For Unto You

I'm sure by now, most, if not all, of you have realized that I'm just a Jesus chick trying to figure out this life the best that I can. I'm by no means perfect. Thankfully, Jesus doesn't require that, so we're all good.  Thank you, Lord, for blessing me anyway. Not only do I get to spend another Christmas loving this crazy family of mine, but I am loved by the very one who makes it all possible. It seems too good to be true sometimes.

So, as I sit in my mama's living room on this Christmas Eve listening to the sounds of my family sleeping, I am reflecting on our family and the many wonderful blessings God has given us. One of the best  blessings is all the time we spend together creating traditions. My hands down favorite is watching Christmas movies with my family. 

Of all the Christmas movies played this time of year, A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my favorites. I bet I've seen it at least fifty times. Like almost everyone who watches it, my heart is stirred by poor Charlie Brown as he searches for the true meaning of Christmas. The harder he tries to figure it out, the worse things become for him. It seems poor Charlie Brown is never going to figure it out. Then, his best buddy Linus lays it all out for him. It makes the hair stand up on my arm every time.

Imagine a world in which a friend lovingly relates Christ to another just like it was common knowledge. Imagine how the world would respond. Imagine how joyous Christmas would be if we all realized the true meaning of Christ's coming. 

God came down. For you.

It's all for you, my friends. All of it. He came for you. He died for you. If you were the only one he could save, he would have come anyway. He loves you that much. 

Tonight, on the holiest of nights, I just really wanted you to know that. God loves you. Jesus was born and died just for you. And He would do it again if that meant he got to spend eternity with you.

What a precious gift.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Visions of Sugarplums

Ahhhh....
The image of children sleeping peacefully while dreaming of wonderful things is one of my favorites. Look at how content they seem! Man, sometimes I think I would give anything to see my children look like this.

REALITY 101:
Children are fickle creatures. One minute they're as happy as clams, the next minute you've just ruined their lives forever. No one really knows how or when this will occur, so most adults are just winging it. But, the secret wish of every parent's heart, I believe, is that our children will be happy, especially at Christmas.

It's been a rough year in our house. I'm not saying this to complain, but to just state reality. We have had many issues pop up that have just taken their toll on everyone, including the kiddos. We are all tired and slightly stressed. I'd hoped that Christmas would be a nice change for our family, and that we could slightly forget the rest of the year for awhile. Sadly, this has not become a reality. This is not going to be a post about complaining about our life. Our family has a wonderful life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but sometimes I just need a break. I'm sure you do, too.

As I think about our Christmas season so far, I get a little sad. I'm disappointed. I'm downright mad! It's a week before Christmas. I still have not finished shopping, and I've only wrapped two gifts. My house is a wreck. Our whole family has just recovered from being horribly sick. I desperately need to go grocery shopping. And, we have winter storm warnings for the whole weekend.

Breathe.......

Reality can sometimes give me unrealistic expectations for special occasions. Can anyone else relate?

Sometimes when Christmas rolls around, I feel exactly like Clark Griswold. Maybe that's why I like the movie Christmas Vacation so much. I can totally relate. The Perfect Family Christmas! That's just what this family needs! So I set about making it happen by sheer force of will. I check off items like I've made a list (sort of like this one.)

By the time I'm done trying to make everything perfect, I'm too tired to actually enjoy any of it. 

This year, God apparently has a new plan for me. I don't have the time to try to make it perfect this year. It isn't going to be perfect, and that's okay. I will not stress out over everything. I won't. Life is too short to worry about perfection, anyway.

You know, the funny thing is, my family doesn't even care if things are perfect. I bet my girls couldn't tell you about all of the home made gift tags I've made over the years. My husband wouldn't be able to remember what kind of cookies we made last year. They definitely couldn't tell you if the bows matched the paper! Did we even go see the lights last year? I can't even remember! 

When it's all said and done, and my girls have families of their own, the only things I want them to remember about Christmas are how magical it always was, how much we love them. and what that tiny baby in the manger really stands for. If they can remember these things about our family Christmases, then I guess they really were perfect after all.

The Beauty of No

🎵🎵 It's the most wonderful time of the year!🎵🎵

It's the time of year for Christmas concerts. It's the time of year for decorating. It's the time of year for shopping. It's time for wrapping. It's time for baking. It's time for parties. Time for lights. Time for cards. Time for crafting. Giving. Church. Teacher gifts. Pictures. Christmas lists. Bible studies. Special trees. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, snow pants, boots, sleds, snow, oil changes.......😜😜😜

Sleepovers?!?!

Goodness, I'm tired just thinking about all of this! There must be something wrong with me. Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

I know I might step on a few toes with this post, but I cannot be the only mom who will let herself become so overworked and stressed that I don't even enjoy the holidays anymore. Why do I do this to myself? In my quest to have a happy family and a perfect Christmas, have I forgotten the true meaning of the day?

Like all parents, my husband and I try to give our kids a memorable Christmas. We have certain traditions that we like to repeat every year, and we carve out time for whatever school or church activities our children have committed to. Our calendar fills with practices, trips, concerts, and parties. We are blessed and busy.

This brings me to a recent conversation I had with my little squirrel. She, being much more social than everyone else in our home, was asking if she could have a friend sleep over. She wanted her to come this weekend. On the day of my doctor's appointment. In Springfield. My Christmas shopping day.

In months past, I would have looked at that sweet face and caved in faster than a house of cards in a hurricane. I mean, who says no to friendship? Who, in good conscience, says no to fun and happiness and companionship?

I do.
Looking my baby in the eye, I told her no.
In disbelief, she walked away crying.

Aw, COME ON!!!! 😡

I bet you thought I was going to tell you some sappy story about how my sweet girls accept boundaries and how they don't argue nonstop. Not today, my friends!

This little girl marched straight to her room and wailed! I tried to talk to her, but she looked up all teary and declared in no uncertain terms that now was not the time! Let me tell you, this girl is going to be a great mom; she can lay on a guilt trip like the best of them.

When she finally calmed down, she approached the subject again. She just could not understand why I wouldn't let her friend sleep over. It was just one night. What would it hurt? As she continued to talk to me, I felt swayed by her passionate argument. I found myself beginning to waver, starting to agree with her. Then, reality hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was in the bathroom. Cleaning. Then, I had to fold laundry. And, I had to finish the few dishes in the sink. Plus, I had to iron a dress, cook supper, change my clothes, set the table, and put the clothes in the dryer. This was all before the little squirrel had Girl Scouts and the big squirrel had a choir concert!

My days are full. My month is full. The Friday I have set aside to shop is one of the few times I have the opportunity to do so.

Life is busy.
December is like a beaver on crack.
I have no more time left for anything else. I just don't. Right now, I am writing at 12:00 at night.

I explained to her everything that our family would be doing between now and Christmas. Then, I gently reminded her of our regular responsibilities and jobs aside from holiday activities. Finally, I asked her when she thought we might have time for her friend to come over. She had to think really hard. Suddenly, she excitedly announced that she had plenty of time over break, and her friend could come then!

CRISIS AVERTED.

I say this in jest, but many such demands for my time pop up during this season of busyness. Suddenly there is a party invitation or a last minute project or a funeral dinner or a dance camp or a basketball game. The list goes on and on.

Setting boundaries to protect my sanity, health, and happiness is vital for me this time of year. I've learned this the hard way. When I place healthy boundaries on what I can and cannot do, I am more relaxed and cheerful doing the things I want to do. No one likes a Scrooge, especially at Christmastime.

As Christmas rapidly approaches, may I encourage you to be vigilant about your time boundaries?  It can be so hard to say no. I don't know about you, but I feel like I am letting people down, and I hate that! However, no one can do it all and do it well. If I had to guess, I'd say my family prefers less activity and a happier mom anyway! Yours might, too.

And now, for that "to do" list........

Grace for days....

This whole Chip and Joanna Gaines thing has me up in arms.

I know that in other places on the planet, real Christian persecution exists. People are dying for their faith. They are smuggling Bibles. They are worshipping in house churches, constantly threatened to be shut down. I get it. This is why I have never been a big proponent of American Christians crying about how bad we have it here. Are you kidding me? I own like 5 different Bibles. I can read them whenever I choose. My children are not being taken away because of my faith. I have not lost my job. I go to a wonderful, warm, and inviting church whenever I choose. I am essentially free to practice my faith in the United States.

I think the reason the Gaines controversy is really getting me fired up is not for what is actually happening. But, if this story gains a lot of headwind, the implications for the future are disconcerting, to say the least.

I don't know if any of you even know who Chip and Joanna Gaines are, so let me give you a little background information.

Chip and Joanna Gaines are the hosts of a television show on HGTV called Fixer Upper. The basic premise of the show is that the Gaines duo show old and decrepit homes to people who cannot afford to buy new. Chip and Joanna then give the people ideas of how to fix up the homes and how much (roughly) it will cost. The clients pick a home, and then Chip and Joanna get to work fixing and changing it. Of course, there is a big reveal at the end, and everyone leaves happy. In addition, throughout the show the viewer gets to glimpse a portion of the lives of Chip and Joanna Gaines and their children. It doesn't take very many episodes to get the feeling that the Gaines family is a tight-knit Christian family with old fashioned values. It is part of the show's charm. I personally think it is one of the show's biggest assets.

So, now you know a bit about the show. They are not pastors. They don't preach on the show. They just live out their values, and America has really responded. So much so, that the Gaines' business has exploded. Their net worth is now well over a million dollars!

So why should I be bothered by what is happening to some millionaire contractors from Texas? That might sound harsh, but, really, how does this effect me personally? As an American Christian, it just might.

Essentially, Buzzfeed is trying to bring down an obviously Christian couple just because of their faith. Talking about sin and admonishing sinful ways is basically the job of a pastor if he follows God's Word. From what I can understand, this is what the Gaines' pastor has done. Wow! Shocking, I know. They, being Christians themselves, may also actually believe what God's Word says. Truly unheard of! Now, I am being facetious, of course. It should be expected that professing Christians actually believe what God's Word says. That's kind of the point, is it not?

To try to make trouble for people merely for their religious beliefs is the definition of persecution. No, Chip and Joanna Gaines are not being executed for their faith, but if this "scandal" takes hold, it would not surprise me to see HGTV cancel their show. Should you lose your job because of your religious affiliation? I believe the Robertsons might know something about faith on television.

Thankfully, it appears that Buzzfeed is receiving quite a bit of push back against their article. The Washington Post, Heatstreet, The Kelly File, and many others have come out against the Buzzfeed article. Some are going as far as calling it nothing but clickbait. The Gaines family seems to be taking it in stride and extending an unbelievable amout of grace. I hope the damage has not already been done. After reading some of the comments on these articles and more, I am shocked to see how many people will openly accuse people they don't know of hate. Good grief! Hateful is not a word I would ever use to describe the Gaines family.

Sweet Jesus, please help us to be more like you, Lord. Please help us to be loving. Please help us to be kind. Please help us to be grace-filled. Please help us to boldly proclaim the reason for our faith.

As Christmas approaches, Jesus, or the lack thereof, will once again step into the spotlight in America. Christians are his representatives on Earth, as Christian literally means "little Christ." What kind of message will we send to the rest of the world? My hope is that we will step up, and be the ambassadors that God created us to be. Amen?

Gratitude

Sometimes I am the worst.
Really.
Sometimes, I can't stand anyone or anything anymore. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

sigh

Anyone else have days like this?
Anyone?
I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

It is really hard to admit we don't have everything under control, isn't it? It is so hard to admit that we might need help. What I find the most surprising is how alone it makes me feel.
I think that might be His plan.

Why would a God who loves me want me to feel isolated and alone when I'm also feeling unlovable? I'm not a Biblical scholar, but I think God has a plan for me during this time. The more I realize how miserable and alone I feel, the more I realize that things are just not right. Realizing there is a problem is the first step in solving it. When I finally admit that I'm not in control of everything, God has room to work.

And, man, do I need a lot of work! Sometimes my attitude just isn't what it should be, and I can feel it. Everyday. What can I possibly do to change this funk I have let myself sink into? How is God going to turn this around? Will God turn it around?

As I sit contemplating these questions, God slowly brings something to mind. I shake it off. Then, he gently reminds me again. Reluctantly, I give in.

I know the key to my attitude problem. I know how to fix my funk. I know what I need to do.

I need to be grateful.

That's right. That's the solution. Be grateful. Be grateful for everything God has done for me, instead of complaining about what he hasn't.

I know what you're thinking.
"Well, that's easy for her to say, she isn't going through what I'm going through."
"Sunshine and happiness isn't gonna make me forget my problems."
Or maybe even, "God hasn't done anything for me."

Listen, you guys, I get it. I really do. Life is hard. Sometimes, life is downright miserable. Bad things happen, hard things, inconceivable things. I get it, and I want to tell you a little story.

A few weeks ago, my family went to church. Now, this is not shocking to most people, but it was a milestone in our lives. You see, we had missed about two whole months of church. Before that, we had missed a lot, too. For various reasons, our lives had become very difficult, and we ended up using Sundays to heal and recover mentally and physically. No excuses. It is what it is.

So, we went to church. On that day, as fate would have it, our pastor started talking about our commitment to God. Coincidence? Well, maybe, but the sermon really touched our little family in a mighty way. After church, we decided to go to get some groceries and stop for lunch while we were out. In the van on the way to the next town over, we had a conversation with our girls about what commitment looks like, and how our family needed to reevaluate our priorities. We were just chatting, like most families do after church. I was certain that the girls weren't really even listening to me.

What happened next, I could not make up. Seriously.

We passed an elderly man on the side of the road. He looked like he wasn't doing well. When we passed by him, my heart literally hurt. So, I asked my husband to turn around. I was positive that someone else would have already helped him by the time we got back to him. I mean, he was old and in trouble. Who passes someone up like that?

Well, we did.

When we finally got back to where the man was, he was still waiting. He was all hunched over like he was in real pain and deep despair. My husband got out and walked up to him.

Now, I have to stop and tell you guys something. We are NOT in the habit of picking up strangers. The safety of our children is always paramount in the decisions that we make. However, we have been known to bring food and coffee to the homeless. But, there was something different about this man. I just can't explain it.

So, my husband walked out to him and spoke with him. Suddenly, we were taking him to lunch. I moved into the back of the car with the girls, and he rode next to my husband. Our plan was to take this man to someone who could give him some proper help.

As we rode with him, he began to tell us about himself. He had an interesting accent, and we quickly learned that he was a foreign traveler who had been badly beaten and robbed. He was trying to make his way back home after speaking to a church in Texas. He told us about his journey, all the while regaling us with entertaining stories and Bible verses. Finally, he told us he had been gone from home a long time, and was anxious to get back home.

He also told us that, other than the police, we were the only ones to stop and help him for a very long time. We fed him, helped him on his way to his next stop, and we will probably never see him again. I doubt that I'll ever forget him, though.

Now, why did I tell you this story? I tell this story not to brag about helping others, because that would be pointless. People help other people all the time. But every time I tell this story, which hasn't been very often, I am blessed by it again and again. God knew just what we needed.

Our little family needed some perspective and gratitude.

We needed to see how much worse some other people have it. We needed to see all of our blessings in comparison. We needed to bless someone else with what little we could offer. We needed to give of ourselves for the sake of God, with no hope of anything in return. And our children needed to see all of it firsthand.

Sometimes we can get so distracted by how bad the road is, we forget to see the beauty in the journey. Sometimes, all it takes is listening to someone else for a while to see how blessed we truly are. The man that we thought we were helping was really helping us. God was helping us. He was using this man to instill some gratitude into our hearts. It had been sorely missing for quite some time.

As we begin this season of blessing and thanksgiving, I pray that God will give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to help the less fortunate. Not only will you get to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but you might just realize how blessed you are in return.

And that, my friends, is a real gift.

A New Day

Today is Thursday, November 10, 2016.
Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States of America on Tuesday.
There is rioting in the streets.

This is our new reality, folks.

I can't even believe that we are here, at this point. The entire election was surreal. Voter turnout was at record highs. Everyone definitely has an opinion.

Just breathe.......

So, what can we take away from this? What can we learn? I like to look at my mistakes as lessons God keeps trying to teach His most stubborn and hard-headed student: my husband!

Bahahaha! Just kidding!

It's me.
I am stubborn. I am prideful. I am sometimes arrogant. I am sometimes unkind.
I feel like I am God's worst student sometimes.

Today, I am trying really, REALLY hard to learn the lesson. So, here is what I have learned so far.

STAY INVOLVED
For those of you who really wanted Trump to win, now comes the hard part. The actual job is much harder than just getting elected. Have you ever seen before and after pics of our recent presidents?
MAN! They look ROUGH! Care for some examples? Here you go-

Now, Trump is already 70 years old.

Whew!

Anyway, as Trump tries to figure out how to be president, he will need many people around him to advise and instruct him. He will probably nominate the next Supreme Court justice. He will interact with foreign leaders. He will veto laws.
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT HE DOES! Not so you can fan worship him, but so you can stay involved. You need to see what you've done to see if it worked.
 I pray for all of our sakes that it does.

DON'T LOSE HOPE
For those of you who are horrified at this moment, don't lose hope for tomorrow. Keep in mind that the president has limited powers granted to him in the Constitution. If or when he tries to overstep those boundaries, call him on it. Keep loving your neighbors. Love who you want, for that matter. Worship in the way you see fit, or don't worship at all. Respect yourself and others. Keep doing good.

I know many of you have hearts that are often bigger than your hands, and depend on society to help. Don't give up hope that this will continue. Our nation is still filled with kindness. We can still love one another. A new president can't keep you from doing this. Resistance to many of the ideas that Trump espoused during his campaign still exists. The church should come along side of you and show the most love, be the biggest helpers. This is our calling in this world; to show the love of Christ to others. We, as Christians, are to be known by our love. We need to remember this and act on it. God is the ultimate hope giver, and he hasn't gone out of business.

DEFEND LIBERTY

This one might be the closest one to my heart at this moment. I had many concerns regarding both candidates during the election, and this is why. As keepers of this great nation that has been handed down to us, we have to be vigilant against tyranny. We have been playing very fast and loose with our liberty lately in this nation, and we MUST do a better job of defending it. The Bill of Rights are supposed to be RIGHTS.  What does that mean? We have a legal right to them.We have been given rights that cannot be taken away. As of late, many of these rights have come under attack. Heard anyone talking about gun control lately? What about people telling you what you can and cannot say? Are you standing up for the National Anthem these days?
The United States is a relatively new nation. We must be vigilant with our rights if our nation is to continue to be free. Our founders knew this, therefore they gave us the Constitution to help guide the way.

These are the lessons I am learning. These are definitely positives, in my opinion. A well informed populace, a people filled with hope, and vigilant guardians of liberty would truly make America great again.

God help us all.

What are the lessons this election has taught you? Please feel free to share them with me.

IN GOD WE TRUST

I have never been so ready for an election to be over in my life! My social media and the television are full of the election.  My phone rings non-stop and our mail box and door are filled with political ads.

 AHHHHHHHH! I need a break!

It is no secret to anyone that I love politics and history. It was my major in college, and I love to see how the past effects the future. In the past, I also loved the whole spectacle of it. Big parties, patriotism, and laudable ideas often flowed from all candidates interested in public office. It could be very exciting for a political nerd like me. 

However, this election has struck a dissonant chord with me. It is so hard to put into words why it makes me so uneasy, but please let me try. 

I am a Christian. I made the decision to follow Christ a little later in life, so many of my political views from my younger days have changed. I think the biggest change is a disdain for the spectacle that American politics has become. Our nation is filled with real people with real problems. Some of these problems could actually be fixed by the government, but they seem too busy with themselves to care. At the very least, government should protect it's people. Instead, we have a nation filled with politicians who go into government and actually come out richer than they went in. While we still don't have a budget in Illinois, and businesses are starting to face hardships due to the lack of state payments, Illinois lawmakers still receive their pay and benefits.

I don't know if it is our 24 hour news cycle, our short attention spans, or the vast apathy sweeping our nation, but everything seems a little worse this year. We are constantly bombarded with news stories about things my children shouldn't even know about. Commercials are filled with profanity and offensive images. The debates were a slug fest. After all the mudslinging that has gone on for the past two years (at least), how could ANYONE, in good conscience, vote for EITHER of the major party nominees?

We have turned our government into a reality t.v. show. We idolize the participants, and we can't wait to see what happens next. Who's going to win? What will they do to appease the voters next? Will either of them actually go to jail??? All the while, the contestants, I mean nominees, already know how the story ends. We have to wait for the finale. 

Reality t.v. never seemed very real to me. I mean, who actually goes to an island with no supplies and tries to stick it out?? Who does anything these people do on reality t.v. without actually wanting to be on reality t.v.? IT IS NOT REAL!!!! So, what happens when your presidential election looks like reality t.v.?

 How is our nation ever going to survive?

  FIND OUT NEXT WEEK ON 

ELECTION 2016!

Really? 

Is this the best we can do?

I don't think so.

We can set limits on our political process.We can choose better next time. We can turn off the constant news and spend time loving our families and neighbors. We can start dropping to our knees and praying for our nation and the person God chooses to lead it. 

Most importantly, instead of believing that ANY political leader will save America, we need to trust God to save us. The founders knew this. It's even on our money.

Is this the real life, is this just fantasy.......

Some of you may be old enough to remember this line from the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the band Queen. It's dreamy, sometimes crazy, lyrics and music have been entrancing audiences for over three decades now. I find myself strangely drawn to it lately. Could it be that struggling with reality is an internal struggle for us all?

This is the age of information, so to speak. Then, why does it seem like people are actually less informed than in years past? Boy, the Internet is a dicey thing. Ironically, it can answer almost any question if you know how to ask, but the results might not be reliable. In the age of Internet hackers, corrupt and biased media, and conspiracy theorists, it can be hard to know the truth when you read it or see it. Thank you, God, that YOUR truth never changes.

Which is better: To know the truth, even though it is unpopular or far-fetched, or to believe lies, knowing they are not true, just to be comfortable?

I do not consider myself to be an alarmist, but I hate it when I am lied to or intentionally deceived.These days, if you want to be informed about what is happening in the world, you have to find it out for yourself. The real story is usually somewhere in between the conspiracy theorists and the news media. It does take a little work, but the results are worth it.

This is especially true in an election year. If something is of particular importance to you, do some research. Try to verify what you read, and take nothing at face value. This is the basis of good research. What is that old saying? 

Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see........(Queen).