Keeper of the Safe Haven

I found myself in a very awkward situation this week, more so, my own safe haven had been breached, my morals questioned, and my faith thrown back in my face.
Let me further exploit the situation just a little... I was very heartbroken when I shared a feeling, a situation, a circumstance, that to me, was different, with a person who I very much respect, and that feeling was passed along to an unintended third party. There was nothing more to that situation than a feeling and it needed to end right there. As I have become a young woman of God I have learned many hard lessons of what to say, what NOT to say, and when to say it, regardless of my level of commitment with someone. I have also learned that messages, emails, texts, and lack of verbal communication are the worst ways to communicate when you are feeling a certain way about something. As many of you read this, you will take my blog one way versus your neighbor down the street who will take it another way, that is life, and well, my answer for that is, so what. God didn't make us to walk around with manuals to pass out to everyone we encounter and he didn't create us to say "I apologize if this offended you" at the end of every conversation we engage in. He created us to learn how to grow and to respect people and to respect, love, and cherrish that they think, feel, love, and learn differently than we do, than anyone does.  And we are to leave it at that.

"And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself." James 3:6

I breached another woman's "safe haven", she thought I breached her "clique", her "homies", the people that she loves. When in reality, we as women just take everything over the top, to the extreme, and we want to right the wrong as soon as it has entered the doorway. And, as a consequence, sometimes our mama bear tendencies, our encouragement, love and explanation becomes way too much for the average woman's insecurity to bear. We do worse by our friend, by offerring information that we are just not quite sure what the other person meant, we try to keep it general, tender hearted, trying to see all sides of the corners at the table. Now this works, obviously, when you have the other person who can see all sides of the table with you, but sometimes that doesn't always happen, and you end up taking a severe lashing for, what boils down to, miscommunication. Bad days, sleepless nights, our own personal lives get in the way of trying to understand what someone was trying to communicate to us and we disregard it the second we hear something we don't like, we hear an unspoken truth, a negative has entered the picture, and we revert to... "that person is out to get us, to judge me" <- Now, there is a big word that has been watered down so much its unbelievable, to "judge" someone. God did not make us to be "judges" of anyone and He certainly didn't come down here and give me the rightful wand that says I can "judge" anyone that I want, what?? Because I love God? NO. But He did give me wisdom, grace, compassion, and mercy, and by those tools do I chisel away at a situation that I feel may not be exactly what I want or need and I use that knowledge to decide whether I want to continue in to more situations like that.

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34

Now, back to my warrior mommy moment of being the keeper of my own safe haven. I think it probably took everything in me to not have a breakdown moment in front of my nine month old, because now, I was the shunned girl, betrayed, rejected. I was furious inside, tears ready to roll, but then I looked at my baby girl.. I looked at her while I focused on feeding her her dinner and in to her warm bath and on in to her cozy pajamas. I could tell that she was sensing something wasn't right, she was in need of protection, love, assurance, security, that mommy was going to protect the safe haven. Those welped up tears went away, that rage (that if I were about 5 years younger I would have been very unlady like to someone) disappeared, the hurt, disappointment, frustration went away with each cackle, laugh, and splash my baby girl made in her bath tub. I AM the woman who watches over her home, I AM the woman who keeps peace in our safe haven for my family, the walls to my home are barriers against any misconstrued feeling trying to force its way in. In times that we just want to fall out in the floor and have a crying, big mommy baby, pity party, God gives us the strength to say "Not now, not this time, you have bigger tasks to tend to" and He is so right.

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11

God sees everything, even when we feel like no one understands what we mean, where we are coming from, our own stupid struggles we face, and quite frankly, get pretty dang tired trying to explain what we "meant" to every person on the face of the earth. He knows our hearts and He knows deep down where we come from and where we are truly trying to go. And we do not hold that over anyone, when someone has hurt us, we do not take offense.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
      and desperately wicked.
      Who really knows how bad it is?
 ¹⁰ But I, the Lord, search all hearts
      and examine secret motives.
   I give all people their due rewards,
      according to what their actions deserve.” Jer 17: 9-10

Lisa Schipansky

Get on your knees, bear the thorn in your side, and wipe your mascara =)

Well, I must say that there has been a lot going on in my own crazy woman/motherhood and apparently I am not the only woman feeling that way here lately.

Its time to wipe our eyes and who cares if you see my mascara smudged across my face; I am real, life is real, and it is something that sucks us all up every day, in some ways great, in other ways not.

I thought about some of the things that have been going on in my own life recently and when I logged in to my blog this morning a sweet friend of mine's blog post is still in my feed from where I had followed their posts about their son in the Birmingham unit. He passed away about 4 months ago maybe and he was barely a year; it still brings tears to my eyes when I see their latest post about getting his room ready for him to come home-- talk about God not being fair? I do not know another couple who loves and shares how much they love the Lord as much as they do. They are humble, they are meek, they are on their knees and they are not afraid to show that to anyone..

I wish that I, that a lot of my friends, could be more like that. Granite, I say what I feel and what I believe a lot and I could care less what my next door neighbor thinks and I have a couple of friends that are like that. I admire them for that, I admire them for just saying "you know what.. I'm just not feeling it today, here's whats up with me.."  But a lot of my friends that I know get caught up in the validation of other friends, society, they forget that they are "just human", that they should be able to vent, say how they feel, put it out there without being judged, for us women is it a self esteem thing? A control thing? Are we afraid to be vulnerable with other women who might be going through a similar situation? A lot of it, yes. We weave a circle of social acceptance every day and some of us don't even know how big of a web we have spun. What does that reflect on our children? Ladies we bear a lot of the weight of the world and however you get to your womanhood or motherhood is a total blessing and we should be able to lean on each other for love and support, but we should also be able to hold up our panties, down what our close friends have to say with a cup of tea, and keep on going!

I am guilty of this and I am not ashamed to admit it, hello?! God loves me just the same and I know when I need to slap myself in the face and be a better woman, wife, and mother ;O) and God will surely send someone in to my life to be that slap for me! Ha! Perfect example-- I wanted to get caught up in all this "crafty craftsmanness" going on everywhere you look, I mean I'm about to go out and by myself a sewing machine... so I can widdle up a 1st birthday outfit when???? Oh right, somewhere in between working, taking care of my family, keeping a home, and growing another baby.... oh and plastering my child's face to 30 water bottles?! Lisa wake up.... you don't have time for that right now and I'm pretty sure Meadow isn't going to have a complex if she can't wear a pillowcase dress?? She will be wanting a sequin ball gown by the time she's 2?! :) My girlfriend said all this to me over the phone one morning and I about peed my pants laughing so hard.. Don't get me wrong.. I am not knocking my friends who do all this, I think it is great and they are some sweet sweet and very talented ladies and I am so happy that they can do all this for their children and what a blessing they make the time to do it, but Lisa can't, and she doesn't need to feel bad that she can't - is the point I'm making. Cheers to you supermoms!! and cheers to you ladies who do good to go to work, come home, keep your house cleaned, your husband loved, and a yummy meal cooked for your family :O)

We eb and flow in all our daily circumstances, some of them can lift us up and a lot of them can tear us down, and we've got to stop drowning in what and who tears us down. You do not have to be a part of that anymore and it doesn't make you a bad person, it makes you a real and honest person who is in touch with your own self values, goals, and beliefs. A lot of our attitude, hurt, encouragement, lack of will to succeed, we allow to come from the people around us-- mistake #1. You don't need validation from anyone- you have been BLESSED with accreditation of Jesus Christ!! Surround yourself with people who are going to uplift you, who are going to push you down the path you were meant to go, married couples- surround yourself with other married couples who will uplift you in your own relationship.. not who are going to sit around and have husband/wife bashing sessions. You will always find someone who is more than willing to drown right there with you, but trust me, you don't want that, it may seem like a good solution for the here and now, but you need to look at the big picture, where will this take you three, five, ten years from now?? "If you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you've always got"

You are responsible for your own life and your own actions so man up, or should I say, woman up! Ha! If something is not working for you, or for the best interest of your family, you need to find the courage to change it. If it involves a family member that is causing distress, turmoil, hurt and frustration for you, your child, or even for you and your husband, you may request to change that. You do not have to suffer under someone else's inability to change or to respect the life you lead and the decisions you have made for your own family. There is no power on this earth that will all of a sudden be bestowed apon you to change another human being- only God can do that (and believe me when I say I have been down this road 5, 234 times and I keep thinking I am the miracle worker, stop playin Lisa, you are a career worker.. Ha! Ha!) Let God do that changing for you!! It's easier said than done, but you've got to start somewhere! I've had to do this in my own life- I have a husband who I adore and love, I have a baby girl who I want to see grow under the umbrella of a God so great that no man will pluck her from His hand, and I have a baby on the way. And maybe God knew that I would be strong enough to handle a small child, demands of a huge family, and the energy for another baby because I love Him so much and I try to seek His will for OUR life, not everyone else's life. I have had to learn how to do some major, but gentle, toe stepping when I need to and maybe this little baby in my belly has helped to light a fire under my own feet? And don't worry about if you want to get angry with God, go ahead!!! Throw a few punches, He wants you to talk to Him, even if you have to yell at Him! I have been here too, sobbing, crying, yelling like a crazy lady, but you know what: He never leaves me and He always answers me in His time. I mean, is this like our relationships with our earthly fathers or what?? Man, they can drive us up the wall sometimes, but we still love Him, we always come back to Him, and we always continue to seek His advice- He truly is a Heavenly Father, I don't know how else to explain it in words.

I have a couple of girlfriends who are facing their own battles right now (including myself), and we can never truly say that we know exactly how one another feels because we have not been in that situation. I have a friend who is facing trying to get her 18 m old son back after a man who was once a part of her life took him from her, a couple other friends who are just facing different woman struggles with family, co-workers, and probably just some plain old idiots around them? Ha! But I can say this: do not give up in the Life that God has laid out for you. He created you to bear this cross no matter how big or small, He loves you just the same and He has promised you that He will never leave you, and whatever choices you make will reflect on the ones you love the most.

I have about 3,124 scriptures that I could post for this blog- If you want direct scripture on something from the blog you can post a comment and I will get that to you :O)

Keep the faith my sweet friends- He is never but a tear away <3

Grow Where You are Planted... and share your banana =o)

Oh how I find such sweet release in anything I'm going through when I write. It is like talking to God in the Heavens, except on paper. And I try to throw a little humor in every now and then-- you just can't make it through life without some humor and laughing at yourself every once in a while.

I got to thinking this past week.. funny huh?? A woman always thinking....... Ha! That God has me planted perfectly.. I was sitting in my vehicle yesterday having some lunch, dripping taco sauce on myself, just thinking and praying, and the wind started picking up. I watched the tree in front of me sway and bend from side to side, branches wavering in the wind, the tiny white blossoms taking flight and falling off the branches to wherever they were going.. It was beautiful. I thought about myself being more like that tree. And I cannot tell you how many times my blossoms have blown in millions of different directions, the old ones dying and leaving their branches, all the while new ones were taking shape and reaching for the sunshine.

My life is so much more content and peaceful than it has ever been in the past 10 years. And it just keeps getting better every day and every year, and by the Grace of God, only He knows when it is time to blossom, to make a new, and to let the old die, whither, and take flight. I find myself swaying in the wind more often than none, constantly being blown in all different directions, whether that is my family's needs, my child's needs, my husband's needs, my work's needs, but I still stand, I am still grounded, I still grow where He has me planted. I am made of strong wood- Jesus :) He lives and grows inside of me.

I say this because I know that my husband and I are going to face strong winds in the next couple years of our lives together, great changes and great challenges are coming, but the one thing I love about God is that He always knows how much I can handle, its like He's up there saying... "Oh that Lisa, yeah she'll be fine, I'm going to go ahead and bless her with this opportunity and see what she does for others"..

Let me say that if I hadn't been the type of girl who "went through just about everything" when she was younger, I might be going a little postal in these later years.... LOL!! But I am so thankful that I did what I did when I was younger, that I didn't do half the things my friends did when we were younger, that God somehow always managed to stay right by my side, even when I decided to push Him away- He never left. I am thankful that I experienced doubt, pain, loss, frustration, friendship betrayal, disappointment, lies, several broken hearts and I broke a few myself. I'm thankful I didn't get married too young, I didn't have kids too young and I'm thankful I didn't have kids too late. I was having coffee with a dear friend of mine the other morning and I remember us talking about how our lives have unfolded. I remember thinking to myself that I am glad I didn't wait until "later" to have children. A lot of people who wait sometimes find it harder to "mold" to a child's life, to give up their wants, their needs, their "play time".. I am thankful that I was never the girl who "had everything", who traveled a lot, or just did a lot. I don't know what that feels like so I have nothing that I "want for" or "miss" except to be a good mother and to raise my children in the light of an ugly world. I am bendable, I am willing to change, I am willing to even give up the tiny selfish parts of me so that my children can have a better life, so that I can truly love my husband and try to be the best wife possible. I am made to bend in the wind, to stand in the rain, to show my beauty even in the midst of a storm. If there is one thing God and my child have taught me, it is to be still, to be patient, to stand planted, to know that what might seem like forever now, is only a milisecond to the benefits later.

I do not have much scripture for my post today- just a thought of are you growing where you are planted or are your roots dead? Are you poisoning the ground around you or making fertile ground for someone else to grow?

"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." 1 Corinthians 7:17

All my love in Him

What is in the Word Successful for a Woman?

Okay so I am really going to have to do a better job at getting to this blog more than once every three months.. but hey, I'm one crazy working mommy who loves her job and family :O)

Sometimes God starts talking to me about twenty things at once, or maybe that's just my own silly head having about 20 thoughts going on at once... Either way, I should just start putting them all down on paper.. Right? Right! I hope my blog finds you totally honest. Hey, that is one thing I can attest to, not to put my business out there, but I can be totally honest with myself and being honest with myself means being real with the world and someone else out there is going through the exact same thing!

My point from all that ramble-- I found myself having one of my usual "Lisa feeling sorry for herself days" yesterday.. Now my life is pretty great, but I am human, and by the grace of God, I am a woman; so emotions and the mind run a little rampid now and then! Thank goodness I have a loving Father who knows how to reel me back in, wipe my tears, and give me a great big hug, remind me to pull my big girl pants up and keep on struttin :)

I found myself getting lost in "worldly things" yesterday. Oh yes, all stemming from the devil itself: facebook :) You know what I'm talking about.. Looking at fun, exciting pictures some of my friends posted about the great fun they are having in their lives, the places they are going, the things they are doing, buying, money spending, so and so forth, you get the idea... The world loves to suck us women up in to what IT has going on, we compare ourselves to other women, the way they look, dress, act.. we even find ourselves comparing who's baby is cuter? Ha! Seriously??!! Do I need a great big career like she has, drive a fancy car? have 50 pairs of shoes? and the devil LOVES to play on that 24/7! That is his job. he will not stop until he makes you feel like what you have, what you do, and who you are is still just not quite good enough. The minute you get out of bed in the morning, he is right on your heels. The devil never wants us to be happy with what we have going on in our own lives. And for me, the devil knows how to trip me up with that from time to time. Now, don't take me the wrong way here... I don't sit around sulking wishing I could be this magic, successful, wealthy woman: I am all of that and so much more. I am just being totally honest about what some, not all,  women face, reality hits. :)

And then here's God's reality:

"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies." ~ Proverbs 31:10

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."~ Proverbs 31:30

I have to reflect on a piece from one of my books that I love {The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian} I have it listed in my suggested reading as well. She describes the model of a good wife from the Bible and I could not have said it any better myself. One of my favorite quotes that I always go back to.

"It says she takes care of her home and runs it well. She knows how to buy and sell and make wise investments. She keeps herself healthy and strong and dresses attractively. She works diligently and has skills which are marketable. She is giving and conscientiously prepares for the future. She contributes to her husband's good reputation. She is strong, solid, honorable, and not afraid of growing older. She speaks wisely and kindly. She doesn't sit around doing nothing, but carefully watches what goes on in her home. Her children and her husband praise her. She doesn't rely on charm and beauty but knows that the fear of the Lord is what is most attractive. She supports her husband and still has a fruitful life of her own which speaks loudly for itself" ~ Proverbs 31 The Power of a Praying Wife- Stormie Omartian 

Now, not all this has to be about a "married woman" and quite frankly, it is for us, just women, married women, single women, it doesn't matter. We are women and we have a big job to do in a crazy world that trys to tell us every day what we "should" be.. and honestly, those are lies straight from hell. I had two sweet friends jump right in to my life, God sent them swarming to me with uplifting words, things I already knew, but He knew that I needed reinforcement, double encouragement, I needed to hear it and see it out loud. How amazing is He to know exactly what I need and for them to tell me exactly what God wants me to hear- the blatant honest truth of His word, His desire for me, His never ending will and blessing for my life.

It is my divine promise as a mother, something I cannot express in words, to show my child (ren) how to lead an honest, humbling, sincere life, to know all the love they will ever need comes from one Man, and one Man alone. The devil fights me with this every single day that I am alive! I see it and hear it all around me. One thing I will never forget a lady who I once worked with when I lived in Dothan once told me: She said "Lisa, as your relationship grows with God and you start to learn and see what comes from Him, you will be able to ward off and fight the devil every single time he tries to hit you with something" She could not have been more right. If I wasn't where I am today in my relationship with God, the devil would have me totally whacked!! Ha! I mean you would be surprised how the devil can use the tiniest things to trip you up, you'd be surprised how clever he is and how well he knows you and your weakest desires. The closer you walk with God, the harder the enemy will fight to tear you away from Him!!

I love this quote my girlfriend shared with me: Thank you Kari :)

"He never said we would have cake and icecream, but He did promise bread and water."

All my love in Him <3

What is Laziness Anyway?

So... it has yet been another minute since I have shared on the blog about my Father's wonderful works. GOODNESS HE AMAZES ME ALL THE TIME... It almost makes me want to slap myself :) hehehe! That was a joke!
Anywho- I like the fact that God humbles me enough that I can be honest with myself and about what I'm feeling, I am never ashamed or embarrassed to feel what I feel or to even know when I am "messing up"- I am kept under the umbrella of the DIVINE FORGIVER! :O)

Well, I have had to do some more Lisa searching and chatting it up with God these past couple of weeks because I have been a HOT MESS!! and who do I blame for that?! Oh of course everyone around me right?! Ha! Yeah, God let me get away with that for all of about five seconds. BAM!! Lisa, don't you know you are responsible for your own actions and feelings and if you don't like something- CHANGE IT!! I have just had a whirlwind of emotions flying around relating to my job, future opportunities, my own dreams I have been praying about, my family, my husband, my baby, my extended family, etc, etc, etc.... I mean who knew that Life could be difficult?! and what did God say about that?

³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

Ah ha!!! GOD HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD!!!! THE WORLD!!!! not just money, famine, disappointment, rude people..... THE WORLD!!!! God is the maker of all things, He created the stars in the Heavens- How could He even possibly forget about little ol me!! NEVER! :O)

So my friends, I came to this: What is LISA missing?! What does Lisa need that keeps her going everyday to continue to be a good worker, provider, mother, wife, GIVER!! I need God number one, but I also need the word!! It is like fresh air, water, I need it everyday and I need GOOD PEOPLE for both me and my husband to surround ourselves with, who not only lift us up individually, but we need to be lifted up in our marriage AT ALL TIMES!! I had to do some SERIOUS "friend" chopping and just eliminating those people out of my life who just don't "uplift me." and it doesn't make them bad people, it just means that where they are going and what they do are not what I want or need for myself or my family. It is okay people for you to say no to someone or to not hang around someone when you feel like they could be a hindrance to your spiritual relationship and walk with God and I have to remind myself- if they don't like me for it, well, that is okay, I wasn't put on this Earth to be like by many :)

I have decided that there will be no more "weeping" feeling sorry for myself when things don't go my way, no more "complaining" and "always being tired"... Did you know the very words you speak out of your mouth can bring life or bring death?! I'll never forget a lady I used to work with when I lived in Dothan would always tell me to watch what I repeat because it will come true..... You will speak it in to action... You ever hear people say ALL THE TIME "oh I'm sooo tired, I'm tired... I'm sooo tired.. my neck hurts, my back hurts and so on... " and literally they ARE TIRED!!!! Hello- that's me!!

Proverbs says "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

Change is hard because it starts with you, you can't change anyone around you to "accomodate the way you are feeling"- you have to be the change. Get up, MOVE, DIVE IN!!! Chase after your dreams, don't just stand there and wait for them to come to you "because you deserve it"- GO, NOW!! RUN, GET THEM!!!!

I AM!!!! I am the change I want to see in and around my family and my life, and I am not stopping... FOR ANYONE!! :O)

"The harvest is PLENTIFUL; but the WORKERS ARE FEW" ~ Matt 9:37


All my love, in Him <3

My Family Ties

Well, here we are again and it has been A MINUTE since I have shared with you all (whoever you all may be) ;o)
As you know, Paul and I had our baby girl in December and we could not be happier and more blessed. God is truly AMAZING and I couldn't ask for a more humbling, loving experience than staring in to a child of God's eyes wondering what the future holds for her.

I will admit, along with this tremendous blessing from above, has come along challenges and new chapters that I am diving in to and more anxious to learn about every day. Isn't it amazing how God teaches us something new about ourselves and the people around us?

One challenge for me has been family and those who consider themselves "close" to me or my husband. I will admit, being a wife, mother, home maker, and full time working woman is TOUGH! and that is okay to admit. One thing "super women" have a tough time doing is admitting they have reached their limits; it's like we don't want anyone to "know" we just can't do it all. Well, we are weak and humble creatures in God's eyes and our honesty with Him and with each other is the best remedy for those "I've just had enough" moments. We all go through it.

My husband and I both come from divorced parents and both of our parents have re-married, so, we have FOUR sets of parents and grand parents for Meadow! And I thought it was going to be tough for us to get around on the holidays just us two?! HA! Little did I know... :O) Now, don't get me wrong, Meadow is TRULY BLESSED to have all her grandparents who love her and who are more than willing to help and to love on her. And Paul and I are blessed with a big family who love us and who God gave us for a reason. Growing up, my parents were never really "touchy/emotional/i love you" all over the place parents. Now, over the years, I see a huge change, in all of us, and I can only thank God and silent prayers. I think that hindered me some in my relationships with some of my in-laws because I didn't quite know how to want to surround myself with all of them all the time. So, God said, here Lisa, I'm giving you twice as many parents to love you... all the time. WOAH!! But, God knows exactly what I need in my life and when I start bucking Him, He comes on even stronger: what a stubborn Fella, huh? What a stubborn Lisa! In the end, He is always right.

But, in the beginning I found myself feeling guilty that I couldn't 'accomodate' all the grand parents enough or visit as much. Spreading myself, my baby, and our family too thin was beginning to wear me out. I am a huge family person now and I love having family together, but I know my limits and I know that I need my own time with my husband and our baby girl. So, I had to come to God: say look, here's what I'm facing, please help me to make the best out of mine and my husband's situation for our daughter and ourselves. And, sure enough, with my mother-in-law and my own mother: God pointed me straight to the book of Ruth (Ruth 1:6-22). HELLO?! At first, I thought, seriously Lord? You want me to follow these ladies wherever they go and listen to every word that they say?? Yeah right.... I'm stubborn remember? and I'm not doing that... God just chuckled I'm sure. :O)
Now, God wasn't asking me to go move in with them, as Ruth did with her mother-in-law, or to move where she lives, but He was asking me to just open my eyes and my heart, to follow His fifth commandment: to honor my mother and father (Eph 6:2, Deuteronomy 5:16, Matt 15:4). This commandment ALSO includes our in- laws; to honor and respect them. We may not always like what they say or agree with the things they do, and that is okay. I am very good at admitting my limits and knowing what they are, but I had to learn how to voice those, how to voice my boundaries for my family to those we love. And that can be a challenge in and of itself. The hard part is that most people don't take the time to understand what we are feeling or where we are coming from. We are all made of a stubborn/selfish nature and so it is easier for us to say .."okay, whatever..." But communication is key, regardless of what some people say about that, that is what gets you through the crazy moments.  So, for me, I had to learn that it is okay for me to communicate, to set boundaries for our family, and if we can't get to everyone all the time or when it is best for them, that is okay too. It doesn't make me a bad person, wife, mother, etc.. I just know my limits and I know that I am not "super woman" and I can't do everything. I am so blessed with a wonderful husband who knows when my communicating is on the verge of slacking. Ha! And so he picks me up where I have left myself off. He helps communicate with me and so we make a great team; just a small thing that makes our lives truly joyeous.

I know you hear people say all the time "Life is too short" and "don't take for granted the time and family given to you"... and so this is true and very well said. And, as with most things in my life, I don't take much for granted and I wish that I could be everywhere all the time, and have at least 3 more Meadows with me :O)
But, God also tells me to "not worry, for He knows everything I need before I ask.." (Matt 6:25-34)
It is okay to say 'No' at times and it's okay ladies to not be such "super women" and mommies all of the time.

More coming soon......
In Him <3

Lisa