Guest post on grace!

time for another guest post! this is written by friend Misty, who has lots to say (and lots worth hearing!) she's currently on "couch-rest" recovering from surgery so what else does she have to do?

I am a bit narcissistic. I think we all are, the difference is I know I am, and I know why I am. Throughout most of my life I have felt like a big disappointment, like I have always been letting someone down. Maybe it's because I have always been selfish, or maybe it's because I didn't know what I needed to do to make someone happy. It's not that I am a people pleaser, it's more along the lines of I need to make a difference in the lives of those around me.

I don't think I am alone in this. I think all people have an innate need to be a positive influence in the lives of those we love the most. We all want to be remembered for being good people, and for making others feel loved. I can't say, I have ever met a person whose goal was to make others feel lousy, though I am sure I have in my need to make myself feel like a better person. (this would be my ego getting out of control and reflecting what a fool I can be.)

So how can we be sure that we are making a difference in the lives of those we love most? How can we be sure to be a positive reflection of God's love within us? It's really not that hard.

Have you ever taken time to tell the people you love why you love them? Riddle me this. How often do you wake up or come home and feel like an utter failure as a person? Like all you have done is brought others down? I feel like that all the time and honestly this feeling is completely curable.

Tell someone you love them, and tell them why.

This is biblical. God advises us to take our talents and use them to bring them closer to Him, but do you know what your talents are? For some people it's obvious. I have friends with great pipes that can draw person to the Lord through worship. I have other friends who can preach. I have other friends who can write. These are talents that are pretty visible. But what about those, that are often celebrated or put to use in church? Things like our character. Things like our words, or how we act, or parent, or the way speak to others, or make contact? These things aren't always reflected or used in the church actively, or showcased. And sometimes we don't even know that we have those talents.

It's our job as Christians to point out those talents and tell people that those skills bless us, and that who they are makes a difference and it's the easiest way to love people known to man. It doesn't require any grant talent, money, or skill. Just the time to take write a quick note, a text, or a phone call and tell someone why who they are makes a difference.

Example.

I have a friend who is an incredible father. It really blesses me to hear him talk about his kids. He doesn't say I love them in his sentence, but the glow he gets when he discusses them that says it. I love hearing this conversation. He's man of God and he understands the gift our children are. He showcases his love and responsibility towards his kids by making them a priority in his life. Whether it be by reserving an hour of his time each day to spend with them to making sure he is present at events his kids request his presence. As a person who grew up without a father, this touches my heart in so many ways and actually helps heal some of the loss I deal with that hurts to this day. Knowing and seeing someone visually and verbally invest in his kids helps me see how God has designed each of us to love our fa milies and to place priority on them in our lives and by being able to share how this man's actions blesses me, encourages him to continue to pour to into his children and shows him where God has given him a great talent.

I have another friend who has an incredible gift of kindness. Whenever I am around her, she treats people with an incredible amount of love and respect. There are people in our lives that I know who have done incredibly crappy things, but she still loves them and forgives them. Her ability to extend grace beyond my understanding Christ like and allows me to see how God forgives me many errors in my personality and actions despite how often I screw up and fall on my face. There are times when I want to pass judgment on others and write them off, but this person shows me through her words and actions that we must forgive others for their transgressions and look deeper for what causes those mistakes - because we are human, and need others to forgive us when we fall.

It takes ten seconds to tell someone why you love them and the difference they make in your life, and encourage you do it and do it often. Help the ones you love the most grow and maintain their talents. You will be making a difference in their life and helping them continue to make a difference in others. We all need to know that who we are makes a difference - and the first step in this is love thy neighbor first.

Blessings to all of you!

sigh...

i'm a little disgruntled tonight. brace yourselves. it's 9:30 and my whole household is asleep. i'm wandering around blogs, both those i read and new ones. i've seen everything from breastfeeding 6 year olds to talking to your elementary aged son about shaving your lady business to pictures of dead babies. for real. what are people thinking?? this is the internet. not a private chat with your best friend. come to think of it, even my best friend would be appalled if i told her i'd just discussed female hygiene with my five year old son. hopefully she would set me straight! do you think the kids of these bloggers will some day look their mothers in the eye and say "why did you tell the world that?!" as a mom of an almost teenager i'm more and more cautious about what i tell on my blog. while i love to have a chance to journal our day to day experiences, i don't want my kids to look back and resent the intrusion. i don't want them to feel their privacy was invaded. there are moments that should remain personal.
i understand the desire to take photos of your deceased baby. i don't understand putting them on the web for all to see.
i understand believing in being open with your children. i don't understand talking to a young (male) child about feminine hygiene. (then blogging about it!)
i understand the need to vent if your husband had an affair. i do not understand the need to hash every private detail to your readership of thousands. details that your (teenage) children never needed to know about their father.

boundaries, people. let's work on some boundaries!

something borrowed....

so i'm, totally in a blogging rut... so i borrowed this idea from audrey over at barking mad!~

1. It's 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:

in jail. i'm too old and too lactating to be anywhere else. i'm not even sure if lactating can be used in that way but you get the hint. if i'm not here at 2 am then i can two other people in my house who are not happy!

2. What's the last thing you spent more than $100 on?

that would be the house payment. lots more than $100...

3. What do your bank checks look like?

they're just those generic ones with the bank logo on them. i used to buy cute ones but now i use checks so seldom i don't bother.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?

i've literally had this shirt for probably 17 years. it's from a three day rave if that tells you anything!

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:

i want a kindle so bad i can't stand it. they'll have to go way down in price for me to get one though :(

6. What color is your toothbrush?

purple and white

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.

tea pots. i only have a few, as they are fairly expensive. i love them so much. i think because my grandmother used to have tea parties with me growing up with her antique tea pots. my wonderful grandmother who died a year ago today.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?

japanese steakhouse with theMr. i had sushi. it was to die for. and then some.

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?

i honestly can't remember the last time i bought a birthday card! lately i've bought wedding cards, grieving cards and baby cards but no birthday. i'm not a big birthday card person. but i love to buy a gift!

10. What is your worst bad habit?

opening my big mouth before thinking. i'm really good at that. it's no wonder i manage to offend people as much as i do. not to mention now facebook has given me the opportunity to offend hundreds of people at once. wonderful.

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to?

i actually don't subscribe to any magazines. i do, however, occasionally sneak an usweekly from the grocery store. don't tell my pastor.

12. Your favorite pizza toppings?

peperoni, black olive and mushrooms!

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?

probably a movie store or pizza place. although i normally use free 411

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?

that's a tough one as i have some really incredible people in my life. i think if i had to choose only one it would be theresa. she has been a true friend and partner in crime for more years than i care to admit and she is absolutely beautiful inside and out. now if i could just get her to move back to ohio..

15. What is the last thing you cooked?

white pizza with artichokes, olives, tomatoes, feta cheese and mozzarella. yum!

16. Name something you wouldn't want to buy used?

Panties.

17. Which shoe do you put on first?

i have no idea

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?

my mind. i miss it more every day

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?

probably my couch. it is a country pattern (gag) and perpetually smells like pee. from potty training children- not me.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?

i'm terrible about returning things. if i can't use it i tend to give it away as opposed to returning it. it would have to be worth alot of money to justify taking five kids to a store.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?

i very seldom wear perfume because i'm allergic to it and i just don't think of it. but when i do i wear ralph lauren.

22. Your favorite board game?

scattergories or monopoly


24. Where did your vehicle come from?

actually we bought it from an impound lot! $600!!

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?

"been caught stealin" by jane's addiction. Just kidding! how about "you found me" by the fray

26. You're sad, who can cheer you up easily?

theMr. or mandi. that girl cracks me up.

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?

bright blue and very short. interesting...

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?

Hands down, laundry! the amount of laundry that seven people produce is unreal. i hate every waking second of it.

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?

boneless, skinless and baked. as a former vegetarian i can't eat anything that still looks like an animal. it creeps me out.

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?

chocolate and all mine. cause what i need is an entire cake to myself.

if i were...

If I were a month, I’d be July
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Saturday
If I were a time of day, I’d be Twilight (surprised? lol)
If I were a planet, I’d be Earth
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a sea lion (clapping all the time!)
If I were a direction, I’d be north
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a rocking chair
If I were a liquid, I’d be coffee
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a ruby
If I were a tree, I’d be a giant climbing tree
If I were a tool, I’d be a hammer
If I were a flower, I’d be a lily
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a warm spring day
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a guitar
If I were a color, I’d be green like new grass
If I were an emotion, I’d be giddiness
If I were a fruit, I’d be watermelon
If I were a sound, I’d be a baby's laugh
If I were an element, I’d be wind
If I were a car, I’d be a volkswagon bus
If I were a food, I’d be chocolate
If I were a place, I’d be the ocean
If I were a material, I’d be flannel
If I were a taste, I’d be juicy
If I were a scent, I’d be hazelnut
If I were an object, I’d be a blankie
If I were a body part, I’d be eyes
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a grin
If I were a song, I’d be a lullaby
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be flip flops!

Juliana made me do it :)

Juliana, my newest reader, from "a blond walks into a bar" said i have to do this. i always do what strangers tell me to. don't you? (if i was really savvy i would know how to put her name in those little linky jobs so you could click on her blog. but i don't know how. sorry!) anywho..

1. How many piercing's do you have? six. two in one ear, one in the other, tongue, beauty mark peircing, nose and *ahem* one "other".

2. I love the sound of.....? my baby laughing. miss esme just starting giggling this week. it will seriously melt your heart. even hitler would turn to a pile of mush at that sound.

3. Favorite city? i'm gonna go with seattle. or maybe chicago. i really love LA. oh heck, i love cities!

4. Colts, Saints, or could care less? um i don't even know w here either of those teams are from!

5. Frozen yogurt or ice cream? seriously? is there a choice? ice cream, for sure. preferably coffee flavored.


6. Favorite appetizer? any kind of hot, cheesy, seafood kind of dip. this is starting to make me hungry.

7. What item in your closet currently makes you the happiest? Well, considering i just had a baby and can't fit into much in my closet, i'm gonna have to go with shoes. but i could never pick just one pair. i have so many darling shoes. i really should become one of those housewives with a skirt and heels just to wear them all!


8.Favorite facial moisturizer? Um, I do not have one either. i've actually been looking for one. i need one for combination, still-gets-acne, starting to get wrinkles skin. any suggestions??

awards and distractions....

my grandmother passed on tuesday, peacefully and surrounded by her family. the visitation was yesterday and the memorial service is in a week (we're waiting for my brother to return from a mission trip). Sassy gave me an award, so i thank her for thinking about me and for giving me something to post about today that doesn't require much thought! so, without further ado...





Here's the rules:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
(2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
(3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(4) Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
(5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
(6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
(7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

ok, 7 things about me that people might find interesting... hmmm... there are so many interesting things about me! where to begin?

1. in 5th grade, i started a school-wide protest against the use of styrofoam in our cafeteria. i was interviewed in the paper and on the news and the following year the school agreed to begin using reusable plastic instead. we boycotted school lunch for a week!

2. three of my four children were born on their due dates and all after the first were the sex that my oldest prayed for!

3. i can fit my whole fist in my mouth, ha!

4. for some reason i cannot keep outdoor flowers alive. i follow the directions exactly, yet they still die. i keep trying every year though because i love to have flowers outside my house.

5. theMr and my families have been connected all of our lives, even though we didn't know each other until high school. our grandparents dated for years when we were kids, we went to the same preschool, his aunt worked with my mom and grandma and our dads went to high school together. must've been fate, huh?

6. i wish i hadn't named one of my children what i named them, but i'll never tell which one :)

7. i never, ever have my toenails unpainted. i hate the way it looks. it may be days since i've washed my hair or even put on something other than PJ's but nails always look perfectly manicured. it's my neurosis.

i would like to nominate Sassy, Girlchild, Sassymomma, Rebekah, Ashley, Adam and Doobiestar! i don't know how to link so you'll just have to look at my followers or blogroll to find them!

ashley tagged me

Name 3 of each:

-Pet Peeves: people who are late, act entitled or rude to sales persons

-Close Friends: kim, ashley, mandi, marcie

-Favorite Movies: last of the mohicans, the breakfast club, sleepless in seattle :)

-Foods You Love: pasta, enchiladas, anything cheesy!

-Favorite Books: The Bible, any murder mystery, love stories

-TV Shows You Like: grey's anatomy, law & order SVU, heroes

-Celebrities You Like: tom hanks, katherine heigel, jon cusack

-Favorite Items of Clothing: jeans, hoodies, pj pants

true confessions

i read this on another blog and thought i'd do it. i have three sick kids so i have no energy to be creative today! so here goes, my true confessions....

1. i hate to mop the floor. i avoid it as much as possible. in fact, sometimes i wait all week because i know if it gets bad enough my husband will do it on saturday morning.

2. i'm a tv addict. all morning i look forward to nap time so i can eat a snack and watch my shows. sometimes, i think it's the only thing that gets me through the day.

3. i'm not a "crafts/activities" kind of mom, but i'm trying to be. i've realized that simply being at home all day does not make me a good mom. i'm trying really hard to come up with fun, educational things to do with the kids. as i enter my tenth (holy moly!) year of parenting, i realize more and more that parenting is a process. i'm a much better mom than i was ten years ago but i still have lots of room for improvement.

4. i secretly think my husband is hotter than any of my friend's husbands and i don't think it's because i'm partial:) he is really that hot.

5. i come across as extremely confident and self assured when in reality, i have alot of insecurities. sometimes i secretly wonder if i'm that high maintenance person that everyone knows.

6. i am super at utilizing undergarments. people frequently tell me how great i look after having four kids. if they could see all that is going on under these clothes they would crack up. it's like a complicated jig saw puzzle.

7. i'm hooked on infomercials and i always want to buy what they're selling! it's a really good thing we don't use credit cards or i'd probably own alot of useless junk. for some reason i always believe what they say!

soooo..... i'm tagging samantha, sassy, ashley and rebecca!

sassy mom tagged me

so here are seven random things about me....

1. i have lived in 23 houses in my 30 years.

2. i have a major phobia of fire

3. i'm allergic to pretty much anything that occurs in nature.

4. i've been with my husband for eleven years

5. all but one of my children were born on their due date.

6. i'm addicted to reading blogs (you probably already knew that :)

7. i love to cook but hate to bake!

i tag sassy, mom on the run, mommy mo and life with kaishon, samantha, doobie star and ashley!

i need....

MommyMo said i have to do this... i hope she has all those kids occupied to read this cause it may be long!
I have a new game to play. Would you like to play along? The more players, the more fun- promise!1. Write a post on your blog filling in the sentence- I Need......2. Leave me a comment letting me that you are playing along, that way I can go check out your list and see if I "need" to steal any of your "needs".3. Your list can be short or it can be as long as you like.4. Have fun, get creative.

1. i need an uninterupted phone conversation. it's like they have a radar "oh mommy is on the phone, i think i'll try to talk to her!"

2. i need a tropical vacation alone with my husband. one where we lay on a beach all day and someone brings us drinks with little umbrellas in them. we've never had one, we even had a kid on our honeymoon. A breastfeeding kid. and we forgot the packnplay at the airport so she slept with us. romantic, huh? (oohhhh.... so that's why you're supposed to get married before you have kids!)

3. a spa day. i've never had one of those either. i can't even remember my last haircut. with hair like mine you need to have frequent haircuts.

4. a new wardrobe. i've lost 45lbs since february so i am now wearing winter clothes from three years ago. it's not good.

5. a housekeeper. one who cleans, cooks, does laundry and runs errands. actually i'll run the errands, i need to get out of the house.

6. a tummy tuck and a breast lift. just because i've lost most of the weight, doesn't mean all this skin disapeared. you can't gain 60lbs four times and think the skin will not remain. it's sad really. these breasts have fed lots of babies and they show it. thankfully, my husband still thinks i'm hot.

7. i need someone to teach me how to eradicate tantrums for good. today is a day that one more tantrum might put me over the edge.

8. i need my husband to go back to working first shift. i'm not a fan of putting kids to bed alone every night.

9. i need to remember things better. i've always been your typical type A, always on top of things. every since kid number 4 my memory is shot. if i don't write it down, i will not remember.

10. i need the pink blackberry pearl. ok, i really don't need it, but really want it! it's so cute!!

tagged

Tagged!
So sassymomma Tagged me in a post... I have no idea what to put here so, I'm just gonna try my best.
Here are the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their name.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.

1. all my kids except one were born on their exact due date!
2. i'm addicted to social networking sites
3. i can fit my whole fist in my mouth
4. i have slight ocd. i have to count the number of words people are saying if i'm nervous
5. i love coffee, its an addiction. i can't live without it
6. i have 2 tattoos and 6 peircings but i'm a conservative republican
7. i've never seen any halloween movies nor been trick or treating
8. my biggest phobia is fire.

i'm tagging lisa, mom on the run & emily!