Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Love More...
I subscribe to an awesome blog - my creative departure -She just posted this and I thought I would pass it along. She is an amazing crafter; a mommy and wife and this post hit home with me and I just had to post it here for you. Check her out at -
My creative departure
Love More~
So I found this free print that can be downloaded here. She has it in many different colors but since I am in a V-day kinda mood I went for the red 
I painted an old frame white and rolled some fabric flowers to add to the border. It looks cute and all but what I really love is that it serves as a reminder to me: there is always more love to give. You can’t over-love your husband, your children, your extended family and friends. I get all sorts of nostalgic whenever I go to the rougher parts of town as it reminds me of my childhood. I remember that as a child there were nights when we had to roll out of bed onto the ground to stay safe from the gunfire blasting outside our windows. I remember the morning we woke up to a dead man on our front lawn…and yet, a part of me misses those days. We had nothing and yet we had everything. I didn’t wear name-brand clothing, my dad drove an old Ford that was all green except for the hood which was cream-colored. We would go to my hometown of Long Beach often and 9 times out of 10 the old Ford would break down on the Grapevine and we would have to sit for hours before someone could come and get us. As a child I didn’t know we were poor. It wasn’t until about age 11 when my mother finally graduated nursing school and started working as an RN that I realized there was a difference. A difference in the neighborhood we lived in, the stores we shopped at, the food we ate, the types of people at the school. The one thing that has always been a constant in my life is my parents love for me and belief in me. All of this just to say that as I was driving through my old childood streets and kids were running around barefoot while parents sat on the stoops of their tiny run-down homes I felt a pang. A longing for those days, a time when life was simpler. When you don’t have money you don’t have a lot of “things” to keep you distracted. I now live in a middle-class neighborhood, renting a home from my parents. We are not rich by any means of the word and live paycheck to paycheck (sound familiar?) It’s hard to not get stressed about money…but as I drove home that day this thought popped into my head: More money = more distractions. The kids don’t have tv’s in their rooms (and they never will) we don’t have internet on our phones (and we never will) I am distracted by the internet enough when I am home, I don’t need it available at my fingertips every minute of the day. Having money is not what life is about. Yeah, you need it to survive but you don’t need insane amounts of it to be happy. We don’t need to buy our children everything they want just to show them how much we care. Our time and undivided attention is the most valuable thing we can give each other. Don’t make money the center of your world, it will disappoint you everytime. There is a reason it is called, “the root of all evil.” Whenever you are in doubt of what to do for your children or your spouse…simply put: Just love more
I painted an old frame white and rolled some fabric flowers to add to the border. It looks cute and all but what I really love is that it serves as a reminder to me: there is always more love to give. You can’t over-love your husband, your children, your extended family and friends. I get all sorts of nostalgic whenever I go to the rougher parts of town as it reminds me of my childhood. I remember that as a child there were nights when we had to roll out of bed onto the ground to stay safe from the gunfire blasting outside our windows. I remember the morning we woke up to a dead man on our front lawn…and yet, a part of me misses those days. We had nothing and yet we had everything. I didn’t wear name-brand clothing, my dad drove an old Ford that was all green except for the hood which was cream-colored. We would go to my hometown of Long Beach often and 9 times out of 10 the old Ford would break down on the Grapevine and we would have to sit for hours before someone could come and get us. As a child I didn’t know we were poor. It wasn’t until about age 11 when my mother finally graduated nursing school and started working as an RN that I realized there was a difference. A difference in the neighborhood we lived in, the stores we shopped at, the food we ate, the types of people at the school. The one thing that has always been a constant in my life is my parents love for me and belief in me. All of this just to say that as I was driving through my old childood streets and kids were running around barefoot while parents sat on the stoops of their tiny run-down homes I felt a pang. A longing for those days, a time when life was simpler. When you don’t have money you don’t have a lot of “things” to keep you distracted. I now live in a middle-class neighborhood, renting a home from my parents. We are not rich by any means of the word and live paycheck to paycheck (sound familiar?) It’s hard to not get stressed about money…but as I drove home that day this thought popped into my head: More money = more distractions. The kids don’t have tv’s in their rooms (and they never will) we don’t have internet on our phones (and we never will) I am distracted by the internet enough when I am home, I don’t need it available at my fingertips every minute of the day. Having money is not what life is about. Yeah, you need it to survive but you don’t need insane amounts of it to be happy. We don’t need to buy our children everything they want just to show them how much we care. Our time and undivided attention is the most valuable thing we can give each other. Don’t make money the center of your world, it will disappoint you everytime. There is a reason it is called, “the root of all evil.” Whenever you are in doubt of what to do for your children or your spouse…simply put: Just love more 
~Chris
Isn't that the truth!?!? Thanks Chris for this post.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Whatever you confess...
"Whatever you confess, won't make me love you less." - GOD
A friend of mine just posted this on her facebook and it made me think to myself...I am always afraid of hurting someone's feelings or admitting my wrongs. I'm terrible at apologies and extremely prideful. I grew up in a not-so-healthy environment and we were yelled at for everything even things we had no control over. I find myself telling little lies just because I'm afraid of what will come with telling the truth...even on silly things. But it just dawned on me that I can confess anything and everything to God and he won't love me less. And that's all that really matters, right? Thanks Sandy for that cute little quote.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Life
Reality tells us that we will experience problems in life. However, if we go through them while knowing God, we can react to them with a changed perspective and with a strength that is not our own. No problem has the capacity to be insurmountable to God. He is bigger than all the problems that can hit us, and we are not left alone to deal with them.
God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." And, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."
I posted this on facebook the other day and it rings so true:
THE POWER OF PRAYER. I believe that God only gives three answers to prayer: 1. 'Yes!' 2. 'Not yet.' 3. 'I have something better in mind.'
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Colossians 2:20-23
Colossians 2:20-23 (New International Version, ©2010)
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
People should be able to see a distinction between the way Christians and non-Christians live. Still, I'm finding in my walk that people expect instant perfection in me and I expect it of myself. I find that when they see the slightest sign of sin, they automatically come at me with “and you’re a Christian...” I'm coming to realize that Christian growth is a lifelong process. Although we have a new way of living, we don't automatically think all good thoughts and have all pure attitudes when we become new people in Christ. But if we keep listening to God, we will be maturing all the time. As I look over the last year, at the changes I've made in my life in my thoughts and attitude, I am proud. Change may be slow, but my life will change significantly if I trust God to change me.
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