The Best Gift

I love watching people open presents for them; knowing I got them something they liked. Seeing a smile or my daughters enjoyment over her new toys give me such joy. It's a great feeling blessing the people you care about.

I think of God when He sent His son. Of course He understood the sacrifice but I believe He saw the joy this would bring to others. He already saw the blind man, begging for money, outcast by family and friends, the day Jesus would open his eyes. God saw this blind mans reaction to the first sunset, His smile and joy.

With sending Christ, God already saw the mans daughter healed, the woman with the issue of blood redeemed, the deaf hearing and the lame to walk. God saw the families that would be made whole and the marriages healed. By sending one gift, He saw ahead seeing all the joy this one gift would bring. All we have to do is receive it:)

Merry Christmas!

Love, Love, Love!

Let's be honest, some people can be real jerks. If you have ever worked retail during the holiday season then you know what I am talking about. Or what about when your business is closing and someone rushes in at the last minute. Someone calls you with a list of compliants why it is 'your' fault. At times, the worst jerks can be found among the ones we love. They may not have responded the way we would've hoped or never made us feel loved. They may have said some very hurtful things that you are still holding onto today. We may not have been their 'favorite' and that rejection is still impacting our everyday lives.

We have all had our share of encounters with some rude, inconsiderate, and nasty people right? Think of one of those encounters. However, don't focus on that persons actions, rather focus for a moment on your reactions. Did you snap right back at them? Did you take what they were saying or doing and cause it to ruin the rest of your day or evening? Did you get so worked up about it that it caused you to snap on someone else?
If we are not careful, rudeness can be contagious. I can not control someones actions, but I can control my reactions. I can decide right them and there that I am the master of my emotions. I can make a  decision that this 5, 20, or 50 minute encounter will not ruin the remainder of my 24 hours.

The Bible says that, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10) I believe this is meant to be taken literally. That when I feel the least 'joyful' or 'happy' that praising God and having a good attitude in the midst of adversity will give me the strength I need to get on with the rest of my day.
You see,  a good attitude is also contagious. A simple smiles can go a long way. You may have been the only one to give them a smile all day or all year.
I currently am working full-time as a personal banker. I get my share of rude customers everyday telling me their problems and how it is 'my' fault. I remember one woman in particular. She had come in with an agenda to take her anger out on someone, and that lucky person was me that day. As she was ranting and raving I made a decision to just smile, listen, and let her talk. The longer I was kind to her, the more her attitude began to change. Once she let it all out she actually began to cry telling me that her adult son had actually just passed away and she was a mess. She apologized for taken it out on me and that she had not been herself. I was so glad I did not snap back at her! I had no idea what she was going through!

I once hear someone say that people in a way can be a lot like garbage trucks. They can get so full of depression, frustratuion, rejection, bitterness, etc, that when they get full they find someone to 'dump' their problems on. Think of that the next time someone is rude to you. You do not know what they are battling or what sorrows they are facing. Let's allow our smiles to be contagious. Do not hold onto to their words or allow them to effect you. Hold on to God's joy and let that be your strength.

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."(John 13:35)
It is easy to love someone when they are being a blessing, but how much more does our love count when we are showing love to those in our eyes that are the least deserving of it. This is how we shine God's light in the world. This is how we make a difference. Love, Love, Love!
No day can be wasted in our lives by an unpleasent encounter with someone, rather we should make their day better because we are children of God walking in His love.
No day is wasted if it adds to the person you are. Walk in love today <3

Presents!

I am one of those people. It is not even November yet and I am almost completely done with my Christmas shopping. All year I look forward to Christmas. The lights, the fuzzy feeling, the joy, the music, the decorations...and as cliche as it sounds I love giving. It probably helps that I love shopping too so put that all together and there ya have it! My favorite!!!:) 

When I stumble upon a good deal throughout the year, I can not pass it up. I have just the perfect person in mind who would love this! I then put a little sticky note on it with the persons name and stuff it in my closet. For example, my closet is filled right now with gifts for "Epi" and "Bella", "Dad", "Mom"...you get the idea. I honestly look forward to giving it to them! It's exciting!! Ahhh the splendor of successful shopping:) A job well done deserves a cup of hot cocoa! Mmmm hmmm:)

God tells us in His word that He actually has good things in store for us. He is not sitting up in the clouds on a golden throne waiting to rain fire down on us. He is our Heavenly Father. 

He actually has plans for a future and a hope for us, plans to prosper us and heal us. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

He wants to bless us with the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4-5)

Matthew 7:11 says, "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."

I see God up in Heaven with those gifts in his closet, each with a sticky note with your name on it. He is smiling thinking of how much it will bless you. He knows how long you have prayed, cried, and worried about this. He gets excited just thinking about blessing you with it. His timing is just perfect, for we may have completely missed it if He had given it to us earlier or maybe we would not have been ready. I have come to the realization  that as much as I try to push my timing on God, it will ALWAYS work out best when He has His timing.

It is as if God is driving and I am in the passenger seat telling Him to run the red light. We could get a ticket or get into an accident. It just would not help in the long run of reaching our destination, because in rushing we could miss it altogether.

So as the season of gift giving comes and you find yourself in a long line halfway out the door and your hands full of different items for people on your Christmas list, just remember that God has a few gifts in store for you too.

You didn't earn it because you weren't as "naughty" as last year or eat all of your vegetables... No He just simply loves you.  It is in the Fathers heart to bless His child. If I can get so excited about buying my daughter her first princess castle for Christmas, how much more excited does God get when blessing us?!

No day is wasted if it adds to the person that you are!

#nowastedday

Just Rest

This fall season is by far my favorite time of the year! The leaves are putting on an amazing color show, the weather gets a little more cold so the home becomes a little more cozy, getting out the hot chocolates, bonfires, warm blankets, and snuggles:) can you tell I'm loving it?!

There always seems to be so much to do also, like pumpkin and apple picking, trying out a new recipe, party planning, and the excitement of holidays ahead. With so much going on the last thing I want to do is rest. The word itself sounds so foreign to me. I am a go-go-go type of person and to me resting...well it just doesn't sound any fun to be perfectly honest. It kind of reminds me of the tortures of time out. Having to sit still for so many minutes or stand in a corner was the worst! I was missing out!!!

It's interesting that my definition of 'rest' and God's definition of 'rest' are not the same. Have you ever watched the Olympics? The gymnastics were always my favorite. The gymnast does a little pose to one side of the stadium and then a pose to the other side and then she focuses. You see their head drop down and center, eyes squint, and a deep breath from the determination of the performance they are about to give which will no doubt be everything they have worked it up to be. This tiny moment, this rest, is a lot how I see God with us. 

One big pause before the new chapter He is writing for us takes place.

I was reading a story in Luke 10 about two sisters that sound complete opposites, much like my sister and I. Martha the hostess, the leader, had to have everything in order for Jesus to come. Kitchen spotless, cups filled to the brim, and make no mistake she would have been cooking her specialty. Only the best for her Lord. 

Mary on the other hand had been somewhat helpful, however she wasn't focused on the crumbs that needed to be swept or the water that needed to be drawn from the town well, no her mind was somewhere else entirely. Mary kept eargerly looking out the window with the excitement of her savior on His way. Every noise from outside and she rushed to the door. What a welcome Jeaus received from Mary who ran to his feet! She was in a lot of ways like the fisherman who dropped everything to follow Jesus. Only she dropped the expectations and the chores to rest and soak up every second with her Lord. 

I must confess at times it is hard for me to rest in God's precense. The dishes still have to be cleaned and I haven't started dinner, my daughter is teething and is in need of a bath, and oh yeah that bill is due today.... Here I am distracted when I am trying so hard to REST! Obviously resting takes a lot of work!

There is a verse in the bible that I have wrestled with most of my walk with God, not because I find error in it, oh no, but because it has always challenged me.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Be still! Really?! As in stop what you are doing, drop what you think may be so important and just come to His feet. 

We often learn the thins we thought were so 'important' make little difference in light of eternity. 

When you are around those closest to you, there is no effort in talking, conversation simply happens, inside jokes are born, at times you need to say nothing at all, you are just enjoying each other knowing there is nothing required of you, no act you have to put on.

This is how it is to be with God. There is no strings attached, no preformance, no 25 steps to take before you come to Him. You, with all your worries and burdens, come to Him. And rest. Resting knowing and trusting that HE IS GOD.

HE CAN DO IT

HE HAS A PURPOSE

HE WILL NOT FAIL

HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU

Another day, another opportunity to soak it all in. Not only am I in my car having finally driven enough around to get my cranky teething almost fifteen month old baby to sleep, but I am still. I am just waiting. Just smiling. Just resting with Jesus. Any ya know what... It's an awesome place to be:)

Remember, NO day is wasted if it adds to the person that you are:)

#nowastedday

Patience?

Patience....mmmm yea. My favorite topic! Not! Today was was of those days that made me realize even more how much I need to grow in the area of patience. As a mother of a 14th month old my husband and I have truly been tested in this area. This morning trying to give her Tylenol because she wasn't feeling well went all over her face and in her hair as she spit it out, then trying to give her a bath she got me soaked, changed her poopy diaper but wait five minutes later there is yet another poopy diaper. She cries because I won't let her destroy my phone, I cry because it is 3 in the afternoon and I have yet to shower. Repeat 3 times. But seriously, any parent out there knows what I'm talking about.

Regardless if whether you're a parent or not your patience has been tested. Maybe by an angry customer, plans that did not go accordingly, the traffic that is always the worst when you have someplace to be. Yeah, not exactly fun right?!

A lot of times God will ask us to wait, to have patience, to try to hold out until the very last minute because we trust Him and He has our best interests at heart. This is not exactly easy, enjoyable, or fun, but may I say that this is so needed! 

Look at men and women in the Bible who waited. If they had rushed a process there would have been terrible consequences. Esther comes to mind. She had to go through a whole year (which is basically a lifetime) of preparations before she could even meet the king face to face! Imagine if she had rushed this time of waiting, she would not have known the proper way to talk to him, what to wear, and let's face it she probably had some serious body odor without being rich enough to buy fancy perfumes! God allowed her to go through that time of preparation because He knew she would one day be queen! He was giving his princess the training she needed to receive.

God is molding you for such a time as this. Everything God does has a purpose, whether or not we can see what that is yet. A good thing to remember is that this season of your life will not last forever. You will get the job, meet the spouse, have a family, write that book, do everything that God has purposed in your heart to do. So as you wipe those dirty noses, change poopy diapers, or handle a crazy customer take a deep breath and smile. One day you will look back and realize you were standing on training ground. 

No day is wasted if it adds to the person you are 😊

#nowastedday

No Wasted Days...

There are moments in our lives that change us...define us...mold us and our way of thinking forever. These moments forever etched in our minds are almost never planned for. The unexpected moments that challenge who we are everything we have ever been taught and pull it out of us at any given moment. These moments make us realize how strong, or how weak we truly are. Times like this make you want to hold your loved ones a little closer tonight, be a little less angry at the world, and little more grateful for all the small things that you take for granted. They make you reflect back on all the silly things you have been worried about and realize they are just not that important. It makes you want to pray a little more and gossip a little less...That the only trip that are truly worth taking is when we bow our knees to pray...

We walk around as if we are untouchable, immovable, and never broken. Yet, under all our facade of perfection lies, brokenness, hurt, and pain. Unexpected tragedies bring this to the surface and we are overcome with who we are and what really matters in the light of eternity. At your last moment, would you have wished you stayed more nights at the office? I didn't work enough?! I didn't shop enough?! I didn't get popular enough?! NO! It would be....I didn't love enough....

I didn't kiss my loved ones everyday or tell them I was proud of them, that I needed them, that I loved them....

Let us not wait until it's too late to start living how we wish...let's start living everyday is the light of eternity. Change starts with you...holding the door open for the next person, giving a smile, spreading the light. My commitment is that I would not let one day be wasted. No day is a wasted day if it adds to the person you are. 

#nowastedday