When God says, “Lay it Down”
We all have a word. Maybe you don’t have a word. Instead, you have a thought, a goal, or a dream. You might not be a New Year’s resolution type, but we all want more for our lives. My word for 2018 is expectant. I …
Month: December 2018
The Soul Felt its Worth
A few times in history, we unite in emotion and human will. Events occur single-handedly stopping time. We unite in feelings, thoughts, and an unstoppable motivation to do better and be better for humanity. For my generation, that time is 9/11. For others, it’s Kennedy’s assassination or the attack on Pearl Harbor. Those around the world are united fighting for the wane of suffering. It’s there. For all of us.
There is another time in history in which all humanity stopped and gasped. I often wonder what it felt like the night Christ was born. CNN was not there to report on the horrific birth conditions. FOXNews didn’t show up to share the good news. It was a quiet night. But, I still wonder if the earth shook. Did it stop on its axis?
One of my very favorite Christmas songs is, “O Holy Night.” One line in that song clenches my attention like no other.
“And the soul felt its worth”
The Lord appeared and the soul finally felt its worth.
Do I feel my worth? Do you?
I wonder what you and I would feel that beautiful night the sky beautifully lit with stars as far as the eye could see. Would we feel our worth the moment our Savior was born? Do we feel our worth the moment we decide to follow Him? Do we realize that his birth was meant so we may feel our worth?
This season, when I look to the night sky remembering a baby born in a manger to a teen mom, I want my soul to feel its worth. If I don’t allow myself to feel my worth in him, then his birth is meaningless for he came for me; for you.
I pray we all exhale Christmas morning. That our breath reminds us of our fullness. I pray we feel united in the glory of God when we look up at the vast night sky spotting the North Star. I pray we find our worth as we walk through the journey of this advent season. We are worthy because a teenage girl unabashedly said yes to God. We are worthy because a teenage boy decided to walk alongside his pregnant fiance. We are worthy because he was born. Feel your worth this Christmas for through him and by his birth, you are worthy.
” O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name”
Love & Blessings,
Meg
I Found Joy
I was brushing out my wet hair thinking about what a nice day I was having. The weather outside was gorgeous for December 1st. We all took the morning slow staying in our pjs well past the morning. We had nothing on the agenda. I …
Winter is Coming
It was a super windy day. My husband and I were talking in his office when we both noticed that it literally looked like it was raining leaves. The wind was fierce and the trees were ready to drop their leaves. The perfect scenario. I …
Family Series Wrap-Up: Family Top 10
The Family Series:
In light of the holiday season, I thought it would benefit all of us if we went through a little family series. We all find ourselves spending a little more time with family members we may avoid throughout the year. What better way to start this season off right, then to talk about the GOOD, the BAD, and the MESSY of family.
Drop a comment about what would be in your FAMILY TOP 10.
How do I find health in my family? Whether doing life with my parents, in-laws, and extended family or with my immediate family of five, I try and focus on these ten things to keep me centered and healthy. Life, faith, and their messy mingling isn’t seen more presently than in family. I hope you can tuck this Top 10 in your back pocket this Christmas season and find family time a little more enjoyable.
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Family Top 10
- Grace: You can never give or receive too much grace. Give it. Then give more. And while you’re at it, give some to yourself.
- Communication: One thing my husband always says to me is that he can’t read my mind. If something is bothering you, no one will know until you speak up. You can slam as many cabinets as you want, but no one is going to know you are mad until you say something. Don’t let it fester. Get yourself to a calm place emotionally and speak up. Most of the time, things are resolved quite quickly when we just speak up.
- Be Flexible: None of us are the Leave it to Beaver family. As much as we think our friends have perfect families, we all have our imperfections. Take your expectations down and be flexible. Life happens. People mess up (so do you, by the way). Give space for the screw-up. It’s necessary to be flexible and not hold staunchly to your expectations of others. When we hold too tightly to our expectations we are either disappointed or make the people around us feel like they are walking on eggshells. Neither is good.
- Take Care of YOU: When our family is out of whack and feeling dysfunctional, we tend to forget about ourselves and focus on all the other people and their wrongdoings. We have got to start with the reflection in the mirror before anything will change. It all starts with you. Get yourself healthy mind, body, and spirit and you will be amazed at how the dysfunction slowly starts to fade.
- Boundaries: Don’t be afraid to set healthy boundaries. For some reason, we are scared to do this or we think it’s mean. Boundaries are healthy. We all need them. Why do you think we start giving our children boundaries at birth? Give yourself permission to remove yourself from unhealthy situations. Respect the boundaries placed on you by others. And remember, boundaries are about you and your mental health. Don’ take offense.
- Joint Decisions: If you and your spouse (or significant other) is not all-in, then it’s time to reconsider. Don’t force a decision that isn’t held by all. Allow discussions and truly listen to the other person’s point of view. And, while I do believe that parents are the ultimate decision-makers, don’t ignore your child’s voice. If your child is uncomfortable with walking into a situation with certain family members, let them have a voice about this. This is also a good time to teach them about healthy boundaries.
- Don’t Take It So Seriously: Allow yourself to laugh. Life is hard enough. It’s okay to laugh at that family faux pas or when your mom made you wear that outfit. I burnt the gravy on Thanksgiving a few years back. I had a house full of people and had no gravy on the one holiday that seriously needs gravy. We still laugh about it today. And every time I take out my backup boxed gravy, I giggled. Family isn’t perfect. Give yourself permission to laugh.
- Remember: Remember that everyone has a story; everyone has a past. We all have been influenced to be the people we are today by the way we were brought up in the past. This does not excuse bad behavior but gives perspective. Perspective goes a long way when we are struggling with family. Also remember that kids are kids and are going to act like kids. Don’t set the expectations too high or you’re going to live your life irritated.
- Balance: Even Jesus needed alone time. Don’t disregard the need to step away and have some time to yourself. Take that walk or step away from the conversation if it is too much or overwhelming you. It is okay to be alone. We all need a little quiet every now and then.
- Jesus: I look at my family and my husband and his family history and the only thing I can tell you is Jesus. Because of Jesus we are able to be where we are today with our families. We are able to love and enjoy every single one of them because of Jesus. He has healed us and given us a love for our families like no other. Lean into Him. He will enable you to love your people and love them well.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
FAMILY SERIES: The Family You Choose
The Family Series: In light of the holiday season, I thought it would benefit all of us if we went through a little family series. We all find ourselves spending a little more time with family members we may avoid throughout the year. What better …