Forgiving My Daughter's Killer: A Book Review

*Just so you know, I am doing book reviews now, so I will periodically be doing book reviews on this blog and posting them on Amazon and other places.

Forgiving my Daughter's Killer:

Written by Kate Grosmaire

This book touched my heart so deeply as I read about Kate's daughter and how she was killed and the forgiveness this mother has for her killer. I can't imagine the pain she has gone through and the soul searching she went through to be able to forgive Ann's killer.

Her amazing words to the killer, "....I forgive you" are so powerful and I cried through the entire book. Being able to reach within her heart and have a relationship with God to be able to forgive is inspiring and amazing.

Ann was killed by her boyfriend, Conor, at the age of 19 in the state of Florida.  Her family knew that if they held onto hatred, they would end up shriveling up their souls and dying without peace themselves. Choosing to trust God and believe He still loved them took a lot of effort, but in the end, they knew it would give them the peace they needed. Forgiveness didn't release Conor from the crime he committed; it released them from the hatred they felt, so they could live their lives in the Joy of the Lord.

The theme of the book is pretty much about how they found forgiveness, their own struggle to find an maintain that and how they continually have to keep forgiving Conor.

DISCLAIMER: I am doing book reviews for BookLookBloggers and was given this book to review for free.

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I Said Yes by Emily Maynard: Book Review

Emily Maynard wrote, "I Said Yes" to be able to share her life story from being a young, teenage mother to young Ricki,  being a contestant on "The Bachelor" and also as the Bachelorette. Her life story entails her struggle to follow God through the loss of her boyfriend, Ricky, who tragically died in a plane crash, and finding the perfect man of her dreams after that tragic loss. After a few years of searching, she finally found Tyler and she has settled down into a beautiful life with her family.

As someone who is very intrigued with the ABC shows, "The Bachelor and The Bachelorette" I found this book enticing and very well written. She kept me very interested and wishing she'd written more by the end of book. I would highly suggest this book to any of my friends. I loved her heart for God and the way she was so blunt about her struggles and victories. Her simple honesty encouraged me and moved me to tears at times, along with a lot of smiles and laughter. I believe the way she wrote it helps Christians and others alike to experience her life with her.

This book was given to me to review by BookLookBloggers for free. (Thank YOU!)

Serenity in the Midst of Chaos: Motherhood

Motherhood.

How many of us, growing up, dreamed of being a mother and we saw these picture perfect lives depicted on advertisements and products for babies? We'd see this serene mother, hair brushed, makeup on point and perfectly clean clothes on, sitting, rocking a beautiful, sleeping baby in a perfectly clean house, decorated like it came out of a book. Those things set high expectations of what motherhood is all about, when in all reality, it's not all that at all. It's better. And worse...come on, we have to be honest!!

As a mother to four small children, ages 5, 3 1/2, 2 and one as new as a shiny penny, I find motherhood to be challenging. It's not all fun and games, like I wish it could be.

My day goes like this:

"Mommy, I'm hungry. Mommy. Mommy. Mommmmmmyyyyyy. I'm hungry. I want cereal. I want this cereal. No, I don't like that cereal." We then dialogue about how important it is to eat what is put in front of us and be thankful for it because of all the children around the world that don't have anything to eat for breakfast.

Then my 2 year old daughter who is potty training right now proceeds to take her night time diaper off, (yes it's dirty) and starts wiping herself with her hand. Screech! "No Sophie, don't do that! Wait for mommy to help you with your big girl panties!" She says, "But whyyyyyyy?" Her favorite word is, "why." Sometimes I feel like if I hear the word, "why" one more time, I'll gain another gray hair to add to the many that grace my head already.

Then the sibling "fights" and arguments begin. Each kid wants the same truck. Each kid wants the same color spoon or fork. Each kid has to have what the other has and each kid seems to forget what sharing means. So we discuss how to share...again. We discuss what Jesus wants us to do and how to be sweet and loving. I'm pretty sure my kids have memories the size of peas, because I'm pretty sure five minutes later we have to have the same discussion again!

Then the dramatics begin of things like my 3 1/2 year old daughter finding the scissors and cutting her long, beautiful hair into something that looks like chopped confetti. Oh heaven help me!

All the while, I'm still trying to juggle cleaning the house, doing loads and loads of dirty laundry (don't forget I have two girls and a boy that like playing "dress up" and often times things end up in the dirty clothes pile because they tried it on for 5 minutes and now it's "dirty." *insert eye roll and a grrrrr in frustration*) cooking, nursing and everything else a wife/mother does. Sometimes I wonder if I can fit in a shower, reading time and of course, quality time with each my children and my husband.

All of that to say, motherhood isn't all serenity and beauty. It's full of lots of daily challenges.

But what helps our hearts be serene during all the chaos of daily life? Time with Jesus. Reading the Bible. And being consistent with making sure we make time for Him. So often, I find myself getting swept up in the daily challenges and half the day is gone before I realize how chaotic my heart feels and how chaotic my household is. I have to put a pause on it all, sit down, pray, read the Bible and have some worship time. God doesn't want a forced relationship with us. He wants us to come to Him, make time for Him and want Him in our lives. Motherhood is so full of questions, worries, concerns, drama from our kids and overwhelming experiences. The only thing that can carry us through is God. Besides, our children are watching us closely and are following our example. Do we want to be the "just on Sunday" Christians? Or will we show them how being a Christian is living a daily life devoted to God and making Him a priority, no matter what life throws our way? Will He just be our fair weather friend, or will He be our friend through the storms too?

As a mother, I want my life to be a living example of what a true Christian is. I want my life to be devoted on a daily basis, no matter how crazy or chaotic life can get. If our hearts are in line with God and His word, then our lives will be lined up as well. While the outside may look like the crazy zone, the inside will be at peace and the attitude we exude will be one of love, joy, peace and patience. It will exude kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  (Gal. 5:22)

Luke 1:46-48 says, "And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed."

Mary glorified God in all she did. She rejoiced in Him. I think the point of this part of this scripture is showing how she made Him a priority over all her circumstances. It didn't matter what was going on in her life; she put Him first, thus the Lord kept her close and lifted her up during a difficult time. I don't think the "lifting up" part has to do with putting a person in a high place of honor, or anything like that. I think the lifting up could be anything from giving a person courage to make it through a tough day to getting healed from sickness, to giving them energy to work, to anything else.

As mothers, finding time to put God first is imperative. So here's to all the mothers with chaotic lives and to us finding serenity in our hearts by spending time with our wonderful, awesome God!

Birth Story of Liam Joseph

Today, I had my baby boy, finally!! I was 41 weeks and 3 days.

But let me backtrack a little bit.

Tuesday morning I went in to the midwives office to get a membrane strip. I was feeling really ready to have the baby and for the past month had felt a bit of urgency at making sure he didn't go too far overdue. Mother's instinct maybe? I'm not sure. I finally convinced the midwives to go ahead and do the sweep and I felt it was going to work. At the appointment, I was a good "stretchy 3 cm" and about 80% effaced. I was pleased with that.

Later that day, I started having contractions and thought, "This will be it!" But they petered out. I was discouraged, thinking that I'd have to wait until Friday, when they had scheduled an ultrasound to check on him since I was overdue and they had also scheduled another sweep at the same appointment. But then in the morning, I started having contractions again and they were pretty strong. I called the midwives and told them what was going on and they seemed to think it was pre labor stuff again and to just take some Benadryl and sleep. I had hardly slept the night before and really was exhausted. So I took a 3 hour nap and woke up, wracked with contractions. I got up and moved around in my room for a while, and my husband took care of the kids. I wasn't comfortable anywhere. No position lessened the contractions. I started timing them and figured out they were coming about every 5 minutes, lasting only about 45 seconds-1 minute 20 seconds long. For some reason I brushed that off and thought, "Well, they need to be longer and they need to be closer." So I got back in bed to try to rest some more and turned on the TV to try to distract my tired brain from the pain.

Around 8:45 pm, I started timing the contractions again and I noticed the time had shortened quite a bit and we were now at a very consistent 2 minutes and 45 seconds apart, and they were lasting exactly 1 minute, 2 seconds each time. I don't think I've ever seen contractions be so perfect and exact, over and over. So I snapped into gear. I messaged my lovely babysitter and told her I needed her to come right away. I got a little snappy with my husband and kept rushing him around the house, to get all the last minute stuff ready, all the while, I got myself ready (oh you know, my hair needed brushing and styling...can't look like a crazy woman during labor! Forget the makeup...I didn't have patience for that...plus I've never been much into that! If I could only figure out how to apply it and actually look half decent, maybe I'd enjoy it more).  My sweet husband loaded up the van, got the car seat clicked in, put the towel down just in case my water broke and finished cleaning the bathroom.

Each contraction was getting more intense and I had to cling to the counters, walls or whatever was near me at the moment. I was worried we wouldn't make it there because I started having a lot of pressure. Paul had already called the midwives and they said they would meet us there at the birth center. My babysitter arrived and we left immediately.

After getting to the birth center and unloading the stuff, my midwife, Emily, asked if she could check me, and I agreed. I was at 5 cm. I was a little disappointed because I was sure I was further along. I had felt slightly pushy already and knew I had to hold back on that now. I think that was around 11 pm. I moved around for a little tiny bit of time and squatted into the contractions, trying to help the baby descend, but I was exhausted. I had about 3 hours of sleep total in the past 24 hours and probably about 6-7 hours of sleep total in the past 48 hours. I seriously could barely keep my eyes open. I ended up leaning against Paul while I relaxed between contractions and I think I drifted off a few times. Around 1:30 am, I felt some change coming, slowly, but faster, at the same time. I could tell each contraction was getting stronger and way more painful, and I also noticed that I had a ton of pressure in my back. My midwife came behind me and put some good strong pressure on my back and it felt sooooo good. I normally hate to be touched during contractions, but this was like a balm to my contractions. I also noticed I had a tendency to want to squeal through the contractions which is always a sign to me that baby is getting closer. I could feel his head descending and I could feel a really tight, slightly burning sensation. I wondered briefly if he was starting to crown already. They had me stand up and labor for a mere few minutes and then something funny happened.

I've never laughed in any of my labors. Like ever. I'm serious, concentrated, no-nonsense, keep the lights down low, don't laugh, don't talk, no noise kind of person in labor. And heaven forbid if you break those rules while I'm having a contraction (God forgive me!). But suddenly, I felt a POP and fluid rushed down my legs. I was almost dancing, people! I'd never felt, or heard, my water break before, except for TJ's birth, but his was a lot different and was broken manually. I laughed and laughed, saying, "My water broke! My water broke! That's the first time I've ever known for sure that my water broke!" My midwives and husband were all laughing with me. I'm sure they all thought I was half crazy. But then it was all back to business.

I crawled on all fours onto the bed and buried my face into the pillows, knowing that the pain was about to get intense. Sure enough, without much warning, I was in the pushing zone. That happened around 1:43 am. I got myself into the roaring lion mode and before I could even push, my body started pushing for me. I felt him coming further and further down. Then right at 2 am I felt my brain connect to the contractions and I started physically pushing. I felt a bit of urgency in my body. I've always believed in my body to know what to do. Every time, in birth, it has served me well and I thank God for giving women the ability to work with their bodies. It's a miracle. It truly is! I pushed and pushed and I felt the ring of fire. I was excited, because I knew that meant I was close. But then I felt him swim right back up to my uterus. No, baby! No!!! I'd never had that happen. It was if  he was suctioned back up inside me by some invisible source. So I pushed with the next contraction and he hit that ring of fire again. I was determined to not have him go back up again. I felt instinctively that if I did that, I would be in this painful cycle for a while. So before the next contraction came, I pushed again. It held him there until the next contraction came and I felt his head fully crown and almost come out. Again, I held a push while I waited for the next surge to come. Slowly but surely his head came out and was officially out at 2:08 am. His neck had a nuchal cord, but the experienced midwives pulled it gently over his head and he was just fine. Then with some more lioness pushes and roaring, I delivered the rest of his body at 2:10 am in the largest gush of fluid ever! He must've asked God to put half the ocean in there, because there was just a ton! Maybe he'll be a little surfer dude! :)

He was already pinking up and looking great as I pulled him closer and rubbed his chest. I got settled against the pillows and felt pretty great. I texted my parents and told them he'd arrived and then the midwives did their thing with checking me over to make sure I was doing good. Of course, they were checking Liam over as well. We settled in nicely and didn't have too much bleeding or anything crazy at that moment. After about 10 or 15 minutes, I delivered the placenta and squeamish as I am, I took a glance at it. With my last birth, the placenta didn't come out the way it should and I was half terrified this one wouldn't as well. But it came out looking perfect and healthy! So thankful! 

The midwives left us alone to bond with Liam for a little bit and nurse. He latched within seconds. That was one of my prayers during pregnancy is that he would latch straight away and be a champion nurser. With my first two babies, I had a rough go at nursing and ended up giving up about 3 months in each time. With Sophie, she latched perfectly almost right away. I wanted the same with Liam. He nursed for a little while and drifted off to sleep. That's when things got a little fuzzy for me. I felt a huge gush of blood and told them. They pressed on on my stomach and massaged it for a few minutes, watching the blood flow. They didn't seem terribly concerned, but they did want it to stop. We had a couple of episodes like that, but eventually, the bleeding stopped coming in gushes and we were ready to begin our journey of getting ready to go home. 

Long story short, when I'd get up to walk, I'd come close to fainting for the first few times. When I did finally make it up and took a step away from the bed, I found myself waking up on the bed, wondering what had happened and where my little Liam was. Apparently I'd fainted and also had some sort of seizure type thing. I have no recollection of what happened, besides telling my midwives that everything was going fuzzy. Then I was on the bed, freezing cold, whereas I'd been burning hot moments before. My husband later narrated everything to me and I'm just thankful things weren't worse! A combination of being overly exhausted and loss of blood caused me to have some small complications right at the end, but everything turned out ok!

By that time, it was around 5:30 in the morning, one hour after I could have been released to go home, but they wanted to keep me for observation and to make sure I wouldn't pass out walking again. My husband loaded up the van and got me safely in the van as well. Then he went back to get Liam and we were on our way home! So from the time I knew for sure, without a doubt that I was in labor to the time I was headed home from having the baby, it was less than 12 hours! So thankful for this experience and how God showed Himself faithful one more time to me. He is a good God! 

Soft Answers

Monday was "one of those days" where it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. I mean, seriously, it was one thing after another. I'm pregnant, so even the smallest things seemed to make my world spin and crash. Probably hormones...yeah, that's what I'll blame it all on. But for real, my kids were having attitude, my husband's phone wasn't working so I couldn't text or call him while he was at work to pour my tired soul out to him, I got a medical bill for something that shouldn't have been billed to me, I was having strong Braxton Hicks and on top of all that, my dad informed me he had been in the hospital and then my on-call babysitter for the birth backed out. I'm due in 4 weeks. Talk about panic mode. 

To say my answers and conversations were full of emotion and thoughtlessness would be an understatement. I could blame it all on hormones and the fact that I am a fiery red head, but instead, I'll focus on the real root issue; my heart. 

My day hadn't started out right. I hadn't prayed. I hadn't read my Bible. I hadn't turned on worship music. I really just got out of bed and started the day running, not even taking a thought about God, or fixing my heart on Him. Teach me a lesson, huh? 

I noticed that everyone I talked to, I offended, even my kids. Everyone seemed upset at me. Everyone was just "done" with  me and I crawled into a hole, crying my little sore heart out and feeling like the worst failure in the entire world. 

But what could have changed all that? I had to ponder that and it's taken me days to really face the fact that I can be a confrontational person. I have all sorts of reasons that I am that way, some valid, some not. I have something inside me that cries for justice, not just for myself, but for anyone I feel that is wronged. It's one of those things in me that I think God has given me as a gift, but I need to ask Him for wisdom on how to channel it for His purpose and plan. 

Something that popped into my head is the scripture that talks about soft answers. When we give a soft answer in the face of those who are wronging us, we are filled with a power that is really inhuman. It's miraculous. It's godly. It's from heaven, quite literally. But when we spew the first words that come to our little, finite brains, often times we end up wounding the ones who we feel have wounded us. Two wrongs never make a right. Like never. So how do we overcome this? How to we train ourselves to be meek and gentle? It's hard! It'll take time. But here are a few steps that I am putting into place for myself that I think will help! 

1. Don't ever reply to that message/call/text right away. You're sure to be a spitfire and hurt the other person.

2. Put yourself in their shoes and try to see it from their perspective, even if it's wrong.

3. Look for the good in the person. Doesn't matter if they're the worst person in the world...there is something good about them somewhere. 

4. Pray for them. (Pray for your enemies, remember?)

5. Know when to just not respond at all! Know that there will be times it's better to just keep quiet. Doesn't matter if they're as wrong as wrong can be, sometimes keeping our mouths shut is better than saying anything. 

Another thing that you can do just to have a good day is read your Bible. Pray. Turn on some worship music. Get a download from heaven before you start your day. And if you find that you're running low on time and don't have time to do all that stuff, then your priorities are wrong. Get up a little earlier. Make time. God is most important. I failed at that the other morning and I fail at that all the time, actually. I am having to realign my focus and realign my heart to the plumb line God has for me. I notice that the days I do take time to commit to  Him and worship Him that my day, no matter what bad things happen, my day goes better, my heart feels happier and my attitude is on point. 

God bless you guys! Keep up the good work. Never lose faith. Always trust. Always hope. Always believe. 

Heart of Jesus

What does it mean to have the heart of Jesus? I don't think we will ever quite know. We aren't perfect. We aren't in His mind. But we can ask for wisdom. We can ask for help. He gladly helps us in our time of need.

This past week, Paris, France experienced unspeakable horror. Many people lost their lives and many are injured. In the wake of that, many states decided to not accept any Syrian refugees after President Obama said our country was open to taking in some. I have seen mixed reactions. I have seen some people (the majority) be excited about that. Then I have seen the rare few question why we wouldn't.

Before you get the wrong idea, I agree with both sides. How, you say?  I'm not one to follow crowds. I sorta just don't go along with the crowds very easily. I don't mind speaking my mind. I don't mind standing up for what I think is right. I don't mind people not liking me for my opinion either. It's not because I like confrontation and making people upset. I just feel "ok" with not being the most liked person. Everyone wants acceptance, but hey, sometimes we have to go a different route to change the world!

I agree that we should be focusing on our own country and helping the homeless here. There are so many that need a warm place to stay, a job, a meal, etc. There are hundreds of thousands of veterans that aren't receiving hard earned benefits that they should be getting, no questions asked. There is money being siphoned out to who knows what and who knows where that the government just throws away. There are many, many, many needs in our country that needs to be addressed. Like the crazy Obama Care insurance thing. It's downright crazy to fine people for not having insurance when the reason the don't have it is most likely because they can't afford it. Sure, go ahead and fine people who don't have money. That's real smart. (Not...read the sarcasm). Of course, there are a lot of other issues in our country that needs addressing.

But does that diminish the needs of others as well? No. While I do see people's points on how dangerous it is to open our country to people who could very possibly be terrorists, what about all the innocent ones as well? We can't ignore the need. Do I have a solution? No. I don't. I honestly don't know much about this whole situation with the Syrian refugees. I don't keep up with the news much. But I do know the heart of God wants us to meet needs.

Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

Job 31:32 says, "...but no stranger had to spend the night in the streets, for my door was always open to travelers."

Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some have shown hospitality to angels."

James 2:15, 16 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says, 'Go in peace. Keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"

There are other scriptures as well that go along the same lines. I don't think Jesus was talking about just people from our neighborhood, or the homeless person on the street. He wants our hearts and minds to be open to everyone who is in need. That is his heart. What is the kingdom of God without some risks and danger? His whole kingdom is built upon people who dared to be different, who dared to stand out, who dared to do the thing that everyone else wasn't willing to risk their lives to do. 

There are needy people out there and if they come to my hometown, I hope to welcome them with open arms despite their religion and what they stand for. Maybe, just maybe, showing compassion, love and acceptance, their hearts will yearn for what I have; Jesus. Maybe they'll want to know more. Maybe they'll give their hearts to Jesus. Maybe if we dare to do the unthinkable and the seemingly irrational, we can change the world. I've never seen anyone change the world or become something in this world without putting their necks out a little! Jesus was killed for who He was. I think risking to love some people, despite what others think, is worth it. 

And if you find my post here offensive, then maybe reading the much revered, much lookup-ed to, Jen Hatmakers post and comments, might help you. I am copying and pasting what she had to say earlier today on this subject.

"It really can be dreadful, this Jesus life. Just dreadful. I completely agree and suffer through all the same anxiety about it. I really do. I desire about 64% of Jesus. That is about all of Him and His ways I can handle. I really mean this. For every 6 things I like about Jesus' stuff, there are 4 that I am totally willing to ignore or discredit. I do it every day, you guys. I look several things in the eye and say NOPE. I hover around a D-. 

Take Matthew 25, for example. What a disaster! Jesus so deeply identifies himself with the prisoner and the hungry and the stranger and the naked and poor, He says, "When you consider them and their plight, imagine that it is actually Me you are serving." 

Let me tell you something, Jesus: LOW BLOW. I do NOT want to see your face in the faces of these complicated, hurting, needy people. When I see a prisoner, I want to see "criminal." When I see the homeless, I want to see "addict." When I see a refugee, I want to see "threat" or at least "financial drain." 

What I do not want to see is your sweet face. 

Why couldn't you identify with more stable people? We like you in the faces of our children and best friends, for example. We like you in our government and in our Family Friendly Movies. We like you in our pretty churches and gated neighborhoods. 

We do not want to see you in the faces of the poor. That sucks. Now you are really messing with us. You do realize what this sort of holy identification will cost and require, right?

Why?? Why did you have to say all that in Matthew 25? I very much prefer Christian rules to this nonsense. (And it is nonsense, Jesus. Your ways do not make any sort of conventional sense.) I know we are to live this death and resurrection with you, but I only like the resurrection part. I'm serious. I want to skip the death part because it is too hard and requires way too much dying. Rules! You know we prefer rules! If we just dress modestly and don't say the f-word, can we call it a day? 

It is so hard down here, Jesus. People are so hurt and scared and abused and confused. We want to follow you but your ways are so terrifying sometimes. Thanks for looking into our faces and seeing "brothers and sisters" instead of cowards and charlatans. You have always elevated our status. I guess if you can see us through miraculous eyes then maybe we have the capacity to look at others and see, well, you. 

All this is so hard, Jesus. This world is so banged up. We need you. Help us. Strengthen our faith. Help us trust you. Break our hearts if you must. Give us new eyes to see." ---Jen Hatmaker

She responded to a jilted fan, after the fan told her she was being manipulative and trying to convince people it was ok to accept "possible terrorists" and "dangerous people" into our country. Here is her response:

 I assure you I have no desire to manipulate you. This post is true. Every word. I do, in fact, find following Jesus very hard and sometimes terrible. I do ignore at least 40% of what He said. Blatantly. And what remains of Matthew 25 is simply this: after saying welcoming in the stranger is like welcoming in Himself, I am stuck concluding that Jesus meant it. So at the bare minimum, our posture toward refugees should at least be riddled with compassion, and to its bitter end, we are supposed to be something like a loving host. (And alas, I'm permanently stuck with these "rose colored Jesus glasses," I'm afraid. I'm like lasik-ed. It's hopeless. )

Following Jesus is hard, guys. It's hard. Living for Jesus isn't all snowflakes and lollipops. It's not all fun and games. We can't just accept one person and not the other. I don't care if there is a terrorist standing before my face. I will chose to love him. I will chose to show him the power of Jesus' love. I will stare him in the eye and welcome him. I will chose to follow God wherever it leads me, because it is there, that I am most safe. Let's impact the world with Love. Let's impact the world by daring the be different, by daring to be Jesus to those who are full of hate, violence and murder. 

Starbucks and Christianity: My Thoughts

It's a cup. It's a cute red cup with the Starbucks logo on it.

The reason I mention the logo, is because I want to talk about the origin of it. Did you know the logo is Greek? And the meaning behind it is obsession, addiction and death? There is another meaning as well, where it's called a "siren" and it's associated with the ocean. In mythology, Sailors would become so fixated on it that they would crash on rocks and ultimately, die. 

Ok. So we are all worked up that there aren't more Christmas decorations on the cup, and it doesn't say, "Merry Christmas" on it. Well, some people are worked up. At this moment in time, it's an, "I can't even" moment. Why aren't we more worked up about the logo they have, if we are going to be upset at anything? Which I still don't think we should be upset about. Let me expound. There are hundreds of companies out there that support abortion. Here is a list of just a few: Adobe Systems (if you use a computer and download videos, or watch youtube, then you probably use a system of theirs), Bank of America, Chevron (the gas company), CIGNA (insurance), Coca-Cola, eBay, Este Lauder, Fannie Mae, Gap (including Baby Gap...oh dear, all those cute clothes!!),  General Electric (oh no, better not cook our food on them again!), Home Depot (better not build houses or fix things!), JP Morgan Chase Corp, Macy's, Nike, Office Depot, Proctor and Gamble, Quest Diagnostics (better not go to the doctor and get our blood tested!), ....wait for it....STARBUCKS, Tiffany & Co. (better not go buying your girl a nice ring or necklace), Time Warner (don't have TV or internet), Oh heavens no...USPS...better not send any mail!, Walt Disney (don't buy any Disney products or go have a family vacation there),  Wells Fargo and Whole Foods. 

Gasp. If we are to get up in arms about the lack of a #MerryChristmas on Starbucks cup that has a logo that depicts obsession, addiction and death, then I think we should also be in arms about all these companies (plus a ton others) who support little babies being murdered. Let's go march around them with signs, shouting our full disapproval. Let's create a hashtag for all these companies and express our downright indignation over that atrocity. 

I'm joking. If we were to get up in arms over all the bad things that different companies support or do/not do, then I am pretty sure that we'd never take a step outside our homes. Oh wait! I bet we wouldn't even have homes because we wouldn't be able to go to Home Depot to get supplies to build those homes. 

Christians, let me tell you something. People are turned off by you when you find something so silly to be offended over! Here's a point I want to make. My grandfather used to be a Dallas, Texas policeman. He would spend his "off" time, sometimes helping large churches with their parking on Sunday's. He saw people fighting over parking spots and being rude to each other, on their way to church. It made him feel like Christians were just hypocrites. Of course, it is each person's choice to become a Christian and love God, but the way we, as Christians, act really does matter. We have people observing us all over the place and if we can't leave a legacy of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control, how are we to expect them to want to follow Christ? We can't. If we can't leave a good example, then they have nothing to follow. 

Alright, I'll turn it back on myself. I have taught my kids to not chew ice, because it is bad for their teeth. During this pregnancy, I have become anemic, thus causing me to crave ice. Our new home has an ice maker on the refrigerator, and it crushes it as well! Yum. More of an, "Oops." Because I have found myself filling my cup with crushed ice and chewing on it. My kids walked up to me and said, "Mommy! You're not supposed to be chewing the ice! It's bad for your teeth!" I have found myself struggling (even as I type this) to not want to chew on ice. Here I am, a mommy who is trying to raise her kids to be obedient and healthy. Yet I spoke one thing and did another, leaving a bad example to my kids. *not mommy of the year*.  I say all that to show how, when we preach love, yet we find joy in having "some good natured fun" by asking the barista at Starbucks to write, "Merry Christmas" as our name, we are being hypocrites. First of all, it's lying. Our names aren't, "Merry Christmas." You look silly doing that. And secondly, you're just showing that barista that you're offended over something that is completely irrelevant. If you want to have more impact, why don't you go into Starbucks some evening and say, "Merry Christmas" to the patrons and baristas. Sit and have a nice conversation with the barista that is on break. Ask him/her how she's doing. Show an interest in their lives. Be Jesus to them. Show love. 

Jesus' mission on earth was to love people. He wants to see people's lives changed, renewed, filled with hope and joy. Let's be the ones who bring the peace and joy this season, instead of passive aggressive making fun of a silly, red cup at Starbucks.