It Hurts!

Today, I got a call from the school nurse. She informed me that my son had something "hard" lodged in his ear. She sent him to the in-school clinic, where they attempted to irrigate and dislodge the object to no avail. So, we were sent to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist at the children's hospital downtown.

When we arrived, they zoomed into his ear with a microscope connected to a huge, flat screen, HDTV. And there we saw it...a rock. Now, of course my son has no recollection of how a rock could have possibly found its way into his ear. I ask if it could be a pencil lead because kids and pencils can hardly get along (trust me on this one...I'm a teacher). They insist it's a rock and begin to try taking it out.

Kaleb is a strong critter, so the first attempt was a failure. He was too strong and the staff was unable to keep him still. So, after soliciting my help and acquiring the help of a few other medical staff, they asked me if I was okay with him being swaddled. I obliged and watched them wrap my big boy much like I used to when he was an infant. His whole body was wrapped up like a burrito, so he couldn't move his arms or legs. He was helpless.

As they began poking and prodding his ear, he began to cry...then yell...then scream. The pain was unbearable. I encouraged him to breathe. I told him to calm down. I said it was okay to cry and be scared but he had to try harder to keep his head up and be still. Watching him go through the pain and not being able to do anything about it was hard for me. His little brother began to cry for him. My eyes filled with water too. It was hard to witness...

However, as I watched him endure that pain, I was hurting for him. I knew that what he was going through was best for him at the time. It was what he needed. It was a necessary process to get him where he needed to be. The pain was unavoidable. It hurt him, and the ones who loved him most were hurting with him.

But as his mother,  I was there the whole time. I never left his side. I encouraged him. I reassured him. And when they released him from the bondage of the swaddle contraption, I comforted him. Hmmm...

Sometimes, God allows us to experience painful situations. He gets no pleasure out of this. When we hurt, he shares our pain; He bears our burdens. He knows we are helpless, and He knows it hurts. But He also knows that it's necessary. We can't grow and change and be who we are meant to be without the pain. God knows it hurts, but He's right there with us. When we are crying out in pain, He comforts us. He encourages us when we feel like we can't go on. He reassures us when we question if we'll be okay. He soothes our doubts and calms our fears. He whispers to us to keep our heads up. And when we've done all we can do, He reminds us to be still.

If you are in pain right now, you aren't alone.  If you are hurting and feel helpless, God knows that. He's there with you every step of the way. He promised to never leave you and never forsake you. He feels your pain and hates it, just as much as you do. But you gotta endure it. The pain in the process is part of your journey to reach His purpose. Stay strong. Stay faithful. Be Blessed XOXO

Newton's 3 Laws

My students and I recently took a field trip to see FMA Live! This musical performance combines the arts and science to help students understand Newton's 3 Laws of Physics. It was so entertaining that even I, the physics dumb dumb, was able to commit the laws to memory!

After the field trip, this new info started to transform and have new meaning. I'm sure Sir Isaac Newton wasn't exactly thinking about the Spirit when he came up with these laws, but they fit so perfectly.  I discovered, Newton's 3 Laws are a lot like God's presence in our lives...

1. Inertia
Inertia is the the tendency of an object to stay in a straight line and move at a constant velocity. It's the resistance of an object to any changes in its direction or speed. When God is in our lives and we are walking in His purpose for us, we have a tendency to be unmoved. We begin to resist the changes that we know will push us backward or jolt us from side to side. Are we perfect? Nope. But we are moving in a straight line (most of the time) at the rate of God's appointed timing. So, the law of inertia says trying to move us or change us, will be quite the task!

2. Force = Mass times Acceleration (F=MA)
This equation describe the relationship between the mass of an object and the amount of force it will take to make it move. When we talk about our relationship with God, it is often some sort of that accelerates our faith. God allows a mass to weigh us down until we look to Him to become of the force to move us into His arms, His safety, His love. We are bogged down by bills, divorce, work, weight-gain, troubled children, our past, our present, LIFE! But then we call on the FORCE by FAITH in GOD! Then, that MASS, the weight of the world on our shoulders, is LIFTED. It is these experiences that ACCELERATE our faith and our relationship with God Himself.

3. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction

It's self-explanatory. When we take that action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We open our hearts to God...action. He comes into our lives and we begin to change...reaction. The more steps we take in God's direction, the more His presence becomes apparent. We don't talk the way we used to. We don't live the way we used to. We change. We become different. We are made new...Be Blessed. XOXO

Limited

My youngest son is becoming more independent. This is accompanied by lots of backward shirts, shoes on the wrong feet, and half-washed faces to match half-brushed teeth. He wants to do it himself. He sees his big brother walking around like a hot-shot who has it all under control, so he wants that too. Little does he realize that he has common 3-year-old limitations. His fine motor skills cause him to struggle with small buttons and shoe strings that he attempts to tie on his own. His cognitive ability won't allow him to read an entire book himself, at least not with the real words that are actually printed on the pages. And once he comes face to face with these limitations, he gets frustrated, goes bonkers, or will have a complete meltdown!

Some of us are the same way. We want to handle every situation in our lives on our own. We have this false sense of independence because so much of what we do, day to day, is within our control. So, that idea of "doing it ourselves" spills over into things that are sometimes outside of our control. 

In life, we will be thrown into moments that we literally can't do anything about. However, it might take us a while to come to that realization. And once we do...we lose it! You know...that thing you've been praying about and trying to work out for weeks, months, or years? That thing. Look at you, still trying to "fix" it. Going back to the drawing board. Pulling out extra tricks. Reading new books. When all along, you need to sit down somewhere, or as the Word says, "Stand still..." 

Because we are human, we are limited in our power. True, faith without works is dead. But sometimes, we work ourselves out of faith. We try so hard to control the situation that we are basically telling God, we got it, we don't need Him, or even worse, we don't believe He'll come through for us. There are times when we just can't do it all. There are situations that only God can work out. In those times, we have to sit still and wait for Him to move. Sometimes, He will move us. At times, He will move others. But when we relinquish our limitations to Him and say, "Lord, I've done all I can do, please help," He comes through. Sometimes He makes us wait. Other times, it's almost immediate, as if He is saying, "It's about time you sat yo self down somewhere and let me handle this thang!" 

If you are struggling with something today. You feel like you are at your wits end. You don't know which way to turn or what move to make next, take a break. Pray to the Lord, "I'm ready for you to takeover. I've done what I can. Lead me. It's all Yours. I trust You." Once you trust your limits to Him, CHILL. Let Him work. Trust me...He's got it all under control. Be Blessed. XOXO

Work with what ya got

My oldest son has a tendency to be comparative and competitive. He wants his credit. He wants to be the best. He doesn't want to be outdone. He gets it honest. I can be the same way. And if you are reading this and being honest with yourself, so can you. At some point, in some situation, you look outside of yourself and wonder....compare...compete.You wonder why you don't have a spouse. You compare your house to someone else's. You compete to look the best on a night on the town. Life has a way of having us to look at others and essentially feel inadequate.

However, God gives each of us what we are to have in the time we should have it. The things, you are looking at others for simply aren't meant for you right now...and honestly, they may not be meant for you at all. For example, I've never had really long hair. It can get to a decent length, but on the whole, my hair has never been super long. When I was younger, I would look at my cousins, friends, and even my baby sister like, "Why do they get the long hair and I don't?"

Funny...fast forward to the teenage years and my first real hair cut. My cheekbones were EVERYTHING in my school pictures. And that's when it hit me. When my hair is grown out, I tend to wear it up or in a ponytail. Why? Because hair distracts from the features of my face. Long hair isn't necessarily in my favor. Hence, I don't have a whole heap of hair because I have this beautiful face that the world deserves to see! And shoot, if I want some hang-time bad enough, I can buy hair by the pack or the bundle whenever I so choose! LBVS!

1 Peter 4:10 tells each of us to use whatever gifts we have been given to serve others. For everything you lack, God has gifted you something else that He intended for you to use for His purposes. Someone is looking at you with the same wonderment, comparison, and competitiveness that you are looking at someone else. The truth of the matter is that God has given each of us the things that He wants us to have, and He is expecting us to use them. Now, we can't do that effectively if we are too busy looking at what others have, and therefore, what we DON'T have! Pay close attention to what God have given you and focus on maintaining, developing, and perfecting those gifts. You may not have the biggest house, but you have a knack for decor. You may  not have the smallest waist, but you have an eye for fashion. You may not have the best singing voice, but your public speaking is a force to be reckoned with. What has God given you? Whatever it is, work with what you got to get to where He wants you to be. Be Blessed. XOXO

Resolution

It's that time of year again! Many of us resolve to do these super awesome things. Some of us refuse to believe the hype because... well...we've failed before, or we simply don't want to live under that kind of pressure! Either way, it's a new year, which is a perfect opportunity for new experiences  and fresh perspective.

On New Year's Eve, I was blessed to have a most enlightening conversation with my Godmommy. She'd been going through a storm of sickness, but (as usual) her faith never waivered. As we sat and talked, she revealed that on a prior doctor's visit, she'd asked the Lord for 3 things, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I later revealed to her that I had 3 broad goals this year, but had never thought about them being aligned in that way. She continued to tell me that during this trying time, she'd begun to give God more intimate time. She said she knows Him and loves Him in a whole new way. I thought, "How is that possible?! This lady is like a walking billboard of faith!" But she said to me, "It's like He's new to me all over again."

Some of us (myself included) could spend a little more time with God this year. There's no way we can fully accomplish His purpose if we don't talk to Him. Some of us need to stop being afraid of failure and set some goals. There's no way to know we've failed if we haven't even committed to try. Whether you want to open a business, go back to school, lose weight, or just live a better lifestyle, the only way that happens is by committing to try and seeking God's guidance along the way. Whatever you've resolved to do, I pray God is in the midst so your success will be even more sweet. Be Blessed in this new year! XOXO