourself up

because you're a failure.

I'm all for growth, progress, & change.

But I also know that I am human.

Don't fall into the trap of setting yourself up for disappointment.

Am I saying that you shouldn't try to lose those few extra pounds that found you last year

or try to shake off that character flaw that you're not happy with?

No. Not at all.

I'm saying that you should go about it in a different way.

Here's what I'm trying to say...

I totally believe that God has sent the Holy Spirit to us~

To guide us and speak to us.

It's not magic, and it's not out of reach. 

It's not something that only happens for other people.

God will totally meet us where we are and give us all that we need.

We just need to listen.

I have discovered that God wants us to accomplish things in a certain order.

We may not be ready for some things before others.

For the past several years, 

as I have made a conscious effort to grow closer to God,

I have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit within me 

telling me where I need to focus my energy.

I've dedicated each "new year" with a WORD 

that I've been given to purpose toward.

Growth. Service. Faith. 

Whatever your word is, you should write it down~ 

somewhere, anywhere, everywhere!

And then begin to seek out God's will in your life through prayer.

{I've learned that when I am sincere in lining myself up with the will of God, my prayer life bears more fruit. It's one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced.} 

Make yourself available to opportunities that stretch you in that area.

Educate yourself on what the Bible says about it.

Exercise it. 

And pretty soon, you'll find out that 

you've wandered into a space you've wanted to be all along.

Everything starts falling beautifully into place.

Those challenges start to become smaller 

and you can more easily discern & conquer what doesn't belong in your life.

Success!

Then, without fail, you'll hear another whisper.

Oh, the places you can go!

It's a precious journey and the thing is, instead of getting weary,

each "new year" finds you eager for new challenges.

And it's because you fall into God and let Him carry you where He leads.

Stay tuned...

I'll tell you about my new WORD soon.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

{thankful heart 17}

November 17, 2013

I am thankful for a husband who loves me- warts and all. {no, I don't have actual warts, it's purely figurative, but if I did have actual warts, he'd still love me} He works very hard to provide for us. He is unselfish and he is funny. He is pretty hot, too! {sorry kids} Thank you, Lord, for giving me a mind to rhyme and two hype feet such a wonderful man to share my life with.

{thankful heart 12}

November 12, 2013

Today I am thankful for FORGIVENESS. Life looks so much prettier in a blog post, however, I am going to be honest with you. My life is not always pretty. I would love to say that I am always a good example of Christ to my children. But I am not. I lose it. I scream. Sometimes, I just cannot hold it together. And then, I hate myself. Because that's not at all how I WANT to behave. But, there is always forgiveness.  Thank you, Jesus, that I don't have to rely upon my own devices to get through a lifetime in this world. I can be at peace knowing that my shameful heart can be wiped clean with Your blood. I just need to ask and You remember it no more. 

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," Ephesians 1:7

{thankful heart 10}

November 10, 2013

I am thankful to be part of such a wonderful church family. I have made so many friends that I have really grown to care about. I love having a place to offer worship with a body of believers who love God like I do. My spirit is fed there & there are many areas where I am able to offer my resources to others- from working on the MAPS team, to small groups, to mission opportunities. In a congregation that runs about 3000 people per weekend, I still feel like my church cares about me and my family and they have gone out of their way to love on us when we have needed it. Thank you, Lord for sending me to this church that I call home.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1Thessalonians 5:11

{thankful heart 2}

November 2, 2013

I am thankful for Karli Blayne Calverette. She is an amazing child. She is so responsible and trustworthy. She helps me so much in running our household. I can count on her to babysit when I need to be away. I could not do all that I do without her. 

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

{thankful heart}

November 1, 2013

I don't know what it is, exactly,
but I have been very moist-eyed lately.
Tears will appear at the slightest little thought.
Or commercial.
It's probably hormones.

I'd like to think that it's because I am
settling into this place.
The one where I am more confident
and clueless.
The one where I am exhausted
but fueled to give more.
The place where old friends used to be
and new ones are filling in.
I'm learning to stick up for myself
and that I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

I like it.
This place.
It's new, and scary, and exciting.
I find myself humbled and thankful.
And here begins another challenge.
You know exactly what I'm going to say.
It seems like November requires us to become aware of our blessings.
And honestly, I am very grateful every single day!
I just don't always write it down.
I speak it.
But words can vanish in to memory.
So this is where I etch the song of my heart into forever.

I am thankful for a Savior who died for someone, for me, for you, that was not worthy of the sacrifice. We don't deserve one drop of His blood. His love for us is so great that He suffered in the hopes that we would one day love Him back. I am grateful for so much more than my mind can even comprehend in the Love of Jesus Christ. 

"We love because he first loved us." 1John 4:19

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8

31 Days {day 24 & day 25}

October 25, 2013

Lucky us.
Another two for one!
Listen y'all, I've got a crazy busy weekend so please forgive my skipping.
Just a warning, it's GOING to happen again.
REALLY soon.

{day 24}

what is your most & least favorite things about parenthood

My least favorite thing about parenthood is disciplining my children.

It just stinks, especially when the lessons are hard.

I never want to be the "bad guy", even though I know that in reality I'm not.

My favorite thing about parenthood is everything else.

I love the snuggly moments, 

the belly laughs, 

seeing them grow into themselves, 

kisses & cuddles, 

seeing them learn,

the feeling that I have when they show me they love me & trust me.

I love being a parent!

{day 25}

if you could have dinner with anyone in history who would it be and what would you eat?

What an honor would it be to have dinner with Jesus? Just to be in the presence of the Messiah would be enough to take my breath away. And if I could actually eat, we would eat Bread & Wine.

"And while they were eating, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.'" Luke 22:26-29

31 Days {day 16}

October 16, 2013

what are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

1. Okay. If you know me, you know I am going to say my kids. I am so proud of each of them. They are smart, and beautiful, and compassionate {most of the time}. It was not an easy feat to have children at first. There were several years of infertility. Countless doctor visits, money spent, injections, and graphic invasions of my {uh um} privacy. I cannot tell you how many prayers were prayed or tears were shed. I begged & pleaded with God. And if I had to do it all over again? I would go to the ends of the earth to get the four children I have now. The exact ones. There is nothing about any one of them that I would want to change.
2. I had a rough social experience in school. Some days were pretty good. But when they were bad, they were really bad. In all fairness, I wasn't the only one who had this experience in my school. It was common and we all took our turns being the outcast. Nonetheless, my self-esteem suffered greatly. In part due to the brutality of my school life but I was also terribly abused at home. Some would say that I did not have a fighting chance to walk away from my youth unscathed. But I did! Okay. There are scars that remain. But I wear them as reminders of what I overcame. 
3. I have been faithfully married to one man for over 21 years. Listen y'all- this is BIG!
4. I managed to withstand labor and childbirth four times without the aid of any pain medication at all!
5. None of these things would be possible if not for one thing- my greatest accomplishment of all. I gave my heart and life over to God several years ago. He is why I have children. He is why I made it out of childhood alive. He is the whisper that was always deep inside that knew I was lovable when no one else did. He is how my marriage has withstood the testings of this life. All glory to Him, it is not I but He who lives in me.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

31 Days {day 14}

October 14, 2013

describe 5 strengths & weaknesses you have

1. I am a very organized person {strength} and I do not function well in disorganization and chaos {weakness}.
2. I am very punctual {strength} and I cannot stand to be late {weakness}. This has also rubbed off onto my kids.
3. I am a really good friend- I am loyal, honest, considerate, & helpful {strength} and I expect the same from my friends in return {weakness}. 
4. I am told that I often appear to be a confident person {strength} but it's not necessarily always true {weakness}. I have a sensitive heart.
5. I love God with all my heart and soul and work hard everyday to reflect the love of Jesus {strength} but I don't always do such a good job and fail more often than I care to admit {weakness}.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Matthew 22:37

31 Days {day 13}

October 13, 2013

what's the hardest part of growing up?

This may come as a shock, but, I do remember being a kid.

It really wasn't all that long ago.

Okay. Who am I kidding?

It was a long time ago, but I still remember it.

I had a hard childhood.

I was somehow able to get through the war 

and the scars have healed rather nicely- all things considered.

My childhood looks very different from my kids'.

Even so, growing up can be difficult.

One of the hardest parts, I think, is learning who you really are.

It's one of the most difficult and arguably the most important.

We live in a world that tells us that we need to be skinny,

and tall, and academically superior.

We must be better at everything than everyone else.

But the truth is, we are not all meant to be skinny, or tall.

Some of us struggle to learn and some of us have two left feet.

It is important to realize that we were not all meant to excel in everything.

We were made with a purpose in mind by a perfect Creator.

We are important to Him.

Each one of our hairs are numbered- Matthew 10:29-31

When you're a kid, what everyone else thinks of you is so important.

Heck, some of us adults struggle with that, too.

As you get older, you learn by the school of hard knocks, 

that everyone else is not the authority in just who you should be, 

nor are they as {uh um} knowledgeable as you may have once believed.

It's important to search your deepest parts to figure out what you're good at.

You need to find your passion- what gets you excited and gives you energy.

And probably most importantly, you need to discover for yourself who God says you are,

and then, you need to believe it.

Don't compare yourself to anyone else.

You are a unique creation of your Father, the Most High King.

That makes you royalty!

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:9-11

{love note}

August 26, 2013

From time to time
life gets the better of us.
We get overwhelmed with commitments
and responsibilities.
Things get pushed and shoved into
the corner marked for later.
The dirt piles up.
And it's sloppy and messy.
Seems like it's useless,
except to remind us of our shortcomings.
But, God loves us through it all
and He can {and does} use every
situation to show us His love for us.
He is with us and will not leave us.
And when we need to be reminded,
He will scribble a love note in the dirt.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 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." Romans 5:6-8

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-" Ephesians 2:4-5

{everything in its own time}

August 21, 2013

It's amazing how quickly summer fun in the sun can turn into
a longing deep within me to start nestling into cozy fall days.
Summer is our Go Time.
We turn on the after burners and just fly.
And before I realize that we've gotten our fill of the carefree life,
I get that warm burn in the pit of my stomach
begging me to slow down,
settle down,
hunker down,
gather the little chicks around me,
and start preparing our nest for something deeper.

Yes, we make plenty of happy memories during the summer.
But, fall is for regrouping.
It's when we focus less on our physical selves
and turn our intentions on feeding the bond of our hearts.
A re-connection at a more spiritual level.
It's time for memories that are more of being than of doing.

We've had a great summer,
topped off with a much needed FAMILY vacation.
It was amazing and no one was ready to come home.
We played hard this summer.
And it was certainly one worthy of being remembered.

But, now, as the temperatures hint at the possibility of slowly
dropping over the coming months,
I welcome the change.

"What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God." Ecclesiastes 3:9-13

{now}

August 1, 2013

Summer is in full effect.
It's HOT in this little corner of the world.

But it's not slowed us down.

Football season is here! Drake practices 4 days a week.

Brant will soon begin his football season as well.

This season has caused some minor health issues for Aubree that have slowed her down just a little.

  I am totally enjoying this season where she is still sleeping in our bed in her Bob & Larry socks..

Karli has entered a new season with NO MORE BRACES!

This is football season, 

and summer dance workshops season. 

It's asthma season

and a photo shoot to celebrate no more braces season.

It's family vacation season.

And let's enjoy the last few weeks of no school season.

For everything there is a season.

Things break-

like the a/c in the automobile,

or the clothes dryer,

or your heart 

or his spirit

or her will.

But just like there is a time to tear down

don't forget that there will be a time to build up

and repair what's been broken.

There will be a season of rest

and blessing.

Life is a constant cycle of change.

Plenty and want.

Ease and difficulty.

Comfort and pain.

It all serves a higher purpose.

So be present in your season.

Seek God in thankfulness and worship,

Guidance and wisdom.

Trusting always in the bigger picture,

though it's not always visible with the human eye.

Right now, my kids are in a season of

learning to value each other.

I am trying to instill a priority of kind spirits towards

each other at all times.

The lesson is hard learned

but well worth it in the end.

I am in a season of trusting myself.

Learning that I am enough.

Trying to apply wisdom in every area of my life.

What season are you in?

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

{better than all the rest?}

July 10, 2013

I've kind of been struggling {maybe that's too harsh of a word}~
I've been feeling pangs of....
No, that's not it.
I've been bothered by feelings of judgement.
Not necessarily directed towards me.
Judgement of others by CHRISTIANS.
And God has been showing me some things.
So, here's what...

I guess it's easy to think that something or someone who is
not like us,
Or even opposite of what we are,
Is not normal or perhaps even out and out wrong for that matter.
But you know what.
We are all different for a reason.
God made us that way.
We don't need any other explanation or justification.
We are, each one of us, beautifully flawed.
On purpose.
By a Holy Creator who wants to show
His perfect LOVE for us through
our weakness and imperfection
as a means to show just how holy and perfect He is.
The end.

As Christians, we tend to get pious & sanctimonious.
We are better than everyone else.
We do this and we are careful to refrain from that.
The this's & that's which have been defined by religion.
Last time I checked,
religion is a moral code created by {flawed} man.

Religion can be beneficial.
I will not say that it's evil or completely wrong.
I gain much from my religious affiliation.
You just have to be careful with it.
Every religion has it's own set of rules~
It's very own this's & that's.
Religion is not the final word.
The final word is The Bible.

Listen, if God intended for us to follow the rules to get to Heaven
{and isn't that the goal of life, anyway? To get to Heaven?}
He would have not needed to send Jesus Christ to hang on that tree.
Period.

So, the good news is...
We are all saved by grace.
Not because we follow the rules or not.
Yes, there is certainly a moral code we should all live by~
As Christians and as humans, too.
But just because I do something you think it best not to do
Or maybe I refrain from things that you see are important,
It does not mean that you are the better Christian.
It just simply means that we are in different places in our walk with Christ.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

We are called to hate the sin and love the sinner.
So let's all be careful and try to judge less & love more.

If I have made you feel inferior to me.
Ever.
If I have done things or said things that hurt you
or made you feel like you are less of a Christian
{or human} than I am,
PLEASE
accept this as my sincere apology.
My intention is not to make anyone feel badly about themselves.
We are all trying our very best to get through this life.
None of us walk the same path,
Or carry the same burdens,
Nor are we equally equipped.
{With the exception of accessibility to God our Father}

Instead of gossiping {which is a sin} about how this one does this
Or looking down on that one because he does that,
We should be in prayer for God's truth to be revealed.
You don't know someone else's heart.
Only God does.
And not only does He know our hearts,
He know them intimately.
Each one of us is so important to Him that our very hairs are numbered!
Okay. Think about it.
What does the bathroom floor look like when you sweep?
Dust bunnies.
Toilet paper fragments.
{Come on. You know I'm right. Those little tiny pieces that try to escape "work".}
And hair.
Our hair falls out constantly. And it's replaced.
We're constantly growing in new hair.
And they're all counted.
Seems like a lot of trouble.
But not for our Father.
We are so important to Him
that he counts and recounts every single strand.
Yours. Mine. His. Hers.
If God can love sinners that much,
Why can't we?
You may very well be the only glimpse of Christ's love that someone ever sees.
Make it count.

"For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:2-5

"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." 1John 4:8-9

{i'm gonna miss this}

July 3, 2013

June has already quietly slipped away.
It was full.
And fast.
And good.

And here I am.
Staring July in the face.
Willing time to slow.
Just a bit.

I've got grand plans for July.
I want to soak her in.
Every moment.
I want to accomplish all the things that school eats up
throughout the year.
And I want my kids to remember the days of summer
with fondness and nostalgia.
I want to be present in the memories of these precious, sacred days.

I want to be renewed.
I want to be filled up with so much of God
that there is little room for anything else.
I want a Christ-filled life to become so ingrained into my soul
that it's a habit more than a choice.
I am purposing to live out my life trusting God's plan.
Often times it's easier to trust
that God will bless you with the desire's of your heart
but not so easy to actually trust
that God's plan may not look at all like your plan does.
We're working on that in this season of opportunity & uncertainty.

My kids are growing up before my eyes.
They are becoming evident of life beyond Mom & Dad.
They are starting to think of life as their own-
apart from everyone else.
It's happening so quickly that
I can hardly believe it.
Lord knows how many more summers
they will actually want to spend
hanging out with me.
I've got a lot to accomplish in this short time.
I need to balance work with fun.
Pools are begging for swimmers.
Closets need to get cleaned.
Tans need to be darkened.
School needs to be planned.
I want to eat dinner outside after an afternoon spent playing.
My hope is to seize every opportunity to be spontaneous.
So bring on the snow cones!
The blue-er the better.

"The Lord of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand," Isaiah 14:24