fear

" Heavenly Father, fear seems to have a constant grip on my mind & spirit; I want to be free of it's hold on me. Please take away those fears that I can't seem to shake, and show me how to daily give them over to you. Amen." 

Why?! Why is Fear a Liar? When it can easily consume our daily lives.

I am afraid...Yes.
Do I fear my past...Yes.
Do I fear what the future holds...Yes.
Do I fear that I am not good enough...Yes.

We all live with some type of Fear. I will admit, that I try my best to stay positive; not letting fear over run my life...but every once in awhile it creeps back in.
But what is fear ultimately doing...
     Holding you back, keeping you from something, stopping you...


And when I can feel it start creeping back in, I have to take a moment & give it to God.

 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of sound mind." 2Timothy 1:7

Prove It!!

Prove... that you're worth it *  that they're worth it *   that you love *  that you care  *  that you have patience & understanding *   that your words are not hollow *  that you'll be there *  that you are not easily angered *  that you are not selfish *  that you don't have
 ulterior motives *  that you are trustworthy *  that you are stable * that you are safe *  that you are kind *  that you are strong... 




Prove that there is HOPE!

Real LOVE will not come from how many times you say "I love  you"...but how much you Prove it!! 
*dedicated to my kiddos

What are you worth?

"As you get older you will understand more & more that it's not about what you look like or what you own, it's all about the person you've become."

So today I am bringing up the topic of discussion...what are you worth?

 I was a little disturbed today, as I scrolled through my Facebook feed...coming upon the numerous "yard sale" posts of people selling items. Here is why this question popped in my head!

As I sat here enjoying my coffee, scrolling along...I saw a post of a person selling a sweatshirt; mind you it is "used" or UEC (used excellent condition) for $100---WHAT!!!? If you are selling a "used" sweatshirt for $100 that means that you had to have paid more then $100 for it...WHY? Then I was hit with the fact...that its about the name on the label, the brand of clothing/item.

Yes, I am a single mother, so money & budget are tight...but even before when my finances were "better"would I have purchased this sweatshirt...NO!! I could use that $100 to buy my son's almost complete back to school wardrobe.

So is it now, truly how we look at people...by the labels of their clothes, purses, shoes, sunglasses, cars...etc; is that what "Makes the Man (or Woman)"? Even our children have become so caught up in the world of "labels". Why are we determined to label things to create their value?

Don't get me wrong, I love beautiful things...everyone has to have something they dream about that
may be out of their "price" range. Case in point, while looking around at the Harley Davidson store (Yes, I like motorcycles--don't own one), I found this gorgeous belt...brown leather, scroll pattern, silver buckle with turquoise inlay...to me it was like an angelic choir started singing as I held it in my hand. Did I fall in love instantly..Yup! As I held this beautiful thing in my hand, I slowly turned it over to reveal the price....$120!!! And as quickly as that angelic choir sang, the music dissipated...because even though it was gorgeous, was owning that belt going to change my life? Was it going to transport me on the back of a motorcycle, give me freedom to feel the wind on my face & the exhilaration of the curves of the road? No, because even without that belt...I still had the opportunity to ride on the back of a motorcycle, feel the wind & the curves of the road...because of a person, my friend. That is something of value...actually priceless.

Will I look down at the person walking around carrying their Coach purse & matching sun glasses...nope, because if you smile at me--I will smile back at you. All I ask and hope is that you do not value yourself or others by the price tag on their labels. Stop to think of what really makes you happy....a $120 belt or the time spent with a friend who gave you the time to feel freedom--a memory forever.
I will look at my own worth as "Priceless"...I was created by God to be the best me I can be. Will my clothes define me? Will my purse, shoes, sunglasses...car or house tell you what kind of person I am? No, the only way you will see the real me is to know me...get to know me.

Go & Define YOUR WORTH!!

My Heroes

I read this quote the other day...

It really hit home for me.

My life has been way less then simple.

I am definitely not comparing myself to anyone else, I know that each person has their own story.

Bringing home those brand new babies.

Each time a new life is given to you, to hold in your arms--you are so over come with love, joy & a sense of fulfillment.

Little did I know, as I watching my precious babies grow--they were sent to me for a purpose.

Over the years

you run around, making dinners, school lunches, fixing boo-boos, taking care of them when their sick, resolving arguments, cheering them on, being told "your the meanest mom", getting big hugs for no reason, having a "who loves who the most" contest & listening to their laughter.

This never did prepare me for the answer of "why?" I had been blessed with my wonderful children.

God had a plan, he knew exactly what the "Plan" was!

Was it obvious at first? No, I would say not.

I had a feeling inside that what I was trying so hard to cling to something--anything, to fix what I thought was broken. I spent a lot of time praying.

 Coming to the reality now that my life, our life, is coming to an abrupt end, but also a new beginning with the divorce. This has truly enlightened me, that my children--especially my daughters were the ones that were actually sent to 

SAVE me.

Oh, I definitely believe that God had the largest part in it--but working through my children, I was finally given the faith in myself.

Seeing that so much more clearly now, 

I have a full heart,

full of love, pride & blessings

knowing now that

my children were sent

to me

to be my Heroes---to rescue me!

Mom's Clothesline

image found on Pinterest

I woke up this morning with my cup of coffee in hand. I'm not quite sure what brought this favorite childhood memory to mind.

Remembering a time when I was carefree, life seemed so simple, no worries or troubles.

Watching my mom hang our newly washed blankets & sheets on our clothesline.

Running through the grass barefoot, giggling & laughing as I would run back & forth through the fresh damp fabric. The smell of the laundry soap mixing with the warm summer air. The sun shining down & the breeze gently blowing the blankets...making them dance & tickle my nose.

My mom would always warn me, not to pull them down...the fun would be over if I let the blankets fall to the ground.

I remember my mom smiling at me as I continued on with my game, watching me enjoy something so simple. Sometimes the blankets would even form little tunnels to run through, or sitting on the ground underneath a magical place made just for me.

Maybe your wondering...why is she sharing this?

Well now being a Mom myself, sometimes life seems to run away from us. We get so caught up in the day to day hustle of life, we easily lose touch with the simple things we loved in life.

Our children know those things, sometimes we are lucky enough to catch glimpse of those.

I just feel that there are many times that we forget the small things we enjoyed.

Taking a moment to remember even one of those things, can truly change your outlook...maybe only for that day. That's ok, we need to remember those times, the times that were good, so simple & carefree.
As I return to the hustle & bustle of my day...I will look at it in a new light today.

Because of that simple memory.