#MommyTroubles

A thought came to me as I was cleaning up my daughter's smelly bottom.  "Stay sexy and classy for your husband."  A bit of back story before I continue on.  I was in the military for 14 years.  After medically retiring, I decided to stay at home and raise my baby, who I was then pregnant with at the time.  I'm still new to the "stay at home mom" scene.  However, while in the military and now out, I've come across many women who too stay at home with the kids.  I'm not oblivious to the demands of staying at home with active little ones.  However, I have noticed a trend (that I've admittedly fallen into)...the sweat pant, lounge clothes, head scarf, sloppy ponytail trend. 

 I mean I'll be the first to admit sometimes when he comes home from work, I'll be in a pair of sweats, hair tied up in a silk cloth with dozens of food stains and marks on my clothes from an eventful day of chasing an overly energetic 2 year old.  But on the other hand, I love, LOVE to look good for my husband!  To see him look at me with adoration and satisfaction is something I really get a kick out of.  Our lives are hectic just like the next couple.  A life which includes jobs, businesses, church, two teenagers, a toddler, and much more...however, I feel it's important for us wives to stay on top of our appearance.  Am I saying you have to be dolled up and in 6-inch stilettos everyday?  Absolutely not...only Beyonce' and Kim Kardashian can probably pull that one off.  But the reality is, we don't have to allow ourselves to go by the wayside because the ring is on the finger, "well, I'm married to him now so whew (relieved sigh), I'm done with looking cute!". A little mascara and some lip gloss goes a long way.  Put a comb or brush to your hair instead of a sloppy ponytail or head scarf.  Instead of the sweats...slip on a skirt, pair of pants, or at least something besides a duster or moo moo every day. 

Go on dates.  Woo him.  Dress up when you can.  I'm a Christian woman who loves God.  I am so thankful for Him delivering me from my past and warped ways of thinking.  Now that He has blessed me with my beautiful husband, I strive to show my appreciation in making sure my husband is glad to be my husband. Taking care of the home and kids are only a part of the equation.  Taking care of myself and my appearance is another part.  I believe we can be a Christian, classy and sexy for our husbands and his eyes only!! 

With that being said, I'm not trying to start an ego-stuck-on-your-appearance revolution.  I'm not saying that appearance is the overall reason as to why our husbands married us.  But that does play an important role.  We can't allow the fact of marriage to stop us from keeping the fire lit.  This goes both ways by the way.  Men need to up their parts in a marriage as well.  But since I'm a married woman, I figured I'd stay in this arena.  

I pray for all marriages...for much success, fun, and blessing.  I pray that the fire will always remain lit and strong.  I pray that God stays the nucleus of that marriage!  If He's not, put Him there!!

Be blessed! =)

Decisions, Decisions...

Everything we do is literally based on a decision.  What am I going to eat for breakfast? What should I wear out today? How should I fix my hair? And the list of questions can go on and on.  But the result to all of our questions lie in the response.  How we answer or even approach the answer to those questions.  The saying "you can either look at the glass half full or half empty" has definitely become cliche'.  Yet it still holds volumes of truth.  Everything in life is steered off of the basis of our decisions.  The vehicle won't turn until we decide which way its to go.  We won't eat until we decide what we're going to eat and so on and so forth.  

In my spiritual walk, there's been some crossroads, many crossroads actually that I've come to.  And to be quite honest, because of my indecisiveness, I found myself sinking.  The peace I had, began to smother under the caving weight of my inability to solidify my decision.  See, when we welcome indecisiveness into our space, we're also allowing its companions of doubt, fear, and worry to come along with it, "Come right on in and have a seat! Fear you can sit right here next to my next step of opportunity.  Doubt, uh, how about right here in the middle of my thoughts.  And worry, just get comfortable in my overall heath."  You see, there are access points to every aspect of our lives physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  And typically those access points are activated on the foundations of our decisions. 

 James 1:6-8 speaks about such a person who allows doubt to settle in and get comfortable in the spaces of the mind.  When we become clouded with other things, our minds can't reach that point of solemn and peace.  Instead, we feel like we're being torn up into the funnel of a tornado or as the scripture says "like a wave blown and tossed by the sea." And I'm here to tell you, that it's not a good feeling.  To wake up everyday with the same feeling.  To muster up the fuel from a tank that's already severely depleted of its resources....But again, it all goes back to a conscious decision.

When we choose to accept Christ into our lives, we make the decision to live for Him.  But sometimes I don't think we fully grasp the understanding that comes with that decision.  In the beginning, we're hungry and yearning for more of God.  "Yes God, I hear You Lord."  "To God be the glory." "Have Your way in me. Show me myself."  Screech!!!!! Whoa, wait a minute! What's really going on here??? Why am I feeling like this? Why is this coming up? What should I do? I don't know what to do or which way to turn?  I thought once I accepted God that my life would change!  It happens to many of us who walk blindly by the flesh and not by the eyes of faith.  We lose momentum because we thought what we had at first was good and enough.  But it's not.  And yes, when we accept God, our lives DO change...but of course with change comes discomfort and resistance.  

Because when we truly enter into a relationship with God, though things seem good at first, His purpose is not to keep us where we are.  He sees our end from the beginning.  He knows His work is cut out for Him already...but it's in getting us on board is the issue.  Every day God takes us higher in Him brings a new level of humility in us.  His intent is not to kill us, take us out, or humiliate us...But to get us to make that solidified, unflinching decision that we will serve Him, place Him 1st, and carry out His will for our lives, regardless of the cost and level of comfortability.

To live for and serve God is challenging.  There are many obstacles to overcome including the ones we harbor in ourselves.  But His word doesn't lie.  He said He would never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).  He is faithful above anything we could possibly place our trust in here on Earth!  All it takes is a deliberate decision to allow God to be who He is in our lives...