On a lighter note....

I love these girls.....

They are a breath of fresh air

The witty, sarcastic, mocking type

..but refreshing none-the-less

Marching on....

Alright, it is about to get real.....

I am feeling very worn down by life right now.  Around Thanksgiving I felt myself slipping in to a "funk" and I have yet to pull out of it.  Then, right after Christmas I found myself hit with a situation I never EVER anticipated having to deal with in my lifetime.  That brings me to where I am today....

Exhausted. 

I find that when much of my thought, energy and prayer is directed towards one, large situation in my life all of the little things seem that much bigger. Suddenly, tasks that once seemed mundane now seem impossible.  People who I normally feel blessed to reach out to suddenly feel as though they are sucking the life out of me.  If life is a battle then I want to be playing aggressive offense and suddenly I have found myself playing a failing defense. 

Now, do I want the good news or bad news first?? 

The bad news is that I don't have the option of sitting down in a corner somewhere and yelling and screaming till someone else comes and takes care of the situation.  ( I have seen both my toddler and other adults take this approach...it hasn't worked well for either of them :-)

The good news is that I don't have the option of sitting down in a corner somewhere and yelling and screaming till someone else comes and takes care of the situation.  Wouldn't it be so nice if we could just be coddled for even a little bit? I want to lick my wounds...I want to feel sorry for myself.  That, however, is not reality.  The reality is that I have a home, a husband and a daughter.  I am incredibly grateful for this reality.  It really is good news that I don't have the option of giving up, sitting down, calling it quits...even if it is not what I want to hear. 

My dad and I had a conversation over Christmas about how vital it is to tell yourself the truth.  I have decided that I am going to use that approach to get back on the offensive.  So, here we go....
(I am writing all this as a reminder to myself and to document it as a way to remind myself later :)

Truths I need to tell myself:
- God is abundantly good even in times of burden and trouble. 
- People and situations will hurt me but that does not mean I am a victim or that I am powerless. 
- People will beg of my time and energy when I have none to give, this does not mean that they don't care about my needs.....it only means that they are fighting their own battles and have nothing left to give either. 
- Just because other people give up and stop fighting does not mean that this is an option for me. Period.
- I am not alone...ever! I have Christ, my Lord and savior and I have many many people who He has placed in my life to support, encourage and pray for me. 


There are many many more but that is all for now.  I am reminded right now of a familiar Christmas hymn :-)

And in despair I bowed my head
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.’

"God is not dead, nor does He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail" ...what powerful words these are. 

It is with this reminder that I will pick myself up by my boot straps and continue to fight the good fight!! There is too much at stake for me to sit crying in the corner! And with that......another song.... :-)

*Disclaimer: This is normally not really my "style" of music, however, I love the words.....

There’s so many wars we've fought,
There’s so many things we’re not,
But with what we have,
I promise you that,
We’re marching on