Some people create their own storms, then get upset when it rains! Unknown People crack me up.  (I am people so I crack me up too.)  We behave and speak in ways that create drama around us, that create high maintenance expectations, that stir pots and cause thunder and then when it all breaks loose we get huffy and blame everyone but ourselves.  We are outraged that "such and such" happened or that "so and so" ended the relationship, etc.  REALLY?  What did we expect?  We are the problem. Let's all just take a step back and get a little perspective. WE ARE THE PROBLEM. When we create the drama with our behavior and words then we are the problem.   When we expect people to treat us with white gloves and silver settings (i.e. we are high maintenance) then we are the problem.    When we stir pots and cause thunder with our treatment of other people, our poor work ethic, our "it's all about me" attitu...

Don't do something permanently stupid just because you're temporarily upset.   Unknown When we get upset we can act irrationally.  Sometimes what we do isn't temporary but can have a permanent outcome.  Our actions are not contained just to ourselves, they are like dominoes and as we do something it falls into another action and off it goes from there.  To think that what we do, or say, affects only us is a very narrow and selfish viewpoint to have.  Our actions affect others, whether we see that or not.  When angry, frustrated, jealous, insecure, etc focus on responding rather than reacting.  Reacting generally leads to something that would fall in the category of "permanently stupid", responding is the evidence of self-control because a response always comes out of thinking before speaking or doing.  Take a moment to get outside of yourself and see the bigger picture.  When we allow our emotions to...

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.   Unknown If you can't plan ahead and do as much as possible on your end then don't place the burden of your lack on someone else. Really.  It is rude, insensitive, and selfish.  Additionally, if you dream up some "great idea" and feel the urgency to get it done yesterday then do it yourself and do not place the burden on others.  If others have to be involved then breathe and attempt to think clearly instead of forcing others to alter their work or plans for you.  Could you be any more selfish? It's probably fairly obvious that this is one of those things that frustrates me.  People are so self-absorbed these days that even their work they put ahead of anyone else's responsibilities.  And trying to make someone else own your lack of preparedness is rude.  So if you want to wait until last minute or not prepare at all and then come to me seeki...

When you find yourself locked in the bathroom, sobbing on the floor because you've just had enough, that does not mean you have failed as a mother.  Being a mother is hard.  That is not failure. That is fact.  Remind yourself of that.   Unknown Can I get a witness?  If you are a Mom you may have found yourself in a similar position at some point.  I know I have.  Usually I'm not curled up on the bathroom floor (I have issues with that) but usually I am curled up figuratively and I am sobbing at the most inopportune times.  Like in front of people, while driving, in the shower (the best place as far as I'm concerned), in the middle of a sentence, etc.  You get the picture and maybe you have your own inopportune time story. Sometimes the fear I get from parenting in today's world threatens to completely overtake me.  It's tough and I'm not sure I have the energy for it.  Scratch that.  I'm not sure I have the confid...

Don't mix bad words with your bad mood.  You'll have many opportunities to change a mood, but you'll never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke.   Unknown The sign of a mature person is one who speaks carefully, even in, or especially in, bad mood (anger, frustration, disappointment, hormone fluctuations, etc).   We have a choice about our words and our moods.  And depending on our choice we will either have regret or a clear conscience.  I don't know about you but I would rather have a clear conscience than regret.  Some days I succeed at this and other days not so much.  How about you?

A great relationship is about two things: First, appreciating the similarities, and second, respecting the differences.   Unknown The older I have gotten and the more life experience I have gained the more today's quote has been learned.  I'm beginning to learn that I don't need to feel or be threatened by people in my life who aren't exactly like me; whether that be in hobbies, beliefs, behaviors, work ethic, politics, parenting styles, etc.  It's easy to appreciate the similarities I share with others, it's a lot harder to respect differences.  I think it is harder to respect differences in each other because our culture doesn't encourage that.  While our culture says it promotes diversity and tolerance it acts completely opposite.  In fact, differences in the above things I mentioned often create division and derision.  Respect is not encouraged.  I don't know about *you* but I think that needs to change.  Regardless of what our culture...

Your past is just a story.  And once you realize this, it has no power over you.   Unknown If you are letting your past be part of your present then your story just may be holding you hostage and keeping you from progressing. Ever read a book where the story line just kind of seems "stuck"?  Not much changes throughout.  Chances are you may not finish the book - what would be the point?  Chances are if you were asked to review the book your review might use words such as "dull", etc.  A good story needs many things to keep it moving forward, to keep the audience - even the characters - engaged, and to bring it to an ending that brings closure. If you use your past as your story line for your life today you might be stalling out.  Certainly our pasts can be important and bear weight on our present and even future but they should not be the driver of your story presently.  The past should stay where it belongs...in the past.  It se...

You may think the grass is greener on the other side.  But if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green.   Unknown Oh I like today's quote.  A lot.  Why it has never occurred to me in this way I don't know, but I sure am glad I am thinking about it now. We are a lazy bunch aren't we?  We want the green grass but we don't want to put the work in to keep it green.  But the only way to keep it healthy and green is to put the work in. Sometimes our grass has got crabgrass and weeds.  Take a careful look, is it because of your neglect?  Or is it because the soil wasn't nutrient rich to begin with?  If it's because of your neglect own up and do what it takes to remove it.  If it is because of depleted soil then you may need to move. Sometimes our grass is getting brown and dried up.  Take a careful look, is it because of your neglect?  Or is it because ...

Hurt me with the truth but never comfort me with a lie. Unknown  It's so tempting to soften the blow for someone by lying to them.  But in the end, when they discover you have lied instead of spoken truth the hurt is double than it would have been with the truth.  Yes, the truth may hurt but it is better than the lie.  The "comfort" the lie pretends it offers is insincere and damaging.  The "hurt" the truth presents offers eventual healing, restoration, and growth - spiritual and personal.  Which would you rather have?  Damage to relationships and self because of deception or ultimate healing to relationships and self because of truth?  I say bring on the truth.  What say you?  

Be kind to unkind people, they need it the most.   Anonymous But it's so hard. Right?  Right.  SO HARD.  But it's so true.  Right?  Right.  Think about the times that you have been unkind.  Haven't you appreciated the kindness of someone even though you didn't deserve it?  And I just pointed out the problem of overflowing kindness.  We tend to only extend kindness to others when we think they deserve it.  In our skewed perspectives we think people have to earn the right to be treated kindly even though we are appalled when others put that same requirement on us.  Could we BE more hypocritical?  Could we BE more of a jerk?  I mean really.  And I will be the first to raise my hand and call myself out on this behavior.  I have a really hard time being kind to unkind people.  I know the reasons why I struggle with it, some of the reasons lean toward people "deserving" it, oth...

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Unknown Today's quote is actually just a portion of the longer version which is my favorite blessing.   In my life one of the most comforting things in my life is that I am held in the palm of God's hand.  It is my hope that perhaps that comforts you as well.  Even when the road does not rise up to meet you but takes you down low in the valley, even when the wind pushes against you for a season, even when the sun is covered by the clouds, and the rain comes down in a torrent instead of gently you are held, I am held, by God in the palm of his hand.  You are not just held but in fact you are engraved on his hands.   Engraved implies permanent, so we are each permanently imprinted on the hands of our Maker.  May that bring you comfort no ...

People were created to be loved.  Things were created to be used.  The reason the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.   Unknown Today's quote is put really well.  Whoever "unknown" is they said it perfectly.  When we put things (jobs, financial gain, big people toys, electronics, success, etc etc) ahead of people and use those people to get those things then we have thrown our world and the worlds of others into disarray.  No thing should be loved more than a person.  Things won't love you back, they won't fulfill you long-term, they won't give you what you are looking for - only people can assist in those pursuits.  I say assist because I have personally experienced that only God can truly love you, fulfill you, and give you what you are looking for but he will ask people to participate in your life to accomplish those.  :)  But I digress... How does this topic look in y...

When you have to start compromising yourself or your morals for the people around you, it's probably time to change the people around you.   Unknown Compromise:  :  a  concession  to something derogatory or prejudicial  <a compromise  of principles> When people in your life are asking you, knowingly or not, to change yourself and/or your morals for them and theirs then you need to take a step back and think long and hard about the possible consequences of what you are considering changing.  When we choose to put ourselves and who we are at our core on the back burner for others we have placed ourselves in a position of weakness.  Not standing firm for our beliefs and who we are is weakness not strength.  It is not strength to bend to someone else.  It is not strength to adopt immorality to make sure people are okay with you.  It is strength to stand tall and steady in the face of pressure to compromise. ...

May the bridges I burn light the way.   Unknown There's probably a couple of different ways to look at today's quote.  I'm choosing to look at it in a positive, letting-go-of- toxic-people-and-things-in-my-life kind of way. Sometimes we gotta burn bridges.  You've probably heard it said as a warning before. As in don't burn bridges behind you that you may need to cross back over again someday.  Okay, that's true but let's talk today about the bridges you should burn so you aren't tempted to turn around and cross them again.  Because let's face it, some bridges are getting worn out by all the crossing back and forth we've been doing.  And if all we are doing is traveling the same bridge then that means we aren't going anywhere.  Don't you want to go somewhere?  As in forward?  In order to do that you need to burn some bridges and let the light from their burn show you the way forward.  The bridges you need to burn are are diff...

flux, n The natural state.  Our moods change.  Our lives change.  Our feelings for each other change.  Our bearings change.  The song changes.  The air changes.  The temperature of the shower changes.   Accept this.  We must accept this.   Unknown Oh we hate change don't we?  Even if, in the long run, the change is good for us.  We still hate it.  We kick against it, we fight it, we run from it.  We hate change.  It's so interesting to me how much we hate change and how we will do everything we can to avoid it, to keep it from happening.  Sure, some of the minor changes of life are inconvenient but when it comes to the biggies we view them as more than inconvenient.  They scare us.  We don't like the unknown and change is usually a bunch of unknowns.  I have discovered that a lot of times the big changes that are actually good for us usually happen by "force".  Since we are ...

Fair isn't everybody getting the same thing, fair is everybody getting what they need in order to be successful.   Unknown Yep.  Let me say that again, yep.  I'm just like everyone else, I want things to be fair - for me and for others.  But that isn't the way things work and truthfully fair in the sense of everyone getting the same thing isn't for the best.  It's not the best for people, work places, parenting, pretty much anywhere. For example, in parenting.  At first Lanny and I started off doing the same thing for both girls.  If the oldest got a privilege then the youngest got the same one.  Over time we've seen that perhaps that isn't the best - in fact we have seen it isn't for the best!  They are two very different girls with very different personalities, needs, giftings, etc.  So what we do for one, to set her up for success, isn't necessarily best for the other, for her success.  Right?  Put that way you ...

Don't be so easily defined.   Unknown I've been talking with my redheads lately about this very topic of today's quote.  When we are easily defined then we are not unique.  And each of us has the potential for unique.  If we are easily defined then that can mean that we have allowed the norm to mold us instead of us making our own norm.  I think back to my middle school and high school days where the pressure to be defined by a group - jocks, nerds, popular, etc - was strong.  If you fit into the group and could be defined by the characteristics of the group then you were "in".  But were you really?  By being "in" you are giving up, or away, the things about you that make you unique.  You become easily defined instead of creating the definition.  As I'm encouraging my girls in this teenage season of life I will encourage you also, don't allow the definitions that are out there become you - go out and be your ow...

Instead of using "I'm human" as an excuse to walk in the flesh, try using "I'm saved" as a reason to walk in the Spirit.   Unknown I've done it, you've done it.  Uttered the words, "It's just who I am" as an excuse for bad behavior.  Um, NO.  Poor excuse.  It's the worst excuse.  It is not okay to behave badly, hurt people, act like an ass, and try to just shrug it off with the flippant "Deal with it because that's just me."  UGH.  Own your behavior.  Take responsibility for bad attitudes, hurting people with words and/or actions, and acting like an ass.  Don't try to con yourself and others by saying it's part of who are.  It's not.  If you are a believer of God and a follower of him then it's not who you are.  And you don't get to use the "I'm human" as an excuse for your bad behavior.  C'mon.  Instead of walking in the flesh and every so often trying to put God in there somewh...

You can't heal what you refuse to confront.   Unknown If you don't take a long, hard look at what is hurting you then you will not quit hurting.  Yes, it's scary to confront what is hurting you but face your fear to get to healing.  This goes for personal pain, relationships that have brokenness, or anything else that is causing pain and needs healing. As long as you ignore the brokenness you will have brokenness.  The only way healing comes is through confronting the brokenness.  It's a risk you need to take because you will find that the risk pays off.  You will be healed and that's the best pay off.  How do you confront brokenness?  Find healthy people who can help you confront the hurt, be brave enough to honestly assess your participation in the brokenness (if you did participate), and be brave enough to approach the people who caused part or all of the brokenness. Want to be healed?  Then confront the brokenness.

Things of quality have no fear of time.   Unknown I love today's quote.  I love the truth of it.  I love how when I read it for the first time it resonated in my spirit and settled into my mind as truth.   If it is quality then the time it takes to develop and grow won't be feared or despised.  You can apply this truth to anything that has the potential of quality.  I think we should consider it especially in relationships.  If it is a relationship that has the potential of quality then don't fear the time it takes to grow it, embrace the time.   Things rushed are never done very well or with quality.  When we allow fear to drive what we say, do, even believe we then create something sub-par.  If you see, if you sense, and if you know something has the potential of quality then embrace the time it takes to mature it and develop it.  Don't let fear dictate the overall quality of your life.