There is power in words.

We all enjoy gifts of various kinds.
For some of us getting an expensive gift is the best thing ever. For others it's the homemade gifts that get us excited.
But for me it's the words. The words of life do so much for me.
The loud ones that speak hard and direct. You know the ones that sound like this:
"You hurt me", "No, you are wrong and you can't do it", " You are so stupid", " What were you thinking?", "You should have known better".
Those are the words that I wish I could erase from my own vocabulary.
Then there are the quiet words, they come more like this...
A friendly smile. A door held open. A hug. That certain look that says, "Good job". I know those are not spoken words, but the unspoken word is just as powerful.
And then my favorite words of all. They are words of encouragement. These are the ones that I have been working on incorporating into my vocabulary on a more consistent base.
Making quick to tell the ones around me good job.
"Thank you for helping."
"You are so important to me."
"I know that wasn't easy, but it was the right thing to do. I am so proud of you."
Using those silly nicknames more often.
These words are the ones filled with kind and gentle tones say so much to those we love. They say so much to anyone that we come in contact with.
There is power in words and if we understand the weight in which they carry, we wouldn't be so quick to give away the ones that break down the very heart of a person. But just maybe we would consider giving away the ones that build up and fill up a person instead.

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body,but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire." (James3:5-6)

See the world with new eyes.

I was sitting here watching the old T.V. show Little House on the Prairie. As it came on the oldest daughter Mary was being fitted for a pair of glasses. Through the art of television they showed here vision before the glasses and then after.
What I found so refreshing about this particular episode was how we choose to look at the world can make all the difference.
Mary found true pleasure in the crisp clean pictures of things she already had known. A flock of birds were exciting now. The color of the trees, the smile on her fathers face all seem to take her breath away.
Take a look around you today and see things you have always seen in a new light.
With gratefulness. The sun that warms your face. The breeze that might cause you to take an extra long breath.
Or the look of heart break in your child's eyes when they know they let you down. Take that moment to give grace.
Give them the same opportunity as Mary had before and after her glasses to see you in a new way.
One that encourages them to know they are loved unconditionally.
Then sit back and enjoy the look of love.
Everything looks different when we look through the eyes of love.

Psalm119:18
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Life in the day of a five year old.

So while driving my husband to the train station I was privileged to sit in on a conversation he was having with our five year old. Here's how it went.
"So Brookelynn you didn't tell me how school was today." Scott
"Oh sorry"Brookelynn
"Are you learning anything?"Scott
" Um............ Not much." Brookelynn
Laughter.........Mom and Dad
"Oh wait the color of the week is Green, Daddy"Brookelynn
Brookelynn now breaks into a song she has learned at school.

If we could only all take life with such stride maybe then we would be less likely to lose our cool.

Why buy good enough when you can have the best?

I don't consider myself to be one of those people who just love to read. But I have decided to become one of those people for the sake of my son. And by choosing to read I have found that I truly appreciate reading. You gain so much from a good book. A great article. A funny story. Someones writing can truly inspire you to change what you thought was good enough to be even better.
The things that I have been reading lately have all had one common theme in them.
Why have we settled for mediocrity?
To understand this first you have to know what mediocrity is.
According to Webster: Mediocrity/mediocre: of only ordinary or moderate quality, barely adequate.
How sad is that? To think so many in society are buying into that definition. They're even selling it to our kids in so many different ways. Labeling some of them as " they're not a natural athlete" "He's just not a great reader"
How many of us have said that at one time another to one of our kids or about a friend. I know I am guilty of it. Just look how I started this blog regarding my own state of mind on reading.
We don't give up on our children when it comes to them learning how to walk or potty train. I don't know to many of us who said "well they're just not the potty training type"
So why is it that we let mediocrity take hold of us when we get older? When life gets harder.
Or does life really get harder or are we just constantly buying into mediocrity?
I believe that I was created by an amazing God. And that nothing He has done or will ever do is of moderate quality or barely adequate.
So I choose to not live a life of ordinary. I choose to not pass on a life barely adequate. I chose to pass on the power, the strength that I get from a most worthy God. I will choose to rise above what this world calls good enough. And give my children the wisdom to know that they are created by One who can and will cause them to rise above the labels of life. It wont be the easy road. It will be the road less traveled. And hopefully the one most sought after.

Happy, happy, Joy, joy!

Joy: -a feeling or state of great delight or happiness; causing or bringing joy. That is the definition given by the great book of Webster.

Listening to worship music. Spending time with the Lord. Praying. Reading.
A great cup of coffee. Lunch with an old friend. A good book. Time with someone special.
The laughter of my children. And of course any episode of I love Lucy. That is my definition of joy today.

Have fun finding your joy for today.