Life's Greatest Gifts

Most days, I don't slow down enough to stop and dwell on my life. I don't think a lot of us do. Today however, is different. I woke up this morning reflecting on my life and just how lucky I really am. Everyday is truly a blessing. I am a very rich woman. I am a recipient of life's greatest gifts.

I have a wonderful husband and two precious children. They each have their health and I have mine. We all woke up this morning and have been blessed with another day on this Earth together. Every breath we take is a reminder of just how rich we really are. We have food to eat and a safe home to live in. We have family that loves us and friends that support us. Most of all, we have a God that loves us more that we'll ever be able to comprehend. What in this life could possibly be more valuable than these? What gifts could possibly be more precious?

I have come to realize that it doesn't matter what kind of car I drive or what kind of clothes I wear. It doesn't matter if I live a life of luxury or if I just get by. The people in my life are what matter. The life I share with them and the love we share with each other are the things that make me rich. They are my treasures.

When we die someday, it won't matter if we had a million dollars or ten dollars. We can't take our material things with us. However, the lives we lived and the love we shared with others will shape the legacies we leave behind.

I don't want to be remembered by what I had in this world. I want to be remembered by who I was in this world. I pray the legacy I leave behind will be defined by the kind of life I lived, and the love I shared with others. Not the material things I possessed or the things I did for myself.

As we wake up each morning, we should all take a moment to reflect on the positive things in our lives. When is the last time you slowed down enough to do that? Perhaps you could start with the fact that you are alive today. The fact that you woke up this morning and were given another day on this Earth is an amazing gift. Our very lives are valuable treasures. Every breath we take is precious.

My hope is that each day we will all be able to slow down enough to reflect on the most valuable things in our lives. Even when life is hard, may we all try to identify the positives in our lives and not only dwell on the negatives. May we all strive to remember life's greatest gifts.

A Language Exchange

Have you ever wanted to learn another language? I sure have. I have always wanted to learn Spanish and I would really like my children to learn it too. I'm excited because I think we might get that chance.

I just got back from a planning meeting for a new English and Spanish language exchange program that is going to be offered at my church. Every Thursday, people within my community are going to begin meeting together in an effort to teach each other their native language. English speakers will be partnered with Spanish speakers and they will work together to learn the language that is foreign to them. Those that speak Spanish will teach Spanish to the English speakers and those that speak English will teach English to the Spanish speakers. It is truly an exchange of languages.

I believe that this is a wonderful thing and I'm very excited about it! It is a great way to bridge the gap between two cultures and bring people together within the community that otherwise would probably never come together. It is a wonderful opportunity for a community to help each other and hopefully build friendships as well.

I can't wait until next week! I'm excited about the opportunity to get to know some people from a different culture and hopefully provide them with a glimpse into ours. My whole family is going to be participating in this and I'm hoping all four of us will be able to learn Spanish as a result. At the very least, I am sure that we will be blessed by the new people we meet and hopefully bless them in return. 

Community of Hope

Last night, I spent the evening serving others in need. I love that experience and always leave feeling recharged.

As a Christian, I believe that I am supposed to live my life in such a way that shows others what the love of God looks like. Without tangible evidence, many people will never come to believe in God's love. How could they if they have no way of measuring what that love might look like or feel like. Love is an action word. It is not something that can only be talked about. It must be seen and felt in order for others to believe it's real.

That is where Christians come in. Jesus has called us to be the salt and the light in this world. We should be living our lives in such a way that people will see his love in us and through us. We are Christ's hands and feet. The lives we live and the love we show to others in the name of Jesus, is the tangible evidence that the world so desperately needs.

My church, Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Oklahoma strives to answer Jesus's call. We have decided that we will love and serve others in the name of Jesus so that they will see and feel his love through us.

We call our ministry the "Community of Hope." As members of the Community of Hope, we have declared that "Wednesdays Are For Others." Every Wednesday, we reach out in multiple ways to help those in need within our community.

As part of our ministry, we serve dinner to over 150 needy people within our community. Following dinner, we send them home with an entire weeks worth of food. We have partnered with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and two area Wal-Marts in order to supply several thousand pounds of food a week to these people and their families. This food includes various breads, deserts, meats, vegetables, milk, juice, eggs, etc... Tonight we supplied 120 boxes of food to these families. We also have a large clothes closet for these families where they can get any clothing items they might need.

Another service we provide is administered through our youth. Every Wednesday, our youth group delivers meals to the elderly and home bound. They use the opportunity to fellowship with these people. This is an awesome service because many times, our kids are the only visitors some of these people receive. It is such a blessing to both those being served and our kids who are serving.

In addition to these things, we also run and maintain a free medical clinic and pharmacy. We provide much needed medical care and prescriptions to low income and non insured families within the community. Our clinic and pharmacy is called the "Community of Hope Medical Clinic and Pharmacy." It is ran by an all volunteer staff that includes two doctors, a nurse, a pharmacist, 3 pharmacy technicians and administrative staff. I have volunteered as a licensed pharmacy technician since the clinic's inception in June, 2009.

Last but not least, once a month, we feed the homeless in Oklahoma City. We provide them with a hot meal, blankets if needed, and clothing items.

As you can see, service to others is something that is very important to those of us at Snow Hill. I am honored to be part of such a great group of people that cares for others and loves them as Christ loves them. I pray that our actions will display the love of Christ to the world so that others might come to know Him through us.

I'd like to leave you with this song from Big Daddy Weave. It's called "Love Come to Life." May all of our love come to life for the glory and the work of God, for the benefit of all people.

A Mother's Love and Pride

I just quickly wanted to share that I am so very proud of my son Tyler. Last night, he became the undeserved target of an adults anger. This person was so very angry and decided to direct some of that anger unfairly towards my son by trying to tear down his character. They were deliberately trying to cause harm by placing blame on him where blame was not due. I know, his Dad knows, other parties involved know, Tyler knows, and God knows, that he did not deserve the negative comments that were said about him.

Last night, we had a long talk with Tyler about how we cannot control the actions of others. In hurt and anger, people will sometimes make bad choices that results in others being harmed. It is sad that it happens but it is unfortunately a part of life. I explained to him that the most we can hope to take from it is to use the event as an opportunity to remind us that we can be different. We can make choices that don't deliberately tear people down but that help pick them up.

Tyler could have taken from this his own anger. Instead, after our talk, he decided that he wants to use what happened to him for good. He has decided to use it as a guide to remind him of the kind of person he wants to be. He has also decided to forgive this person and move on.

I have chosen to forgive too. Let me tell you though, that was tough. Any time someone is deliberately trying to hurt your child, you want to lash back with everything you have. It took all I had in me to not allow my anger to get the better of me. If either of my kids were ever in physical harm, I wouldn't hold back because me first priority is to protect my children. This was not the case though. Tyler was not physically threatened in any way. It was more of an emotional threat. It was damage that I was able to combat with love and as such, I have come to a place that I am also able to forgive.

I am very proud of my son Tyler. In the face of a difficult situation, he has chosen to handle himself with kindness and grace. It is unfortunate that he had to go through this but since he did, it is vitally important to me that he know how very proud his Mom and Dad are of him. We know the truth. We know that he is a Godly and loving young man. We are blessed every day by him and others are blessed by him too. That's what matters. He can continue to walk with his head held high because like us, he also knows the truth.

I would really like to stress to any parent out there to always be your child's biggest advocate. We as parents cannot protect our children from all of the bad in the world but we can ensure that they know that their mom and dad are in their corner. We can help them to work through their hardships and help to shape them into Godly men and women. We can help teach them how to combat bad with good, thereby, hopefully molding a new generation that is more loving, kind and compassionate than the last.

I'm so lucky to be Tyler's mom! I love you T-Man!

When the Cats are Away

This past week my husband, Terry, was sent on a business trip to Jackson, Mississippi. That meant the the kids and I were left to fend for ourselves. In some ways, that's a good thing. In others, not so much.

A down side to Terry being gone was of course the fact that we missed him like crazy! More difficult than that though, his absence demanded that I temporarily step into the role of dad, as well as having my everyday duties as mom. His occasional business trips certainly provide me with a glimpse into what life would be like without him. Let me tell you, I don't like that idea one little bit!

On the plus side though, the kids and I used his absence as an excuse to do some things we don't normally do.  "When the cats are away, the mice will play."

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but Terry and I home school both of our kids. A typical school day in our house consists of lessons between 9:00-12:00, an hour for lunch, and then finishing up the day from 1:00-2:00 or 3:00. We usually do lessons here at home. This past week however, I threw routine out the window and we shook things up a bit. That's one of the beauties of home schooling. School works around us instead of us having to work around school.

A few days this past week, we gathered up some of our lessons and headed off to either the park or McDonalds. One day we went to the park and a couple of the days we went to McDonalds. Tyler's curriculum is on-line so he can do his work from anywhere that has internet access. Since McDonalds has free wi-fi, he was able to do his work there. Most of Serenity's work is on the computer as well, so she was able to do most of her's there too. A couple of the days, after completing the kids' lessons, we rented a couple of movies from RedBox. We don't normally rent movies during the week so this was a nice treat for us.

This past week really made for a nice break in routine. I have found that sometimes it's really nice to shake things up a bit. I think we can get so caught up in life's everyday demands that sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses. I believe it's important that we try to avoid falling into that trap.

As a mom, I'm of the opinion that there is so much more to my relationship with my kids than making sure their physical needs are met. It is vitally important that I meet their emotional needs as well. That's what this week was about. It was about fellowship. It provided me with the opportunity to build some memories with my kids that I otherwise wouldn't have had.

I encourage every parent out there to shake things up now and then. Don't get so caught up in life's everyday demands that you forget to stop and smell the roses. Take some time out of your everyday routines to plan a special family outing. Maybe it could be a trip to the zoo or something as simple as a picnic in the park. Whatever you decide, the important thing is just providing an opportunity to be with your kids in an environment that's different from what you're used to so that many great memories can be made.

Serves Up!

Yesterday, the kids and I had a fun day playing Tennis with my brother and his family. Here's a little sample of our time on the court. We're not the most elegant but we sure had fun!

My son Tyler

My daughter Serenity

My brother Jesse

My nephew Aiden

My sister-in-law, Andrea and my nephew, Conner

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like everything goes wrong? Where it's like the harder you try, the worse things get? My son, Tyler, had one of those days a couple of days ago. It seemed like the harder he tried to make things work, the worse they got.

It all began with him making himself lunch. Now, you must know, this is something he has done a million times. He's almost fourteen so he's been fixing food for himself for years. Usually, it's an uneventful endeavor. However, on this particular day, it seemed as if nothing could go his way.

After picking out what he wanted to eat, he poured himself a glass of tea and put his food into the microwave to cook. As he was waiting for his food to get done, he came into the living room to set up a TV tray to eat on. He placed his cup of tea on the TV tray and went to move the tray from the side of the chair to the front of the chair. That's when the chaos began. As he lifted the tray up, his cup of tea tipped over and spilled all over the couch. To make matters worse, his sister was sitting in the spot where it spilled so she ended up getting a tea bath.

I guess you can imagine the drama that ensued. As if spilling the tea wasn't bad enough, he just had to dump it on his sister. She, being the drama queen she is, made it abundantly clear just what she thought of her brother and his tea. She was soaked, he was stressed, and the "Little Green" was nowhere to be found. Good times!

My being the awesome mom I am (not), managed to somewhat call things to order. I sent Serenity to change clothes, instructed Tyler to go ahead and finish getting his lunch and managed to find the Little Green.

In case you're wondering what a "Little Green" is, it is a hand held shampooer. It is WONDERFUL and a must have for anyone with pets or kids. Our Little Green is like a cherished member of the family.

Anyway, a few minutes went by and I noticed that Tyler still hadn't gotten his food yet. I saw him just standing behind the couch with this really blank look on his face so I asked him what was wrong. That's when it dawned on me. He didn't even have to tell me what happened. It's like I had some form of Mother's ESP. I knew he had dumped his food too. Can you believe it? Like the tea, he had placed the food on the TV tray, tried to lift the tray around the chair, and dumped the food into the chair.

For Tyler, this seemed to be the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. He was obviously very upset with himself and was saying that he couldn't do anything right. I must admit, he was a sight to see. He had apparently tried to catch the food as it fell so it had gotten all over the front of his chest. I think he was wearing about half of it.

I could tell that he was really taking things pretty hard so I quickly went about trying to ease the tension. I began to make light of the situation and assured him that we all have cruddy days. I told him we all make mistakes and that he would end up looking back on this in a few days and laugh. I was really joking with him and told him that I was going to get the camera, take a picture of the dumped food, and put it here on my blog so he would be sure to look back on it and laugh.

So, that's what I did. I grabbed the camera and snapped a shot of the dumped food. Forever capturing his chaotic moment in time. Here's the evidence of his chaos in action.

Tyler does look back on this now and laughs. Just a little while ago, as he was telling his uncle Jesse about it, he was laughing so hard he could hardly talk.

I think one of the reasons he has such a positive outlook about it now is because of how I made light of it when it happened. I could have gotten angry and snapped at him but I made a conscious effort to assure him that it was okay. I laughed it off and even took pictures for my blog to prove to him that it could be made into a positive memory instead of a negative one.

As parents, I think it's really important to try and not sweat the small stuff. This situation is a perfect example of that. Tyler's sister could be cleaned and the chair could be cleaned, but my sons morale and self esteem could have been damaged forever depending on how I reacted to it. Don't get me wrong, there have been times when I didn't handle things quite so eloquently, but I'm learning. I like to think that I'm getting better with each passing day. I'll probably have this motherhood thing pretty much mastered just about the time my kids are grown. Ha!

Long story short, LOVE YOUR KIDS! Recognize that they are human and will make mistakes. Learn to cherish them, and when possible, laugh with them even during those times. I promise, you'll be really glad you did. You will be creating a valuable memory together that you'll both look back on with laughter.

A St. Louis Excursion

Here's a visual snapshot of a weekend excursion our family took in March to St. Louis, MO. We had a blast! Several of these moments could certainly be classified as orderly chaos! Enjoy!

We went to the City Museum in St. Louis. I must say that this place was AWESOME! We had so much fun there. I would definitely recommend adding it to your must do list if you have kids.

Here's my crew. My oh my! They sure are wacky but I love them like Crazy! The four kids in the front row are (left to right) My son Tyler, My daughter Serenity, and my nephews, Aiden and Conner. On the back row (left to right) My dad Steve, My mom Charlotte, My husband Terry, ME, My brother Jesse, My sister-in-law, Andrea, and Andrea's mom, Pat.

Here's my brother, Jesse, exemplifying chaos at it's finest! He's getting ready to crawl into one of the many tunnels at the museum. I secretly think the dads had as much fun as the kids. 

Remember what I said about the dads having as much fun as the kids? Here's my hubby, Terry, inside of a giant egg. Does this mean that I can call him an "egg head" and get away with it? Ha!

Here's my dad getting his hand "eaten" by a lion statue. His grandkids really got a kick out of it. Can you tell that wacky runs in my family? Yes, unfortunately, I inherited too.

Here's Serenity, following in her Granddad's footsteps. She had to one up him and get her head "eaten" by a lion statue. It seems that wacky was passed down to her too.

Here's my husband, Terry, with our daughter, Serenity. He's such an awesome dad! Can you tell Serenity loves her Daddy? 

Here's my hubby with our son, Tyler. The two of them were getting ready to crawl into another one of the many holes there at the museum.

Here's a picture of all four of the kids. Of all the pictures I took, I think this is the only one I managed to get of all four of them together at the same time. The little rascals were bouncing around like ping pong balls from one place to the next. It was virtually impossible to get them to slow down long enough to get an occasional shot.

These are the lights of my life. My son, Tyler and my daughter, Serenity. Man, I love these kids! This is a picture of them in the very top of the St. Louis Arch.

Last, but certainly not least, MY FAMILY! My son Tyler, my daughter Serenity, and my husband Terry. These three people are the greatest joys in my life. They are my daily reminders that even though there are hardships and darkness in this world, it is also full of beauty and joy. I love you guys!

The Resurrection

This past Sunday was Easter Sunday and like many Christians across the globe, I found myself attending an Easter service at my church. As I sat in the audience and listened to my pastor, I began to better understand what the story of the resurrection truly represents.

If you're like me and grew up in a Southern Baptist church, you were taught that the resurrection represents a new life in Christ. Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we can be washed clean and born again. We must invite Christ into our hearts so that we can be saved and live eternal lives with him in Heaven. It is the age old story of "the good news." 

While this part of the story is true, many Christians across the globe end the story there. Many believe that once you've been saved the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection has been fulfilled. What if there's much more to the story? What if we have failed to see a very crucial part? What if part of the story was supposed to be about the lives we are currently living here on Earth, not just our assurance into Heaven?

What does it truly mean to be "born again?" As I pondered this, I realized that it isn't only about my future in Heaven. It is about the here and now. When I accepted Christ into my heart and declared him my Lord and Savior, I was "born again." Not a physical birth but a spiritual one.  A new life, that should manifest itself in an outward change, not just an inward one. Many Christians view this transformation as a private transaction between themselves and God but I believe that God requires much more of us. The transformation is not meant to be for us alone. It is meant to be shared with the world. The Parable of the Good Samaritan makes it quite clear what is required to inherit the kingdom.

The resurrection was not meant to be the end of the story. I believe it was meant to be the beginning. It represents hope in a fallen world. Matthew 6:9-10 says "Our father who is in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on EARTH as it is in Heaven."

As born again Christians, we are called to live our lives according to the will of God. As such, we cannot continue to live as we had before. God calls us to bring his kingdom here to Earth. It is meant to happen now! Not just in a far off Heaven or in a distant future. We are to be bringing the kingdom here by living out the will of God now. 

So if the kingdom is meant to come here on Earth, what would that kingdom look like? My guess would be that it should look much like the kingdom in Heaven would. Where we loved our Lord God with all our hearts, and we loved our neighbors as ourselves.

If we were striving for that kind of kingdom we would be driven to action. We would feed the poor and hungry, just as we would feed ourselves. We would heal the sick and wounded, just as we would heal ourselves. We would battle oppression and prejudice. We would care for the orphans and widows. We would love and not hate.

All of these things are part of the "will of God" and therefore should be something we are all striving to do in an effort to bring his kingdom here. If we live our lives in such a way that we show the world what the love of God looks like and we allow them an opportunity to feel his love through us, then we are truly sharing his kingdom with the world! 

Now that is GOOD NEWS!

A Day at the Capital

Last year, I was selected by American Mother's Inc. as the Young Mother of the Year for the state of Oklahoma. It was a great honor and an experience I'll never forget. Part of the experience includes a red carpet day at the state capital recognizing that years honoree. My big day was April 4, 2011. I was introduced to the House of Representatives and the Senate. I got to speak on the floor of the House and was presented with a proclamation from the state. I even met the Governor!

April 2 was the day at the capital for this years honoree. As the reigning Young Mother of the Year, it was my job to introduce the new honoree so I was in attendance. Since I wasn't the central focus this year, I was able to sit back and observe the event. As I sat in the audience, I quickly took note that the majority of those in attendance were what many would consider "upper class society." Many were from prominent families or leaders in their respective fields. In fact, the Young Mother of the Year this year is the daughter of an ex-Oklahoma governor. In the audience were wives of senators, ex-first ladies, Justice League members, presidents of organizations, etc. etc. Oklahoma's own Governor, Mary Fallin, is a supporting member. The American Mother's organization is certainly wrought with women of prestige.

The next thing that came to mind was how in the world had I become part of this group? How in the heck was I ever selected as Young Mother of the Year? I didn't run in these circles. I'm not from a prominent family or a leader in my field. I'm just a small town, middle class girl who's claim to fame is being the mother of two precious kids. Then it dawned on me. I was a leader in my field! Don't you see? My chosen field IS motherhood. My greatest achievement in this life is being a mom. I have dedicated my life to the cause. The very fact that I was selected as the Young Mother of the Year by an organization of such prestige suddenly became a testament to me that perhaps I really was a good mom. I had been judged by my merits alone. It hadn't mattered that I wasn't from money or power!

How often does that happen in life? How many people get the chance to be judged on their merits alone and not on how much they have or who they know? As I sat in that audience, it occurred to me that we all need a chance in our lives to feel as if we matter in this world. More often than not, the two things that separate us from our fellow man are geography and circumstance. Take the average person born in America vs. someone born in Uganda Africa. The geography of their births usually means the difference between living a free and comfortable life vs. living a life in extreme poverty and oppression. What about a child that is born into a loving home vs. a child born into substance abuse and violence? Which one do you think would have the best chance for a bright future?

How can this possibly be right? Is one person more valuable and precious than the other? Should geography and circumstance define the importance of a human life?

I would like to challenge everyone to think about what we can do as members of humanity to even the scales. What if we all joined together to right these wrongs? Can you imagine that kind of world? Where geography and circumstance did not have to mean suffering and dread. Oh what a joyous day that would be!

What can you do to make a difference? Remember, you don't have to change the whole world. The thought of one person doing that alone is quite daunting. Instead, think about how you might help just one person today. Maybe it could be by volunteering at a local food bank or sponsoring an impoverished child through organizations like World Vision or Compassion.

The question is not merely... "How will you make a difference today?"

The question is... "Will you make a difference today?"