No Guilt

I saw something today that just flat out broke my heart. I saw someone turn their back on a friend for being "too involved" with their family and not giving up time with their kids to "go out" with their friend. 

Believe me, I understand feeling left out. It is far too familiar a feeling. What I don't understand is the way this person flat out tried to guilt their "friend" for making, what I believe is, the right choice.

Friend or not they have no business or right to throw a person's choice to take care of their family in their face and try to shame them over how they live. If you aren't living their life, You.Don't.Know. Period. It may seem like you do, but I promise there is PLENTY they don't share. You don't know the sacrifice. You don't know the pain. You don't know how torn they feel. You don't know what they have given up and what they would give up if they had to. NO two people are exactly the same. They don't do things the same. Guess what?! They don't NEED TO. I really wanted to say something, but what good would it do? Sometimes people cannot see past themselves. :( None the less, my heart ached for the betrayal.

If I have to choose I will ALWAYS choose to do right by my babies. I owe them my BEST. Period. They are worth it and they deserve it. I cherish every second I spend with them. They grow up far too fast not to. So I know I'll be busy, I'll be unavailable, I'll be slow to respond and limited by schedules, but there is nothing more important that I could be doing then giving my all to these people that God has blessed us with.

That said, if you feel like I neglect you, or am "too busy", I am really sorry, I don't want any of y'all to ever feel that you don't matter to me! You do! I simply have a responsibility to wipe away the tears, to pray away the nightmares, to hold their heads when they are throwing up, to snuggle them when they need a Mommy snuggle, to teach them all I can in the limited time I have. To raise them to put others first, to love other people no matter how they are treated, to be kind, generous and respectful. To teach them never to do what I saw done.

So, to all my friends who are out there sacrificing for others, working hard, raising a family, in service to their country, in service to their community, whatever it is that you do that takes you away from your friends and leisure time... Thank you. *hugs* Your effort is appreciated and your sacrifice is valued!!!

Ignore the rest and know that you are doing the BEST you can, and that is what matters! <3

Children...

They have a way of bringing joy to any moment they touch.

Yes, they can be obnoxious. Yes, they require work. With children comes a level of worry previously, blissfully, unknown. Yet, with children comes an unexplainable joy that has the power to consume your heart. 

It comes out of nowhere and hits you like a brick wall. It will stop you dead in your tracks. One minute you will be thinking about all of life's stress; all of your to-do; all of the pressures and worries and then... a smile. A giggle. A hug. An "I love you, Mommy", and all of that is gone. Your heart is suddenly overflowing with a love so great you would swear it could burst your heart inside of your chest.

Sure holidays are "supposed" to be happy, but they aren't always. Life happens and as adults we have a hard time separating the heavy stuff out so we can just enjoy whatever moment is at hand. Children have the unique ability to do that for us. We can be lost in thoughts of finances, frustrations and pressures and all it takes is hearing that precious laughter... It is the kind of laughter that is filled with joy and consumed with the moment. It is distraction free and undeterred in it's ability to shatter the bubble of life-stuff and draw you in to the moment they are living in.

It is what makes all the shopping, cleaning, egg-stuffing, prep-work worth while! They bring the "magic" to the moment. For children each egg holds the promise of a smile and the sound of laughter. Genuine, carefree, joy-filled laughter. Without children they are just a piece of plastic littering the yard. They are cold and meaningless without the response of the child.

Holiday traditions aren't what make the holidays meaningful, it's the people you spend them with. The lives they touch. The memories they will create.

Regardless of what the occasion is, always remember what truly matters. Be thankful for the people you have. Love without limit. Live in the moment. Listen to the laughter.

We are blessed to have these few years with our little ones to make the memories that will last for a lifetime!

Bless and be blessed, y'all! <3

What Can I Say...

About the day we celebrate the unbearable sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross? He set us free. His suffering made it possible for us to be forgiven and our relationship with our Father restored. He took on all of our blame, all of our guilt and all of our sin just so that we could know the love of our Father.

Can you imagine being beaten and then killed, in such an incredibly painful manner, so that someone else wouldn't have to take the blame for what they did?

It wasn't until I was a mother that I could imagine doing that for someone else. Being a parent gave me a tiny glimpse of how God loves us. My love for my babies, the three people that I would do anything to protect, even die for, is a faint projection of how our Father loves us.

Why do I say "faint" projection? Well, because even in that love for them, I could not imagine sending one of them to die for the others, let alone for people who have betrayed me. Yet, that is exactly what God did for us. He sent His son... His son who had done no wrong, to stand in our place. To take the guilty verdict upon Himself, and bear the unbearable for us.

How could He do such a thing for people who defied His laws, who spat in His face, who rejected His loving plans, who betrayed and disregarded Him??? I cannot comprehend the depth and breadth of a love that would pay such a great price just to be reunited with the people that so utterly rejected Him.

That is His heart for us. For ALL of us. That not one of us would be separated from Him but that all of us would be returned to His loving arms. No matter what we have done, He still wants us back. He still wants to forgive us. He still wants to set us free from the pain, the guilt, the anger, the suffering...

What greater gift could we receive than this?

How could I ever thank Him enough?

Father, I can find no words to express my gratitude for what you have done. I don't even know where to begin. You know our hearts, Lord, so I will pour out my heart to you always. I will share this gift with the world. I will endeavor to honor your sacrifice and when I fall short, I will ask for forgiveness again. It is by your loving grace alone that I have been set free, and for that I am eternally grateful! <3

Bless and be blessed, y'all!

Oops...

Hope everyone had an awesome Easter! 

I cannot help but love celebrating the amazing love of our Father and the gift of forgiveness and freedom Jesus gave us on the cross. ^_^ 

Now... If you are anything like me and you just happen to love food. In particular food that tastes GOOD and also happens to be meat, in my case, *insert food your choice here*. You may have gone a tad overboard yesterday. (Or on any holiday that offers an excuse to abandon all reason and logic and consume your weight in *said food* or die trying.) ;) By "tad" I may or may not mean eating an entire cow worth of burgers and ribs... 

Normally I am pretty good at having some of what I like without going crazy, but there are rare occasions when my primitive caveman brain takes over, caution is thrown to the wind and I eat more than my fair share of calories. ***GASP*** The Health/Fitness Coach said WHAT?! Yup, she said she is HUMAN. ;) hahahaha We won't always make the best choices, but we can make the better choices the majority of the time and not completely jeopardize all the work we have done up to the point of what I might call a slight overindulgence. ;) 

This is why I say, if you are craving it have a little of it so you won't binge. Regular binging is not only bad for your waistline and your goals, but hard on your body. It is better to go ahead and have some of whatever it is that you just can't stop thinking about than to go all in. If you do have one of these moments/days of eating what you normally wouldn't, don't stress about it. Don't let it derail you completely and become a pattern of bad daily eating. Just pick up where you left off and move forward. Don't beat yourself up. Don't punish yourself. Don't try to "make up for it". Just continue on as if nothing happened. You need to refocus and get back on track and your overall progress won't be permanently harmed by your indulgence. ;) 

It isn't a crime to have things you enjoy from time to time. Living a healthy life shouldn't be painful, stressful or depressing. Nor does it mean eternal deprivation. You are allowed to LIVE. Just don't make it your regular eating pattern. :)