Kindness

I have been told a couple times this week "Use your authoritative voice."
I don't usually have that kind of tone unless the words "Ryker Timothy" or "Madox Owen" are coming out of my mouth!

Do you ever wonder what happened to kindness and common courtesy? I feel like people wear it as a badge of honor if they can bully someone in to something. It is incredibly frustrating. Especially for someone who is not particularly blunt face to face.
Facebook plays a big role in this. People hide behind their computer screens and rant. They say what they want and delete you or unfriend you when they don't like what you have to say. I have been guilty of this before but seriously?! How pathetic is that? You made me mad so I'm going to unfriend you! How childish!

I guess this my version of hiding behind a computer screen and ranting, :) but can we at least be kind to one another? Take the high road and be kind, even when it hurts!

Sunday Morning

Here it is again. Sunday morning.
Worship is my favorite thing. Heaven is going to be a blast. I love to sing.
I actually led worship this morning and I believe I was convicted myself.

This morning I shared John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." This is by far my favorite verse right now. So much in one little verse. Do you understand the weight this holds?! Jesus has OVERCOME the WORLD!!

Why do I worry? Why don't I give everything to God? Why don't I worship in EVERYTHING I do? Am I living like I should? Sometimes I feel like a failure. I feel like people must look at me and think, "she's really messing it up." But God looks at me and says "You are mine. I love you and I have overcome the world for you!"

Oh friends, my God loves me but he also loves YOU! He loves you just like he loves me and every other person we know and don't know. I pray that God would use me to witness to those around me.

God I pray that I would be different. Make me like you, please make me like you. I love you and I want to serve you. Thank you for your everlasting love and forgiveness. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

I don't remember the day. I don't remember exactly what I was doing, but I remember the feeling. Pure terror. My parents had just told me that we were moving to Danville. (What's so great about Danville? A little laugh for my mom who will read this!) Today, I am more than thankful that God led my parents to Old Union Church of Christ. Danville/Bismarck is where I met my husband, made some great friends and really felt like I fit in.

This week has been an emotional one for me. I'm under a lot of stress at work and having a few minor (that feel like major) issues with Ryker. Nothing that I can't get through, but enough to make me feel a little like I'm going to lose my marbles. For some reason, these emotions have made me really nostalgic. I have been put in a few situations this week that make me think, "Things will never be like they used to be." I had to drive over to Champaign and when I was on my way home, I turned down Henning. I drove by Bob and Mary Ellen's old house on Henning and thought of the pool parties we had there. I turned on to "Old Union Road" and passed the spot where Goldie and Clara's house used to be. I remember painting that house when we were still at Old Union. I drove past Old Union. I thought about driving my parent's stick shift around that parking lot over and over again trying to get a feel for the clutch (never got it, by the way). I remember countless services, carry ins, memories.

Sometimes it is hard to look at right now and see it as fondly as back then. Although I'm struggling to see the good in the bad days, there will come a day that I will look back and not even remember the bad. I will remember the times that he walks up and hugs me and tells me "You're my favorite mommy in the whole wide world. I love you."

I'm so thankful that God's ways are better than ours. I never would be where I am today if my parents hadn't listened to His calling. There are so many things that I don't understand, but He does. I don't know when I will learn that I don't need to worry about tomorrow, because He holds me in His hand. He makes all things work together for my good. He has my best interest in mind. Today, I can be thankful for that.