Sunday, January 25, 2015

You matter....



I've heard it said for years...

"Don't compare yourself to others."

"Comparison is the thief of joy." Theodore Roosevelt 

And yet I STILL DO IT!

haha...

It's amazing how I can let my own thoughts of comparison ruin my own day!

No one is forcing me to compare myself to others.

No one is making me think those thoughts.

I do it to myself.

I let discontentment get in the way.

I am essentially saying "They have it better than I do...what I have or where I am or what I am doing is not good enough."

And that is a load of baloney.

I've written about contentment before. (You can read that post by clicking here!)

Being content with who I am is jeopardized when I compare myself to others. 

I went to a training in Denver recently, and I heard an amazing lady, Crystal Thurber, speak for one of the segments.

She held up yard sticks with names of the people who had also done trainings that day. She said how easy it would be to compare herself to those people, but she had to remember that she was called to be herself.

She said, "As long as someone else's name is on this yardstick, I will never measure up. I'm not them. I could only be the second best version of them. I will only measure up when I look at myself. I can only use the yardstick with my name on it."

After the meeting was over, I waited to talk with her...and let her know that I was going to go to Home Depot to get a yard stick of my own to write my name on it. Then I boldly asked her if I could have one of hers!!

She gladly gave me the one that said, "YOU MATTER!"

What a great trophy to take home from the day as a reminder!!

I matter. I don't need to compare myself to anyone else.

My story is my own. It's unique because it is me.

Lee and I often say we want to live a story worth telling...but not because we want our story repeated...but because we want to inspire others to live a greater story for themselves!




You matter. Quit comparing yourself to those around you. Instead, focus on the great things that make you who you are!


Sunday, January 4, 2015

This Was Not the Way I Expected to Start 2015...


This was not the way I expected to start 2015. 

All 3 kids sick. Husband who is sick. I'm getting over this myself! And we have been stuck in the house for over a week. With lots and lots of snow outside. Partly because we have been sick...and partly because we only had the Jeep! (The faithful suburban has been out of commission for a bit due to the deer that was hit by it on the way to the Connection Church Christmas service!)

My kids do well playing with each other for a little while. 

But then the simplest thing can seem to trigger the start of World War III. 

The gross mom jobs that don't seem as gross when you are a mom have been multiplied this week. 

Even this morning there was one of those "Oh my word it's getting everywhere" moments...

And I feel drained. 

And strained. 

And I just don't want to be touched or talked to for 5 consecutive minutes. 

But, that's not where I am at for this moment. 

I'm holding a silly little sick one who finds comforts in my arms and in a lambie hooded towel. 

I'm keeping the peace between the 4 year old and the 6 year old as they learn to play together on the wii...or share the iPad...

I'm heating up red beans and rice at 10 am because that is what was requested, and appetites have been low around this house. So I am excited that they want to eat! 

I'm not at church today...because I do not want to spread these icky germs...so I had to send things with Lee for him to do on top of all of the other things he already has to take care of. And there were just a few things I didn't get to contribute to today. 

Yeah, this is not how I expected the fabulous beginning of 2015 to look like. 

But, I am still expecting great things. I know that God is working in me and through me...even now...even today...when I may not feel like I am vibrantly living life. 

I still believe the best is yet to come!