We hear this all the time: Jesus loves you! It’s even a song. It’s an oft-heard phrase but have you ever really dissected that a bit and thought about how precious that really is? Sometimes we feel so small…we’re just one in a sea of billions of people on Earth. And there have been billions of people here before us and God loved them all. So what’s so special about me?? Let me tell you.
There may be billions of people but there’s none just like you or me or the guy down the street. We’re all uniquely different with our own oddities, quirks, features, characteristics, wants, needs, dreams. We often feel like the speck in “Horton Hears a Who.” Sometimes we feel so small,as if we’re a speck on the speck. But I’m telling you, He cares about everything you care about, simply because you care about it. If it’s important to you, it’s important to Him. If it hurts you, it hurts Him. He carries our burdens…willingly!
If you think of all the grains of sand on a beach, they’re too numerous to count. You couldn’t pick out a specific grain of sand. They all look the same! We’re those grains of sand–there are so many of us. Except God can reach down and pluck out a “grain” and tell you all about that “grain”, what it looks like, feels like, what it cares about, where it’s been, where it’s going. He can pick each one of us out of a crowd and knows everything about us at any time…because He loves us. I just wanted you to know.
Yesterday we had the privilege of voting in some pretty significant elections. Since the results came in, I’ve noticed a lot of fallout on social media. So many harsh words were being slung around. There were several mentions of folks unfriending others because they’d become aware of their opposing political stances. Strangers banded together to virtually gang up on a poster who held an unpopular viewwpoint. Personal attacks abound the internet this morning and it made me quite sad.
It’s been said never to discuss religion or politics, the theory being that any such discussions can never end well. I’d prefer to say we go ahead and participate in those discussions but do so with a clear head and respectfulness in your delivery. These discussions aren’t typically likely to lead to you swaying someone in your direction and the chances of that dive from slim to none if you’re berating them for disagreeing with you.
Upon reading some of these conversations, it made me wonder why many people are comfortable being so venomous towards one another. Sure, we all let a harsh word slip from time to time, but I’d like to think we’re immediately remorseful.
Everyone knows how bad it feels when we are treated rudely and hopefully everyone also knows how much better it feels to be treated with kindness. The difference is profound. What if we all made a commitment, a sort of pact with ourselves, that any time we’re tempted to speak bitterly that we catch ourselves first and turn it around into positive thoughts or speech?
Instead of reprimanding that cashier who is grumpy or being a little too slow for your liking, try issuing a compliment. Notice how his or her demeanor changes, softens. I’m a firm believer that no one is chronically rude or cold simply because it’s a component of their personality. I believe (and I teach my children this) that unhappy folks have an underlying reason for their mood, a reason we may never know or see–a past hurt, a spouse who just abandoned them, an illness they’re fighting.
Our words can be like tiny murders or they can be mighty encouragements. In the busyness of our days, let’s pause and really see others and extend some kindnesses. Watch how your compassionate actions impact the person on the receiving end. See how it impacts you.
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each others, just as Christ also has forgiven you.” ~ Ephesians 4:32
We all have websites we visit on the regular, our virtual go-to’s for information, entertainment, and communication. Today I’m going to share five of my favorites and what draws me to visit them. Besides the obvious sites, www.blogher.com and my personal blog, below are my five other favorites:
Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman is a part of the BlogHer family and I’ve been a faithful follower of Ree’s for years. Back when Ree only had a few thousand followers I was “with” her. She’s always had great content and being a photographer, her images are beautiful and inviting. Well-known for her cooking talents and her show on the Food Network, she shares wonderful recipes on her site as well as homeschooling information, entertainment, and she has a love of her family, her dogs, and photographing pretty cool hotel rooms. Check out her books as well.
We all know what Netflix is, a site that streams movies and past seasons of TV shows. For a low cost you can enjoy access to this. Many folks are now using it in place of cable television. I most often watch Netflix while working out at the gym. Tuning into an episode or two of a TV series I’m currently binge watching makes time running on the treadmill pass more smoothly.
As long as we’re talking about fitness, this is a great site for Pilates info and workouts. Robin offers great encouragement and shares her knowledge. This is really good stuff to do at home in addition to your gym workout or in place of it if you can’t get to the gym or the weather isn’t desirable for participating in outdoor physical activities.
If you’re not already on Pinterest, I highly suggest checking it out. Whether you’re planning a wedding or looking for something to make for dinner, it’s all there. I have boards for everything from fashion to writing tips. You can find inspiration for putting together an outfit for a special occasion and find great DIY tips for home, wedding, and crafts.
This is a really fun site. Even if you don’t do DIY projects, there are some gorgeous photos here of finished projects. It really inspires you to repurpose some found items and spruce up your home with your personal touches.
What are some of your favorite sites to visit? What makes them your favorite?
When I say “The Duggars” most people know who I’m talking about. The Duggar family has been long-known as “the ones with all the kids.” They do have “19 Kids and Counting”, which is the appropriate title of their reality TV show on TLC. Many people have strong feelings about this larger-than-average family. They either love them or…they don’t.
I’ll admit when they first came into the public eye (when there were fewer than 19 children), I wasn’t a fan. I couldn’t understand how it was responsible to have that many children. After all, how could parents possibly keep track of each one and give them much-needed undivided attention on a daily basis? I judged them, assuming the older kids all but raised the younger ones. I didn’t dislike them per se, but I didn’t understand their ways so I didn’t make any attempts to investigate and see what they were really about.
Eventually I gave them a chance and started watching their show here and there and no one was more surprised than I to find that this family grew on me. Here are my ten reasons why:
1. I just plain like them.
The Duggars are likable, it’s just that simple. They seem like people who I could be friends with and have some laughs with and learn from.
2. They have an unshakable faith.
The Duggars have been raked over the coals time and again for their beliefs and the way they choose to live. But they’re confident in their spirituality and they haven’t let the criticism sway them. They live out their faith.
3. They’re honest about their mistakes.
Jim Bob and Michelle have been open about some mistakes they made early on in their life. They’ve copped to some debt and some other circumstances they’d change if they could go back and do so. They are very straight forward that some of their parenting strategies are formed around preventing their children from making similar poor decisions.
4. They make messes.
There is a big bunch of little ones running around the Duggar house which translates into bigger messes than in most homes. The struggle is real, people. Keeping a house neat and tidy when we have two children is practically an Olympic event some days. Imagine keeping any kind of order with 19 (nineteen!) kids playing, finger painting, making blanket forts. They don’t pretend that they’ve got it all together at all times. There are messes and they just clean them up and move on to the next one.
5. They laugh a lot.
Laughter is huge in my life. I’m a firm believer in laughing every chance there is. So when I see this family joking around, especially between Jim Bob and Michelle, it really endears me. The family that laughs together, stays together.
6. They shop secondhand and are proud of it.
Be still my heart. Celebrities who buy secondhand! I’m a bargain shopper, born and bred, and even if I break the millionaire tax bracket someday, I’ll still be a bargain shopper. Why pay more for something if you don’t have to? The Duggars buy secondhand and even make some of their own clothing and it’s admirable and it’s also smart. They make good use of what God has given them.
7. They have real talents and interests.
It appears most if not all of the Duggar children have musical ability. They take musical lessons and have vast interests. Many of the boys help with construction and home improvement (as we saw when the family readied an investment home for newlyweds Jill and Derick).
Jill has a love of midwifery and coaching mothers and helping newborns enter the world and the other children have displayed various interests. They are individuals and their uniqueness shows.
8. They have each other’s backs.
There is real comradery and support amongst the members of the Duggar family. There is genuine love and tenderness and a healthy amount of teasing. But overall, the kids seem very supportive and truly happy for the others’ successes.
9. They have great hair.
Seriously, this family has been blessed from a follicular standpoint. The girls have long hair and volume for days. It’s beautiful and I’ve noticed them mention more than once how they enjoy doing each other’s hair in different braids and curls.
10. They make it all work.
I’m sure they’re like any other family. They have problems. There are cross words and sibling rivalry that crop up. But they love each other and have developed a system and they make it work. It seems effortless, but I’m sure it’s not. To make sure 19 kids and 2 parents are cared for and have the attention they need is sure to be a challenge but they’re in it together.
They’re a formidable team and their faith is the glue that makes them stick. They’ve really endeared themselves to me over the years and I’ve found myself tearing up at the wedding proposals and cheering for them as Michelle and Jim Bob become grandparents and in-laws to the young people marrying into their family. As they go on mission trips, help others, and keep on keeping on, I’ll keep on tuning in.
