Traditions are meant to be kept, right? I mean even if they aren’t working out for your family and the stage of life you are in, they are traditions and therefore like the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets, you have to keep them, right? Wrong! Change is good. While I have learned to embrace that philosophy over these last 6 years, I am not going to lie, it scared me to death at one time. Even if something is uncomfortable and even unhealthy, many times, we hold onto it. Why? Because the unknown is frightening. With the uncomfortable and unhealthy we at least know what to expect and therefore don’t have any disappointments or unmet expectations. Wow, that got deep and emotional fast didn’t it? Let’s back up and talk about what this post was supposed to be about…traditions. As changes occur in our lives, it is only natural that traditions change as well. And maybe we have been guilty of trying to make our family traditions resemble something we have seen on Pinterest or Instagram, even though it isn’t a good fit for the people living under our roof. Confession time…that’s what I have done with Halloween in the past. I mean what is the perfect Halloween meal??? Chili of course!! With chips and cheese and sour cream in rugged crockery with cornbread and crackers…or at least that was what I saw it as and therefore was determined to make this tradition fit my little family. One problem, not one person in my family likes chili…including me. I have finally accepted this is not my family’s ideal Halloween night meal and have come up with the following game plan:
On the menu tonight is mummy hotdogs (aka crescent roll wrapped hotdogs), dip and chips, apples and caramel dip, and sugar cookies dyed orange (like pumpkins…get it??!!). And after a big night of trick or treating popcorn and The Great Pumpkin. Nothing Pinterest worthy about this new tradition but I have a feeling it will be a hit with my crew, and that is what traditions are all about!! So, the moral of this story is to use Pinterest and Instagram to inspire you to try new ideas, but let the people you love have the final say on the traditions you start and then be open to changing them as needed. Find things that fit your stage of life and celebrate them. And it is ok to create traditions that are just for you. I change our mantle with the different seasons and holidays…now my kids think this is silly, but I love this tradition and plan on keeping it up no matter how silly they think it is!!
Another way to practice self-care is to find time to pursue your passions. Our lives can get very hectic, with people pulling at us from every direction. Many times our own passions and interest are the first things that get cut from our overbooked schedules. This can leave you feeling resentful towards the very people you love and care for. Over time this can cause you to lose your joy and zest for life. It seems like a quick and easy fix at the time, but it actually is an expensive one in the long run. Just like with routines, continuing to pursue your interest during the busy seasons of your life doesn’t have to take a lot of time, just a little planning, determination, and belief that you are worth it. Maybe you,
As women, we are taught at an early age that we are the caretakers and nurturers of others. And that is a beautiful job, one that I take seriously and feel honored to do. But to keep pouring out into and for others, we have to remember to refill our own cup. If you have ever traveled on an airplane, the following sentence should be a familiar one; “In case of emergency, air masks will drop from the ceiling. If you are traveling with a minor, please put on your own mask before helping the minor”; but how many times do we really follow these directions in our daily lives? When life gets hectic, your to-do list is never ending, your calendar is jam-packed, and you feel like you are pleasing no one, who is the first person to get pushed to the back burner? If you are anything like me, that person is the one that actually needs the most self-love and grace, that person is yourself. While self-care may seem indulgent and a luxury we can not afford, it is actually crucial to your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. And honestly it doesn’t have to cost anything. However, one very important thing to remember about self care is that it is a practice, it isn’t something you just do once. By making it a part of your routine you are sending a message to yourself and others; that message is “I am worth it. I believe in myself enough to make myself a priority.” The benefits of self care are amazing:
Sometimes things come out of what seems to be nowhere…and kinda sucker punches you right in the gut…and it takes your breath away…and maybe you even feel disoriented, defeated,lost and alone. But then you realize your in the palm of His hand…and nothing takes Him by surprise and everything that touches your life is Father filtered. And you aren’t called to understand, or make sense of it..,you are simply called to stand tall and and keep your eyes forward not backwards at what has happened, or sideways at how others are standing or down in defeat or inward in bitterness but forward at the Son….because at the end of the day The greatest of these is love…and love ALWAYS works…maybe not in our time…or the way we think it should…or in a way we understand…but it works…Every. Single. Time. Amen.
A very personal post today with a lot of words, so you have been warned. The picture on the left was taken May 11st, 2012, the day I entered Lakeside. The picture on the right was taken on July 
“I guess they got tired of waiting,” I said. It was quiet and then all of the sudden Colton said “Momma stop the car!! Look!!! They didn’t get tired of waiting…they just crossed the street to a new home to wait for you to come back!!!” And sure enough there they were…across the street…not as many…but the ones that were there were bigger and their stems were stronger and their color was brighter. Then I realized why I love buttercups so much..they are resilient. They can be trampled down…choked out by weeds…and even have their home destroyed..and they will find a way to cross the street to a new home where they will bloom again…bigger, stronger and with more color than ever before. They tell my story….and God knew that story all those years ago…and gave a little girl in a red brick house exactly what she needed to one day cross the street and bloom again…..
Beauty in the Ordinary 