Overcoming...One baby step at a time!

Hi all! I know once again it has been way too long. The summer has flown by. We have made many memories that will last a lifetime including three different trips to visit with grandparents. One of which celebrated Tim's granddad's 90th birthday! And a 2 week trip exploring Seattle, Vancouver and a week cruise to Alaska, complete with helicopters, seaplanes, glaciers, gold-mining and railroads! It has all been a whirlwind of a blessing and now, for us school starts next week!

I have plenty to share in the coming weeks and months about different things the Lord has laid on my heart throughout the summer. But one thing I want to do right now is to encourage each of you to take a look at your life, see if there is any area that causes you pointless anxiety (of course Jesus tells us all anxiety is pointless!) and then make a decision to find baby steps to begin overcoming that 

issue. 

I know that sounds a little vague so let me give you an example. I recently started a new business with Nerium International, a biotechnology company that has some incredible antiaging products and is taking off like crazy. I've been doing a lot of reading and listening to some great personal development material, and I realize that one of the main things that holds me back is that I cannot stand to talk on the phone! I know that seems so silly, but it causes me so much anxiety that if I know I have to make a phone call I freeze. I get all tied up in knots, and I procrastinate so long that of course my anxiety continues to build until I am just a mess! I can't even stand to call and order takeout! And if my phone rings there's a really good chance I won't answer it! I seldom call people, even though I know our friendship would be so much stronger if I did. And from a business perspective, picking up the phone to talk to someone I don't know well makes me want to cry! But alas, I realize that this is silly, and it is causing me anxiety over such a pointless issue. And it could be holding me back from significant success in many areas.

 So I have identified this point of weakness in my daily life, and I have challenged myself to start doing something about it. I am trying to talk on the phone about once every day. And I'm not talking about text messaging! :-) It could be as simple as answering the phone when it rings because the pest people are confirming our appointment or calling a customer to follow up. Either way, I'm trying to find little ways to overcome this issue. Now, if the phone rings I actually answer it...most of the time! 😄

So until I get back on here, I challenge you to take some time to sit and think about little things that cause you anxiety or may be holding you back from your full potential. Maybe you've never even identified it as a problem before because it's something you have lived with for so long. But as the kiddos head back to school let's make this season of learning and growing ourselves as well. There's a picture below of Holden's latest accomplishment. Today for the first time he wrote his name all by himself! :-)

God's Grace Wrapped in Childish Oblivion

A word on our children's naivety and how it very well may be one of God's greatest extensions of grace towards us as parents.

Ever noticed how something that appears so obvious to you may go completely unnoticed by your kiddos? Or perhaps you are profoundly impacted by a scene in a movie and when you bring it up to your kids they don't even remember it? Yes, at times this can be infuriating, but I want to encourage you to adopt a new perspective on this childish oblivion.

If you read my Father's Day post (written just before the actually holiday) you may have this notion that perhaps Father's Day in our house more closely resembled a scene from "Leave It to Beaver," rather than the, shall we say, "Home Improvement" script that is so much closer to reality! (Obviously, I don't watch many current sitcoms! :) )

Once again, allow me to pull back the veil and bring you into the nitty-gritty of our all too "normal" family. Yes, Tim is an amazing dad and hubby. Yes, I am soooo thankful for him and find that I admire him more with each passing year. Be that as it may...we are two flawed, emotional, all-too-type-A, sometimes too similar for our own good, humans!

We had attended the Saturday night service at our church, and I went to bed with plans for a relaxing, doting Father's Day for my deserving husband. Somewhere between my head hitting the pillow and my feet hitting the floor the next morning irritation and annoyance must have broken in and set up camp in the corner of my mind. (And their brothers, frustration and irritation paid Tim a visit!)

It all started with Tim's favorite doughnuts...or at least a plan for them! Somehow I found myself, a little miffed, wearing shorts with paint on them, standing in a local doughnut shop with a less-than-thrilled with me, 6' 4.5" hungry man with a scowl and two anxious, scrabbling kids, looking at an all but empty doughnut case. Yep, they were out and for whatever reason (which I'm sure seemed important at the time) Tim and I were none too happy with each other and the kids were whining as we drug them from the doughnut shop, into the grocery, started at a mediocre at best display of so- so doughnuts and buying whatever they had so we could just get the heck out of there and get home to "enjoy" out breakfast! Happy Father's Day!

After having "intense moments of fellowship" most of the morning, Tim and I were desperately trying to make amends. So then we all go fishing. The kids get hot, then hungry, then bored, and interrupt mine and Tim's conversations about 12 times in 2 minutes to tell us so. Apparently all the fish in the Indian River had left for the day. Then Tim gets his line stuck in a tree. Then he brakes his line in said tree, and then, in a huff, proceeds to not-so-gently "place" his rod on the ground. Ok, fine! Let's go home! Happy Father's Day!

We attempted to salvage the rest of the day with a swim, and Tim and the kids managing to construct the tallest Jenga tower in history. All the while, Tim and I are attempting to get a grip on the emotions that have been barking at out minds all day. At one point Tim laments that he feels he ruined the whole day by getting frustrated, and I refuse to let him take the fall alone, knowing that my feelings were far from under control.

That night we sat down for dinner and the kids prayed, "Thank you, God for this wonderful Father's Day!" Then later on the phone with the grandparents they recount the day in glowing detail. "We had doughnuts, and went fishing. Then we swam and played games. It was the best Father's Day ever!"

Tim and I just looked at each other...WOW! That's God's grace! Here we were afraid we'd scarred them for life with our bickering and frustrations, and all they remember is the fun and the wonderful family time. God is so good!

Made me think, granted God is not going to act out and have unfettered emotional fits, but the world we live in is full of strife and anxiety and emotional roller coasters. What if we truly had that faith like a child and instead of letting all the craziness of the day catch our eye, we were so focused on how much our Daddy loves us, and how much we love Him. On all the awesome things He does for us and the numerous ways He shows His love over and over to us each day. What if, at the end of a trying day, all we could remember was the wonderful blessings God gave us that day? A warm bed. A wonderful family. A spouse that loves us. Hmmmm....there is always so much to learn from our kids!

Happy Father’s Day!

I dedicate this piece to the most amazing daddy I know, my incredible husband, Tim. For a man who had only held a baby one time prior to ours being born, he was a natural from the very beginning! 

We have been blessed with one of each - a beautiful, articulate, glitter and sparkles girl and a goofy, sometimes loud, yet incredibly loving little boy. She’s all girl, and he’s all boy! And Daddy knows how to relate to them both. Whether in a suit and tie taking his little princess to the Daddy/Daughter dance, or out on the field helping coach our little Babe Ruth in t-ball, he is a man they respect, learn from, look up to, and love fiercely. 

Tim strikes an excellent balance between fun and firm, gentle and tough.  He sets an example in hard work, incredible self-discipline and unshakable integrity. He demonstrates the importance of not only being a strong leader, but proves that the best leaders are humble followers of Jesus Christ. 

He provides, protects, disciplines and loves with intentionality and focus. He takes his role very seriously, knowing that when God saw fit to bless him with a family, He also gave him an obligation to lead that family in His ways. Tim knows the Source of true wisdom and strength and never misses an opportunity to pass that knowledge onto our babies. 

Happy Father’s day, Babe! We are very blessed to have you, and I am so thankful for you. You’re the best!