Calling All Middle-Aged White Rapper Moms!

Toby Mac plays on the radio and I start my version of a forty-seven year old white rapping mom. My son pleads for me to stop. What?! Am I not allowed to be silly? Too bad, it’s in the blood. My ninety- something year old grandmother used to do the hula for us and shake like Elvis. She also use to speak her mind whenever and wherever she saw a “long- haired hippie”. Just for fun, she used to stick her tongue out of her toothless mouth at other drivers while at an intersection. I don’t condone this behavior now, for fear of being shot, but she did love being silly. It seems I inherited it!

Laughter is great medicine for the body and soul. All throughout the Bible is recorded times of singing, dancing, and laughing with shouts of joy! When my husband and I were going through a particularly difficult time in our young married life, it was suggested to us to find something to laugh about together daily. We took this seriously and it really worked! It doesn’t make problems go away, but for a moment it buffers any hurt or fear you may be experiencing. It’s okay to be silly.

I saw a woman today in her sixties and she was toting a hot pink and turquoise bag that read take a giggle break. How true it is! I think it's even more crucial as we get older to hold this philosophy. if not, we take life way too seriously! That's no fun.

How do you find ways to be silly? What makes you cock your head back, wet your pants, laugh 'til you cry? Am I alone here? Are there any other middle- aged white rapper moms?

Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all th

e day long. Make up for the bad times with some good times; we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime. Psalm 90:11 The

Message

How Is Your Vision Today?

My teenage son and I were going for a walk one breezy summer morning. He was telling me about something that was fascinating to him and I was smiling and nodding my head, but my mind was wandering off to all the things I needed to do. As if what was really important was not what was happening at that moment.

Sometimes I can be blinded from today because of my focus on tomorrow.

When our vision becomes so focused on the future moments; major decisions to be made, an illness we are facing, or a goal we are trying to achieve, even just our “to do” list, it can actually blind us to the purpose God is giving us in our everyday life, in the here and now, the day to day routine that can seem mundane and unimportant. With everyday, God is preparing us for what lies down the road. There is preparation in the now for what will happen later. What really matters is how we handle this day. Can you see His purpose in this day? It may be to glorify Him through your interaction with your family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. To show patience and kindness.

To view our lives with "holy perspective", as a life lived in balance, usually requires a “seasoned faith journey”. Our vision, through the lens of our faith, focuses our view on God’s greater purpose in the ins and outs of everyday life.

Psalm 118:24 - The psalmist states that this is the Lords day, and we should be glad! We should be, but sometimes we’re not.

How do you view your everyday life?Take the time today to be aware of your surroundings. The comfort of your chair, the sound of birds outside, the smell of fresh cut grass, the taste of homemade ice cream. Find something to cause you to bust a gut with laughter! Show love to those God has placed in your path.

What really matters is seeking purpose in today.

Beautiful with God Confidence!

I was doing a little research on what the world thinks is beauty and I came across this statement “Beauty is self-confidence”. Sorry Sister, if that’s the case then we’re all in trouble! Most women I know are plagued by some insecurity. If you claim you are not insecure in any area of your life, please let me know, I would love to meet you! Insecurity is just as much a form of pride as a huge ego, why? Because the focus is on 'self' in both cases.

But God confidence is beautiful. It’s not prideful, boastful, or arrogant.

In this life we will be opposed by three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil and we all lie victim.

The world is society. It dictates what we should look like, drive, wear. We live in a very luxury oriented society no matter what your income is! Compared to other countries, we are all rich-period!

Then we have the flesh. In our natural flesh we fall victim to selfishness, lust, gluttony. And when flesh looks in the mirror, it will never like what it sees.

Then there is the devil, he and his host of fallen angels love to play head games with us. Where the world and the flesh don’t get us, the devil just might! He knows how to make us feel discouraged and worthless.

We all could pick certain things about us we would like to change. Too tall, too short, too fat, too thin.....

What we do need to change is our perspective to that of Jesus' . Remember we are made in God's image (Gen. 1:27). Our worth should be measured by how much God cares for us. He says we are so important that He has numbered the very hairs on our head! (Matt. 10:30) Our self-worth should be confirmed in our closeness to Jesus. The basis of our self- worth as individuals is our identity in Christ.

How are you measuring your self-worth? Is it by human standards? True worth comes when we abide in Christ and stay close to Him.

When those feelings of worthlessness rear their ugly head, remember we have a fortress in us that can not be broken down! HE that is in us is GREATER than he that is in the world” 1 John 4:4! You might just want to put that on your bathroom mirror and say it out loud whenever ungodly thoughts invade your mind.

You are "fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14

Moving Mom and Dad

Memorial weekend my sister and I, along with my family, moved my mom and dad into a small townhouse in a retirement community back home. We boxed and packed, carried and loaded up, then unloaded and unpacked . The first two hours go by and we successfully have moved Mom’s closet. After making a pact with my sister never to buy Mom clothes ever again, we move on to the next task.

Like two children, we are vying for our mothers’s approval, trying to make our mom happy and our dad comfortable. Second to this task is trying not to say anything which we will regret later. For reasons I have yet to understand, guilt plagues us like an impending disease. Outwardly, our goal is to completely move them safely to their new home, but inwardly we desperately just want to please our parents.

I guess you never stop being someone’s child, and way down deep, even at the age of 50, we still want to make our mom proud of us! I am blessed to be part of an earthly family that is rich with love. Not every woman out there can say that. Many women I have spoken to over the years bear scars of the pain of feeling unloved by one or both of their parents. Wounds like that are hard to heal.

We can all rejoice in the fact that we are also daughters in our spiritual family and unlike the families that we may have been born into, we never have to try to win our Heavenly Father’s approval. He loves us infinitely more than we know how to love!

And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you. Galatians 4:6-7