Five Minute Friday: Choose

So here I am sitting at my computer for five minutes straight finally choosing to participate in a little thing over at a wonderful Blog spot called Five Minute Fridays, where we write for five unedited, unrehearsed, unbridled minutes of time.  I've read these posts now for two years, and have always been challenged to participate, but never have until now.

So today I will make a choice to overcome my fears of failure and my annoying perfectionist bent that can get in the way and stop me from doing so many things in life, and today I will choose to be brave and wear my heart on my sleeve.

My children seem to be able to do this so easily, that is choose to live life free of fear.  They can say or do almost anything without the slightest concern of what people will say or think.  It's funny how as we get older though we seem to forget that we must choose daily to live in this freedom.  It can so easily just become a part of us until we feel that we can't help it...that's just the way we are.  But today, I am reminding myself that I do have a choice every day and every moment.  I can choose to conquer fear with faith, I can choose to walk in God's strength and not my own, I can choose love over hate, forgiveness over bitterness, and giving over receiving.

Today let's join together and in every decision be reminded that we have the power to choose.

Crystal

**********************************

Join in the Five Minute Friday Party with Lisa-Jo Baker.
How? Just write for 5 minutes on the given topic and link it up here.

The only rule is that you must visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their comments.  (Yay! Building community!) :)

A Drop in the Bucket

If you're anything like me, you can often struggle with having lofty dreams of making a significant impact in the world, yet feel as though you are only one small, insignificant drop in the bucket.

It can go something like this.  That highly anticipated hour of precious free time has arrived...(aka: nap time or bed time) and instead of actually doing something of value, I find myself whittling away the time on social media.  Usually it begins with a catch up of my Instagram feed, then a check in with the world of Facebook, read up on a few blogs, and well, once I hit up Pinterest there's really no going back from there...just raise the white flag and call me Gilligan because I'm now a lost cause.

I find that after all of this intake of social media I can be left feeling a little "less than" about myself and a whole lot deflated in my lofty dreams that moments ago were floating around in my mind like unleashed helium balloons on a sunny day.  Now instead of being outwardly focused, I find I'm left in a state of miserable comparison, not measuring up to the countless feed of Selfies, Bloggers, Moms, or Artists out there.  All I can think about is how much better they are at this or that, and then I think...why bother...there are enough people out there doing what I can do better, so why even bother?  What difference do I think I could possibly make?  (Side note: is this why people "rate" each other on Facebook? A desperate attempt to reach out for power, or approval and acceptance from wherever they can get it?)

It doesn't always happen right away, but usually shortly thereafter a thought occurs to me...."your focus has shifted from an outward gaze to an inward one".  It's changed from 'others' to 'me'.  About that time I recoil with disappointment at my selfishness and utter a prayer of forgiveness for my wayward heart that has turned to things and comparisons for self-worth rather than to my loving Creator for an acceptance that I already possess.

Being outwardly focused is a continual process, and often we can make it so much bigger and intimidating than what it really is.  To put it very basic, outward focus is loving God and loving the person in front of us and when we begin to realize the value in that person in front of us we begin to see that we are making a significant impact in the world around us.  I believe this then shifts us into an ability to live out love in such a way that fear has no ability to prevent us from taking on any dream, challenge, or obstacle that would come our way.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear..." ~ 1 John 4:18

 So with that being said, I'd like to challenge myself and you to take one step closer to the love of God that enables you and I to love the next person we meet, and one step further away from the selfishness that causes us to fear inadequacy and rejection.  Practically speaking for now, that means less time engulfed in the voices of social media (which perpetuate selfishness), and more time immersed in the whispers from my heavenly Father.  Can you just imagine what would happen if all of us "drops" began to live like this?!  If you're in, here's my prayer for us as we take on this challenge:

"GRACE (that is...God's enabling power) be multiplied to all of us!!!" ;)

~ Crystal

PS: I want to hear your "love stories"! (and I don't mean the Romeo and Juliet kind) ;)

When Your Best is Not Good Enough

* (Please note: This was originally published on Uniquely Yours Ministry Blog) *

If you've ever felt like you're just not good enough for ________ (fill in the blank) than this post is for you. Grab a coffee and start your day out right with some fresh encouragement.

When Kerrington approached me about writing a guest blog on her page I took much time to seek the Lord about what He would have me share with you, and after much consideration, I believe He would like me to share on our struggle with inadequacy.

Lately it seems that everywhere around me I’ve been hearing “I’m not good enough”.  This statement is such a familiar one to me as well; I can’t even count how many times I remember telling myself that exact despairing phrase in the recesses of my mind.  Whether it’s whispered in our heart with those words, or whether the words form in our actions through seeking outward approval, acceptance or attention from any means other than that of Christ Jesus…the form it takes is of little consequence compared to our response to that simple little statement.

It is our response to that statement that determines everything.  I’d like to tell you that yes you are good enough…but the sad fact of the matter is that our human condition is not good enough.  Our human condition is messed up and wicked to the core.  This is a truth that offends us, but if we chose to accept it, we can be set free.  There is a solution to this messed up state….the solution is found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the only One who was found good enough to offer us forgiveness, acceptance, and a fresh start…without expiration date or limit of use.  When we chose to accept this gift, the real us begins to be revealed as Christ peels back the layers of mess to display the beauty that He has seen all along. 

I’d like to introduce a new thought for you today.  You are not the sum of all of your mistakes, failures, successes, or accomplishments.  You are far more than that.  Your value can not be measured in the amount of friends you can attain or keep.  Your worth does not depend on the amount of money in your bank account or the material possessions you have acquired.  Regardless of the struggles or the mess you are in even in this very moment, it does not define how God views you and what He calls you.  Christ calls you His child; He does not love like your earthly parents.  His love does not depend on your behavior or your performance.  His love is not fickle or fading and He does not stop calling you His child just because you stop calling Him your Father. 

His desire is that you would experience His rich love for you and believe in the truth of how He sees you and what He calls you, because when He looks at you He does not define you by the mess of your deficiencies.  He does not call you by that mess that you try to hide and think is the “real you”. 

No, when He looks at you He sees the forgiveness and nature of Christ.  He sees all of the beauty that He placed inside of your heart, the destiny that He wove together, and the unique, quirky traits and characteristics that make up who you are.  He sees that these qualities have been hijacked, twisted, and warped by the hurts and wounds of life, but He hasn’t deviated one bit from His original plan for you.  He sees the original you that He created, and this my friend, this is the “real you”; not the outer image you project to others, nor the inner mess that you wish more than anything to hide, no it is His original creation, healed and whole that He calls the “real you”.  And this “real you” is good enough.

♥ Crystal

A Valentine for You - yes you!! ♥

Happy V-Day All!

So I really wanted to post a fresh-from-the-heart little Valentine on here to lighten you, my beloved readers' day; however my week has been a bit crazy and just hasn't allowed me much time to blog.  So...in lieu of a fresh-picked Valentine...I will leave you with this Vintage Valentine message which I wrote a year or so ago to encourage some friends...after all, who doesn't love a good vintage find?! ;)  So without further ado, here is a Valentine from God, through me to you:

Valentine:

You are so special.  Take a few moments to just stop and think of how unique you truly are.  You are a one of a kind masterpiece, a work that has never before been created and that will never again be recreated.  You make a difference in the world around you simply because you exist.  In fact, God thinks you are the most wonderful part of all of His creation…and it’s no wonder!  The mountains in all of their splendor can’t compare with the beauty God has placed in you, the roar of the mighty oceans cannot equal the quiet strength God has given you, nor can the sky in all its vastness touch the greatness that lies within you. Never think of yourself as small, of no value, or as unimportant.  You are a prized creation and a rare gem, flawed - yes, perfect - no, but in the Hands of Your Mighty Creator, you are becoming everything that He has always envisioned and planned for you to be.

Happy Valentines Day You Awesome Work of Art, You!

♥ Crystal

PS: If you're feeling a little down about V-Day today...indulge in a little chocolate, guilt-free...because when you get right down to it....the love of chocolate is really what this holiday is all about...forget about the romance part. Ha ha. ;) (unless you are my husband, Adam...and then it's all about the romance. ;) Hee hee...by the way, did I mention how much I love and admire you Adam? Just in case it's not clear....the adjective to describe how much I do, would be "abundantly". You are amazing and I am so thankful to be your wife....thank you for being you...and for being so darn good-looking...that's pretty awesome too.)

Ever had one of Those Days?

Remember that old song, 'Monday, Monday' by the Mama's and the Papa's?  If you do, then you will know where I'm going with this.  If you do not, I will refresh your memory.  The song says, 

"Monday, Monday can't trust that day.  Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way..."

and then goes on to say,

"Every other day (every other day), every other day, Every other day of the week is fine, yeah, But whenever monday comes, but whenever monday comes, You can find me cryin' all of the time"

Yes, sadly that was my Monday, tears and all.  It didn't start too bad; I had my coffee with a short devotional time, the kids were relatively content, and less than an hour later it all went south upon hearing the frantic cries of my son calling for help.

Now it's quite normal to hear many calls like this in any given day with two small children, however a mother knows the difference between those calls and the ones that mean your child has either somewhat severely injured themselves or a sibling, or they have just done something so off the charts that even they know they're in deep waters.  And this cry, just so happened to be one of those "in deep waters" cries (both figuratively and literally I later discovered).

Immediately I dropped what I was doing and rushed towards the sound of Warren's voice.  My fears began to mount as I discovered the voice was coming from the washroom...past experience had assured me that cries (good or bad) coming from that room were never a positive thing.

Upon entering the room I found Warren standing half dressed in about an inch of water, and he wasn't in the bathtub.  An empty roll of toilet paper hung on the wall, while the toilet sat helplessly filled to the brim with water and paper.  Floating amongst the debris was a toilet brush and plunger, evidence of my son's no-doubt frantic attempt to remedy the problem.

We were no more than 10 minutes into cleaning up when the phone rang to inform me that today was the day that our plumber (who's help we were anxiously awaiting for other water work matters in the house) could come...and that it would be within the hour no less!  Ahhhh!!  It was at this point that I went into panic mode, mindlessly phoning my husband to vent and to make sure he picked up the mop that had been on the bottom of our "to do" list for months.

It just so happened that the plumbing problem was related to a sulpher-type smell that occured whenever we ran a load of laundry or dishes.  This compounded my already-stressful morning.  Not only did I have to finish cleaning up the 'Great Flood' and the effects thereof that had spilled out into the hallway, but now I also had to run a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher of clean dishes, only to fill it with a new load to run, and thereby create a new mess of sulpher smell so as to help our plumber find the source of the problem.  Oh, and did I mention that everyone, including me, was still in pajamas (with the exception of Warren who was in underwear and toilet water), and awaiting a proper breakfast?  (At this point I was really despising our house full of clean-eating items)

Yes, these were deep waters in every aspect of the meaning.  And it was about that time that I began to recall singing a few lines just yesterday as a prayer to God to take me out on deeper waters in regards to trusting Him.  I of course, was thinking more along the lines of Him helping me to trust Him with existing obstacles when I said that...but as usual, He had something else in mind and saw it fit to "entrust" me with a few more deep waters to walk upon (you know...the literal kind...).

Now I'd love to say that when I remembered that, the clean-up rush transformed into a joyous clean-up dance-party, filled with sparkles and laughter, however that was not quite the case.  Instead I was annoyed by this inconvenience and spiraled deeper into a grumbling woe-is-me pity-party.  Shameful, yes I know, but this is the sad truth.

In the end, everything was clean, the plumber came in the afternoon, and my attitude did change eventually, but unfortunately, I took the long route getting there and missed out on the humor of it all until much later.  So what is the point that I'd like to leave you with today?  Well here it is: if you find yourself in deep water, whether it be the kind that leaves a mess on your bathroom floor, or the kind that leaves a tear-stained mess on your pillow and in your soul, you don't have to stay in that place until you are at the point of drowning.  Look up, because when you do you will find your Heavenly Father is walking on the water towards you, with hands outstretched; you need only grasp His hand to walk upon the waters.

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along." ~ Psalm 40:2 (Living Bible)

I'll leave you with this song by Hillsong United, one of my favorites I think right now.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m_sWJQm2fs 

Until next time...stay warm...and dry. ;)
♥ Crystal

The Post that Never was

So tonight I had excellent intentions on writing a fabulouso (I know that's not a word auto-correct, but thanks for coming out) post, but due to some unforeseen circumstances over in Facebook land, that did not happen.  (Weren't those 10 year video's great? Thanks FB and congrats.)

So instead I will leave you with a few pictures of bygone Facebook days to commemorate the social media giant that we have all come to both love and hate.

A brief synopsis of my Facebook history:

The big day with my ladies (aren't they lovely?)

It's a boy!

2 Years later and....it's a Girl!!
(with her awesome aunts)

A couple more years and...
a Nation is saved in a day! Honduras ♥

From crawling, to walking, to skating!

Celebrating the simple things in life

Almost 7 years later and still in love ♥
(and yes, this pic is almost 2 years old, but it was the best I could find...
you know what that means Julia. ;)  )

Hope you all enjoyed my little walk down memory lane (I'm sure not nearly as much as myself), but alas, I must sleep now.  Onward and upward, more blogs to follow later this week.

♥ Crystal