Have you ever wondered why people go crazy over the ‘latest fad?’

Then that product dwindles away to almost non-existance, but a new one will follow before too long.

Why? Why, do people fall for this?

I grew up with a dad who shook his head in dismay at the way people fell for every new, ‘this will heal your every ailment,’ or ‘get rich quick scheme.’ Therefore I have stayed very far away from these gimmicks because I wasn’t about to become one of those people.

The current ‘fads’ are Plexus and Essential oils.

Yes, I am aware that calling Plexus or Essential oils a fad will cause tempers to flare and defenses to arise, but before you tell me why they are not fads, let me make a few points.

First point. Look  at the definition of fad.

A fad or trend or craze is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group and which impulse is followed enthusiastically by a group of people for a finite period of time.
Similar to habits or customs but less durable, fads often result from an activity or behavior being perceived as emotionally popular or exciting within a peer group or being deemed “cool” as often promoted by social networks[1] A fad is said to “catch on” when the number of people adopting it begins to increase to the point of being noteworthy. Fads often fade quickly when the perception of novelty is gone.[1]

 

Sounds a whole lot like what happened when Plexus and Essential oils hit Lancaster!

Point two. How long will it last?

I would bet money, Ok, I wouldn’t since I don’t gamble but if I would gamble 🙂 I would dare to bet a large a sum on the fact that neither of these life changing products will be talked about anymore in five years. If it even lasts that long. 

Why do I say that?

Because I have seen it happen over and over again, there is always an ‘in’ product, and it does not last no matter how good the product is.

Are Plexus and Essential oils healing products?

Probably. I personally have never tried either of them but I don’t doubt that they are good products and that they have changed lives.

Let me be clear.

Plexus and Essential oils are not the problem I’m addressing here.

I’m trying to address the heart problem involved with them.

 We Are Trying To Fill The Void In Our Hearts.

We probably all know the feeling. We long for something but the truth is we don’t even know what it is we want.

We blame it on the church we attend so we find a different one, however that longing is still there.

We blame it on our finances (or lack of them 🙂 ) so we build a large savings account but still this longing remains.

People try to fill this void by investing in a healthy lifestyle, or by having many friends or by being involved with volunteer work.

Some people even expect their spouse, family or friends to fill this void but walk away from every relationship hurt, angry and depressed because these people aren’t enough to fill the void.

Still others try to fill this void by running after the latest fads (like Plexus and Essential oils) this obviously doesn’t fill the void because as soon as the next fad comes up they fall for that one and drop the current one.

Do you see it?

No matter how rich, healthy or cool we manage to become, we will still be searching for more to fill that void, because it is a void that only God can fill.

Got that?

Nothing except GOD can fill this void!!

Again, these things aren’t wrong on their own.

It’s ok to find a healthier lifestyle.

It’s ok to work hard and build wealth.

It becomes ‘not ok’ if we are trying to use these things to replace Jesus.

Jesus First

Did you ever notice though how some people can follow and even promote some of these fads, they can blow up Facebook with their promotions but for some odd reason it doesn’t get as annoying as when the next person does it?

I’ve decided it’s because they have kept their priorities straight.

When you look at their life, the first thing you see is Jesus. Then Plexus or Essential oils or whatever.

While other people seem to have it backwards. The focus of their life seems to be their product first. Then they throw God in there to make it sound good.

Do you follow fads?

If you have the tendency to, then check your heart. Are you trying to find something to fill the void in your heart? Are you trying to find peace?

If you are, then no product, no matter how go it is, will ever bring you 100% satisfaction.

Focus instead on your relationship with Jesus and let him fill that void, let him be your peace.

After that if you are still interested in Plexus, Essential oils or anything else, then by all means go for it! Whatever your reason for getting involved, wether you are trying to make some extra cash or improve your health really isn’t important…

As long as you’re not trying to fill the void that only God can fill.

Find a healthy balance, keep Jesus first, then your products, and above all else worship God and give him the glory in  all things.

 

 

When you think about your past, how does it make you feel?

When you think about all your past mistakes, how do you feel?

Do you live with regret?

Or do you believe that through the blood of Jesus your past has been washed completely clean?

Mistakes Or Lessons?

If you know me well, you will know that my teen years weren’t pretty.

However, there is a well used statement that I just don’t get.

“If I could go back and do it over, I would do it so differently.”

Would you really?

I have a hard time with that line, because if I would actually have the opportunity to relive parts of my life, would I really choose differently?

This is my life…

I made bad choices, I dealt with the consequences of those choices, but I also learned from them.

Got that?

The bad choices I made taught me a lot.

I understand that the person who turns to alcohol is trying desperately to drown out pain that they have no idea how to deal with.

I understand that person addicted to anything is doing the same thing.

I have a heart for youth who are living the life I lived, because I get it!

The bad choices I made, sent me on a journey of finding something better. To accept that this was how life had to be wasn’t good enough because I hated the life I was living, so I went on a desperate search for a more fulfilling life and I met Jesus.

He taught me that true freedom is found only by submitting to him. He taught me that true freedom is found by letting go of people and their opinions. Freedom is found by cutting all ties that hold you back. It is found by focusing on Jesus, trusting him and following him wholeheartedly no matter how many people disagree.

True freedom is found by taking everything you ever learned, sifting it through the Bible and asking Jesus about it. Then keep everything that is truth, the rest of it?

Throw it out. 

You don’t need it, and it will only drag you down.

And that’s only a small portion of what I learned through the bad choices I made.

 If I actually had the chance to go back and relive my life.

Would I do it?

I definitely wouldn’t want to relive my bad choices because they honestly weren’t that great and they made my life rather miserable, 🙂 but if I could go back and choose differently…

Would I do it?

Would I actually give up everything I learned, just to have a flawless past?

I dont think I would.

My past played a part in who I became but it does not define me, I have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ and it is Christ who defines me.

That is why I don’t live with regret.

When I took my past mistakes to the cross, Jesus took them and turned them from the ugly mess they were and turned them into something that can bring glory to him, he turned them into something that can benefit his kingdom.

Stop Looking Back.

This is the second reason I don’t regret my past. I refuse to look back. By the blood of Jesus Christ I’ve been washed clean, I’ve been redeemed, I am not the same person I used to be.

I gave him my past and now I look forward.

God took me through a phase where he took me back into my past over and over again. He showed me areas of hurt that hadn’t been dealt with, he showed me areas of unforgiveness. Basically he helped me houseclean my heart, and throw out all the junk that had piled up over time. He helped me forgive people who had hurt me.

Eventually though, he asked me to stop looking back and focus on moving forward.

He said:

“Trust me that your past has been dealt with, trust that I helped you clean it all up. From now on, move froward, don’t look back because we settled that.”

How can I regret my past choices if I’m focused on God and where he wants to take me?

I have often been amazed by Paul’s story. He went from killing christians to becoming one. He was radically changed, yet you don’t read much (if any) of him regretting his life before Christ. He simply changed direction and charged forward passionately just like he always had, his missions were completely different, but his passion stayed the same.

Did he not regret his past?

I imagine he did, but he didn’t get stuck on that, he didn’t let it define him, he simply followed Christ, starting right where he was.

What if you made good choices?

What if you lived a perfect life?

I will tell you right now that, for one…

• I don’t believe that.

Or two…

• You’re not human. 🙂

I’m pretty sure that at some time in your life you did something that you’re not proud of.

No matter how good you were at making good choices I still believe this blog applies to you in some way.

However, if you did make good choices most time, should you regret it because you didn’t get to learn from your mistakes?

Of course not!

God teaches each of us differently.

I have my story and you have yours.

Because of that, we can learn from each other, we can build each other up. We can move forward, confidently knowing that we are defined by Christ…

Not our pasts.

Do you ever feel like society expects you to raise your children a certain way?

Do you ever feel like that ‘certain way’ is unachievable?

If you’re child isn’t sleeping through the night by 6 months old then you ‘need’ to sleep-train them.

That last sentence has been half of my battle.

They don’t stay little long, enjoy them while you can!

That sentence has been the other half of my battle.

Do you see how they contradict each other?

One is asking me to enjoy my kids and not rush their growing up process, while the other is telling me that my children are missing the mark and I need to teach them to be grown up.

Here’s the thing.

I wake up every morning at 5:00 and most times, both our children are in bed with us.

Yes, Kenzie is 3 and Kynaston is 11 months so there is absolutely no reason they can’t sleep in there own beds all night.

Yes, there is feet where heads should be and there is more people then bed, I have been kicked in the head, I’ve slept on the very edge of the bed, (like seriously on the last 6 inches of the mattress) 😛 I have gotten up in the morning and proclaimed that, “That’s it! These kids are going to learn to sleep in there own beds!!”

However, that very night when a child wakes up at 12 or 2 or 4, all I can think is how much I want to sleep and its so much easier to take them to bed with me then trying to teach them how to sleep when I’m barely awake. (yes, I know, that if I would take ‘only’ a couple nights to train them to sleep on their own, I wouldn’t need to get up with them at all.)

That’s not really the point though, because honestly I’m so good at it by now that most times I don’t even remember getting up to get them in the middle of the night.

That’s not the point either, but this is: I like when my kids are in my bed. No, I don’t like being pushed out of my own bed, but I love when they snuggle up against me, I like waking up in the morning to a sweet, innocent, sleeping little body beside me. I know they’re safe and I know that they feel loved.

What I don’t like is for my child to be in their own bed feeling sad or even crying because they want to be with me, I mean who knows what emotions they might be feeling? And I can promise you that the day will come (wether I sleep train or not) that they will find it more convenient to just fall asleep again rather then dragging a pillow and blanket to my bed.

Then I’m going to be the one feeling sad, so why not enjoy having them sleep with me while I can?

Oh.

Right.

Because they have both, way exceeded that 6 month mark!!

But, I’m also supposed to enjoy them while they’re little?!

Does It Really Matter?

Did you know that there is no two people exactly alike?

Did you know, that means, there is no other family exactly like yours?

It means that no one else has children exactly like yours.

Why then, do we think we need to parent like everyone else?

What works for their child, may or may not work for ours.

There isn’t only one way to parent correctly.

There is many ways to solve a parenting problem correctly, and with a lot of the things a parent faces, the method you choose isn’t all that important, all that matters really is that it is done with love.

Siblings will fight.

Should we intervene and solve all their squabbles, or should we give them guidelines, such as no name-calling, no yelling, no hitting, and then let them learn how to solve relationship problems on their own, with us only intervening as needed?

Children will get hurt.

Should we run to their rescue every time their actions could possibly land them in trouble, or should we let them learn that there is good or bad consequences to the choices they make? (With in reason obviously. Please don’t let your 2 yr old lose on the house roof!) 🙂

As long as our children feel loved, does it really matter whether we sleep train or not? Wether we are overly protective or not?

Does it really matter?!

Pick Your Battles

Does it really matter if your child eats his own boogers?

Ok yea, that matters because its pretty gross!! 🙂

Still, it’s not going to kill then spiritually, physically or emotionally so does it really matter?

Or, maybe it will leave an emotional scar. Ok, I need a better example because I just can’t justify letting your child eat boogers.

Does it really matter though?

Does it really matter if my one year old cleans out the tupperware cabinet every single day?

Or, is it more important to let him be a normal, exploring little guy?

Does it really matter if the bathroom looks like a flash flood went through after my 3 year old takes a bath?

Or, is it more important that she enjoys her bath without getting yelled at for every little slash?

Does it really matter if the meatloaf is squished excessively by little girl hands?

Or is it more important that she’s learning the art of ‘helping.’

Does it really matter if my 11 month old seems to consume more dirt then food? (This is only mostly true.) :p

Or, is it more important that he enjoys life and has mama who isn’t stressed 24/7 from trying to keep up with his hand to mouth action?

There’s obviously things that do matter.

Like keeping our kids off the road, or keeping them from breaking things, hurting each other, being impolite, the list is endless really.

They will never be perfect though, so is it really worth our time to be trying to perfect them? If we pick at every little thing, at the end of the day it will feel like all we did was yell NO all day.

What matters to you?

What can you put up with and what needs to be dealt with?

Is boogie eating tolerable to you? Then let it slide! It won’t kill them spiritually, physically or emotionally.                             (please, please don’t tolerate boogie eating.) 🙂

Pick your battles and fight them. The things that you can tolerate, let them slide.

Oh, and by the way, the mama who doesn’t let her kids eat their boogers…

don’t worry about what she thinks, her kids probably still sleep with her almost every night!

Imagine that!! 

Be who you are, love those kiddos and raise them to love and serve the Lord and you will be doing an awesome job!

No matter how many boogers they eat. 🙂