Labels

Looking back on the last month I realized that I can sum it up in one word; Label. I had a birthday so now I am 39. My kids thought I was 67! Oh yeah so not ready for that label.

Mom and Wife are my two most favorite labels.

Christian, a label that carries so much weight but yet so free at the same time!

My kids have had some labels put on them recently. ADD. I know there are so many out there with this label, I know that it is overused; I know that it is stigmatized. We all want our kids to inherit so many traits, like “oh she has your face, your husband’s eyes, nose, or personality”. I don’t think ADD is hereditary. I do however think it has something to do with how your brain is “wired” which absolutely can be hereditary.

Restrictive Eating Disorder, a large label for such a small person. Such a large obstacle for someone that is only 5. We are dealing with that label too. OCD. I know I have had this label put on me. I agree and again would not have chosen to pass this on to my child let alone one that already has a large label on him. Apparently some labels go together. Like OCD and restrictive eating disorder.

What I do know is that the label that should mean so much to me is Jesus. For that is the only label that God sees. He doesn’t see wife, mom, anorexic, hyper, perfectionist. He doesn’t see cold, stubborn, grumpy, depressed, deformed or passive aggressive. Right now I am so thankful for this. So thankful that when He looks at my children he sees what I see. Thankful that when he looks at me he sees past my sins and sees me through "Jesus colored glasses". Please don’t let the label you put on yourself or others color how you act towards them. We all have labels that either we wear proudly or try to hide. We can start each day by casting away our labels and wearing the one God has given us.
You are His Child, and the people you meet today are His children too!

Isiah 43:1 "But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

Sunday Thoughts on Monday

John 14:1-4
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."

I have posted before that the church we have been attending is one in transition. There are good and bad points to this situation. We have found having a different pastor each Sunday very refreshing. So far they each have had a very different preaching style but every message has been delivered with heart.

This past Sunday was no different. I found the reminder of trusting in God very helpful. What he had to say about trust though was very insightful, at least to me. He made the comment that sometimes our search/hunger for clarity can cloud or even replace the trust we need to place in Jesus.

Wow, yes! I so want clarity. I feel restless, I want direction, I want to understand completely. Not understanding makes me restless. Yet another reminder that I shouldn't have clarity, I should feel restless. For He will be calling me by my name, Vickie. Call me home, and have a place prepared for me. For me alone and for each of you he has a place which will no doubt have a sense of peace and clarity to it.

John 14:19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also."

I wish for each of you that His grace shines so brightly you abandon a sense of clarity and instead follow and trust the path he has lit for you! I will sincerely be praying this for myself this week and all of us.

Blessings, a little late but needed on a Monday!

Girl Scout Craft hijacked by the Flu!

My Brownie troop had the opportunity to attend a Festival of States. We chose the State of Virginia to research. We were to make a booth around information about Virginia along with a small craft to sell. I had researched the Popsicle bracelets and decided these adorned with a paper dogwood flower would be inexpensive and great for the girls to make.

Little did I know that both myself and my son would get the flu! Well I have about 50 beautiful bracelets and a wonderful Virginia poster if anyone is interested. Oh well, the girls worked so hard but life sometimes hands out disappointments. Which I guess is just as much a lesson to learn as discovering things you didn't know about a neighboring state.

I had put together instructions for each brownie to put together their Popsicle bracelet and a bookmark. Let me just say that getting these Popsicle sticks to curve is no small task AND it takes a lot of patience, AND be prepared to break a lot! Thankfully these are very inexpensive.

I would make the bracelets again, just on a much smaller scale. I also found adding the ribbon was necessary to keep the bracelet secured to the wrist.