It might seem easy for a Christian to know the correct decisions to make, especially if we know it's one that will please God. But what are we to do when our own parent expects something from us? Something that we know will be harmful to our minds and how God will view us? The Bible tells us to honor our parents, but how far do we go with that?
A more recent example is that my father bought my husband a Let's Go Brandon flag to hang under the American flag in our front yard. As much as we are frustrated with what is going on in our country and don't take the side of this president, we find the saying inappropriate, vulgar, and immature. Secretly funny, yes, but not something we want to display publicly. We believe in standing up for our beliefs but I also believe in keeping the peace. Yesterday my parents came over for Father's Day and my dad refused to come inside until we hung the flag up. We resisted. He eventually came in but I could tell he was disappointed in us. My father is the kind of man not afraid to speak his mind, no matter how cruel it is. It's how he was raised and how he has continued to be. I'm breaking that cycle.
Hanging a flag or political sign in my front yard won't change the country's problems. Shouting my views to someone won't fix the country's problems, neither will writing about it on social media. It will only bring hate and a division God never intended. Speaking with love and kindness and shining light on a dark world won't even fix things right away but the encouragement it brings could help someone in need of it. I also believe that we are going to see hard times and it's probably going to get worse. The Bible tells us those things but it also assures us that in the end God wins the battle and gains the victory. So, in the meantime I'll do my part to shine the light in the storm until that time comes.
I'm envious of those who grew up in a home with a solid Biblical foundation. That was not me. I grew up being made to believe that it didn't matter what comes out of our mouths or what we view with our eyes. That only means I have to work harder and independently to make sure I break the chains of what is accepted of the world and focus on serving God. I'm going to be the light that shines bright in my home so my children can be raised in a home set on the solid foundation.
Summer vacation has started and I'm all for it!
After a long school year and nothing but chaos at work I'm ready to kick back and enjoy a relaxing summer.
So far this vacation has consisted of listening to sibling fights, whining, and temper-tantrums. But that's all part of raising kids, right? I'm doing my best to handle it with compassion, patience, and understanding. I'm doing my best to use kind words and help redirect my kids in their anger. As a child I felt I wasn't allowed to express my feelings. Feeling angry and frustrated wasn't tolerated. I don't want that to be the case for my own kids. I want them to know that it's okay to get upset and feel mad but I also want them to learn how to properly express those emotions. I also want them to learn that using mean words to each other is not what's acceptable.
Like every summer my kids are involved in the library's summer reading club. Every 200 minutes read they get a prize. My son has quickly made it to the first 200 mark. My daughter requires a little more pushing. I don't want them to make reading a chore. I wish they could enjoy it and see the adventure of reading like I always had. But with all the reading they've had to do during the school year I understand how they'd rather have a break from it. There is also a hiking program we participate in also. 30 hikes in different parks across the county. It's great exercise as we follow directions to get to the post with a rubbing on it. My son seems to enjoy it. My daughter, not so much. My two kids, born of the same two parents, are completely different in so many ways.
I had started a small garden with tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. With the cost of everything now it would be nice to have some fresh veggies this summer.
I also plan on spending these long days cleaning, organizing and getting this house into shape. Since my kids are heading into middle and high school there are a lot of toys I'm desperate to get rid of to make more space.
I'm also taking time to do my own reading. I have also reserved some extra time to do my writing. I should have been done by now. The first draft, second draft, final revision, should all have been complete. With everything going, sitting down to write takes last precedence.
I'm also devoting some time to working out. I really need to get back in shape. Not for vanity reasons, even though my husband would love to see me skinnier, but for health. I haven't been feeling the best lately, and some symptoms have me a little worried. I'm sure some of you will say, then go see a doctor. Another thing that doesn't take precedence.
I'm planning on enjoying this vacation. I won't be looking forward to getting back to work the end of August.
"If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless." -- James 1:26
This post is credited to Dr. David Gibbs, Jr, president and founder of Christian Law Associates.
It has been so easy to hear someone say something I did not agree with and immediately feel rage as I make my attempt to prove them wrong. The things I've heard lately, with one political side bashing the other (and I'm the other), really made me want to sit down and type my heart out on Facebook. I had felt anger at what was said. My chest started to tighten and feel like it was going to explode. With everything else I had been dealing with over the last few months, this was no help to me.
Gratefully, my husband motivated me to attend church yesterday, something we had been slacking at lately. During the service there was a guest speaker by the name of Dr. David Gibbs, a lawyer who has helped defend several Christian churches across the country. He started by reciting James 1:26 and continued on talking about the importance of "bridling our tongue."
To bridle your tongue means to restrain or control your tongue by choosing what you will speak and what you will not speak. When you have a bridle on a horse, you can control the direction of the animal despite it's enormous strength with the simple pull of the reins. A horse can only go the direction it's head goes; therefore, if you can control the direction of the head, you can control the body. In the same way, when we bridle our tongue by learning to control what we speak/don't speak, we can control the direction in which our life will go.
When it comes to bridling our tongue it's so much easier said than done, especially now living in a world of social media where it's so easy to share our feelings or read the views of others. It's so easy to feel anger and disappointment by the things we hear on the news. Holiday dinners in my family are never easy because someone is always bringing up politics. As tempting as it is to get caught up in it all, God wants us to bridle our tongue and prevent ourselves from saying anything that will be unpleasing to Him.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." We used to recite it all the time as kids when bullies said mean things. The truth is, those words do hurt. The tongue is the most evil part of our body. It can be used to say things that will bring pain or heartache to someone. It can also be used to spread kindness, encouragement, compliments, and compassion.
I'm choosing to use my tongue in a way that uplifts others. So far, it's been bringing me great joy in doing so and hopefully I can use my tongue in a way that will bring joy to others.
It's been a difficult school year for many reasons.
But we did it!
She did it!
