Are you brave enough?

by Lillian Humphries


Let’s just start by saying I know some of you will disagree with me and that’s OK. I will love you anyway. J Remember this is my blog and it has my opinions in it.

Are you brave enough to stand up for what is right for your family? Life is hard and every day we face a myriad of decisions that must be made. We make them for ourselves, our family, our work, or husband/wife. What to wear, what to eat, what needs to be 
cleaned, who goes where and at what time and the list goes on. When was the last time you woke up and said “What should I do today”? Or “What would I like to do today”? I am sure it has been a long time since that happened, maybe even back to when you were a child.

When did we start letting society tell us what to do? Can we not think for ourselves? We
are so bombarded with information and choices in this day and age that it leaves our head spinning. Where are the days of getting up each day and doing your job and coming home to spend time with family and friends and considering that a full day and enough?

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

God tells us to be still. When will we listen to Him? I understand we all think we are doing the best we can. I challenge you to really think about that issue.

List the top 5 priorities that you believe should be in life. Now list the top 5 things that really take up most of your time. Are they the same? Good for you if they are. I would venture to say that we can delete a few things from our lists of activities and still have a wonderful complete life.

All things can be pleasurable and fun and teach us things along the way. But what is the trade off? Organized sports are a great activity for children to be in. It teaches them team work and how to share, take turns and work with others. It is wonderful exercise and runs off excessive energy. It is also very entertaining. How about dance, gymnastics, karate, cycling, volleyball, basketball, golf or swimming, etc. They are all good activities, nothing wrong with them. But what quality of life are these things bringing to your life? If you are like most families I know you are spending a lot of time running to and from activities, spending more money then you need to on uniforms, costumes and equipment. Everything is rushed in life, hurry up and eat so we can get to school, hurry up eat so we can get to church, hurry up brush your teeth so we can get to bed, hurry up so we can . . . . . . (you fill in the blank).

Wait – it doesn’t have to be like that. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean we all have to do it. If it doesn’t fit your family dynamics and you find out that life is harder than you want it to be – just stop. Oh wait – doesn’t that mean my child will not be accepted into the well-adjusted people in life. No – how about this – your child understands God’s plan for his/her life, your child understand that their job is to go to school, study and learn. Your child understands what family is and that life is not going from event to event. Your child understands what it takes to run a home and how to treat other family members, how to help your neighbors, how to take care of their elderly family members. Your child will know how to budget money with what they have and not go out and get another job to pay for all the things they want or think they “need”.

 If you had a child with special needs you would build your life around that child’s needs. Parents, each of your children are a special needs child. They need you to love them and teach them the basics first and foremost. They need to understand what home and family values are. You want to teach them team work, teach them how to be a member of your family team. Each is an MVP (most valuable player). They do not need to be on a field, stage or other environment to learn their worth.

Parents I beg you to stand up for your families and get off the merry-go-round before it’s too late. Don’t teach your child that life is a series of parties/events, teach them life is about doing your best, loving God, your family and country

Share with me how your feel about the crazy life we are trying to live now. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know.

Hurry Up, Hurry Up, Hurry Up!

by Lillian Humphries

If you are a woman, you understand the phrase above. No explanation needed. Our life seems to be events – not everyday living. Sometimes I feel our lives are the perpetual hamster wheel.

We start planning for Christmas in July, and then we move right into Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then the big day. In January we start all over again for the next year. Planning, decorating and cooking, making sure that everything is picture perfect.

Do you sometimes want to yell STOP the world I want to get off? I know I do. I specifically remember this feeling as a young mother. I was a single mom and raising my two daughters, working a full time job, involved in church, the girls had dance or soccer or the activity they were involved in that season. Of course the everyday drudgery of cleaning house, laundry always was there waiting for me at 10 o’clock at night when I just wanted to sink into bed. What if you are an overachiever, well there is another level to your work because you have to do more than the rest of your peers to get the accolades of how wonderful everything is. Most of which are self-inflicted “have too”.

I used to do crazy stuff, make lasagna for the office, bake homemade bread (no not a bread machine), cookies, and muffins and on and

on. Why? Well there isn’t anything wrong with any of these things, and I really enjoyed doing them for other people, that is just who I am.

I feel like we have all gone into party mode. Party mode is fun for most of us. We like having parties, giving parties and going to parties. But real life is not a party. Learning to live everyday life, doing your chores and being proud of a job well done and satisfied is gone away. It saddens me.

Young mothers today, I feel for you. You now have the internet with Facebook and Pinterest that you get to compare yourselves to each other. Oh she did this and that with her children; I should do more with mine. This mindset will wear you out and make you unhappy. Look to your children and families and everyday things to help make your life happy and substantial.

I enjoy Pinterest and Facebook and receive great pleasure in giving parties and going to parties. Now that I am getting older my body makes me stop when I am doing too much. I wake up with a list of things to do for the day but can only get through two thirds of it. Then the body says stop. Getting older has its privileges. One of them is saying I just can’t do that right now.

But – sometimes even we older overachievers don’t know when to stop and say no. Easter is around the corner and my hamster wheel is waiting for me, I must go now. I need to decorate my fire place like a picture I saw on Pinterest and make the special cookies, rice crispy treats and flower decorations.

Be happy my friends and may God bless.