What do we require in our relationships?

Well, I gotta get on my soapbox a minute.  My heart breaks for girls today.

Girls today sell themselves short.  They are quick to give their hearts away in a relationship and even quicker to jump into bed with someone they aren't married to.  They move in with them in the hopes that "probably" they will get married.  Probably?  What are you requiring of him?  You give your all to the relationship without expecting anything in return.  You aren't requiring a solid commitment from him!

Why is this completely accepted in not only the world but also "Christian" circles?

Ladies!  You are worth so much more than that!  You don't need to sell yourself short!  Don't give in to the physical pressures of the guy.  They are requiring you to give in.  What are you expecting of them?  A maybe, someday, hopefully proposal?  That's not a good way to start off a marriage anyway. The statistics on divorce after co-habitation are grim.

Marriage is a wonderful covenant!  It's two people fully committed to one another.  It's two people who completely trust each other.  It's two people who come together with an understanding that they will do whatever it takes to protect their relationship.

So, ladies, protect your virtue.  It is a virtue to remain chaste.  Require a commitment from your guy.  If he is a gentlemen he will honor that.  Don't you want to be married to a gentleman after all?  If he's a gentleman before marriage-he will be a gentleman during your marriage.

And gentlemen, treat your lady right.  Honor God.  Respect her and she will respect you.

Galatians 5:19-22 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.


The problem with living together

Test driving marriage

Ok, off my soap box now.

What do we require in our relationships?

Well, I gotta get on my soapbox a minute.  My heart breaks for girls today.

Girls today sell themselves short.  They are quick to give their hearts away in a relationship and even quicker to jump into bed with someone they aren't married to.  They move in with them in the hopes that "probably" they will get married.  Probably?  What are you requiring of him?  You give your all to the relationship without expecting anything in return.  You aren't requiring a solid commitment from him!

Why is this completely accepted in not only the world but also "Christian" circles?

Ladies!  You are worth so much more than that!  You don't need to sell yourself short!  Don't give in to the physical pressures of the guy.  They are requiring you to give in.  What are you expecting of them?  A maybe, someday, hopefully proposal?  That's not a good way to start off a marriage anyway. The statistics on divorce after co-habitation are grim.

Marriage is a wonderful covenant!  It's two people fully committed to one another.  It's two people who completely trust each other.  It's two people who come together with an understanding that they will do whatever it takes to protect their relationship.

So, ladies, protect your virtue.  It is a virtue to remain chaste.  Require a commitment from your guy.  If he is a gentlemen he will honor that.  Don't you want to be married to a gentleman after all?  If he's a gentleman before marriage-he will be a gentleman during your marriage.

And gentlemen, treat your lady right.  Honor God.  Respect her and she will respect you.

Galatians 5:19-22 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.


The problem with living together

Test driving marriage

Ok, off my soap box now.

Carpe Diem!

I've been thinking a lot about death lately.  Morbid I know, but hear me out.  I just went to a funeral for a friend's grandma.  She was 94 years old.  She lived life to the fullest.  She was super active right up until the end.  She got to see her great-great grandkids!  What a life!

I have another friend that is barely in her 40s and was just sent home on hospice care.  She has cancer.  Cancer stinks.  She has a young family and a sweet husband.  It just doesn't seem fair.  She also lives life to the fullest. She is the happiest, sweetest person through all this yuck.  Even now.

I've just been contemplating living life.   Why do so many people put off things -- "I'll travel when I retire" "I'll have kids after my career gets started" -- "I'll go see that relative when I build up some vacation time".  Why the wait?

Shouldn't we be living our lives NOW!  Shouldn't we Carpe Diem and all that!

I know, it's easy to get stuck in a rut.   It's easy to think we have lots of time to do things later.

It's so easy just to fall into the lull of life.

But I want to get out there and live!  I want to do those things now!

Maybe they are big things like traveling, or moving, or learning something new.

But it's also the small things--like visiting with that person, or saying hello to someone, or having a conversation that you've needed to have with someone, or giving a hug.

Take time to do the things you've been wanting to do. Time is a valuable commodity.  It's the only thing that once we use it we can't get it back.

I don't want grass to grow under my feet.  I want to go and do and see and live my life NOW!

So go out and seize your day!  You won't regret it!

Grandma Status!

So the big news of the year.... I'm going to be a grandma!!! A friend told me don't say "I'm going to be" because I already am! Yes, that is true! There's a new life growing right at this moment.

I can't believe my daughter and her hubby are going to have their own little sweetie pie.  It's a surreal feeling.  Your kids having their own kids.  I'm really happy and excited for them!

I just want to spill out everything I think and know and have learned.  But that wouldn't really be helpful.  They will learn and grow into their own.  I'm sure they will do things differently than we did.  (Thankfully!) I'm sure I'll disagree with things and wish things were done differently.  But they will probably do some things similar too.  Either way, I need to be OK with it.

I'm looking forward to this new role.  I'm excited to be a grandma!  I'm wondering how do I be an influence, show love, and be involved without being "the mom".  I guess it's probably a lot like I'm doing now with my adult children.  I stay involved, text, send presents, ask questions, show them I'm there if they need anything, keep the lines of communication open.

It's an exciting new chapter!

Grandkids!

I really feel too young for this to be happening!

But I'm just thrilled to see my kids raising their own kids.

Doing the happy dance!!

Any advice for this new grandma?  Comment below!

Things I don't understand

Proverbs 30:18 "There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Yes, four which I do not understand:"

There are many things I don't understand in this world.  Just a few I was thinking about today...

Why do people value going to college so much?  Anytime anyone says "I'm going to school" or "I'm going back to school" people applaud and give so many accolades.  Why don't we applaud people starting a new business or staying home with their kids?

Why don't people plan ahead enough financially to be able to stay home and raise their kids?  This isn't a dig at working moms.  But why don't people make it a priority?  This is probably the most important job in the world.

Why do people buy big houses that they can't afford? And then they are only really there to sleep in them and never there to use them because they are constantly working?  The more you have - the more you have to have to take care of the things you have.

Why do people wait years and years to have kids?  Just biologically speaking, a woman's body is only available to have kids for a certain amount of time.  Again, not a dig at people that have trouble conceiving. I just don't understand why people postpone this huge blessing..maybe because they are going to school...

I don't understand why people don't put effort into their relationships.  Whether it be their marriage, or friendships, or family relationships.  In this age of technology it takes a very short amount of time to show you care.  In marriage, it takes putting the other's needs ahead of our own.

I don't understand why people don't travel.  It doesn't have to cost very much.  You can actually travel on a budget! There's so much of the world to see and experience!

I don't understand why people can't see the Creator in the creation!  Isn't it obvious that something can't just come from nothing?  If we see a beautiful work of art we never say "Wow that is so amazing how that randomly happened!"

Well, I'm sure I've offended a few people with this...but that's another thing.. I don't understand why people are so worried about offending people all the time.  You'll never please everyone.  The only one I really want to please is the Lord Jesus!

Anything you don't understand?  Comment below!

The Power of Joy!

So I've blogged a lot of times about my love of hooping.  It's my JOY!  It makes me happy!  It's so hard to be sad when you are hula hooping!  But the fun part is taking it everywhere!!

At first, it was kinda weird- me a grown woman- taking my hoop out in public.  I thought "What if people look at me!"  Well-of course they will!  And "What if I mess up!" -- Well, of course you will!

I'm not one usually to want a lot of attention drawn to myself either.  So it was a big big step to hoop in public.

But once I did.  Just tip toed out into the abyss of the unknown....wow.  A tiny bit of freedom opened up to me.  A tiny bit of creativity opened up.  A tiny bit of  "I don't really care what people think".

Then the next time it was a little easier.  Then the next.  Then the next.  Then...I was taking it everywhere!  The freedom!!  You never know when a good hoop place will pop up.

There's a fountain! Oh great place to hoop!  There's a band! Oooh cool song to hoop to!  There's a great big open field! Perfect hooping place.

Then I started traveling with it!  On cruises, plane rides, everything.  I have a great twist up hoop that my wonderful hoop teacher and friend --Geri-- makes!  She's such an inspiration and a JOY to me! She makes me smile and I love to see the joy she spreads to others.

Joy is a powerful thing!  It can make a terrible day not so terrible.  It can bring a smile to others.  It can open your heart to new adventures. Joy can spread like wildfire!  Joy can make you young again. Joy can make your soul lighter.  Joy can heal you from within.  Yes JOY can do all that!!

Check out Geri's website here!  It's called Around JOY!

45 things you might not know about me

So my birthday is coming up!!! AGHHH!!!  I will be 45 years old!  I'm not sure how this happened..but here I am.  

So in celebration of this new year!  Here's 45 things you might not know about me!

1. I'm an introvert.
2. I love love love to travel!
3. I don't mind doing things by myself, in fact I rather enjoy it.
4. I'm working on memorizing Philippians.  I've got the first 2 chapters down!
5. I've never had an issue with weight until the last 5 years or so, but I'm working on losing it now!
6. I have opinions about stuff and it comes across sometimes as bossy, stubborn, mean.  I don't intend to be those things though.
7.  I love trivia and love to learn new things.
8.  I don't know much about pop culture though.
9. I love to listen to Christian music, hymns and new stuff, but I also like classical and 40s.
10.  I would love for 40s fashion to come back!  Hats! and Men in hats!
11. I only just recently started in the work force. (about the last 5 years) I was a stay at home mom for years and years (which I loved).
12.  Our biggest regret was not having more kids.
13. I've only worn skirts now for about 10 years.
14. I've been to a lot of places in Europe and would love to live there someday!
15. My favorite flower is the daisy.
16. My favorite day: sitting on the porch, watching a thunderstorm, reading a book and drinking coffee.
17. Or tea! I have a HUGE collection of tea!
18. I really hate wearing my heart on my sleeve.
19.  I can tend to be an Eeyore.
20. We've moved about 14 times in our 27 years of marriage and lived in 4 states!
21. I love to read!  and when I'm in the reading mood -read about a book a week.
22. Have been doing a High Fat/Low Carb diet for about 8 months now and I love it! No going back!
23.  We've been taking a cruise every year with a group of friends of ours going on about 3 years now!
24. It's hard for me to apologize because I think I'm usually right.  Working on that.
25. I'm married to my best friend and when he's gone I'm lonely.
26. I love our electric bicycles that we got!
27. Am so excited that we've downsized so much!  living in a 750 square foot apartment is one of the best things we've done.
28. I haven't been to the dentist or doctor in I can't remember how long ago.
29. I prefer to always wear flats..but occasionally I'll wear a wedge.
30. I absolutely love my relationship with my grown kids!  They are a joy!
31. I've worn glasses since I was about 18. I recently bought contacts but haven't worn them much because my glasses are my security blanket and I feel naked without them!
32. Never thought I'd switch to an e-reader for books but now it's all I read.
33. My medicine cabinet at home is mostly essential oils.
34. I've never been to Las Vegas.
35. If there's a tree that looks good to climb -you'll probably see me up in it!
36. I've read through the Bible every year for so many years now I can't remember how many!
37. Favorite color-pink! (It was my wedding color!)
38. Can read music and used to play the violin and can play some piano.
39. Clean everything in sight when I'm angry or upset.
40. Love to have the blinds closed and lights down low at home.
41. Hate cooking and grocery shopping.
42. Back before the internet, I used to cut articles out of magazines and I had a whole file cabinet with different files for different topics.
43. Never thought I'd homeschool, but ended up homeschooling for 15 years!
44. Have a hard time making friends.
45. Put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ when I was 13 years old at my grandma's church during a revival.

Well, there you have it!  Just a few things about me! :)