Affirm Them Towards Growth

Sometimes as a mom I loose my focus. There are so many things to do, follow up on, take care of. Kids need help, especially little ones! In the day to day get it done though, I forget to plant seeds. I forget the fertilizer. I remember the pruning. I tell them no and tell them what not to do, but often forget to affirm what they are doing right, what they are good at. They need This! This will encourage them towards more of the same.
So, today I will stop and say well done. I will remind them of what they are so good and successful at. I will try to suggest they try again because I believe they can be successful.  I will build them up and not tear them down. I will let them know I see it. I see them and and my heart is glad!
Hebrews 10:24 encourages us to do the same, to build one another up. We are to encourage others to love and good works.
I encourage you to add this practice. Build them up. No one else will.

Thankful

Today I think not only of thankfulness I have for family, provision and my God. Today, I am thankful for the tens of thousands of men and women who risked or lost their family, provision or very life to make sure we would have freedom.

Freedom.

Let us not take it lightly today.

Let us give thanks to the memory of all before us who made a way.

They made a way for us to celebrate any way we like and thank any one we like.

Let us be thankful.

Thankful that, for the most part, we can choose to practice nearly any religious or cultural practices we desire without martyrdom.

This isn't North Korea, China, Egypt or the 48 other countries in which people are killed for their faith. 

Rejoice that hundreds of years ago tyrany and opression were thrown off in exchange for freedom.

Freedom for Americans.

For you.

For me.

I lift a glass, a fork and my thanks in response to freedom.

Here is to your freedom.

To mine.

To theirs.

We are different. We are broken.

But, together, we are still free.

Today, give thanks for freedom and to those that provide for that freedom every day.

Thank you soldiers, leaders, and men and women who fight for freedom even today. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your service.

Thank you for protecting my freedom to choose how I live, work and worship.

Thank you!

The Missing Piece

Have you ever felt like something is missing?

Like, if you could find that missing piece everything would be better?

I believe this is very normal and that, yes many do have missing pieces. I am.

We are often missing pieces of our health. We are missing emotional wholeness.

We are missing pieces.

And peace.

This last week this made more sense to me. I sat in my chair and looked down at a broken piece. I was soon to eat it. It was broken just for me- a perfect fit.

God made it for me.

What am I speaking of? The body of Christ. It was broken for me and now, some Sundays, I partake of it.

I need it. His body.

Broken for me.

As often as I take it in, it is like I replace my broken pieces and fill in the empty places.

It is good.

Thank you God for your brokenness.

I so need your fullness.

Self Care

So, one or two of you might have wondered where my blogs went.

Well, this is for you.

As a counselor I seem to talk to clients a lot about self care. Recently, I had to take my own advice.

Life gets busy.

As a mother of two little ones, a job and schedule change for my husband and trying the blog and have quiet time daily, my life was getting stressful. I have also been recovering physically from pregnancy.

Though I was trying to push through and do more, I was getting stressed out.

Then my body started to tell me to slow down.

I had some palpitations.

I had a mild panic attack.

My body was saying, "Slow down!"

So, I listened.

I took more breaks, took advantage of my mother babysitting, saw a doctor and stopped blogging. I also allowed an occasional glass of wine at night.

I breathed more- purposefully.

I slowed down.

So, all is well. My heart is fine, but I still need to take my "own medicine" or advice and do some self care.

I encourage all of you to slow down. This world, especially it seems, on the esst coast we move fast- too fast.

We often don't take time to check in with ourselves. We wait till our life situations or bodies tell us we have over done it too long.

Don't wait!

This week, maybe even today, take time to check in with yourself.

Are you doing too much?

Do you need to slow down or do less to take care of yourself?

If yes, what can you change to make life better, easier and even more enjoyable.

I encourage you to be a little selfish, not in a rude way, but in a self care way. Focus on your needs. Take care of you.

It is important!

It's this way in an airplane. The flight attendants always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on and then help others. It is the same everywhere.

You are no use to anyone else if you aren't healthy.

Take a deep breath.

Take time out.

Take care of you!

Medication?

So, today I am thinking about medication and medical necesity.

I had some dental work this morning and because novocaine has been unpredictable in the past I have taken my dentist's suggestion and took a Valume.

Did I "need" it, no. But, did I want to potentially be without pain, yes!

It was the same with the births of my two kids. Did I "need" an epidural. Technically, no. But, my goodness, it brought sanity and an allowance for joy to the process.

Medical necessity is not exact science. Pain and discomfort tolerance is different for everyone.

Some people prefer to "tough it out" and deal or cope with their struggles in even an almost torturous manner. Others grab hold of helps quickly.

Neither is bad.

I am not talking about self-medicating in an addictive manner, but in a self care manner. Everyone has different needs and circumstances.

If you have panic attacks medication can help.

If you have chronic depression or mood instability, medication can bring peace.

If you are in physical pain, medication might help.

But, all these with the assistance of a doctor and monitoring for appropriateness based on need.

Sometimes, medication is good.

What about the argument that it is a sign of impatientce because God can heal? Well, he can and does... and in scripture.

Sometimes through the miraculous. Sometimes through medicine. Sometimes through doctors.

Sometimes.

So, is it bad to choose medication?

No. Not as long as it is medically necessary.

You need to decide when that is.

If it is, do it- If you want.

You probably use novocaine for dental work.

You probably take Tylenol or Advil for headaches.

You'd likely take morphine for major surgery.

Why not an antidepressant, anti-anxiety, or other medication if needed?

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and live well.

Oh, and before I get a hundred comments about side effects- weigh it out. If the benefit out weighs the risk and the doctors are suggesting it, do your research and take what you need to.

If you don't like risk, stop taking Tylenol, Advil and any other over the counter medication. But, if you have had enough pain, you might want to take some.

Within doctors orders and suggested dosages of course.

What to do With Doubt

Doubt.

Doubt is normal. There is a lot of doubt in the world. People doubt the economy will turn around soon. They doubt world peace will happen. They doubt their two year old will take a nap.

Doubt is everywhere.

People doubt God exisit. Many who even believe in Jesus doubt all the Bible has to say about Him.

Even those who believe the Bible is true struggle with doubt regarding the Word's application to their life.

And their struggles.

This is unfortunate, but it is normal.

Yes, you are normal.

It is not whether or not we doubt. It is what we do with our doubt that matters.

In the moment, when we hear bad news, see or hear a rumor or are in need, what matters is what  thoughts we take hold of.

Notice I said, "take hold of".

We all have far too many thoughts running through our heads most days. Many of these are steeped in fear and doubt, but others are full of hope and faith.

It is our choice to hold on to the latter.

I, like you know this is a struggle and a process. God knows that too. He knows we are a people of little faith.

In the book of John Jesus is noted as telling his disciple Thomas to stop doubting and believe.  This must mean that not only is it normal for followers to doubt, but even those who have seen Jesus with their eyes have to decide if they are going to choose to believe or continue to doubt.

It is a choice.

We all have that choice.

It is a powerful choice.

His Word notes that what we believe and ask for in prayer, we will receive. (Matthew 21:22) And in (Mark 29:23) he notes that everything is possible as we believe.

But, what if we choose to risk exercising our belief regarding these things?

Let's do a cost analysis.

If we choose doubt, we feel safe. We didn't risk feeling or looking foolish. Or, we can choose other risk like medical proceedures, savings banks and staying the same.

We like the same.

Change is risky.

Or, we could choose to risk having faith. We could risk being wrong or feeling foolish, we risk delay in doing what we could have done.

And we risk changing.

But, we also lose out on all the benefits that are tied to faith if it is true.

If scripture is true and we don't choose to believe it...

We miss out on eternal life (John 3:36).

We miss out on our prayers being answered (Matthew 21:22).

We miss out on a loving relationship with the creator of the universe who will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Wow!

Seriously?

Where are the teeth to this risk?

Though it might be normal for you and I to doubt, maybe it is to risky not to believe.

The choice is yours.

The risk is yours.

You choose.

Hello

Hi. Good morning.

I don't think I have met you before (hand extention and looking in your eyes). What is your name?

Mine is Carrie Ann.

Do you have questions or is there anything I can help you with?

Greetings.

Do you like to be greeted?

I do. I don't like to be accosted, just sincerely greeted.

I wish more people or, should I say greeters and attendees greeted this way at churches.

I am not a fan of walking in to have ten people give me a bulletin as with sales people at the mall. I am not a fan of the silent nod. And sorry, but the quiet hi and look away also does nothing for me.

I want to be greeted-

Looked in the eye and welcomed.

Please, offer not just a hi and bye, but a who are you and a I am glad you're here. Maybe, now that you are here, I can get to know you as a person instead of a participant.

You aren't just a participant.

You are a person.

I am a person.

I feel this is genuinely missing at most churches, so no finger pointing to any in particular. I have attended many.

I think in part it is just the concession mentality of this world trickling in with a bit of selfish distraction.

Next please...

I am not just a next. You are not a next.

Sometimes retail stores are better at welcoming than churches. Alas, they have a motive though, right?

Well, don't churches?

Isn't the motive to reach out to individuals and love them into the Kingdom for the Lord?

This motive should motivate.

No, there is no sales quota. There is no commission... Just souls.

Souls that are broken need to feel welcome so they can connect, learn, be loved, be healed and be transformed.

I have been and still tend to be one of these.

I want to be welcomed, known, and if possible, loved and even understood.

If I am a number, let me go to the deli.

I am not a number and at church, to truly eat there must be love not roast beef.

At church, I am not looking to be fed food. I am looking to be fed by the love of the Lord.

And to feed others.

Greeter or member, you are the vessel of that love, the love that nourishes. You hold it so it can be poured out upon those who come gather.

Feed me. Feed the attendees.

Feed the guests.

Start the dinner party.

The appetizer, dinner and dessert are all love.

Serve it up!