Walking Uprightly

In a society like we live in today, it is very hard to walk uprightly. Many times we find ourselves watering down sin as if we are trying to mold the Word of God into some kind of modern entity so, in the process, we can feel better about committing sin. Is lying worth it? Is watching that filthy movie worth it? Is smoking that cigarette or downing that beer worth it? If we took that time and spent it helping others or even spent it in reading our Bible, how much more effective could we become for Christ and His Kingdom? Can you imagine what impact we could have on those around us if we led by example? Imagine how powerful prayer can be if we spent the time on our knees giving up people to Him with an earnest heart. Why must we spend our time justifying why we do what we do instead of using that time to give it all back to God? Love as Christ loved you, forgive seven times seven those who offend you, pray earnestly for those around you, give with all of your heart, and do it all with faith. Don't let the devil pull the wool over your eyes. Remind him of his future and walk as Christ did. Don't give up, beloved. We are almost there. Make your walk count.

The Arrival of Miss Meredith Evelyn Hall

Introducing Meredith Evelyn Hall! Being my third, she was my biggest baby weighing in at 8.9 and was 19 inches long. Surprisingly, she was also my easiest to give birth to! How did I come up with the name? Well, I've never been too keen on modern names because they all seem to sound alike or even be used more than once. With that being said, I have always had an admiration with Victorian names or just older names. Meredith has Welsh and English roots and was popular in the 1920s. The name Evelyn came to me as I watched the movie 'Transcendence' one night with my husband. I sat there and thought, "Wow, what a beautiful name." I knew that the name in and of itself was older and putting Meredith in front of it just rolled off my tongue like silk. I never let it go after that. My first girl is named Laura. Laura is also a Victorian name, so keeping the tradition seemed fit.

The Day Of:

It was on a Wednesday night and my husband had come home earlier from church. I had stayed behind because at this point, being 40 weeks and 1 day, I could barely stand to walk. It was around 1130ish at night and I remember grabbing the headboard and screaming while my husband was sound asleep. He rolled over and asked if I was okay and I told him that I could literally feel my pelvic bone crack and pop. My contractions had went from being every 30 minutes to every 10 minutes. It was time to go.

We popped up and got our bags together and the kids ready and headed out the door. My husband just held my hand and told me that he loved me and that he was excited to see her. We arrived at the hospital a little after 12am, Thursday morning and had my husband's sister come get the children while we stayed at the hospital. When I was in triage, a very kind Nurse, named Carla, had checked my dilation and told me that I was already 5 centimeters. My husband was in shock!

While waiting on the Anesthesiologist for my epidural (yes, I am built too little for going completely natural!) for my vaginal delivery, I had a couple of hours alone with Carla. It so happens that the previous night, I had written a blog about my testimony and I felt led to share it with Carla. As embarrassed as I was by writing the testimony, I shared it personally with a complete stranger. As I kept talking, I realized how comfortable I felt sharing it and it so happens that when I did, she revealed that she was a believer too. Before she left her shift, she asked me if she could pray for me and I remember feeling overjoyed and told her that I would love it if she did. It was a night that I knew after that moment, that was filled with God's presence. It was as if God had my contractions come at that particular time so I could meet Carla. I needed her encouragement. I needed to hear God through her. Thank you, Carla!

Hours upon hours later (haha), the man with the goods came! During this process, I get extremely nervous because if you know anything about how precise the process is for inserting this medicine in between your spinal cord is, you would know that anything could go wrong. At the time, I happened to be shivering from the cold air in the room and being still is the most important part, but thankfully, I held on tight and started counting aloud so I could distract myself from the ordeal and my shivering! Moments later, the medicine finally kicked in and I went numb! I was so happy!! Contractions are absolutely painful (thank you, Eve) and I don't do pain very well!

Now, I think this was around 330am...maybe. I can't really remember, but I do remember falling asleep because the medicine made me sleepy. After waking up, I do remember finally dilating to 10 and with 3 simple pushes, I saw Meredith arrive! Just with Laura, I looked over and saw Dustin crying his eyes out and smiling from ear to ear. When we heard her crying for the first time, nothing but joy filled our hearts. If you are a parent, you probably remember how different it felt before and after. After, it seemed as if it was real because you could finally see and hear your precious baby for the first time. That feeling overwhelmed us and still does to this day.

Only with Meredith was I able to get up and walk around as soon as the delivery was over. She weighed in at 8.9 and was 19 inches long and being that she was my biggest baby, she was my easiest. We spent the next 48 hours at the hospital and enjoyed quite a few visitors. Now we are home enjoying our time with our newest addition to the Hall family trying to keep away from all this flu going around! I do want to take a minute to thank everyone who has prayed for our family, sent encouraging texts, commented lovely comments on our media, etc. We are very appreciative of all of you! Please enjoy our pictures as a family! XOXO



 

Why Telling God "No" is a Bad Thing: Jonah 1

 How many times have you and I told God "no" when it comes to making a decision in life? These decisions may involve decisions based on a mission trip, Church position, financial decision, who to date/marry decision, etc. If choosing out of your own wisdom, sometimes these decisions can take bad turns and end up costing you something or someone. God gives us the opportunity to come to Him and ask Him for guidance and direction and when/if given, if you don't heed, there could be consequences. Take a look at Jonah's life story for just a moment.

Jonah 1:1-3  says,

"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord."

Obviously, when reading this story, you and I can concur that it wasn't very wise for Jonah to tell the God of the universe NO. Obviously, all we have here is not a verbal "no" but a physical "no." Apparently, Jonah thought he could just run away from God and not get caught but in this next verse you will see how far that act got him. 

Jonah 1:4 says, 

^"But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up."

The word "tempest" literally means "a violent storm." God wasn't playing around. Billy Graham puts it eloquently when he said,

                          Jonah 1:4 tells us, “The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea 
                          and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was 
                          about to break up.” I’ve noticed that if I leave the intimate 
                          presence of God, there’s more trouble for me outside His 
                          presence than in it. That was Jonah’s experience, too. The 
                          ship was caught in a great storm, and the crew cast lots to 
                          discover who was to blame. The lot fell to Jonah, and they 
                          dealt with the problem by tossing him overboard.

The rest of this episode goes on as follows in verses 5-17:
   
"Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.  So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?” for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." 

Billy Graham described Jonah as a prodigal son of God. He put it best when he said, "God didn’t give up on Jonah. God prepared a massive sea creature to swallow His prophet and save him. This is a prime example of God’s grace in the life of someone who was wasting his relationship with God."

Of course, any of you who grew up in church, already know this story from Sunday school but it still applies to our lives today. God is here to rescue us and He saves us for a special purpose in life. The wisest thing we can do as His children, is to just say YES. He wouldn't call you to do something or lead you on a certain path if He didn't already have it worked out for your own good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." We should also not lose the point of why God wanted to use Jonah. Not only was it for Jonah, it was for the people living in Nineveh. God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to tell them about who He was and the consequence of what would happen if they didn't repent of their wicked ways. So, the next time God speaks to you and asks you to do something, what would be the wisest thing to do? He is still alive and well and is working in your life. Granted, He is God and He will receive glory regardless of our stubborn attitudes, but He also gives us the opportunity to perform tasks for Him so that we may grow in grace and knowledge of who He is. Just close your eyes, relax, and say, "Yes, Lord. Lead me where You want me to go, direct me on the right path, and help me to be ready and available for you on a moment's notice." I promise, if you listen to Him, He will bless you for obeying. It will be the best decision of your life.







 




 

 

The Great Adventure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFPjIp6nkk

Anyone recognize this picture?! I do! I do! It was in 1992 and I was 6 years old! Granted, I didn't hear this song until I was around 9-10? BUT, I do remember how fun and exciting it sounded. I wasn't raised in a Christian home, but I do remember that this CD was given to me as a gift by a Christian couple. It was my first Christian song that I had ever been exposed to and I liked it! I remember dancing and singing to it in our living room in our home in Xenia. It pumped me up and although I didn't understand the lyrics, it still made me feel good inside. One part of the song that has always stuck out to me were these words:

"Let's follow our Leader
Into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other
This is the great adventure..."

"Into the glorious unknown..." That part baffled me. I didn't know what he meant by that, but looking back at it now, I see the connection. Being in a home that didn't practice Christianity, I knew someone was watching over me. I wanted something different. Something or Someone to fill a void in my life. I heard the name "God", but didn't know who He was. I didn't know anything about His Son or what He had done for me and God knew that. With a humble and grateful heart, I see the connection now. I pictured myself alone and allowing bad things to happen to me while picturing God sending an Angel to stand behind me, comforting me from the beatings and words of disdain from an alcoholic mother who was doing the only thing she knew how to do (I'll save my testimony for the next blog). The point is, is that even though I knew life was hard, there was a voice inside telling me that it was going to be okay. God took me out of a bad situation and "into the glorious unknown." I don't care that I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. The Bible says,

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 

Not only do I take this verse literal, I take them all literal. I trust God with what He says and apply those words to my life. How glorious is it to know, that every single day is another opportunity for a great adventure with the Lord by your side? Let Him guide you on every decision you make. Let Him hold you when you feel afraid. Let Him be God. Enjoy every day with a smile on your face, a happy heart, and kind words flowing from your mouth. Don't give the devil the opportunity to bring up your past to which God has forgiven you for. Lift your head up, smile, and remind him that you are a Child of the One True King and that his fate is defeat because Christ lives. Remember, we only give the devil room if we allow him to wiggle into our thoughts and into our lives. Listen to the song above and dance and sing your hearts out! Why? Because He is alive and is working in your life and mine! Be happy! Forgive others! Forgive yourself! Help others! Live for Him! Good night, my brothers and sisters! May God bless each and every one of you!! XOXO

Be a Mary

   This is one of my favorite stories mainly because it speaks volumes to me in my busy life of being a wife and stay-at-home mother of almost 3 children. This story is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verses 38-42 and it reads as follows:

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Not only can this apply to my life, but to those of you who know what it's like to have a busy life whether it be work related, college related, Church related, so forth and so on. How often do we find ourselves running around doing "stuff" that needs to be done vs taking a moment out of the day to just find a quiet spot and talk to God about how you feel that day? 

Martha and Mary were sisters (and also sisters to Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead). Martha exhibited the role as the elder by the way she always kept herself busy keeping after the home. As you see above, Martha found it annoying that her sister wasn't helping her with the daily chores and complained about it to Jesus. Jesus quickly came back and told Martha that Mary, sitting at His feet listening, was doing what Martha ought to be doing. Why do you think Jesus said that?

Granted, God understands that we have daily responsibilities that are called of us, but He also demands our complete devotion and attention. Remember when God had Moses bring His Hebrew children out of slavery from under Egyptian rule? After the Red Sea closed up, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His children to abide from. Here's what was said in the 2nd Commandment:

  

 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God..." Genesis 20:4-5a

He wants and demands our complete hearts, not just half of it. Mary was doing what she felt led to do. She wanted to hear what Jesus had to say because her heart was in the right place. She was focused and intrigued by everything He had said and Martha missed the whole point of who Jesus was at that time or else she would have sat down right beside her sister and listened in wonder and amazement. I also believe that after Jesus had told Martha that the best thing for her to do was to sit down and just listen, that a light bulb went off in her head and she realized that He was right and so was her sister for sitting there. 

In my personal situation, I am very busy with my little ones and my husband. I am always the last one to go to bed, I wake up in the middle of the night to change my daughter's diapers, check on my son at least once to make sure he is wrapped up in his bed, make sure my husband is covered up from mid back down to his toes while asleep, wake up bright and early to get my 5 year old off to Kindergarten while getting my 1 year old dressed in the process, come home to fix her breakfast, give her a nap, play with her, clean house while she is hanging on my legs, pick up from son from school, take trash off, shop for groceries, pay bills, budget our money, come home in time to re-clean everything and have a hot dinner ready for the husband when he gets home from work, play some more, give my husband attention, clean up after dinner, put my son to bed by reading 1 secular book and 1 Jesus story, give him his asthma medicine, make sure he brushes his teeth properly and uses the restroom, pray with him, hop on over to my daughter to get her ready for bed, have a quiet time with my husband, (affection usually follows...ha! hey, we are married so it's a blessing and not done in sin :D haha) pray with him before he dozes off, and then comes my time. Whoa! What a long sentence, huh?! Lives can become busy and we often lose focus of what's really important in life, like spending time with God. A lot of the time, during my daughter's nap or at night, I have to put the phone down and put it on silent because I realize that it can become a distraction. Sometimes, I have to place a load of laundry to the side when I feel the Spirit convict my heart to stop what I'm doing and to give that extra 15 minutes to God and guess what? If God tells you to do something, you do it. End of story. Never miss out on the blessings that God has for you when you open His Word and listen to that still small voice. I don't recommend studying through your phone because of the distraction of a text coming through or a phone ringing in. Shut the phone off, dust your ole Bible off, and pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to you and opens your heart, eyes, and ears to what God wants you to know. I promise this to you, when you do that, God will bless you for your obedience. He created you and what better way to show Him that you care, than to give Him your time. 

XOXO

  

Waiting on the Right One in God's Timing

 So many young singles, or even those who are dating, are trying so hard to find someone who will complete them in life. They experiment by going on multiple dates or date someone they are crazy about for a long period of time and often drop hints or even pressure the other on the issue of marriage. I do believe, however, that if it is God's timing, it can be either quick or take years. Every relationship should not be compared to the next because God has different plans and paths for each one of us. Remember, His timing is not our timing.

To those of you who are single and are looking: How are you preparing your heart for the one God has for you? 

I understand that it can be very difficult for some of you, especially you ladies, to be alone and content while being alone. I know. I was single for almost 2 years before I met my husband, Dustin. Before that I rushed into a marriage and before that, I always had a boyfriend. When I was single those 2 years, I was bombarded by guys who took me out on dates with the hopes of having a relationship, but I never felt led to any one of them. It wasn't until Dustin found me, that I knew he was the one. I prayed and prayed for this man and my heart broke for his former struggles and his past. I knew he was the one because not once did I ever pray for any other boyfriend in the past nor my ex-husband. I cried out to the Lord asking for guidance and it was hard. I didn't know if it was my desire alone or God's desire for me to hold on tight to him, but after time went by, Dustin told me that he saw me as his wife. He told me that I was everything he had ever looked for in a wife because I was older, mature, experienced with a child, and godly. I didn't need him to hold me up as a Christian or to better me as a person because I was there; he needed an anchor and God knew that. God placed us together and allowed us to go through all that we did for the sole Will of God to come together in the end. I had prepared my heart for my soul mate. I had also surrendered my thoughts and my heart to God while I was single because I didn't want God to think that He wasn't my main priority in life. One verse that I had repeated over and over in my mind was the verse found in Matthew 6:33: "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you." I clung to that verse, tried to keep my eyes focused on him, and here comes the one God had created just for me and vice versa. For those of you who are single and waiting, keep waiting. Spend your time giving praise to the Lord, searching the Scriptures, and being busy. The Bible says in Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." I believe that with my whole heart and as long as you do the same, doors will open and the one God created for you will come, in God's timing.

To those of you who are dating someone and are trying to figure out if he/she is the one: How are you preparing your heart for the one God has for you?

Are you taking the right steps in your relationship to ensure blessings and bringing glory to God at the same time? Can you sit back and say with all honesty that you and your significant other are abstaining from sex? Are you two guilty of verbally or physically abusing one another? Are you staying in His word as a united front against the temptations of this world? Dating can lead you and your significant other to become more susceptible to not live in God's Will if you aren't strong in the Word. 

How can you keep yourself pure?

-Both of you need individual accountability partners. An accountability partner can call or text daily to encourage you in the scriptures and encourage you to make the best decision or help you avoid the wrong decision.

-Try not to be alone with one another unless you know that the two of you are strong enough to just hang out. If you're not strong, make sure the both of you keep yourselves surrounded by others.

-If you stay busy for the Lord, temptation won't be as great.

Is the other person verbally or physically abusive towards you?

Are you a victim of verbal abuse? Does your date yell at you, argue with you, point out flaws, put you down? If so, run. You are not married to this person and therefore, you have no obligation to stay no matter how many times they cry or tell you that they will change. They won't change with you, I promise. They might change with someone else, but if it is happening with you, it won't change with you UNLESS God intervenes, but He will understand if you don't stick around to find out. 

Are you a victim of physical abuse? If your boyfriend/girlfriend lays a hand on you, it's time to leave. Why? Some people change, some, but in a lot of cases, the violence will escalate. Women, especially, are the #1 targets of physical abuse because of the size difference between men and women. God made most women to be more fragile than men and because of that, some men use that to their advantage. Unfortunately, every day, women stay and even succumb to death. Don't let it go that far.

Saying all of that, I will say this: Every relationship is different. Our pastor gave his testimony about the man he was when he was married to his wife. He was a drunkard and everything else and didn't receive the Lord until his first daughter was about 6 months. He was rough, but God used his wife, who was a devout Christian, to lead a life that glorified God. In the end, he received the Lord, accepted a pastoral job and God has used him ever since and he is one of the greatest men I know. He and his wife don't listen to country or secular music nor follow the ways of this world. They walk the walk and talk the talk. If you know anything about the Bible and studied the lives of the great people God used, it wasn't the righteous; it was the unrighteous. He found pleasure in using misfits (Moses) and even murderers (Paul) for His purpose. Even if you do everything by the Book, it's okay too. The point is, is that every path that God has for us is different from the next. Why? Ask Him. To me, He can do whatever He wants because He is God and I trust Him at His Word. Will you prepare your heart for the one God has for you? Remember this, God's timing is not our timing. Let Him work. 

XOXO

Giving it to God

 

How many times have we found ourselves bickering with others? As "Christians", shouldn't we all get along? As long as we are in the flesh and not acting in the Spirit, no. I had an experience a long time ago with someone who, oddly, had sent me friend requests and followed me on every social media site I had, that I assumed, had good intentions. I was wrong. It started off nice and innocent, but it turned ugly quick with the other person indirectly throwing insults at me and my family. I was dumbfounded. My normal reaction was to fire back and that was exactly what the other person was looking for. You know why? They used those reactions to try and convince others that I was a mean person when all the while, they erased their comments that provoked and started it. That pleased the devil. The devil tries to ruin our witness and will do it in a sneaky way. I didn't know what was going on, but after talking with those who knew this person best, I started to feel pity instead of hate. I remember myself doing the same thing when I was at that age and looking back, I was embarrassed. Why? Looking back, all that poking and prodding made me look jealous of that other person and also hurt my witness. If you find yourself attacking others, ask yourself these questions:

1. Why am I trying to ruin this person's witness?
2. Have I used prayer instead of hurtful and false rumors?
3. Am I doing this because I have some underlying issues?
4. Should I seek counseling?
5. What would God have me do?

If you don't like someone, don't snoop. Snooping requires bitterness of the heart and creates an ugly personality that shows outwardly. Snooping is an obsessive quality that qualifies as stalking and can lead to physical stalking of the other person (believe me, I know). How do I know? Because I have one right now, if not more and this blog will be copied and saved to someone's phone or computer in hopes of destroying my witness and trying to stir up anger in others towards me. Like my former youth pastor used to say, "If you aren't being attacked, you're doing nothing for God." The devil will use others to spread rumors, poke and prod you for the sole purpose of trying to get you to react and I am ONLY guilty of reacting and the only way to protect myself was to block people. I am sure even blocking doesn't do the trick, so if something pops up, well, then you know someone had to have made a fake profile to stalk you. The best thing you and I can do, is never EVER search or look for someone whom you know, doesn't like you. They wake up, go throughout the day, and sleep with the hopes of posting and pinning things for the sole purpose of getting you revved up. How can you keep from getting revved up? Don't look! I used to be guilty of that, but then I was like, "you know, if I react, I look jealous and bitter." In my previous situation, I didn't look at it that way; I was solely reacting to taunts and then after praying about it and talking to my in-laws and my own friends and family, I realized that I wasn't dealing with a normal person. To say that, my job and responsibility is to forgive and love that person with all of my heart. Why? I was once there. Looking back, good grief, how embarrassing. I look at my life now and I regret things that I've said and done and count my many blessings. I am extremely blessed with a very handsome husband with every quality of a man I have personally longed for: 

1. He works for everything he has.
2. He had a rough past and because of that, he doesn't want glory, attention, nor a pat on the back.
3. He has beautiful thick hair that I love.
4. Pretty caramel eyes.
5. His body is perf. Big arms, big hands, stocky build. 
6. Pretty straight and white teeth with very good hygiene. 
7. Pretty nose.
8. Big gorgeous eyes that light up.
9. Has this endless grin on his face (big cheezer!).
10. Perfect pouty lips.
11. Beautiful voice.
12. Patient.
13. Deep voice.
14. Never yells at me.
15. Tells me he likes my small, petite body.
16. Tells me I'm beautiful pregnant (maybe that's why we keep having kids!) lol. 
17. He doesn't boast nor brag. 
18. Compliments my cooking and my role as a mother and wife.
19. Loves changes diapers and blow drying our daughter's hair! lol
20. Asks me for help when it comes to studying the Bible.

I am also blessed to have beautiful children. My son was on top last year in his Preschool class last year and today during the parent/teacher conference, I was told that he was the top in his class. His teacher said there were 4 kids who excelled in class and Brent was the one on top. She said that when other children had a hard time with words, that Brent volunteered every time to go to the student and whisper the answer to him/her. I have a beautiful curly blonde haired, blue-eyed girl with porcelain skin and another beautiful girl on the way. My heart leaps for joy when I think about the joys of being a mother. Being a mother doesn't involve "self." I can't tell you how many times I have grabbed something from the store and put it back and got the kids something because I felt selfish. Granted, we have the money, but my heart couldn't do it. It was here recently that I had to buy a couple of shirts for myself because my big belly prevented me from wearing my shirts and my husband's shirts were just not that pretty! LOL! Looking back at all of these blessings, it seems silly to allow someone to cause drama in my life that is warranted as unnecessary. 

So, as hard as it is, every time I think about reacting, I think about how many similarities there are between those incidents in the past and the ones that I've dealt with recently. Seriously. This person who has attacked me and my family's reputation with poking and prodding resembles so much of my past that I can not stand to look back on. I remember being that other person and I was miserable, but that's not who I am now. If you are dealing with this same situation or similar one, protect yourself. Try to realize that age has a lot to do with it and maturity/immaturity. Five years from now, it will seem silly to them and to you so don't say anything else, don't react to their poking, and don't look. They need to find their own happiness and some do it because they miss what used to be. I don't do it anymore because I don't want any type of communication with anyone from my past. No one should, but unfortunately, some want to be connected somehow whether through family or friends. Don't let that be you today. Kiss your husband/wife and live in blessings. God has a plan for everyone and each one differently so that He can bring glory to Himself. Lay it down as His feet and walk off knowing that He is going to take care of it. If people stalk, let them. If they stalk physically, um, call the law lol. All jokes aside, pray about it and may God give you a peace that passes all understanding. May God bless you. Any questions or comments, please feel free to post. I love you! XOXO

"Imitation is the best form of flattery."

"No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart." -Kevin Aucoin 

When Dealing with Internet Trolls

What is an internet troll? According to wikipedia.com, an internet troll:

"In internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. This sense of the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with internet discourse, but have been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. For example, mass media has used troll to describe "a person who defaces internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families.""

Every single human being who has access to the internet, has either dealt with trolls or is currently dealing with trolls. How can you avoid them?

1. As a Christian, if there is someone who has wronged you or vice versa, forgive or ask for forgiveness and move on. My pastor's wife is a stern woman who does her morning devotions at the crack of dawn, listens to the Christian radio station only, doesn't fit in with other women who hold the same title, and because of that, she devotes her life to giving advice and helping others. One thing she says, is that there are going to be people in our lives who make trouble, but our responsibility as children of God, is to forgive. She said that you don't have to like them, don't have to hang out with them, nor text them, but you have to forgive them. Why? Mark 11:26 says, "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Forgive and move on. 

2. Don't stalk them. It is easy to find someone who you know that doesn't like you and get worked up over what he/she posts. If it helps, do what I do: block. If it helps you to keep focused on more important things, block. This shouldn't be done out of hatred either. If we find that blocking is necessary, it helps protect us from retaliating and helps the other person from getting worked up over something that we might post that they will find offensive (and if someone doesn't like you, they will take anything you have and twist it in a misunderstanding way and try to use that against you. Don't give them that ammo if that's their way of thinking). I Peter 3:9 says, "not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing"

3. Pray for them. Our responsibility as Christians, is to pray for others and not in a vindictive manner. We come to our God, who sits on His Holy Throne, we ought to come humbly and with the intentions of a servant's heart: pure and humble. I can honestly say, from previous experience, that I pray, to this very day, for people who have some kind of bias towards me. I don't know who they are, but I pray just in case so that God can cleanse this heart of mine daily so that I may not be a stumbling block to others. I also pray that God brings peace and softness to their heart as to match the heart of Christ. Matthew 5:44 says, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." 

I know what some of you are thinking, who have dealt with internet trolls personally, "How can someone who claims to be a follower of Christ, hold so much hatred or have such a grudge towards me?" I don't know that answer but the Bible gives reasons and I can post all kinds of scripture to find reasoning behind it, but your main focus should be elsewhere, not on them. Feeding a troll makes the troll grow so don't give it any more attention that it desires and longs for. Pray, forgive, ask for forgiveness, and move on. Block if necessary, get yourself an accountability partner, put your phone down and do something productive (reading your Bible, cleaning, charity work, working, etc), and pray about the situation. Your problems will not go away if you don't leave them at the foot of the cross. Take them there, drop them off, and tell God that you can not do this by yourself and let Him deal with it. He wants to. This topic of trolling has been brought to my attention from followers on IG and close friends of mine who have dealt with this issue. I am blessed to get compliments from the readers, who also happen to be complete strangers, but I can tell by their heart's glance, that they have a desire to do what God wants them to do and if there's anything more I can do, sisters, let me know! :) May God bless each one of you with abundance of joy and love. Keep your head up, ladies, and know that God sees the situation at hand and sees the intentions put forth, so let your hearts be pure when you stand before Him on that glorious day. XOXO