People First
What are the really important things in your life?
Do you place value on material things such as your house, car, or any other worldly possessions?
Do you focus more on making a living or making a life? There is a big difference in the two. Huge, actually!
Don’t get me wrong here. There’s not anything wrong with having nice things if you can afford them. To me, though, worldly possessions have not been high on my list. I’ve gone from not having a whole lot while growing up, to having enough to get by when I was married the first time around. Then just as things seemed like smooth sailing, a divorce was thrust upon me shattering my picture perfect fantasy land fairytale of a life. After that, I worked hard to support my daughter and to ensure that her quality of life did not go down in the least just because my husband left our home. I fought hard to keep that house and the lifestyle we were living. While it wasn’t anything grand, it was OUR house. And, I wanted her to still have the security and stability she had always known.
Then …
Many years later, I got remarried. Money wasn’t scarce like before, and we were able to travel the world, have nice things, and enjoy to the fullest. Still, money does not buy happiness. It never will possess that power. Ever.
I had a nice job and moved up the ladder rather quickly. I had a corner office with a window and an “official” title. Even still, that did not supply the happiness I craved and wanted for my now two daughters in this life. I found out that the nice office and title did nothing for my happiness in life at the hands of people that attempted to tear me down every chance they had. So, I left that job and took a much lesser position actually back where I started out … and guess what? I’m happier than I have been in a very long time!
Some times less really is more!
A lot of people focus on material things, their money, and just feel such power in saying what they “do” for a living. I could care less whether you’re a multi millionaire or have only a penny to your name. I don’t care if you live in a mansion or a run down shack. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a doctor or lawyer OR a school janitor or even a stay-at-home mom taking care of the house and children who sometimes feels inadequate or not good enough (you ARE … by the way, and you have the hardest job of all, sisters!). What matters most in this life are PEOPLE!!! It’s the people you share your life with. It’s people that should always … ALWAYS … come first.
When all of the material things have been stripped away no matter the circumstances or reasons it happens … whether it’s by a natural disaster or due to being in financial ruins due to another divorce …
When that job you worship lays you off or replaces you with someone fresh out of college that looks better on paper than you may … or you simply feel unfulfilled, used and abused and decide to get out while you still can …
WHO is going to be there to wrap their arms around you and tell you that it’s okay and that you’ll get through it … together?
Will you have anyone to stand in the trenches with you?
Do you have someone that you feel safe when their arms envelop you?
Is there any one in your life that possesses the power to where you feel that the storms may rage violently around you, yet you’re protected … safe … and secure.
Everything else can be lost in a single blink of an eye. Money, homes, job security.
Put people first. They are what truly matter in this life. Their love will endure!
(in)courage – Parenting Teens & Thriving
I had the pleasure of co-leading the Parenting Teens & Thriving (in)courage group during the Winter Session with my friend, Kate Battistelli, (psssst her daughter is the awesome Christian singer, Francescia Battistelli, just in case you were wondering!) We came together with a wonderful group of ladies and just loved on them throughout the entire session. We talked about some very serious subject matters, but we also tried to have a little fun as well. We discussed the book by Dr. Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages of Teenagers, which I also went into detail with on Light Love Hope because of the much needed information provided within the pages of that powerful, life changing book.
We were a little sad when the Winter Session came to a close, but we looked forward to the Spring Session.
And …
It’s here!!
The Spring Session will run from May 26 through July 4th! Yea!!
This time around, I have the privilege of co-leading the Parenting Teens & Thriving Spring Session with Susan Lawrence Choate! Oh, you’ve seen her work on Light Love Hope before as she wrote about the Trip That Was Never Supposed To Happen … and it … was … beautiful. Just like Susan!
So, with that said … if you’re looking for some encouragement as you parent your teens or even if you have tweens at this point and need a little help as you get ready to dive into those teens years … we are here for you!
Please join us for the Spring Session of (in)courage by clicking here. It will take you to the sign up page. If Parenting Teens & Thriving doesn’t interest you, that is okay, too, as we have a TON of other groups you can sign up for. Just take a look around and see which group would be a better fit for you. No pressure, no worries. Just a LOT of women waiting to love on other women to encourage them, uplift them, support them, and let them know that they are truly not alone!
We hope you’ll join us all at (in)courage!
Blessings to one and all,
~Shirley
God’s NOT Dead
My daughters and I set out on an adventure yesterday determined to find only things that brought joy and happiness along our path. We haven’t spent a whole lot of quality time just the three of us as we have done family things together for as long back as we can remember. That was always important to us, but now that they’re getting older, THIS is important, too. The reality of the situation is that my babies truly aren’t babies any more. Time is slipping away and is going way too fast. No amount of begging and pleading will make time stand still, so I must just seize the moment with them, live, laugh, love, and enjoy! I intend to do just that! Now, more than ever, I need to be sure to nurture the friendship aspect of our relationship. As I move from being their mother, directing their every steps and tending to their every need, to friend, the one they look forward to hanging out with and doing fun things with … these are the moments that will turn into precious memories that hopefully my children will treasure for years to come and look back fondly on if the Lord should call me home.
We stopped to eat at their favorite restaurant where any onlookers would have sworn we hadn’t eaten in a very long time with the way we were savoring and enjoying every bite. We just haven’t been there in forever, so our taste buds were dancing with delight. Once all of the little tummies were satisfied, we went on to the movies!
My oldest daughter mentioned the movie God’s Not Dead to me before. It, apparently, was mentioned at the Christian school that my children attend, and it interested her a great deal. I listened as she talked of what she had heard the movie was about. To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in the movie upon hearing about it. For me, I know that God’s not dead. I don’t need a movie to tell me that or to convince me. I know in my heart, and that is all that I truly need. But, it kept coming up in conversation a lot. So, last night my daughters and I went to see God’s Not Dead.
Even though we had just eaten, we stopped off at the concession stand as my oldest daughter just had her braces taken off a few days earlier. She hadn’t been able to enjoy movie theater popcorn in a year and a half. We knew going in that she would have a large tub of popcorn pretty much all to herself, and that was perfectly fine with me.
We took our seats right square in the middle of the theater. People started filing in, and this proved to be a very popular movie even though it has been in theaters a few weeks now.
The movie begins with a cross necklace wearing college student being warned upon registration about a particular professor. He was given the opportunity to switch classes, but he really needed this one so he stayed with it. It didn’t take long to understand why the warning was issued, though. On the very first day of class, the professor, a known Atheist, went through his usual lecture of how it would save the class a whole lot of time if they would all just write God is dead on a piece of paper with their signature. Then, they could move on to more important things that semester, according to the professor.
Several people looked around in the class as if they were unsure of what to do. Then, they started writing on their paper and passing it to the end of the row to be given to the professor. One student, however, felt very strongly about his beliefs. He sat there contemplating what to do. He knew in his heart that he could not deny God. He knew that he could not deny God’s existence and that he could not deny that God was very real working in his heart and life. He knew that although it would not be the most popular thing to do and that it would not score any points with the professor that he had … HAD … to do the right thing! And so, he refused to write that on the paper.
The professor wasn’t very pleased at this point, as you can imagine. This college Freshman was going up against the professor, of all people … in his class … in front of all of his students. How dare he, right? Ah, but this young man was brave and he accepted the challenge offered by the professor. At the end of every class, he would be given 20 minutes to state his case on why he believed that God was not dead. The professor would carry on with his class as usual with his beliefs, but this college Freshman would be given the opportunity to prove this to the entire class. The college student took it one step further and said that they would put God on trial with the professor being the prosecutor, with himself as the defense attorney, and the entire class as the jurors. They would get to decide for themselves.
Being one that does not like to have a movie or a book spoiled for me, I do not intend to do that here today with you either. Instead, now that you have a pretty good idea of what the movie is about, I will tell you of my experience while watching this movie.
As my daughters and I sat there listening to the arguments on both sides from the professor and that of the college Freshman, tears began to fill my eyes. There were several instances within the movie itself where God moved in other people’s lives. There were several story lines going within this movie, not just that of the college Freshman trying to convince his classmates and professor. There were other people’s lives involved and intertwined in the movie plot. It pulled on my heartstrings. From verbal abuse, to physical abuse, to being cast out of the family, to being told the character had cancer, to a dear family member having dementia, to a great tragedy occurring … this movie spoke to my heart in so many different ways and before I realized what was happening, tears filled my eyes and spilled over until they were streaming down my face.
Ordinarily, I would say that this movie was powerful. On second thought, it wasn’t the movie, the actors, the characters portrayed, nor their lives … it was the message behind it all that was powerful. The message … God’s NOT dead.
He’s not.
He’s very much alive and working in hearts and lives EVERY where to this very day, right this minute.
Lives … have been spared.
Hearts … have been changed.
Yes, there are still bad things that happen to good people in this life. There are a million questions that remain unanswered, most leading to us wanting to yell “WHY?!”
I don’t know why, dear ones.
But, what I do know is that God is real. He is alive. And I believe.
But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:33 NLT
I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
Luke 12:8 NLT
