You Must Give Up to Have It All

The season of Lent is upon us which means it is time to give something up for 40 days to represent the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness overcoming one temptation after another from the devil. The purpose for most Christians is to use these 40 days to draw closer to Christ as we prepare our heats and minds for His death, burial, and resurrection on Easter Sunday. As a child and young adult I often gave us things like soda, pizza, and chocolate (the struggle was real with that last one, let me tell you.) Looking back though, none of those things prepared  my heart and mind for Easter. I guess you could call it discipline but I always found other things to takes it's place and it wasn't Jesus.It was more of a challenge, a game, and then I binged on whatever it was that I gave up.

In the last  few years, as my relationship with God as strengthened, I have instead found things to add to my daily life during this time that would help me grow spiritually. Some include, going through a specific Bible study, sending some form of encouragement to at least one person a day, and being more intentional in prayer. I found that these personally worked better for me as I sought after God and tried to intentionally show love to others.

This year it didn't take me long to figure out how I was going to live out the 40 days of Lent. Over the past several months I have found myself severely distracted. A girl who watched very little t.v. in the past now finds herself mindlessly watching shows at night that she doesn't even care about. She thinks abut reading her Bible or reading the next chapter of a spiritual growth book that is sitting on her night stand but it is easy and comfortable to stay on the couch and not think. Well, that girl is me and I keep giving myself the same excuses, "I deserve to be lazy after work," "I'll  read double tomorrow," or "I'm too tired." I've talked with my accountability friend about it and she has prayed for me but I don't do anything substantial about it. I read a quick devotional and think I've made up for it.

My second distraction is social media. Another mindless activity that takes up too much of my day. I mean, I have picked up my phone at least 3 times since beginning this  post. Why?!?! Like t.v., it can become an addicting habit. Half of the time I don't even realize I'm picking my phone up and opening apps until 30 minutes have passed me by. Why am I so interested in what someone had for lunch today anyway? Why do I read comments from the news media posts knowing that they get me upset every time because of rudeness and ignorance? Now social media isn't all bad. I try my best to use my platform for positive and encouraging posts. I like to believe that I have helped others in that way. Many of my friends do the same and it is nice to stay connected in a way to far away friends. But there is just so much nonsense to filter through.

All of this being said, for Lent I will be setting restrictions for myself with the t.v. and with social media. I will use this time to be more intentional with reading my Bible and spending time alone with God. I will use this time for prayer. My accountability friend and I are even beginning an awesome book study this week that I am super excited about. I want to focus my eyes back on the truth. I am also hoping that this will allow me to be more productive with my time and getting other priorities back in order. Although I am not giving these things up completely I will be finding a healthy balance which includes a lot more Jesus and a lot less of worldly things. He must become greater, I must become less. Feel free to ask me how it's going. Keep me encouraged with your accountability.

Here are some other great ideas for things to do for Lent:

• Pick one item from your house each day to put in a giveaway pile and donate that pile to a local shelter at Easter.

• Set out to help at least one person per day (help an elderly person or a mother with young kids with bringing their groceries out to the car, let someone in front of you at the checkout line, buy coffee for the person behind you at the coffee shop, offer to watch a friend's kid for a couple hours so they can get away, invite someone over for lunch or dinner, etc.)

• Hand write and give or send an encouraging word to a different person each day. It could be a simple as a Bible verse or to let them know you are praying for them.

• Cut back on your spending and use some of that money to increase your tithe or donate to a charity.

• Give up gossiping.

• Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or another non-profit once a week.

Whatever you choose to do I pray that it will draw you closer to Christ and help you become even more like Him with your thoughts, words, and actions.

Show Some Class - My thoughts on Super bowl 50

Politics and sports talk, they bring out the worst in some people. Today I would like to address the latter. (The former is coming soon, don't worry.)

Now if you watched the Big Game the last night then you probably think you know where I am going with this. But, you might also be wrong. Here's the thing. Negativity, bitterness, and immaturity doesn't look good on anybody and I think that sports fans need to look at themselves and find some class before bashing those in the spotlight.

I'll start with Cam Newton's Post Game Interview. I don't love Cam nor do I dislike him but I personally found his demeanor immature, not classless. He hid beneath a hoodie, he sulked like an 8 year old, and he gave responses that I found rude. Sport Center reported that he was asked 16 questions, gave 6 one word answers, and didn't answer 3 questions. In his defense, I think that the media is ridiculous asking questions like, "How does it feel to lose the Super Bowl?" and "Do you feel like you let your teammates down?" Seriously?! I mean, why do  they even interview the losing team right after the game? They haven't even had enough time to digest it. Just let them lose in peace and talk with them at a later time when they are in a better state of mind. I digress. The reality is that both quarterbacks are interviewed after a game and that is something that I think he should have been better prepped for, win or lose. I think some of what happened was due to inexperience and some seemed childish. He is in a leadership role and he could have been a bit more encouraging to his team and fans while on that platform. Others are upset about how this looked to children who looked up to him. I agree it was not the best moment for a role model but have you ever unintentionally let someone down? Guess what people. Cam Newton is human! Say what?! He did not have a response and demeanor that I believe a professional should have but do you always respond the way you should to things? Do you ever look back and know that you could have handled a situation better? I don't know if he feels that way but he might. This man has done a lot of positive things for his community and has impacted many lives and it would be a shame to see it all tainted because of a response (or lack there of) stirred by emotions. He is a good athlete and an imperfect person. Show the guy a little grace.

Next, I want to talk about Peyton Manning. This guy is a great athlete. Sure he isn't perfect either because we all had to be reminded of that time in 2010 when he had a negative post game reaction. That wasn't ok either but, he is human too! Why take this joyous occasion away from him by bringing up that past event. He did it, it was wrong, let's move on (same goes for Cam.) Why take away from the positive by throwing in a negative story. I've learned over the years that people just love to hate. They hate teams, they hate players, they hate refs. Peyton and his crew have ruined many games for me, being a Patriots fan, but I don't hate the guy. I've seen multiple Patriots fans who can't even be happy for the guy. Why? Because he is good athlete? People have been quick to point out that it wasn't Peyton who won, it was the Broncos defense. Well, last time I checked they are all on the same team. Therefore, they all won. The defense had a greater effect on the game but each and every teammate walked out of there a Super Bowl Champ. Stop being so bitter and give credit where it is due. Others were quick to point out that Brady still has more rings. Well he doesn't have a Super Bowl 50 ring does he? Shoot, he didn't even play in that one did he? This is why Pats fans have such a bad reputation. I am personally happy to see him go out this way. I know he hasn't officially announced retirement but I don't know why he wouldn't at this point in his career. I'm still a Patriots fan all the way but I won't let that prevent me from celebrating another great quarterback who has found success.

Thirdly, let's talk about booing Tom Brady during the ceremony of past Super Bowl MVPs. Grow up people. What has he ever personally done to you? Has he beat your wife or killed your dog? He may  not always have the best attitude either but he is a phenomenal athlete. You can't argue that. Many people hate him and the Patriots but few have good reason. I can appreciate bantering among sports fans and friends. It can even be fun at times. Most, however, take it to the extreme and it can get ugly quick. Just today I was talking to someone about the game and he quickly stated that he doesn't like football. I went on to say that I was a Patriots fan and he replied with, "Well, I like football enough to hate the Patriots." Come on dude.  People try to get a rise out of me all the time by bashing the Patriots but it doesn't usually work. I am a Pats fan. I cheer for them and hope they win but sometimes they make mistakes or get outplayed and they lose. Oh well. My life goes on.

Football is supposed to be an outlet. It is entertainment. But it is surrounded by anger and negativity. We wonder why some youth sports are out of control. You can't always blame the players and the coaches. They spend more time around the people who talk about these things than they do the game itself. We should be the role models and MVPs in their lives and teach them to be good sports. Let us all take the higher road and just get back to enjoying the sport.

Peaks and Valleys

As we walk through life, each of us will experience different terrains. We travel on that narrow road that is sometimes smooth and at other times rocky. We climb until we reach the beautiful mountaintops and sometimes we find ourselves trudging through the deeper valleys, searching for the quickest way out. As I've spent time talking with different friends over the past few weeks, I am easily reminded that we are all on different journeys. For some of us, everything is going great and we are loving the magnificent views from the top of the mountain. But, for others, hard times have hit. Some are experiencing loss, sickness, financial strain, troubled relationships, or countless other things and they are feeling trapped in that deep, dark, valley. I'm sure you can recall times when you have been in each of these places. 

If there is one thing that I have learned about life it's that it keeps going and the only constant that we can count on is change. We will all experience bright mountaintop views and we will all find ourselves down in darkness at some point.So here is my thought for you. Neither place is permanent so embrace each place that you find yourself. 

If you are in a happy and fruitful season, embrace every moment of it. Enjoy the view. Try your best to make the most of each day, taking nothing for granted. Soak in the goodness that God has given to you and take time each day to give thanks. If you can, use what you have been blessed with to be a blessing to those who are in need. It could be with your money, your time, or even just your words of encouragement that could make a significant impact in a life.

While I wish we could all stay in that happy place forever, each of us, at one time or another, will encounter a less than desirable season of life. No matter what it is that has brought you down into that valley,  there is always a pathway leading out. Most of the time there are valuable things to be learned there. It is a prime location to allow God to refine us and make us more like Him. We find strength that we didn't even know we had. Strength that comes from leaning on and counting on God to help us. It is encouraging to know that He can and will work all things, even the worst things, for our good and for His glory. If we are open to it, these are the places where we see the most growth. We overcome what we never imagined we could. For this reason, it's important to remember these hard times so that we can appreciate the good. Think of each step back up the mountain as a stepping stone to growing closer to the Lord. We can even use our painful experiences to minister to others who are in similar situations.Use your "mess" to bless.

Stay encouraged, friends. 

We are never staying still.

Nothing is wasted in life.