REALationships 101: The Power of REALationships

June 13, 2013 By 4 Comments
100_5783

When asked recently what I like to do in my spare time, my answer was, "When I have spare time, I love to spend it with friends...that's it. We could have coffee, lunch, dinner, or dessert; go walking or shopping...it doesn't matter. I just like to be with my friends." I am blessed with many friends. In fact, Facebook tells me I have 1200 of them. Wow. But I can tell you this...reading a status update and writing Happy Birthday once a year on someone's wall does not make me a friend to someone else. To have friends, I must be intentional about nurturing those friendships. Solid relationships with friends will not happen by accident. There are times I fail at this miserably. But it is definitely my goal and desire to be a good friend to others. There is POWER in friendships. Friendships grow us, strenghthen us, encourage us, and empower us. We are able to continue when we didn't think we could. We are able to fight when we thought we were ready to quit. Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4: 12 We need friends! Friends are like … [Read more...]

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REALationships 101 Series: The Facade of Social Media

June 6, 2013 By 9 Comments
realtionships101

I just want to thank you for the beautiful photo and status update regarding your daughter's high school graduation on Facebook and the yummy chocolate dessert you posted on Pinterest and the cute picture of your dog on Instagram and your hilarious tweet about losing your keys. But I just wanna know: How are you... really? I really want to know. Not that I want you to share all your dirty laundry with all of cyberworld, but you could message me or call me or if the stars align, come visit me. I get it. I understand. I am sitting here right now writing this post in my pink pajamas, hair pulled up messily, without a hint of make-up. But you can't see that. (Nor will you.) Social media has made it so incredibly easy for us to live two different lives - online and off. We can post status updates with smiley face emoticons and perfect pictures of our kids on Instagram and all the while, we are falling apart on the inside and our kids are driving us crazy. But who wants to see our dirty laundry? Our kids fighting? Our failures? Our messes? I am not advocating making Facebook our doomsday diary, but I am warning against social … [Read more...]

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Sisters by Another Mother: 10 Things I Learned This Week

May 31, 2013 By 13 Comments
Screen shot 2013-05-31 at 11.37.36 AM

I was strolling through Facebook last night - something I do when my man is watching some alligator-huntin' show on TV and I don't want to watch it but I want to spend quality time with him. Anyway, I stumbled on this great lengthy post of a friend of mine stating the devastation that the social media comparison trap can bring. You know... We attempt the Lemon-Basil Tilapia Orzo dish from Pinterest... and it is inedible when we get done with it. We see our friends having "the best family ever" on Facebook and we wonder why ours is so... well, CRAY-ZE. We read a blog post about time management and we create a fabulous schedule only to realize we don't live in a vacuum where schedules are created AND kept. All of these things can lead to feelings of inadequacy and defeat and some good ole' big honkin' lies from the enemy. Here's the truth: God loves you and has a plan for your life. He knew you before you were born and He appointed you for such a time as this for such a thing as what you are doing. So... do IT well. Be YOU well. He thinks you are awesome whether or not your home is organized, your talapia is burned, or … [Read more...]

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10 Things I Learned This Week

May 24, 2013 By 4 Comments
Empty Nesters

This may or may not be a new Friday thing. Just depends on if you like it or not. I know I have been a little inconsistent in my writing days, but hang in there. God has a plan (even if I don't!) So, what 10 things did I learn this week?  I need Ann Voskamp to help me process what is going on in my mind and heart during tough times. She does it so well in her post, How God Feels About Storms. So wished she lived next door so we could chat about these kinds of things that are so hard to understand. I have to constantly ask Jesus to overwhelm me with His perfect love that casts out fear -- or I will live in it. I go back to this post lots.  Sometimes I just need to live on the edge and act out on those dreams God has given me. My friend, Kris Camealy, did just that this week. Read here. She inspires me... I might share a big dream soon. When I wonder why I am so exhausted, I probably need to look at my calendar. Lots of stuff usually means lots of stress. Hmmm. Kiss and hug my kids more. Even if it embarrasses them. Who cares? The picture above of the empty nest and the Oklahoma tornado reminds me of how life is … [Read more...]

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It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

May 13, 2013 By 1 Comment
Wrapped up in the craziness of life!

I have always said that May was like a second December. Seems we try to squeeze nine months of stuff into 31 days of May. End of the school year awards, parties, tests, and dress-up days, gifts, and Teacher Appreciation. Sports and their award nights. Mother's Day? (How can it be a day for Mothers when mothers are scrambling to do all this other stuff?) I think we need a Mother's WEEK - in October or something. Church picnic. This from my son: "I want to take my lunch to school because it is Manager's Choice this week." Manager's Choice is a nice way of saying leftovers. (Which gives me an idea...) Oh, and this year, I threw in speaking at a Women's Retreat in Hershey, PA. It was the chocolate awesome sauce. Seriously. None of these things are inherently or even individually bad. (Well, maybe the manager's choice meal.) But, all together they can weigh. on. a. person's. mind. We end up saying things like, "I'll be glad when _____ is over." When we begin to wish things were over, we miss out on the moments. Take a deep breath of grace. Grace says ok to a B on a cumulative history exam. Grace … [Read more...]

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