Kids Activities

I use to have my kids involved in all types of activities. When I went to work, I slowly allowed each of those activities to dwindle off our calendar and list of things to do.

Between school and church their calendars are typically full of things to do.

I have encouraged them to find a passion for something that we can encourage them to do. I want them to find interest and passions for hobbies, talents, career goals for the future or just their happiness.

The thing I struggle with is - how much is too little and how much is too much? When you have a family of three children a families calendar can be quickly filled up. I am okay with investing the time for my children - as long as my children benefit.

Respecting the Unrespectable

I am NOT a fan of our current President. Very rarely will you hear me say anything more than negative words about the man elected to run our country. I am completely un-convinced HOW in the world this man got elected.

Some say God allowed His will to be done and I honestly am now more convinced that this was just one of those times when God had no prefrence. I prayed and many people I know prayed. I just honestly think this was not one of those things where God was willing to step in on the issue. Why? He might be waiting for a nation to call out to him and not a minority!

That being said (and now off my political soap box), I do feel that I should support the man elected to run our country. I will not respect the man, but I will respect the office that he holds.

In other parts of my life, I find the same situation. I can respect someone and not respect their choices. I can respect someone's title or position and not respect the man/woman. Honestly though, that is not many people or many situations that can cause me to have such a divided opionion of someone. I guess there just are not many "titles or positions" that I find to be worthy of my respect if the man/woman is unrespectable.

I guess my only problem now is that it is very easy to tell people that you do not have respect for a large poltical figure; but is it as easy to say about someone in your midst whom you don't want to offend? Or maybe it is not that you care if you offend that person but you do not want to offend others who you do respect?

A little harder to be on that soapbox. I guess I will just use the suds from that soapbox to wipe away my disgust silently.

Re-define Reality

I have been saying what I am doing this past few weeks is changing what I don't like about myself or sitautions that I have found myself in. Change is not always easy but it is typically worth the wait, investment or hard work. Right?

I have now decided that I am not going to change. I am going to re-define my reality. My life is mine to live and the perception of how I view my life and myself is actually my own reality.

First redefining was several physical appearance issues. Not what others might think I need changed but the changes I want to see when I look in a mirror. A very dear friend of mine, Heather, actually told me several months ago to wake up everyday and look for the me that I want to see and stop seeing the me I am hiding from. Very wise and very heartfelt. She actually was telling me to re-define my reality without saying it in that way.

Second, I have a few goals for my life that I want to realized. I have studied in depth this subject but it is like most things in life, it is easier to tell someone else to do it than to do it yourself. I have marked them down and given myself 3 years to complete everyone of them. They are all possible and the only thing hindering their success is myself. I will not be a barrier to my own success.

Third, I am going to make sure my family is seated first in everything I do! As a wife and mom, their success is my passion and focus.

Just simple steps to the reality that I know in my heart becoming the reality in my life.

Emotional Suicide

I have watched Beth Moore's Wising Up series twice now and tonight, just when I needed it, she said something that I really needed to hear. She said that when you harden your heart, you are committing emotional suicide. Using passages in 1 John she reminds us to love one another and a light bulb went off.

That is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to leave my heart open and lift the situation to God. He will either separate me from the situation or he will heal me from the pain I feel over it.

Either way, my heart will be left open to not be hardened. I win because I either retain the relationship or God will make the situation be far removed and I don't to have to stress over it.

I will do the right thing...Baby steps and I have already taken one towards the right thing. We will just see what God can do :-)