Playthings and Childhood Memories

I had a soft and squishy toy full of red, curly hair called a Hugabunch when I was 5 or 6 years old. I took her with me everywhere. I even lost her clothes at some point and just carried her around naked. I got her very dirty! I’m pretty sure she was given to me because she was similar to the little orphan Annie. I couldn’t tell you what I named that doll but I can tell you that she made me feel very loved.

This childhood toy was a seed sown into my future. I was head over heels in love with the movie, "Annie", as a kid.  I even dressed up like her with eyeliner freckles and a curly red wig and sang Tomorrow on occasion. Yes, she had a huge impact on my life.

This plaything resembling an optimistic little orphan girl with an indomitable spirit symbolized a dream in my heart yet to be recognized.

A dream that would get worn out and soiled over the years.

A dream that would get stripped from me by my own choice to drag it in the dirt.

A dream that would not be named until I really believed that God loved me.

Like Annie,

I wanted to believe the best even when the odds were stacked against me

I longed to help others that couldn’t help themselves

I fought for my right to be heard, to be me, to be loved

But I didn't realize that I had the power to go after my dreams until much later in life.

I didn't know that I had everything in me to make them happen.

In the film, when Annie was adopted by the wealthy Daddy Warbucks, her life changed forever. She was loved and known. Her past as an orphan was forgotten. She had a new name.

Accepted.

I eventually lost my sacred Hugabunch doll.

And I honestly don’t even remember being sad about it.

It was time to let her go.

So I did... with determination and a brave spirit that only came after being down in the mud for a while.

I had to choose whether I was going to live in the past or make the most of the future.

Don't we all?

Through some trial and error, I finally let go of what I thought I had to be....of what I used to be.

I finally surrendered to the One who saw me....to the One who made me "me."

Oh, I was worn out and over-used.

Just like my sweet baby doll.

But, that's when Daddy God found me.

He picked me up, dusted me off and gave me a new name.

Enough.

Jesus was enough so I am enough.

He is all I'll ever need.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

Now I know my worth and value is not in who I was (or even who I will ever be) but in Who adopted me as His own.

Thank God for His amazing grace!

I can sing this song from the depths of my heart and actually mean it!

Why don't you join me?

The sun'll come out tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow

there'll be sun

Just thinkin' about tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow till' there's none

When I'm stuck in the day that's gray and lonely

I just stick up my chin and grin and say oh

The sun'll come out tomorrow

So you got to hang on

till' tomorrow, come what may!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow

You're only a day away!

"Grace" Expectations

How SMART are your goals for 2014?

Setting SMART goals makes success more achievable.

Ask yourself these questions:

Are my goals purposeful ?

Do I have them posted in front of my eyes to look at every day?

Am I giving myself a time-frame in which to complete them?

 Remember, making a mental note without putting pen to paper doesn't usually get you anywhere...

Motivational speaker and author Brian Tracey says,

 "Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines."

Let me extend some grace to you today, though....

BECAUSE our expectations almost always undermine our well-intentioned plans. 

That doesn't mean we shouldn't have plans....goals....resolutions...

It just means that we need to allow for life to interrupt them from time to time.

Here are some "Grace" Expectations for you (and me) to take to heart in 2014:

1. Give yourself grace if you miss a day on your new workout schedule.

Set your alarm clock for an early day tomorrow.

Start again.

2. Give yourself grace if you get writers block in the middle of attempting your first novel.

Listen to some mood music to clear your mind.

Then put down in words what God brings into your focus.

3. Give yourself grace if you eat that piece of cake after dinner when you are trying to cut out sweets.

Don't get discouraged and eat the whole cake in bed out of self-condemnation.

Get up the next day and eat a healthy breakfast.

4. Give yourself grace if you yelled at your little one last night when she spilled her milk at the table.

Remember that you, too, make mistakes.

Then apologize to your sweet baby and go drink some milk together. 

You see, we think that the beginning of the new year is the only time 
we can start over or begin again.

THAT IS A LIE!

2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

If Jesus is your Savior then every day is a new day. 

We are constantly living a life of "newness" when we follow Christ.

Second chances are freely given. 

And let's face it.

We all mess up from time to time.

Inconsistency and flaws are part of being human.

BUT GOD'S GRACE COVERS US AND ALLOWS US TO BEGIN AGAIN.

Every single day!

So, in regard to those new year's resolutions and high expectations, 

here's my recipe for success:

Set your goals.

If you miss the mark on some days, it's ok. 

Forgive yourself.

Thank God for His grace and that His mercies are new every morning.

Start over. 

REPEAT AS NEEDED

Thankfulness is a Choice

In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd focus on thanksgiving today.

Not the holiday.

The heart attitude and life changing perspective of gratitude.

One of my absolute favorite writers, Ann Voskamp, 

wrote a book called "One Thousand Gifts." 

In it she explains the simple yet profound truth that

giving thanks for something every day can literally change your life. 

She goes through her own life story - and much of it is agonizing and tragic- 

and gives God thanks for the little things through it all.

The little things that most of us would miss.

She sees them.

Because she makes a choice to see them.

Thankfulness is a choice.

How many little things do we miss because we're focused on all the big things that went wrong?

Life is definitely tough.

There's no getting away from that reality.

But our attitude can make or break us.

When tragedy strikes, do we blame God for the pain?

Do we blame ourselves for what we did or did not do?

Do we blame someone else?

Or, do we thank God through it?

And give ourselves grace to be imperfect?

Do we offer that same grace to others?

Thankfulness is a choice.

It's not something we can just fall into.

We have to pick it up. 

When the snow is piled high in our lives, we have to dig until we find it.

Our hands may get cold.

We may start to shiver.

But when we find it...oh the warmth that takes over.

Thankfulness becomes a warm blanket to our cold souls. 

It brings relief.

It brings joy.

It brings life.

Thankfulness is a choice.

It can literally save your life.

Without it, we are dying a slow, painful death of soul- hypothermia.

We become bitter and cold to the blessings in life.

We become frozen where we are.

Stuck.

But when we say, "Thank You, God", JOY ENTERS IN.

And we notice the little things. 

The heart shaped leaf among the huge piles we have been raking all morning reminds us of God's love.

The endless rain on our roof reminds us that He is pouring out His goodness on us until we overflow.

Oh, how so much joy can come from such little things!

You'd be amazed.

Just try it.

Let your heart be embraced by the joy it brings.

I'll start.

Thank You, God, for today.

That I woke up.

That Your mercies are new every morning.

That Your word is true.

 That my family is with me.

That my needs are met.

You are the author of all that is good.

And I am thankful.

Buy Ann Voskamp's book here:

http://onethousandgifts.com/the-book