New Year's Resolutions

Are you one of those people who starts the year out all fired up, hoping to loose weight,  have new workout regimes, diets, new jobs, not complaining so much, keep a clean house, making fun lunches for your kids to take to school, getting help for your marriage or your relationships, going to church all the time, etc, etc?

I think many of us do that. I'm no stranger to resolutions. I like resolutions. They always spur me on to make myself a better person when I lose sight of who I am during the busyness of each year.

It's so easy to lose sight of who we are and we forget to take care of ourselves the way we need to during the craziness of life. I mean, we're wives, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, employees, teachers, doctors, nurses, public servants, stay at home moms, babysitters, cooks, cleaners, maids, and everything else in between. Life has a way of sweeping us up and carring us along without much for us to grasp onto and stabilize us. If we don't have a firm anchor in what we believe, Who we believe in and what we will do with those beliefs, then it can often feel like life is out of control. After the first couple of weeks in the New Year and the excitement of our new resolution wears off, what do we have to hold onto? Will we have the stamina and self discipline to keep at it even when we don't feel like it or feel too tired or lazy to continue on?

Sometimes life feels a bit like we got swept up into a tornado. Everything is whirling around us, yet there is nothing solid to grasp hold of and things just keep slipping by without us being able to hold onto them. I know I feel half nuts by the end of the year. It's Christmas break and my kids are home for two weeks and, right now, the two weeks break is almost over, and it can't be over soon enough. I can't wait for those little tiny tots to be back at school.

Go ahead, judge me...lol. But for real, I'm being downright honest here. I mean, I think if you got real too, you might realize how much you want a quiet house again and not so much mess all the time. Getting into a schedule and having things back the way they are for 40% of the year sounds pretty good to me. Doesn't it to you? I'm sure in a few days when they're back at school, I'm going to miss their cute faces and their sticky fingers, but right now? I just want the stickiness gone and my house to be quiet and free of dirt and toys and stuff everywhere.

But, back to resolutions! I am not sure I am going to resolve to do anything crazy, like lose weight or join a gym, or make fun lunches for my kids in 2017. I always have these grand ideas and plans and hopes and dreams, but in all reality, I end up just twirling around in the blender of life and end up a bit disappointed at the end of the year, knowing that half, or even more than half, of my resolutions went down the drain.

I think my "New Year's Resolution" is going to be to resolve to do things I know I can do, like being kind to everyone I meet. I'm going to try to be more supportive of my husband, my children and my friends. I am going to integrate and participate more in our church. I'm going to greet my kids with a smile every morning and be fine with feeding them cheerios for breakfast. I am going to be ok with who I am and the body that I was given. I am going to think positive. I am going to be thankful for the beauty that God has given me in my family, my husband and my house, and everything else too.

But the main resolution that we need to make and hold onto, despite being tired, discouraged, depressed, sad, frustrated, angry, busy, distracted or whatever else life throws at us is our relationship with God. He is our solid foundation. I saw a quote today that is quite common, but it stuck with me unlike other times. It said, "Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom, because it is the rock bottom that we hit that becomes our solid foundation." Hitting rock bottom sounds so low, so sad, so....far....down. But what happens when a house is built? They dig down and make a flat surface. They anchor the house to a rock solid foundation. Without that rock (concrete), the house would never stand. It would just be propped up and when the winds and rains came, it would blow down into shambles. In life, our foundation is Jesus. He is our Rock. He is the One who stabilizes us, who holds us together despite our failures. He is the One who allows us to reach rock bottom so we can discover who holds it all together. So, the biggest part of my New Year's resolution is to focus on my relationship with God and growing in Him every single day. He will be my anchor. He will be my song. He will be my strength. He will be my foundation.

Another thing I am going to work on is being happy. Happiness is a choice. It's something we create inside ourselves. We choose to be happy in life. It's like a kid at Christmas and he gets a fun toy; he could choose to be really excited and jump up and down, or he could choose to say, "I don't like this...this isn't what I wanted." Sometimes life doesn't dish out what we want. Sometimes life dishes out some really sour lemons and salty pickles, but we can choose to make some yummy lemonade with those lemons and make some scrumptious hamburgers with those pickles. Or we could choose to sit sadly, staring at the lemons and pickles, wondering why life keeps handing the yucky stuff to us.

The choice is yours. The choice is mine.

We choose every single day to think positively or negatively. We choose our reactions. We choose our actions. We choose, choose, choose.

What will your choice be this coming year?

Resolve something and stick with it. Don't over complicate things. Don't stress over failures. Don't worry about the things that you mess up. Life is full of mess-ups, clean-ups and pick-ups. We have to just brush ourselves off, learn from our mistakes and keep going.

In this day and age, it seems that perfection is called for everyone. There is no room for mistakes, but that is what is wrong with our society, in my opinion. We hold ourselves and others to impossible standards and then, when we fail, or others fail us, we fall flat on our faces and get all upset because of how things are going. Life is like a rollercoaster, going up and down and all around. Our hair gets a bit messed up, we squeal, we fear, we laugh, we cry, we shake, we scream, we throw our hands up in the air, we enjoy ourselves and then, we do it all over again.

Have a really wonderful, exciting, filled-with-joy New Year! Make 2017 a great, great year. Remember, happiness is a choice. Life can throw you a bunch of curveballs and craziness, but you can still choose to smile through it all.

Catching the Heat

Catching Heat was riveting, catchy, and made me want to read more. It kept me on my toes and kept my attention until the very end.

It was Christian based, but wasn't filled with a bunch of religious jargon. It would be enjoyable for Christian and non-Christian alike.

Full of romance, criminal justice and love, I enjoyed every moment of it. With all the twists and turns of the story, I couldn't guess what would happen next. Suspense, danger, commitment, fear and a heart to find justice, I found each character easy to get to know, love and want more from. It's a good thing this is a series, because I hope to read more. It's one of those books that you pick up in the evening and hope the little ones don't wake up for a while so you can get in as many chapters as possible.

Abby is easy to love, and you find yourself wanting her to stay out of danger, but yet willing her into the danger zone so she can find out what happened to her parents. Her love interest is full of twists and turns and you keep hoping he will keep her sane and on the right path, yet he has his own set of complicated issues.

I received a copy of Catching Heat for free in exchange for my honest review.

The Alignment of the Stars

Have you ever felt like your life is just not lining up? Like things just aren't going right? Like you'll never make it even half way up the hill called Life?

I think we've all had those moments, days, months and years. For some, it might have felt like your whole life you've been battling to just keep your head above water. I think it's been a years thing for me, personally. I mean, I have had it better than a lot of people in the world. I'm not complaining. I just know that I've faced some pretty big battles and there have been a lot of times I feel like things are just never, ever going to go right. So, sister, I'm coming along side you, saying, "You can do it! Don't give up."

But here's the point of this post. 

This morning, I was thinking about so many things. You know, if you have an ADD in your system, you might know what I'm talking about...my mind was going 90 miles per hour and suddenly I realized that the stars were aligning. I'm almost 30 years old and so far, in those years, I've not found my passion and purpose, besides being a mother. I'm not downplaying that purpose, by the way. But I'm talking about the things that God placed in my heart as Dream Seeds. Back when I was 15 years old, God spoke very clearly to me that Los Angeles was my home; that the people living there were my people. I was young, involved in a church that wouldn't accept my "hearing from God" and I had no clue how or when this would come to pass. (PS. I still don't know...) 

Then a few years ago, I got the itch to write a book. Books, actually. I have two books burning on my heart right now; one is the story of my life and the other is a relationship/marriage book. But who am I to write a book? Really? Me? What do I have to say that will help or encourage people? Sometimes, things just calls for obedience, and let God do the rest. 

Those are two very big things; a mission field amongst celebrities (that was the focus of the "Dream Seed" that God gave me) and then these books. It involves a lot. Here's just a few of those things.

To have a mission field in LA:

• Need to have a church that supports and backs us up
• Open hearts on where to live
• Money for the mission
• Moving so far away is hard
• Jobs
• Schools for the kids
• Safe area to live
• Hearts open to receive what God wants to share
• AND SO MUCH MORE..... the list really could go on for pages and pages, but I won't bore you.

To write a book:

• Time
• Lots and lots of prayer
• A publisher
• An audience
• Support from friends and family
• An open heart to hear what God wants to share
• Again, AND SO MUCH MORE....and again, the list could on for pages and pages. 

All this seems so nearly impossible on my own.

But then I realized, this morning, that things were lining up! Slowly, but surely. Nothing big has happened. There hasn't been some huge breakthrough. There are no plans to move to LA, there isn't a church that has come behind the vision yet, there isn't a publisher and only one book is half written in a very rough draft form. 

But, I was talking to someone the other day that goes to the church we go to and she was saying she heard that another family felt to go to LA at some point and that people were open to moving there someday to start a church. Their mission and heart? For the celebrities and of course other people out there. And, to top it off, my husband texted me yesterday to say that the company he works for has their sister company out in....yep, you guess it, Los Angeles. And guess what? They're hiring for my husband's position. It's a prayerful...very prayerful consideration. 

Then, as I was getting slightly discouraged about the whole book writing thing, I realized I am friends with a couple of authors who have been published. Maybe they could give me hints and tips on how to talk to publishers. 

See, the stars are aligning, as they say. Slowly. They're coming together. Little things come along to remind you that God's Dream Seeds never go to waste. They never fail to come to fruition. 

Has God given you a dream? Has He planted a Dream Seed in your heart? Do you feel like it's not everrrrrr going to come to fruition? Start looking at the signs. Start believing in His Word. Trust His plan. Trust His timing. His timing is perfect. His ways are so much higher than ours. 

Leave a comment on what God is doing in your life! Let me know what you think!

You are Enough

Being a Christian is hard. It's not an easy road to travel. It never has been and it never will be. It's not intended to be easy. It wasn't made for those of faint heart. 

But many are hurt by said Christians and they find themselves questioning who they are, who God is, and if there is even a reason to try to live for God. I've been one of those people before. I've been there. I know how it feels. It's a crushing, smothering, heavy, heavy weight. You question your purpose. You question how you got to where you're at. You question God. You question if you're saved, or if you ever were saved, or if you can even be saved. 

For the longest time, I thought asking God any questions was out of the picture. I was raised to believe that if I questioned God, I was questioning His Word and His plan for my life. I was raised to believe to never question God. Ever. I was raised to believe that if I left this particular church that I was automatically going to hell and could only raise my chances of going to heaven if I returned to the church, repented of my sins before the elders and the entire church. I was raised to believe that I had to question my salvation every single day and make sure that I was following God and the elders of this church explicitly (following God was following the elders, not God...to make that clear). Following God was difficult, because there was always this fear wrapping around my heart, wondering if I did something that God didn't approve of and wondering if His grace and forgiveness was enough for me. 

So once I left that atmosphere...a situation that still makes my heart ache from time to time...I started to learn that He is enough, and I am enough. Not that I can just go out and flippantly sin and take advantage of His grace and forgiveness, but there was a confidence in the fact that His grace and forgiveness exists for me. 

I've learned that it is ok to ask God hard questions. I've learned that it is ok to ask Him why? I've learned that it is ok to doubt His goodness and salvation sometimes. But I've also learned that when I do question, He always comes back with, "You're enough. You are who I created you to be. You are beautiful. You are lovely. You have My forgiveness and love." 

Finding that quiet confidence is something that many need so desperately, but haven't reached yet. I haven't even reached full confidence. There are days that my faith is so shaky and unstable that I wonder, once again, where I stand with God. It was just two nights ago I was sitting on my couch and something triggered inside my heart and I wondered if God cared, or was real, or loved me. Then I pulled my Bible out (well, I pulled up the Bible App on my phone...thank you to whoever designed that! Reading in the school line and at night when my heart is heavy, but I don't want to turn a light on and wake everyone up) and was reminded by Psalm 91 how He is my guide and my savior. 

Do you have doubts?

Do you wonder where you stand with God?

Do you wonder if it's even worth it to try to live for Him?

Do you wonder if He exists?

Do you question your salvation? 

Ask God the hard questions. There isn't anything that is too much, too big, too small, too hard, too bad for Him. 

You are enough. You are strong. You're beautiful. You belong to Him. You have a place in His kingdom. He cares about your questions. He cares about you struggles. He wants to hold you close. He wants to reassure your heart. He wants you to feel confident. He wants you to be sure of His love. He wants you to walk with head held high, despite what others have said to you, about you or over you. He wants you to have that quiet confidence, knowing that He has your back. He's got this. He's got you. He wants you to know that He IS worth living for. He wants you to know He is real. He wants to show you your purpose. He wants you to be sure of your purpose. He wants you to know that He came to earth, walked amongst us, struggled and battled through his own fears to help us conquer ours. He overcome death so we could someday live with Him. He overcome so we could be overcomer's too. 

Christmas Kindness

Holly and berries. Eggnog with nutmeg. Christmas music. Decorated trees. Presents under the tree. Amazon boxes arriving at the door. Children's laughter and giggles. Games. Family. Fun. Food and Christmas movies!

That is what the holiday season is filled with for many. There are traditions and things people do every year. Some people are more random. Each have their own, special thing that they do, in hopes of making some fun memories for themselves and their families. 

Some do the "Elf on the Shelf," some just listen to Michael Buble's Christmas channel on Pandora. Some bake tons of cookies and decorate them with their kids. Some travel across the world for festivities and fun. Some stay home and work hard up until the very minute Christmas dinner is being served. Some miss dinner with their families because of work. Some struggle through Christmas and for some, Christmas is really the most wonderful time of the year. 

But what is the real "reason for the season?" 

Jesus. He was born in a manger, grew up in a regular household with regular parents and went on to being Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, our Savior. Our hope. Our help. 

Our family likes to sit around the tree with the lights shimmering and the ornaments glowing while we discuss the story of Jesus. 

Luke 2: 1-20 (The Message)

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

I think something that always gets me, as a mother, is that so often my kids think of Christmas as a time to get gifts and they want, want, want, want. But we're working on that. We've started a tradition where we give to toys for tots and have the kids pick out a toy that they would like to have, and then give it to someone else. We constantly ask them to make things for each other and we teach them, that when they do get a gift, that the first thing they do is say, "Thank you" and then offer for their siblings to play with them with their new toy. It helps them focus on not being so selfish all the time. 

We also have some fun traditions where we go looking at a neighborhood that is decorated a lot for Christmas. Normally it's chilly or even very cold, so we drive around and look at them with some hot chocolate (for the parents) and some juice for the kids! We put some fun, upbeat Christmas music on and enjoy family time. We also go to the Historic Frisco Town Square and look at the lights that are tuned to the beat of Christmas music on the radio. 

My husband and I have this little tradition of watching "Home Alone" (all three of them!) and sipping on my hubby's famous hot chocolate and a candy cane dipped in it while we watch. We will often put our little ones to bed early and then settle in for a fun date night at home. 

But then there is the not so fun part of Christmas. I have family that I miss a lot and don't get to spend Christmas with because of certain situations that I won't go into here. But it's something that has caused me to be extra tender hearted to those with no place to go for Christmas. Christmas can be a painful time of year for people and I think many would do well to remember that when they're helping others, or see people, or talk with them on the phone. Did you know the holiday season is the most common time of year for suicides? People get low emotionally due to finances, no family, family drama, feelings of deeper rejection when family doesn't have room for them, or want them around, etc. It's a time of year that people are working hard to just make ends meet and sometimes those ends don't meet. There are families that won't have gifts under the tree and won't have a tree with lights on it, or hot chocolate to sip on. There will be those who don't have electricity to turn on Christmas music or money to buy a nice Christmas dinner. 

So, when you call that business to pay a bill, or you are calling that business to fix a bill, be kind. When you go to the grocery store, ask the clerk how his/her day is going. When you are at work, smile at that co-worker you really just don't like. When you're shopping for gifts, be kind to the lady shopping next to you. While you're driving down the road, let the person in that has their blinker on, over.

Just be kind. Ask God to give you a soft heart for those around you, no matter how much you're going through or feel overwhelmed with. Your purpose this season is to be the joy to someone else's holiday season. Be cheerful. Your purpose is to be kind and loving. That is what everyone is called to. 

What are some of your favourite traditions and fun things you do with your family? Sound off in the comment section below! I want to hear them!

Have a wonderful, beautiful holiday season! 

From my family to yours! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Feliz Navidad! 

Strengths Based Marriage

This book about marriage came at a perfect time. Marriage is hard. It's not intended to be easy, because, after the fall of man, our selfish hearts play a part in making life more difficult everywhere. I don't think it is the "natural" thing to do, to not ever think of one self and want to just do what is best for us.

Being married helps us focus on other people, especially our spouses, and this book, "Strengths Based Marriage" by Jimmy Evans and Allen Kelsey helps us focus on the strengths in our spouses instead of their weaknesses. It's sort of like having a child who might be autistic, or have learning struggles (of which I have two of them that I know of so far). If you focus on building up their strengths, often times they naturally become stronger in other issues that they face as well, that aren't their strengths. It's a learning balance.

It's the same in our marriages and that is exactly what Evans and Kelsey show us clearly.

I love this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to better their marriage.

I received this book from BookLookBloggers for free in exchange for my honest review.

Brave Girls 365 Devotional

Brave Girls is an incredibly written, well put together, encouraging devotional for girls. It is bright and colorful. It has scripture throughout each day to discuss, encourage, help and focus on gaining more biblical knowledge.

The quality of the book is very good. I believe it will last for a long time.

I really like how it's put together and how the author took time to consider the struggles, victories, and daily challenges that our young girls face in the world today. It brings their focus back onto what truly matters: God. And in light of that, it gives them a nugget of truth each day to hold onto.

I would suggest this book to any of my friends who have daughters, or sons, even. Despite the cover being pink, my oldest son is enjoying listening in while we read it on a daily basis.

A Woman UnAfraid

Today. Today is going to be a historical, go-in-the-history-books kind of day. Today, America gets to decide between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump for their president. Some people are probably writing in a name, or picking someone who is on the ballot, but probably doesn't have much chance of winning. I can't blame them, to be honest. The two choices are quite daunting. I pray for my children that have to grow up with this president.

You know what I was thinking about? My son just turned 6 years old in October. He will be 10 years old when we get to go through all of this again. Crazy? Right?

Well, onto the subject of being a "Woman Unafraid," I wanted to share a little something with you that I hope can bolster your spirits on this tense, anxious day. 

There are tons and tons of scriptures that talk about not being afraid. But here are a few that stuck out to me today, as I battled within my own heart to find perfect peace in knowing that God has got us.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27  NLT

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 NIV

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NLT

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”Mark 5:36 NLT

Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:36 NIV

Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. Revelation 1:17 NIV

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil,  for you are with me Psalm 23:4 NIV

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. Proverbs 29:25 NLT

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 NLT

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. Psalm 112:7 NLT

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Psalm 91:4-8 NLT


There are so many more that I could list. But this blog would be so long, I'm afraid I'd lose you! So, I will leave you with these.

Take heart, women! We are warriors! We are God's children. He has not given us a spirit of fear! He has given us a sound mind, a solid Rock to stand on, and a firm foundation. We will not be shaken. We will not be moved. 

No matter what happens with this election, God has got us. We can still be the change we want to see in the world. Cliche, I know. But it's a good phrase! God wants us to push aside all the distractions and problems of the world and face this head on like the warriors He has created us to be. 

Praying for you today! God bless you!

Learning to Say Yes

"No!"

"Stop that!"

"Don't do that!"

"Sit down!"

"Shhhhh"

"I told you no!"

Those are phrases that bounce around my home way too much. With four kids, my house teams with crazy all day long. From the moment the sun peaks above the horizon to the moment their little heads are laying on pillows with fluffy down surrounding them in bed, crazy rules.

So to reign in that craziness, I tend to say no a lot more than I should.

Today, my oldest son and oldest daughter came home from school and my afternoon went from relative calmness to fussing, crying, talking back, testing limits and boundaries, asking questions and all four clamoring for food. Yep. Even my 9 month old has me wrapped around his little pinky and begs for food constantly.

I rarely deny food. I mainly deny food if they're just dragging their feet and "want seconds" or "thirds" when they haven't even completely finished their plate. Or, my favourite...they've been in bed for 30 minutes and the three year old comes out, toting a fluffy blanket, eyes squinting in the bright light saying, "I'm hungry, Mommy. I wanna eat." I know that she just hears me working out, or cleaning, or hears the TV's hum as I watch an evening show and wants to join in the fun. Who wouldn't? But I will still lead her back to bed and whisper little sweet prayers and then get her tucked back in. I assure her that I will feed her in the morning. That always seems to do the trick!

But back to what I was saying; I so often say "no" to things that really deserve or could use a yes.

For instance, today, my four year old asked me if they could go outside and play. I was in the midst of trying to get things done and my mind was deeply focused on trying to resolve an issue and I snapped back with a quick, short, "No. Just sit down on the couch and be quiet!"

I caught a glimpse of her downfallen face and suddenly stopped to think for a second. I asked the person I had on the phone to hold for a minute and then said, "You know what? Sure. That's fine. Go ahead and go outside and play. I'll throw a pizza in the oven and you guys can have a little snack out there."

The sounds of their happy squeals as they scampered outside made my  heart so happy. I realized how much the power of a small "yes" could bring such happiness and relief. Maybe I'm the only Mom out there that struggles with saying "no" too much. But it dawned on me that I really needed to say yes much more. I always hear about the power of the word, "no" but I've never read about the power of the word, "yes." We focus so much on cutting things out of our lives so we can have time to do things with our families, or focus on self betterment, or put in the work that a marriage takes, etc, that we forget that saying yes sometimes is what we actually need.

I focused on saying yes a lot more for the rest of the day and I noticed that my day went a lot better and so did theirs. They were so happy when I said "yes" to some apple juice. They were thrilled when I said, "yes" to them watching a movie. They squealed when I said "yes" to them having some popcorn. They bounced for joy when I said "yes" to them coloring outside. What was the harm? They were outside. They were loving their time with each other and my new-found "yes" system. While the word "no" has a place in our home, right now, the lesson I am learning to embrace is learning to say yes to my children more and not just shutting them out when I'm busy or distracted with adult problems and every day stuff.

Sometimes life is hectic. Sometimes we just wanna curl up in a hot bath with the Gilmore Girls playing on our laptops and a steaming cup of homemade chicken noodle soup in our hands. Oh, don't forget the cup of iced coffee to top it all off! We wish our children would just be quiet for a few blessed seconds of peace. But that's not real life, folks! We signed up for this when we had our children and it's our responsibility to learn a balance between saying "yes" and saying "no."

We can learn to rock this thing called Motherhood and when we don't "rock it" we can learn to understand that our failures don't define us as mothers. What defines us as mothers is our willingness to get up again when we've fallen down. What defines us is how we respond to our failures and how we respond to our children's failures. What defines us is how we walk with God and how we walk with our children. That's what defines us.

Love you, sweet Mama's! Hang in there. You're doing great!

Finding Your Voice

Finding Your Voice: What Every Woman Needs to Live Her God-Given Passions Out Loud, by Natalie Grant.

Ok, so I have always loved Natalie Grant. Her voice is like getting a glimpse of what Heaven will sound like when the angels sing. She is, hands down, amazing. So when I found out that she was writing a book, I was excited and knew I wanted to read her book.

She is a wife, mother, singer and author. Of course, juggling all of that makes her a superwoman! But she also ministers and speaks at conferences. I haven't attending a conference of hers yet, but I have listened to snippets of them and they're powerful, anointed and encouraging. So I knew her book would be too.

In, Finding Your Voice, Natalie takes us on a journey and blueprint on how to follow God, find our God-given potential, how to reach that potential and how to find the anointing on our lives. She shares with us how to realize what our passions are, how to place them in God's hands and find covering from our churches, and people over us, and how to know we are in the right place. She gives a great analogy of how we need to be good with who God has created us to be. Beyonce wouldn't sound great trying to rap like Lecrae, would she? Well, she is content with being who she is and pursues her purpose in that.

Natalie talks about how to pursue our purpose and how to not try to make our voice sound like anyone else's. There is a gift God has given us in just being who He created US to be.

I was given this book for free by BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review.

How it Feels To Vote

So, if you've read any of my blogs you might know that I was raised in a religious sect that was quite controlling and didn't condone voting. Well, at least that was my impression. I've been told some people voted, but I don't think that was their typical stance and most of them kept it private if they did it, lest they risk the wrath of the leaders.

While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, I can't be too sure, since they treated different people with the same circumstances differently. Quite confusing, to be honest.

But here I am, half way through my 29th, year and I am no longer associated with those people and I could vote. I could've voted four years ago when we faced an election, but I still wasn't totally sure of who I was or what I believed. It's taken some time for me to lose all the "right and wrong" things I'd learned there.

When I found out that our options were so...what shall I say? Bleak? I battled within myself on who I would vote for. I did a bit of research and struggled through satire news reports and other things that confused me even further on different candidates. I read about Jill Stein. I read about Bernie Sanders when he was in the running. I read about Evan McMullin. I read about Hillary. I heard a LOT about Trump. Lol. For reals though! This election has my head spinning and I had to sit down and pray a lot about who I should pick.

My husband and family loaded up in the car and we drove to the early voting polls and since my husband is not a citizen (don't get your panties in a wad...he's here legally, on a green card, from England), he stayed in the car with our four kids while I got my ID and waltzed into the voting station.

It was nice and dark in there. They had a few smiling ladies and men sitting there, ready to take my ID.

I kept biting my lip to keep from crying. I felt like I was finally apart of something; like I had a voice. Like I could share what I wanted for my country.

The man handed me back my ID and I almost skipped over to the voting station. I stood there and a couple of tears formed in my eyes. I didn't want to look ridiculous, so I quickly wiped my eyes and put the voter card into the machine. It began.

The names swarmed before me. I was surprised to see that the presidential selections weren't the first ones on the ballot. I searched for their names. I didn't vote straight ticket. Probably never will. That's me. I do my research and try to vote for who I feel will lead my country, my state, my city, my schools, etc, correctly and best.

I selected my votes and pressed, "Review Ballot." I reviewed. Everything was correct. Nope, it didn't change!!! No crazy stories for you if that's what you were looking for. It all seemed correct and I was happy about that.

I pressed "Cast Ballot." And I was done. I took the voter card out of the machine and gave it back to the man helping everyone and got my, "I voted" sticker. You can't know how happy I felt to have done my civic duty. I felt free and happy. I felt I'd done the right thing. I felt amazing.

That's how it felt, for me, to vote.

Sorry if this blog seems a little ridiculous or crazy, but I had to document how I felt getting to vote.

Now, to pray for our country and the turmoil it is about to face. God help us, everyone!

NIV Coloring Bible Book Review

So as you all know, I periodically do book reviews, and I am here, doing another! This one is for the NIV Coloring Bible.

This Bible is AMAZING. Seriously. If you love to color and do things with scripture, then this Bible is for you. I find that coloring is relaxing and helps me recover from a long day with my kids and this Bible is perfection in one word.

The pages are nice and thin, just like any regular Bible. The layout is easy to read. The pages that have coloring spots on them are laid out nicely and easy.

It has a beautiful cover and is sturdy. It should last years and years, if it's well taken care of. I think the only thing I would personally change about it is that I would like to see it in a leather version. I love leather.

I am writing this review because I received this NIV Coloring Bible from BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Dear Trump

Dear Trump,

I am writing this open letter to you, in my blog, knowing that you probably will never see this. But if you do, I really want to say something.

I know you don't know me, but I want to tell you a little something about myself.

I am a woman. I am beautiful. I am wonderful. I am gorgeous. I am treasured. I am cherished. I am lovely. I am powerful. I am amazing. Do you know why? Because I am a daughter of The King. Do you know who The King is? His name is Jesus.

Jesus came to earth about 2000 years ago. He walked this earth with all of us humans. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. Then, He died for me. He died on a cross, a horrible, gruesome, painful, bloody death for me and every other person on this planet, including you. He believes everyone, including women, are worth dying for! Women are worth dying for. But do you know what is cool, too, about The King? He said that His people would do even greater things than He did while He was on earth. That's right. That means men, women and children. That means anyone who follows Him. That includes women, just in case you missed that part.

When I hear that people want to excuse what you said about women in the bus that day, it just honestly makes me feel icky inside. It embarrasses me and it makes me feel like you think that women are just objects, trophies to be held up as something a man conquered or won. It isn't normal locker-room talk. It isn't something men and boys should think is ok to joke about. Women are never to be treated badly, or spoken badly about. It isn't "don't get raped." It's "don't rape." Men need to learn the difference. Joking about how women can be grabbed in private places is wrong, immoral and downright disgusting. No one should think that is funny, ok, or the macho thing to do.

I have two little girls. They're beautiful. I am raising them to believe that they're beautiful, wonderful, powerful, world changing daughters of God. I am raising them to know that they own their bodies, and they need to respect their bodies. I am raising them to never let a boy take advantage of them, or to let a man abuse his power over them.

I know you say you're a changed man and that you would never say anything like that again. But would you? I'm honestly not sure I believe that. You have belittled women the entire time you've been running for president.

If you become president, please don't ever speak about a woman with such words pouring from your mouth. Please respect us. You have a beautiful wife. You have daughters. Hold every woman with the same respect and honor in your heart, mind, soul and words as you would them. Hold yourself to the standard you want every other man and boy held to concerning how they think, or speak, or touch your wife and daughters. Give an example of how a man is truly supposed to be.

From a mother to a potential president, I ask you to please, please, please tread carefully. The ice is shattered and you're sinking already. I'm not sure there is a recovery from this, but if you do recover and win this presidency, please go forward with a true heart change and be respectful to all humanity. They all deserve it whether you like them or not.

Thank you!
A Beautiful Woman, Wife, Mother and Daughter

Love Unending and Becky Thompson

Finding time for you and your husband once kids come along can be challenging. Sometimes we get lost in the every day, mundane, crazy, "oh my goodness, I forgot to send a check with my kid to school" days and our marriage gets pushed to the side.

Have you ever felt like that? I know I have. I have four kids, all under the wonderful age of six. It gets all crazy in my household and to be honest, I believe it was about 4 or 5 months ago that I had my first date night in over two years. Yep. I said it. Two very long years. It wasn't because we didn't want to, life just happened. Putting my marriage first has always been something I've known is important, but I realized recently, before I even knew about Love Unending, that my marriage was slowly loosing it's spice. That isn't good!

My parents have been married for like 35 years or something like that.  They've told me over and over again that marriages go through stages. Sometimes you feel all ooey-gooey and other times, you aren't as close. They've told me over and over again that marriage takes a lot of work. That you have to constantly make time for each other and to communicate.

While my husband and I have taken time to talk and pray together, actually listening, hearing, talking, praying for each other, and making little, and big, changes for each other just hasn't happened. So along came Scissortail Silk, and Becky Thompson. Scissortail Silk is a page on Facebook that I somehow came to know and love, and it has been a life changer! Becky is real as real can get. She's down to earth, honest and in my opinion, a marriage expert. She's amazing. So, when I first discovered her, I had just finished reading her book, "Hope Unfolding." That was a life changer, and something I will share about later. But then she announced she was writing a marriage book called, "Love Unending" and was asking for launch members for her book. I asked to join and got accepted. I am so blessed to be apart of this team and to help Becky get this book known to the whole world.

Being a member on the launch team, I was blessed with an Advanced Reader Copy gifted to me (and other launch members) to read and go through before it is released. I am on Day Six so far and LOVING IT.

Now, I have thumbed through it all and scanned it, because I'm someone who likes to know the ending before starting the entire thing. (Yeah, I'm one of those people! LOL). I might liken it to the book, "The Love Dare" except it's totally for women who want to find the fire and spice for their marriages while dealing with motherhood. It is just for mothers! Who wouldn't want something designed and written just for them?

So, here's the deal. Why don't you go preorder yourself a copy here Love Unending Preorder Link and it will be shipped out in January when it is released on January 3rd, 2017. Please! Go get yourself a copy. It's sooooo worth it. Trust me when I say you won't be sorry.

And of course, please go check her Facebook page(s) out here Scissortail Silk  and Midnight Mom Devotional . Follow her for some wonderful encouragement and some "get real" moments.

Lots of love to all of you!
Courtney

The Battle of Following Jesus

So, I'm not someone who will claim perfection. I am totally, irrevocably human. I make HUGE mistakes. I sin. I fail. I make God's heart sad a lot, I am sure. But I'm trying. Well, have I been trying?

This post might be a little deep, so please bear with me and I hope you can hear my heart. It's a post of shame, victory, struggle and more victory. And more struggle.

Every single time my husband and I really start trying to live fully for God, committed in deeper ways, it seems the devil starts attacking like a vicious, horrible, awful, possessed demon dog. I can not tell you how many times this has happened. I think I can honestly say that it is every single time. It never ceases to amaze me at how hard the devil attacks. He's knocked me off my feet a few times and I've caved and given up sometimes. Sometimes I have forgotten to pray. Some days, prayer was the last thing from my mind, and then the next day, I think, "What the heck just happened? I should have just prayed. Praying ALWAYS works."

Did you hear that? Praying always works. 

Now, us as humans, or should I say I, as a human...there, that's better. Now I'm not lumping the rest of you guys together. I, as a human, so often get wrapped up in thinking that once I'm following God, he will protect me from the strong, satanic attacks. But guys, that is not reality. It is just not what happens!

I saw a friend post on Facebook the other day something that said along the lines of this,

The level of your satanic attack is a sign that you are a high value target and something worth attacking...#1 It shows how valuable you are to God in your assignment #2 It is an indicator of the blessings God has for you on the other side of the attack-Jentezen Franklin

So here is my thinking, the devil starts to see us praying and following God and he decides to just attack us. Then, we get discouraged thinking that we must be doing something wrong and that God isn't pleased with us. Now, I'm not God, and I don't know how things really work, but this is what I imagine. I imagine that there is this dark side and then there is this beautiful light side. The devil and all his cohorts sees us on our knees, having a conversation with the Most High God, the God who created the universe, the God who created them, and they start shaking in their puny boots. Or sandals. Or whatever they wear. Then, the angles on God's side sees us battling on our knees and they stand there in all their glory and mightiness, just ready to jump into battle with us upon His command. The Lord sits on His throne and He lets us battle. He knows that without a struggle, we can't become stronger. So He lets us use our spiritual muscles. When you use muscles, they become stronger, bigger, more powerful, able to carry more weight and do more things. It's not that He is leaving us to fight alone. We aren't. The Bible says we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:12) He sends others along side us to help us. He sends his angels to protect us when things get out of control  (Psalm 91: 11 and Luke 4:10). He sets them up around us as a hedge to ward off the evil one.

So why do we face struggles? Why do things seem like we lose control and everything...like every little thing...goes wrong? I have a theory. At least this seems very true for me. What happens is we get discouraged and we stop fighting. We stop using our spiritual muscles. And you know what? We then allow the devil to have a hay-day with our minds, hearts, souls and lives. We gave up. Not God.

I am so guilty of this. I am literally probably the worst at this. I am not pointing fingers...because if I did, I'd most certainly have four fingers pointed back at me...so instead of doing that, I will just point all the fingers at myself. I give up so easily sometimes. I just get overwhelmed and I question God and His realness, His goodness, His love. Then I just quit. I've been a quitter.

But here's the thing.

God is a forgiving God. He welcomes us over and over and over again. He forgives over and over and over again. He is ready and waiting for us each time. We can be that prodigal son that comes trekking home with raggedy clothes, mud all over us, no money or food and absolutely hopeless. He'll clean us up, He'll throw us a party and welcome us home, His long lost son or daughter. (Luke 15: 11-32). 

So let's not be quitters! Let's not give up so easily when the devil starts fighting. Let's fight back. Let's pick up our swords and fight with all we've got. When the devil starts fighting, let's get down on our knees and pray harder. When he attacks again, let's sing all the louder. (Chronicles 20: 21 Jehoshaphat sent the worshippers out ahead of the battle). When he comes at us with depression, sadness, anger or whatever it is that plagues our hearts and minds, let's conquer it with the Word of God's Truth. Let's overpower the evil one with the Word of God and His promises.

Living Real in a "Can I Keep It Real" World

"Can I keep it real?"

"Just being real with you"

"#RealTalk"

"#KeepingItReal"


We all know the sayings. We all know the words. They're rampant in today's society.  Being real in a fake world seems to have become the new fad. To be honest, I've attached many a hashtag to my social media posts with the sayings I listed above. I'm probably missing a few, too, that I've used, or seen before. 

Can I pose a question? Why is it that people feel the necessity to ask others if it's ok to "be real" with them? What is it in today's society that makes people feel uncomfortable with being real with each other?

I began thinking about a conversation I had with my Mom a couple of years ago. I had experienced rejection from a ladies group (a couple, actually), and I couldn't figure out why. I went through a list of things on why I'd be rejected or unwanted. Some of those things included because I hadn't had any adult friendships, like ever. Or maybe it was because I was younger. Or maybe it was because I had three kids (At the time it was three. Now I have four). But then my Mom asked me a poignant question. 

"Did you share any of your struggles? Like, did you talk about your past with growing up in a cult? Or did you mention some of the life struggles you were going through?"

At the time, my husband and I were going through some major financial struggles. My husband had lost his job and at the same time, fraud happened on our bank account and we lost a few thousand dollars.  

Of course, I had shared some of those things in the ladies group and I had asked for prayer. I had talked about my life growing up in a cult and how I needed help overcoming my fear of relationships and friendships. I had spilled my guts, practically, asking for help spiritually. When I think back on those days, I realize now that all of a sudden, I was this needy person in a desperate spot, and no one felt they had it in them to be "that person" who could listen, take time and help. 

My Mom mentioned to me that so many times, people will want to be friends, but then as soon as you become needy, in any way, they will often evaluate if they have the time, the mental capacity, the will or the want to be your person. (Yes, I did just throw in a Grey's Anatomy quote. I am a Grey's girl for life! And having "my person" is important, lol). 

That got me to thinking. Why is it that people only want to be friends when things are all sunshine and perfection? Why is it that it's only ok to ask for prayer when you just need some rest, or a child is sick, or your husband is taking a test at work? Why is it ok to not be there for those who are in desperate need?

In short, it's not. It's really not. But in today's fast paced world, with lots of stressors in each person's every day life, no one really wants to deal with the deep, deep things of life and continue on until that person finds healing and restored hope. Of course, when I was thinking about all this stuff, I wondered if it was just the hurt rising up in my own heart that was causing this to be such a big deal, or if there was a Biblical stand point that I could rest my case on, so I did some reading. While I have to be honest and say that this whole thought process DID stem from the hurt of rejection in one of the most neediest times in my life, I realized that maybe I could grow through this and learn something, and then share what I learned. You know, God has a way of speaking through hurt and pain. I think He did just that, for me. 

Here is what I found and what I feel God showed me. 

We are all familiar with the Beatitudes. 


"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:3-10

If we want to be like Jesus, we have to have a tender heart for those who are suffering or those who are going through real life issues. We have to be willing to go through the "Can I be real with you" moments. We have to be willing to go deep if we want relationships that will be substational. Besides, the Lord wants us to be merciful. How can we be merciful if we aren't willing to walk through life with people who have real things going on? I'm talking about the real things that range from the washer not working, to the toilet over flowing, to deeper things like miscarriage, marriages dissolving, financial crisis and people suffering from spiritual abuse. Every situation calls for support, love, prayer, real moments. 
We all know the phrase, "Be kind to everyone you meet. You never know the struggle they might be facing today." 
That is so true. There have been so many times in my own life people are so unkind and they have no clue that my husband had just lost his job, or that I was missing my 1000 friends that I left behind when I left a cultish type church. Or that I was struggling so deep with my own self, or my marriage. I am sure I'm guilty of not being there for someone else when I should have been. I'm not always kind. And it's something I am working on, because I never want to be the person who adds insult to injury when someone else is struggling. 
Can we all just "keep it real" all the time and can we all just be there for everyone no matter if life is good or bad? We can't always have a perfect world and we shouldn't expect everyone to just keep their real lives to themselves. It becomes a dividing barrier between those who have more struggles in life than others. It becomes a barrier between those who have money to go out to eat and those who don't. It becomes a barrier between those who have nice houses and those who rent an apartment. It becomes a barrier between those who have experienced a still birth or miscarriage and those who haven't. It comes between those who can afford a nanny and house cleaner and those who either don't want to or can't afford it. 
There are so many things I could write about on this subject, but it breaks my heart when I see mama's on social media trying to "keep up with the Jone's" and feeling guilty because they don't have all the perfection that others have. And can I remind you mama's, those trying to post about their perfect lives most likely DO have struggles, but they either don't feel they can share them (because of reasons listed above) or because they want everyone to think how great they are. It's better to be honest and real than it is to be fake and an inadvertent liar. 
Let's "Keep it Real" all the time. Let's be real with our lives and welcome back the good ol' days where things were simpler and easier to "be real."
Much love to all of you! A Mama committed to being "real" all the time!

5 Minutes with Jesus: A Fresh Infusion of Joy by Sheila Walsh and Sherri Gragg

Every morning, I start my day with worship music and some Bible reading. As a mom to four kids, I find it challenging sometimes to force myself to stop, take a few minutes to pray and read the Bible when my children are clamoring for attention. But it's so necessary for daily life. Days I don't do it, or I don't spend quality time with Jesus, my day seems to be so topsy turvy.

So when I saw the book, "Five Minutes with Jesus; A Fresh Infusion of Joy," I just knew I needed it! I needed a fresh look at Who Jesus is and after all the mundane of every day life, I needed a fresh joy.

As a took time to read through each chapter, I realized how excited I was to go through this, on a daily basis. It is a lengthy book, intended for a chapter a day. (Short chapters). The mini stories were extremely encouraging. The list of scriptures for each day helped me focus on God and His word. And the way it was laid out, written and put together was so lovely and perfect.

I am looking forward to taking time to read through it a lot slower.

I was given this book to read by BookLookBloggers for my honest review.

A Mile Wide: A Book Review

So, earlier this year, I was invited to be apart of a group of ladies to launch Brandon Hatmaker's book, "A Mile Wide." You can't imagine the excitement I had. I haven't been apart of a ton of book launches. This one was the second book launch I've been apart of.

As someone who is a complete fan of Brandon and Jen Hatmaker, I couldn't contain my excitement when got the book in the mail. Pretty sure my heart just leapt into my throat. As a mom to four very rambunctious children, one being just over seven months old, I was worried I wouldn't be up to par on the launch, but as soon as my hands had hold of "A Mile Wide," I couldn't put it down and I just soaked it in. It was one of those books that I sacrificed my night time sleeping just to read in peace and quiet. It's that worth it, folks!

One of my favorite quotes from the book is, 

"What defines me is that I am a child of God. Regardless of how I look on the outside or how I spend my time, I am a sinner, saved by grace, assured of who I am in Christ."

This book encouraged me to realize who I am in God, and where I can go in Him. I was apart of a cult for nearly 17 years of my life, and it seemed everything I did, once I left, was condemned by them. Hell was spoken over me so many times, I decided that living for God wasn't worth it. He was too hard to live for. But as time has gone on, I realized that living for God was worth it. I can't say that it was Brandon's book that turned my story around, but it impacted me in a deeper way than ever before. 

Another quote from the book that I love is: 

"But Jesus' people are made up of everyone. 

He loves near and far, the normal and the weird.

If we are Christ followers, loving as Jesus loved, including who He included

then we also need to set a wider table.

None of us are better or worse,

more or less worthy, likely or welcome.

This book touches on how we can be a better church, community, person, people. It touches on who we are in Jesus. It touches on who we need to be in Him. It touches on rejection and how we are accepted by Him. It touches on how we need to be Jesus and how Jesus is to us. It touches on His love for us. It touches on how we can go deeper in our relationship with Him and how to not be shallow in our thinking and spiritual lives. This book brings you to the point where you can't judge the person sitting next to you all tatted up (after all, the author has some tats!) or if they look like they just stepped out of heaven itself. It touches on how everyone is equal in the sight of God, how God loves each person in the place that they're in and how we should be the same. 

Go out and grab your copy today! It'll be worth it. It releases on September 13th and if you preorder, you'll get some fun, free goodies! And even if you can't preorder, still buy the book. It'll be on Amazon and in Barnes and Noble. I think it will be other places as well.

PreOrder a Mile Wide Here!

I received this book from Nelson Books for free so I could give my honest review. (Thank you, Nelson Books!)

Where Hope Prevails: Book Review

Where Hope Prevails is a fascinating, heart stopping, addictive book. To be honest, I had never read any of Oke's books before, although I have thumbed through them on occasion at any random book store. But, curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to take a leap and give her a chance! I am glad I did.

This book centers around a young woman who travels a lot, falls in love, has relationships that grow, and relationships that pull further apart. She has choices to make and you get to experience the tug and the pull of each decision she faces.

Something that is nice about the book is that it has a Christian spin to it, although it does not mesh well with my own personal beliefs. But if you've got an open mind, it won't matter much what beliefs this book holds, because I think you can enjoy it just the way it is.

Elizabeth and Jarrick seem to have issues in their lives that they have to overcome to be together. In a practical view, this book has a lot of good life applications that we can align next to our lives and learn from. Marriage and relationships aren't for the faint of heart and I believe this book does a very good job at showing that.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free in exchange for my honest review.

Find Your Brave: Book Review

Find Your Brave was written by the fabulous Holly Wagner. I have enjoyed her posts on Facebook and Twitter for a long while now, so when I heard this book was coming out, I was even more excited to read it! Being brave isn't a quality I have always had, and I wouldn't classify my self as a brave person today, although I have learned quite a bit about it in the past 6 years of my life.

Finding Your Brave covers a lot on how to be brave in the midst of life's inevitable storms. Life has a way of throwing each one of us into the fire at some point or other and being able to be brave can be a struggle. Holly takes us through Act 27 quite a bit and shows us how we can be brave, how we can trust God, how we can proclaim faith over our lives and circumstances.

Holly also talks about how, during life's struggles, sometimes it's good for us to reach out to others and help them through their struggles, and help them "Find Their Brave" while we are finding our brave.

I enjoyed reading this book, because I have been through a lot in my life (who hasn't?!) and sometimes I come to a stopping point in my relationship with God and don't know where to turn. Sometimes, during the struggle, I wonder how I'm supposed to continue on. But Holly gives a clear, poignant, precise guide on how we can be overcomers and get our brave on.

I received this book from "Blogging for Books" for my review.

With All Due Respect: Book Review

With All Due Respect, written by Ruesner and Hitchcock, was a very interesting, good book to read on how to raise tweens and teens. I am a mother to four children under the age of 6 years old. I have yet to reach the "tween" era, but since I just sent my oldest child off to school for the first time, I figured this book would give me some insight on what to expect. I also sent my second oldest to pre-k.

My children love to push boundaries, and often test the waters, especially with two of them being in school already. They come home, positive they know better than me and that they don't have to obey or respect me anymore. Outside influences are way too strong.

So when I got this book, I was excited to see if this would help me with my relationship with my kids already. And sure enough, I believe the authors did a great job helping me now, even though we aren't at the stage of the tweenage madness.

This book gave several great pointers on how to be gentle, loving, kind, compassionate (and all those other great traits of a good parent) parent to my kids. It went in depth on how to go deeper with God as well, which is important as a Jesus-following family. I love the way they wrote it, where they asked questions about me, the reader, to consider and to answer. It was very interactive and sort of pulled the reader (me) into keeping on reading. I didn't want to put the book down. Normally that only happens when it's a story book, like fiction or a very well written biography. But this one was great! I would suggest it to anyone who is starting out with raising kids at any age.

I was given this book for free to review by BookLookBloggers. I was not compensated in any way.

Go Big or Go Home: Scotty McCreary

This is a book review for BookLookBloggers. I was given this book to review for free.

Scotty McCreary was a small town, country boy that lived a typical life as a check out boy at their small grocery store and decided to audition for American Idol, and ultimately won, becoming a national sensation across the entire world.

I love his heart behind what he wrote. It showed how people can be real, small town people and go from pretty much doing nothing with their life to living their dream. It shows, that with a bit of determination and elbow grease, that anyone can reach for the moon and at least land on the stars!

His humility and determination throughout the book is a very good example on how people should live their life. I love that he brings his faith in God into it. It shows that a young man can still love God, and still be a star across the nations.

From singing on a school bus in grade school to living the dream, traveling in tour buses with revered bands across the world, Scotty McCreary shows that a person can be humble, yet live a fabulous life!

I Support Both Parties

I know, the title of this post is extremely controversial, in fact, it is probably extremely offensive to some of you, but if you'll hang in there with me for a minute, maybe you'll see where I'm coming from.

Right now we are in the middle of one of the most crazy, controversial, divided elections America has probably ever had. I don't know, maybe there has been others as well.  I'm not a very politically involved person. This is the first election in my near 30 years that I have ever listened to the conventions and debates. I could go into details why, but that's not the point of this blog. 

As a mother to four, very young, impressionable children, and knowing how the world is today, I have a major concern on where this world is and where we are headed. I mean, it's a mess out there! And this election is pretty messed up too! I don't think there are many people who are completely satisfied with their presidential pick. It's sort of like having to pick between walking on fire or walking on shards of glass. Both are pretty bad. There is a third party too, that many are talking about these days, but I have to be honest. I don't know anything about him and I am just now doing research. 

But something I believe in is prayer. I can't tell you how many times I have prayed for the leaders of our nation and the potential leaders that will be appointed in the next few months. 

I titled this blog post, "How I Support Both Parties," because I honestly do support them. Hold onto your britches! I think you'll agree with me, if you'll continue to read! 

I pray for both of them. I pray for Hillary. I pray for Donald. I pray for them. That is how I support them. 

I guess you could say that I am sort of a radicalist. Is that even a word? I am radical. Maybe it's because of the way I was raised. Maybe it's because I believe in a God of miracles. Maybe it's because I know that there is nothing I can do to change what happens (besides doing my civil duty and voting). What will be, will be. So if Donald gets into office, I think we should be backing him in prayer. If Hillary is elected, then let's back her in prayer. 

Personally, I have been saddened by the many comments from people on the News Facebook pages, and other social media websites calling Hillary, "Killary" and things of that sort. She is a woman in leadership and we are told by God to respect those in authority. It doesn't state to only support those who we agree with or that are moral, etc. In fact, that is why we pay taxes! God says to "render unto Ceasar what belongs to him and to God, what belongs to God." (Mark 12:17) But also in Roman's, it speaks of the same thing. Except it goes even further to say that the authorities are there, appointed by God. They are to be honored. It doesn't matter if they're Christian, or their morals are in line with the Word of God. It says nothing about that. It just states, plain and simple that we are to honor those in authority. 

I think many would like to argue that we don't need to honor a person that is so hostile to what God says to do. But let me delve deeper into this. I think there is something to be discovered in this, just because I was questioning the same thing and God took me on a journey. Please bear with me. 

Ephesians 6: 1-2 says, "Honor your father and your mother that  your days may be long and that it may go well with you." 

Ok. So what does this have to do with electing a president and honoring them with our words and actions? I believe God showed me something that helped me understand why He requires us to honor leadership, no matter who they are or what they believe. When Paul was speaking to the Ephesians, He never said to the children that they should only honor the parents that honored and loved God. It is just something that children should do. Should they support abuse if their parents were abusive? No. But there is a way to honor those parents who are abusive and still separate yourselves from them in a godly manner. Like, for instance, not cursing them, not calling them names, not announcing to the world your complete disdain for them, etc. 

Romans 13: 1-7 says, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

I believe that God wants us to be honoring and respectful to these people who are in leadership; the POTUS, FLOTUS, Senators, Congressmen, Police Officers, Firemen, etc. They're all in a place of authority and we all owe them respect. 

Now, to the point of this blog, about how I support the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Like said above, I pray a lot for them and I am committing to pray a ton more for them. I remember this one day that I was reading along on Facebook and came across a friend's post where they were saying something about not supporting or praying for a certain leader in the government. I remember their post just didn't resonate with me very well and but I didn't have a Biblically based response, so I went on the hunt to find scriptures that would back up what I was feeling. Of course, going into it, I wasn't sure if I'd actually find scriptures. But I was certainly going to see if I could find out what God's heart was for it. Here is what I found! 

1 Timothy 2: 1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

1st Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Daniel 2: 20-23 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

Psalm 22: 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Job 12: 23-25 He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a pathless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Titus 3: 1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

There are many other scriptures I could post here, but I will leave you with this little bit to munch on. I know I had to munch on these for a while. So, let me tell you a tiny bit more about my thought process with this. I grew up in a religious sect that had some men who abused their leadership over me and my family. It made things very difficult for us, me, for several years. I missed out on over four years of my middle teen years due to their "power trip" that they exerted over my family. I have struggled for years to not feel a deep rooted anger at them. None of it every made sense and to this day, I still don't understand why they did what they did. It's just one of those things I'll never understand until the day I die and face God. Of course, once I get to heaven and see Jesus' beautiful, wonderful, awesome face, none of this past stuff will matter. But that's besides the point. When I started this search on what God wanted from me and how He wanted me to treat our governing leaders of this nation, He took me on a journey with my own heart and issues.

I'm human. I have done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I have said things and done things that aren't "Christian." So, since God was taking me on a journey in my own heart with my own issues with the leadership that was directly over my life for a few years, He began to show me how He wanted me to treat them. He spoke to me that I am to honor them, respect them and pray for them. Has it been easy for me? Not always. I haven't always wanted to pray for them and ask God to bless them, lead them, guide them and give them peace. But you know what? It's what He wants. And you want to know something else? Every single time I pray blessings on them, I myself feel better and lifted up. I feel blessed. Amazing right?!

So I think God wants us to do the same thing with Hillary and Donald. He wants us to raise them up in prayer. He wants us to ask blessings, guidance, wisdom and peace on them. He is the One Who leads their hearts. He is the One Who appoints the leaders. Those scriptures aren't just for the Old Days. They aren't just for "those people back then." His Word is here to give us guidance today. He gave us His Word to give us a path to follow. I believe His Word was very clear on how we are supposed to treat our leadership, including the President of the United States and those who will potentially take that office.

Besides, praying for them will bless us because we will be doing what God asks. We don't have to agree with them. We don't have to think that they're the best leaders ever! We don't have to support their campaign or vote for them. But we do have an obligation as followers of Jesus to obey His word, and pray for our leaders. Let's support both parties in prayer. Let's see what God can do with a people that are willing to do the daring and believe for the impossible! Why not pray for the conversion of Hillary and Donald? Why not pray for a movement of God upon their hearts? If God can rescue me and change my heart, then I know anyone can be rescued and changed!