From The Cosby Show to the Jersey Shore

With all the political turmoil and the constant reminder from the world around me I keep thinking about how morally unsound our country has become. I can't help but ponder why the sudden decline.

I keep going back to the television. It shocks me when I watch a movie or tv show and some of the words once banned from television is suddenly used repetitively on basic channels. What I have come to realize is that not too long ago our role models on television were the Cleavers or the Huxtables and now the most popular families are not families at all, but couples living together or single parents raising children. Although I am fully aware that those are also the same family units we see in our country it does make me wonder which came first. I look back at some of the shows I watched growing up, when I only knew of one girl from school who's parents were divorced, and I am beginning to think that our society has begun to think that what we see on tv and in movies is real life and so it has become acceptable to live in a way that breaks apart the foundation of the family and what God intended for it to be.

God teaches us to love. Love the sinner, hate the sin. We are all sinners and God has amazing grace that will cover those sins if we are striving to do his will for our lives. I fall short daily and cannot judge someone else, because only God knows our heart. What I can say is that as a believer in Christ, I must start looking at the way that I live my life, not only physically, but also what I allow my family to be exposed to. If anything is going to change, we must take a stand for our children and the children in this country who don't have parents who are willing to look out for them, possibly because they have not been taught any better.

I am often so afraid I will step on someone's toes, so I don't get involved in other's lives like I should. This is the time to make a difference and if it is only one person who it helps, that is one person who's life is better for it.

What teaching taught me...

Entering into teaching, I knew I would learn a lot about kids. I did not realize I would learn so much about life.

First off, teaching taught me that a child cannot be expected to learn things that mean nothing to them when they are not being loved and cared for the way God intended. Without someone who cares for them, they will more than likely fail at school subjects.

I also have learned that it takes one person to love them, care about them and let them know they matter in this world. I saw teachers who took the time to show a child love and saw amazing results from it.

We wonder so often what has happened in America. Why do people seem so self centered? I believe a lot of the selfishness we see comes from growing up in a family where children had to scrounge for attention and love from parents who were too busy watching television, worrying about their own life, or over working to keep up with their lifestyle.

In teaching I saw a lot of children who just wanted to be loved. It is obvious why God tells us that love is the greatest command. It is amazing to see the affect of one kind gesture. People crave love and kindness!

I feel we can all learn a lot from the children that I taught and show love, not just once a day, but to that terrible waiter, to the cashier who seems too busy to check you out, to the police officer who pulls you over (yes, I am talking to me) and to any and every person that we come in contact with.

Make your life one that when others come in contact with you, they are better for it.

Places to go and people to meet!

In moving to Memphis, I thought "I'm pretty outgoing, meeting people is not going to be a problem." Although meeting people has not been an issue, I find I still really miss having that super close connection to people, especially at church. I think I have taken for granted the wonderful friendships that I have been blessed with my entire life. I am so thankful for those people!

What I am beginning to realize is that me getting to know people and form close friendships is not someone else's job. It is my job. I have not allowed myself to get very close to others, because I don't want to want to stay here. I want to move back to Nashville and in my mind it makes more sense to keep people at a distance. The truth is, God wants me to use the talents he has given me no matter where I am. Good or bad, for me, forming relationships to encourage others is one way I feel called to show God to this world. So by trying to do my will by not growing close to others, I am going against what God has planned for me. I want to do God's will and glorify him through my life. So I now have a choice, I can continue doing what I am doing with the same results or I can break out and choose to follow God's will for me whether it makes things harder later or not. If I die tomorrow I want to know that God was able to use me daily for his kingdom!

And now I must share the hilarious pic from yesterday ...

Do I care less...

I don't know if anyone else is having this problem, but I am beginning to wonder if seeing people's problems all the time (on Facebook) makes you care less about what is going on in people's lives. I feel a though I usually care about others quite a bit, but lately I have noticed if I am on Facebook, I am often glazing right over serious problems that people are having without really stopping to think much about it. I don't want to become heartless or not care about the serious issues in people's lives. I am beginning to wonder if that is a way the devil is trying to use facebook to harden our hearts. It is like when you see really gory movies over and over and therefore it doesn't affect you. Maybe since we see it on a computer screen instead of a person actually telling us, we begin to think of it as "not real life."

Maybe I am the only person who is feeling this way. I have been limiting myself on how much I get on there so hopefully that won't happen, but it has really started to bother me. I am beginning to think I might be giving it up for good in the very near future.

Wow! What a year!

You could not have told me a year and a half ago that my life would be where it is right now!

I have an amazing husband who works hard and shows his love for our family daily. I have been able to stay at home with Danika, which has always been my hope for when I became a mother. And I have been blessed with an amazing daughter who makes me smile a million times every day.

I know we always hear that God's timing is always right, but it is difficult to see sometimes when things are not going the way you planned for them to go. I am slowly seeing why it is that God has seen fit that we did not have a child before now. First of all, I am now able to stay home (besides teaching mother's day out and art lessons, which I enjoy). But the other things I have noticed is that I have become far more patient the older I have gotten. Because of the miscarriage, I also think I am a lot more appreciative of Danika. I am able to enjoy the little things, that I think before I would have just ignored or gotten annoyed by. I have also benefitted from seeing others raise their children. There are many things I have been taught by watching those around me.

A couple years ago, we were a family, but now we feel a lot more like we are a happy little team with lots of love to go around!