Fifty Two Weeks of Joy

You know what makes people great? Their ability to Love.  Unfortunately, not all people choose to love, but those who do are the change this world needs. Differences no longer matter, skin color is irrelevant, and past mistakes are forgiven.  One of my favorite attributes in a person is their choice to love, because through that they are accepting of different perspectives. I'm not talking about extremist here, who only see one side and can't even communicate with someone who has a different view. I'm talking about genuine respect for a person who is different from you and in spite of those differences you make the choice to love them for who they are and love them through their current season.  I believe love is a choice. I want love to be a choice, because as a wife and mother I've learned sometimes it's hard to love. Sometimes I make it hard for my husband to love his imperfect wife; and sometimes I make it hard for my children to love their imperfect mother...

Fun fact about me, I love kids. Honestly, I do. Truthfully, I love all people but especially little humans. Granted HR has jaded my love for adults, I've come to learn adults whine A LOT! If you think a toddler whines spend 15 minutes with an adult, we complain about everything… The weather, work… The nice weather outside, I can't enjoy because of work; or the reality that I have to walk in the rain from my car (in the parking lot) to the inside of my office. Honestly, I don't know how any of us adults survive this, it's tragic really! HA! I prefer the innocence of a child, because when a kid complains or has a tantrum you can (some of the time) excuse it because of their age. When a 45 year old adult has a tantrum you just shake your head and wonder if you are being recorded for a prank show… When I was a little girl I used to dream of becoming a teacher, because of my love for people and because I love talking. I'd come home from school and play with my imag...

"If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer.  If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow." A good friend of mine shared this quote on Facebook yesterday and y'all it couldn't be truer. I've often found myself in a place of hurt. Life didn't go as planned. Someone hurt me and it's not fair. Sometimes I've even felt as though God has hurt me. My prayer wasn't answered the way I had hoped or wanted. Basically, I'm selfish, I didn't get my way, or my expectations weren't met so now I'm hurt.  Have any of you been there? In this place of why me? What did I do to deserve this? Am I really supposed to do this and if so, why is it so hard? Listen, that's a whole lot of "woe is me?" However, I think even in the darkest hour there is still hope. I believe in order to see the hope we have to shift our focus. I believe in the suffering we have to ask the Lord to give us the strength to persever...

One of my favorite quotes my mom used to say was, " the relationships you feed are the ones that grow ." I think this quote always spoke to me because I'll take any excuse to invest in relationships. I thrive on human interaction. I don't do well in isolation and I'm WAY too dependent on other people, it's probably borderline unhealthy.  However, I think my mom was really onto something here because God wants us to have healthy relationships that do more than grow; he wants our relationships to thrive.  He wants us to be vulnerable, honest, and real with one another. " Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." –James 5:16   He wants us to walk through life together. "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." -  Romans 12:15  He wants us to invest goodness in one another, " Therefore encourage one another and build up one another." – 1 Thes...