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Light, Love, Hope

Light in the Darkness Surrounded by Love with Hope for those in need.

People First

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What are the really important things in your life?

Do you place value on material things such as your house, car, or any other worldly possessions?

Do you focus more on making a living or making a life?   There is a big difference in the two.  Huge, actually!

Don’t get me wrong here.  There’s not anything wrong with having nice things if you can afford them.  To me, though, worldly possessions have not been high on my list.  I’ve gone from not having a whole lot while growing up, to having enough to get by when I was married the first time around.  Then just as things seemed like smooth sailing, a divorce was thrust upon me shattering my picture perfect fantasy land fairytale of a life.  After that, I worked hard to support my daughter and to ensure that her quality of life did not go down in the least just because my husband left our home.  I fought hard to keep that house and the lifestyle we were living.  While it wasn’t anything grand, it was OUR house.   And, I wanted her to still have the security and stability she had always known.

Then …

Many years later, I got remarried.  Money wasn’t scarce like before, and we were able to travel the world, have nice things, and enjoy to the fullest.  Still, money does not buy happiness.  It  never will possess that power.  Ever.

I had a nice job and moved up the ladder rather quickly.  I had a corner office with a window and an “official” title.   Even still, that did not supply the happiness I craved and wanted for my now two daughters in this life.  I found out that the nice office and title did nothing for my happiness in life at the hands of people that attempted to tear me down every chance they had.  So, I left that job and took a much lesser position actually back where I started out … and guess what?  I’m happier than I have been in a very long time!

Some times less really is more!

A lot of people focus on material things, their money, and just feel such power in saying what they “do” for a living.  I could care less whether you’re a multi millionaire or have only a penny to your name.  I don’t care if you live in a mansion or a run down shack.   It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a doctor or lawyer OR a school janitor or even a stay-at-home mom taking care of the house and children who sometimes feels inadequate or not good enough (you ARE … by the way, and you have the hardest job of all, sisters!).   What matters most in this life are PEOPLE!!!  It’s the people you share your life with.  It’s people that should always … ALWAYS … come first.

When all of the material things have been stripped away no matter the circumstances or reasons it happens … whether it’s by a natural disaster or due to being in financial ruins due to another divorce …

When that job you worship lays you off or replaces you with someone fresh out of college that looks better on paper than you may … or you simply feel unfulfilled, used and abused and decide to get out while you still can …

WHO is going to be there to wrap their arms around you and tell you that it’s okay and that you’ll get through it … together?

Will you have anyone to stand in the trenches with you?

Do you have someone that you feel safe when their arms envelop you?

Is there any one in your life that possesses the power to where you feel that the storms may rage violently around you, yet you’re protected … safe … and secure.

Everything else can be lost in a single blink of an eye.  Money, homes, job security.

Put people first.  They are what truly matter in this life.  Their love will endure!

 

(in)courage – Parenting Teens & Thriving

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I had the pleasure of co-leading the Parenting Teens & Thriving (in)courage group during the Winter Session with my friend, Kate Battistelli, (psssst her daughter is the awesome Christian singer, Francescia Battistelli, just in case you were wondering!)   We came together with a wonderful group of ladies and just loved on them throughout the entire session.  We talked about some very serious subject matters, but we also tried to have a little fun as well.   We discussed the book by Dr. Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages of Teenagers, which I also went into detail with on Light Love Hope because of the much needed information provided within the pages of that powerful, life changing book.

We were a little sad when the Winter Session came to a close, but we looked forward to the Spring Session.

And …

It’s here!!

The Spring Session will run from May 26 through July 4th!  Yea!!

This time around, I have the privilege of co-leading the Parenting Teens & Thriving Spring Session with Susan Lawrence Choate!   Oh, you’ve seen her work on Light Love Hope before as she wrote about the Trip That Was Never Supposed To Happen … and it … was … beautiful.  Just like Susan!

So, with that said … if you’re looking for some encouragement as you parent your teens or even if you have tweens at this point and need a little help as you get ready to dive into those teens years … we are here for you!

parentingteens1.jpg1

Please join us for the Spring Session of (in)courage by clicking here.  It will take you to the sign up page.   If Parenting Teens & Thriving doesn’t interest you, that is okay, too, as we have a TON of other groups you can sign up for.  Just take a look around and see which group would be a better fit for you.  No pressure, no worries.  Just a LOT of women waiting to love on other women to encourage them, uplift them, support them, and let them know that they are truly not alone!

We hope you’ll join us all at (in)courage!

Blessings to one and all,

~Shirley

Incourage registration

 

 

 

God’s NOT Dead

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My daughters and I set out on an adventure yesterday determined to find only things that brought joy and happiness along our path. We haven’t spent a whole lot of quality time just the three of us as we have done family things together for as long back as we can remember. That was always important to us, but now that they’re getting older, THIS is important, too. The reality of the situation is that my babies truly aren’t babies any more. Time is slipping away and is going way too fast. No amount of begging and pleading will make time stand still, so I must just seize the moment with them, live, laugh, love, and enjoy! I intend to do just that! Now, more than ever, I need to be sure to nurture the friendship aspect of our relationship. As I move from being their mother, directing their every steps and tending to their every need, to friend, the one they look forward to hanging out with and doing fun things with … these are the moments that will turn into precious memories that hopefully my children will treasure for years to come and look back fondly on if the Lord should call me home.

God's Not Dead Girls' Movie Night

We stopped to eat at their favorite restaurant where any onlookers would have sworn we hadn’t eaten in a very long time with the way we were savoring and enjoying every bite. We just haven’t been there in forever, so our taste buds were dancing with delight. Once all of the little tummies were satisfied, we went on to the movies!

My oldest daughter mentioned the movie God’s Not Dead to me before. It, apparently, was mentioned at the Christian school that my children attend, and it interested her a great deal. I listened as she talked of what she had heard the movie was about. To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in the movie upon hearing about it. For me, I know that God’s not dead. I don’t need a movie to tell me that or to convince me. I know in my heart, and that is all that I truly need. But, it kept coming up in conversation a lot. So, last night my daughters and I went to see God’s Not Dead.

Even though we had just eaten, we stopped off at the concession stand as my oldest daughter just had her braces taken off a few days earlier. She hadn’t been able to enjoy movie theater popcorn in a year and a half. We knew going in that she would have a large tub of popcorn pretty much all to herself, and that was perfectly fine with me.

God's Not Dead Movie Popcorn

We took our seats right square in the middle of the theater. People started filing in, and this proved to be a very popular movie even though it has been in theaters a few weeks now.

The movie begins with a cross necklace wearing college student being warned upon registration about a particular professor. He was given the opportunity to switch classes, but he really needed this one so he stayed with it. It didn’t take long to understand why the warning was issued, though. On the very first day of class, the professor, a known Atheist, went through his usual lecture of how it would save the class a whole lot of time if they would all just write God is dead on a piece of paper with their signature. Then, they could move on to more important things that semester, according to the professor.

Several people looked around in the class as if they were unsure of what to do. Then, they started writing on their paper and passing it to the end of the row to be given to the professor. One student, however, felt very strongly about his beliefs. He sat there contemplating what to do. He knew in his heart that he could not deny God. He knew that he could not deny God’s existence and that he could not deny that God was very real working in his heart and life. He knew that although it would not be the most popular thing to do and that it would not score any points with the professor that he had … HAD … to do the right thing! And so, he refused to write that on the paper.

The professor wasn’t very pleased at this point, as you can imagine. This college Freshman was going up against the professor, of all people … in his class … in front of all of his students. How dare he, right? Ah, but this young man was brave and he accepted the challenge offered by the professor. At the end of every class, he would be given 20 minutes to state his case on why he believed that God was not dead. The professor would carry on with his class as usual with his beliefs, but this college Freshman would be given the opportunity to prove this to the entire class. The college student took it one step further and said that they would put God on trial with the professor being the prosecutor, with himself as the defense attorney, and the entire class as the jurors. They would get to decide for themselves.

Being one that does not like to have a movie or a book spoiled for me, I do not intend to do that here today with you either. Instead, now that you have a pretty good idea of what the movie is about, I will tell you of my experience while watching this movie.

As my daughters and I sat there listening to the arguments on both sides from the professor and that of the college Freshman, tears began to fill my eyes. There were several instances within the movie itself where God moved in other people’s lives. There were several story lines going within this movie, not just that of the college Freshman trying to convince his classmates and professor. There were other people’s lives involved and intertwined in the movie plot. It pulled on my heartstrings. From verbal abuse, to physical abuse, to being cast out of the family, to being told the character had cancer, to a dear family member having dementia, to a great tragedy occurring … this movie spoke to my heart in so many different ways and before I realized what was happening, tears filled my eyes and spilled over until they were streaming down my face.

Ordinarily, I would say that this movie was powerful. On second thought, it wasn’t the movie, the actors, the characters portrayed, nor their lives … it was the message behind it all that was powerful. The message … God’s NOT dead.

He’s not.

He’s very much alive and working in hearts and lives EVERY where to this very day, right this minute.

Lives … have been spared.

Hearts … have been changed.

Yes, there are still bad things that happen to good people in this life. There are a million questions that remain unanswered, most leading to us wanting to yell “WHY?!”

I don’t know why, dear ones.

But, what I do know is that God is real. He is alive. And I believe.

 

But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:33 NLT

 

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.

Luke 12:8 NLT

What makes you happy?

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Beautiful words from our Quiet Computer Guy, Gregory C. Johnson.

What Makes You Happy?

Quite the title; isn’t it?  Do you really know what makes you happy?  Have you ever just sat down and thought about it?  Coming from the background I did, growing up where I was mired in a negative environment, and where I was never really was shown any love or affection by my family … I wrestled  with this for many years.

There is one thing that stands out for me where I can go and feel the joy of happiness; music.  I have been enamored with music since I was very little.  My grandfather gave me my first drum when I was three years old.  As a small child, I would sit for hours in front of the stereo singing along to my parent’s records.  Even thinking of that now brings a warm feeling to my heart.

As I grew older, my mother supported me and my fascination with music.  She started me with drum lessons; I then took up guitar and bass guitar.  There were even some piano lessons in there for a while.

The first band I played in was our Youth Choir combo at church.  I have played many places over the years in many different situations from small clubs to large summer festivals.  Playing or listening to music has brought me many happy moments my life.

Yet, music is not what really truly makes me happy.

As I said earlier, I wrestled with the thought of true happiness for quite some time.  I didn’t find out what true happiness was until later in my life when by some miracle of God’s intention someone was brought into my life that showed me how being truly happy could feel.  So now, I suppose, you think you know how this all turns out; you meet the person that makes you feel all warm inside, it becomes a mutual thing, and you live happily ever after.  That is the way things are supposed to work out, right?  But that is not what God intended for me.

As happens with many things in life, things were not meant to be as what my heart’s desire prayed for. When that happens, it is our nature to question why, to wonder what is wrong with us, to put blame on God for putting us in a situation that causes our heart to ache.  I went through that same thing.  Then I realized that God put me into this situation for a reason.  I sat and meditated for many an evening looking for some answer.  Over time, I did begin to realize that what I was looking for –  love from someone else – was not the only thing that could make me happy.  With God’s help, I discovered that giving love without condition is another thing that can truly make me happy.  It is the joy of doing something for someone for no reason.  It is the joy of surprising someone with a small gift or a compliment that makes them smile.

I am content and happy with the situation I am in thanks to God’s design of bringing this special person into my life.  She has helped me become a better person over the years without ever knowing the kind of effect she was having on me.  She is still the number one thing that makes me happy, but my eyes and heart have been opened to letting in other avenues of happiness to make my life complete.

So what makes you happy?

~The Quiet Computer Guy

Fear

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It’s Friday, y’all.

This has become a ritual for me to sit down at the computer every Friday and just focus on the writing prompt to see where my thoughts take me. However, there wasn’t a prompt word given by Lisa-Jo today for our usual Five Minute Fridays. So … I sat here staring at the screen contemplating what to write on. Seeing the disappointment on my face, my daughter strolled through the living room and threw out the prompt word “Fear” …

And so we’ll have our very own Five Minute Friday right here, right now. I’d love it if you’d join in with your comments on this prompt word, if you feel so inclined.

Let’s begin.

Ready?

Set?

GO!

There is a famous movie that I’m pretty sure you’ll all remember when I share this quote with you. But, before I do … as you read it, think of how you can relate to what is being said. let the words speak to your heart. Let it echo through your thoughts.

Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.

This … THIS … is a quote from Baby in the movie Dirty Dancing after she has discovered the absolute love of her life.

Can you relate to how she was scared of everything? Have you ever been afraid of the next step, the next thing you’ll be forced to face in this life?

What about what you saw? Have you ever seen something – an image – an actual event taking place – or maybe a movie of that event playing in your mind although you never saw it actually happen, yet the events of that day haunt you and play over repeatedly in your thoughts and mind when you try to sleep at night? I have experienced this.

What about the fear of what you’ve done? We all have regrets in life, but the past is the past. It can’t be un-done. It can only be forgiven.

Have you ever been afraid of who you are? Truly? Honestly? If you look yourself in the mirror, have there been times you’ve just been afraid of who you were? We all have moments when angers grips us, but does it control you? Does it make you rage out of control? Do you fear who you become in those moments?

And the biggest question of all … have you ever felt like Baby? Fearing that you’ll go the rest of your whole life without feeling the way you feel when you’re with that special person in your life? If you feel loved, sheltered, protected, treasured, cherished, and alive … do you fear never feeling any of those things again?

Do you?

I do.

STOP!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

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“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

How many times have we heard the oft used phrase?

Pictures on paper, pictures on the computer screen, pictures in our minds.

We take photos at major and minor events in our lives. We take them to make a piece of a memory.

I have someone close to me in my life that I affectionately call “The Picture Queen.” She takes photos in rapid succession. Sometimes it may feel like the paparazzi, but she takes all of those photos for a reason …

To be able to look back on events that mean a great deal to her and to those that are in the photos

We can take photos with a phone, cameras, and, of course, with our eyes and mind. Photos capture that “moment.”  They help us re-live memories that touch our hearts. They could be of loved ones, love that was had, then lost, and maybe found again. They could be of those that were lost too soon in life, and when those memories come to the surface, there may be tears or there may be laughs. They always are warm and happy feelings, though.

Photos are windows into times in our lives that bring emotions to the surface that we sometimes forget.

We have people in our lives that we will never or can ever forget. They reach into our hearts, touch our soul, and we are never the same person.

Life is precious; so is love.

When it comes, and often at times we never expect, we should always capture those cherished moments not only in our mind’s eye, but in some way to have a visual reminder of those moments that passed all too soon.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  It is also worth a thousand tears, a thousand laughs, a thousand smiles, and a thousand warm feelings. 

Pictures taken when we were children … we all have moms and dads that took that “embarrassing” photo. The joy it gives them is worth any embarrassment. When the day comes that they have gone to a better place, even then we can look at those embarrassing photos and smile knowing the joy it brought to the ones that gave us life.

Some don’t like their picture taken and say:

“I never take good pictures.”

It’s not for you to judge. The person taking the picture loves the image created and will hold it close to their heart.

A snap shot of time; a snippet of a memory.

To them, it could be the most beautiful picture taken. So keep in mind, you do take good photos.

Memories feed our soul.

Pictures in our mind, on paper, in a scrapbook, or filed in computer memory bring smiles and joy to those who have them. We can make funny faces, but the image captured is a moment in time. A moment filled with love, togetherness, and joy.

A wedding, a graduation, a prom, a walk on the beach, a dinner cruise, and yes, even a “selfie.”  Life captured in small moments now displayed on a piece of paper or on a computer screen.

Our memories may fail us, but a picture endures.

They may fade, just like our memory. The image still brings all that back to the forefront of our thoughts.

As we go forward in life, celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, Ground Hog’s Day …whatever the occasion … take the pictures, make the memories, remember the love that brought you to the place where the picture can be taken.

Celebrate life; document and cherish those who walk the path of life with you.

Those moments may never come again.

I was once told:

  “We are not guaranteed another day.”

As days go by, those captured moments in time become an anchor, a life line to those wondrous memories.

So, wear out the batteries on your cameras and phones. You’ll look back on those images with joy.

~Gregory H. Thompson

Mom’s Night Out

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Just recently, my daughter and I were invited to attend a pre-screening of the movie Mom’s Night Out.    We looked forward to the time together, and while I could have chosen to take any one with me … I wanted to take my oldest daughter for some mother/daughter bonding time!  I treasure this time with my teenage daughter!

Leading up to that evening, she mentioned how excited she was for OUR night.  This is huge for a teenager to want to spend time with her mother!  To actually look forward to it?  Priceless!

We got an early start that afternoon since the pre-screening was in another town, but we wouldn’t have missed this for anything!  If it’s within driving distance, we’re going!

On the drive to the theater, we blasted music and enjoyed singing along.  We would turn down the volume at other times to just talk and chit chat.  Then, some very serious conversation resulted from our time in the vehicle as we traveled to our destination.  I am thankful for moments like this with my daughter!  Connecting … bonding … sharing … making memories together!

We went to one of our favorite restaurants where the sharing continued.  I have felt through the years like we have gone way beyond mother and daughter and have progressed to being friends.  The very best of friends.  I love this feeling!

After dinner, we headed over to the theater.  We only had to wait in line briefly, with what felt like fifty million other mothers who were waiting for the pre-screening as well.  Even still, it was a pleasant experience with “people watching” as we waited.  As my daughter went to the concession stand, I watched mothers and daughters, different generations, standing together.  There were groups of friends out for the night as well, and the laughter and giggles made my heart smile.   My daughter returned moments later, and our laughter and giggles resumed as well.

We made our way into the theater to take our seats, and my daughter had a moment of anxiety as she saw the ones that had already been seated.  She isn’t one for large crowds and was worried of how this movie pre-screening was going to go with THAT many people present.  Her fears quickly went away as the movie began playing.

It starts out with a mom blogger who was excited to have four followers one day, and then … the next day … her numbers went down to three followers.   We had to laugh at that because who doesn’t want to know that they have people actually reading the words they type out on the computer screen.  Some times it’s funny things that we share, other times it is heart wrenching, painful times in our lives that we’re writing about in hopes that we can reach some one out there that might be struggling so that they know they’re not alone.  We write to help others … that’s at the heart of every single post that goes up on my page as well as the many other blogger friends that I know and love!

The movie goes on to depict the life of a mother with very active, younger children while her husband is away on a business trip.  Upon his return, though, this stressed out mother gets a chance to have a little fun on a Mom’s Night Out with friends!

It seemed to move slowly along at first, and I looked over at my daughter at one point silently hoping that she wasn’t suddenly dreading being there with me!   My fears were relieved when the movie’s story line picked up and once it was in full swing, there was almost uncontrollable laughter throughout the entire theater!   At one point, a few ladies, myself included, got so tickled that even when the funny part had passed, we were still trying to suppress our laughter … which resulted in snorting loudly in parts where it simply wasn’t appropriate to snort … and yet there we were … yes, I was one of “those” people that night!   I got even more tickled upon hearing a lady behind me, and I laughed simply for the fact that SHE was so tickled and could not stop laughing.  My daughter was laughing right alongside us, when she wasn’t totally humiliated by my outbursts!

I glanced at my daughter a few times just to make sure all was well, and my quick glances were rewarded with pearly whites that greeted me, reassuring me that she, too, was having a great time!  Oh thank you, Lord!   She really and truly was enjoying herself!!!

Success!!!

I won’t give any more of the movie away just in case you plan to see it, and please know that I highly recommend this movie!   I cannot stress that enough.  This movie brought out laughter all the way from the tips of my toes, it seemed.   My daughter and I have already said that we are buying this movie when it comes out on DVD!

We left the movie still laughing and talking about parts that we especially loved.  We called a friend before heading home, and we were still giggling as we tried to tell them of the fun we had that night.  There’s nothing better than being that giddy while you’re trying to tell someone else of the fun and laughter, only to have them laugh right along with you just because of how much you’ve apparently enjoyed yourself!

The movie hit theaters on Mother’s Day weekend!   What a truly fitting movie for this special occasion!   We hope you’ll plan to see Mom’s Night Out!  

If you’re a mom or know someone that is, plan a much needed Mom’s Night Out soon!  And let the good times roll!

 

 

 

 

 

To Love and To Be Loved

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It is truly a beautiful thing to love and to be loved.   So many times we fight it.  There are people that just want to love us, and yet, we’re so busy pushing them away.  We build these incredible cement walls around our hearts like a fort to protect us from what we perceive as a threat.  However, hiding behind those walls also prevents us from feeling the warmth of the sunshine and keeps the sun rays from reaching our soul.

It is rare to find someone that truly loves and cares for us in this day and age.   Everyone is out for themselves it seems.   When you do find that rare gem, why push them away?  They just want to love you.  LET THEM!

Love is never a bad thing.  It is beautiful, radiant, brilliant … it is like a rainbow appearing after the raging storm has passed.   Bask in the glow and enjoy the vibrant colors.

To love and to be loved is the greatest gift we can give another.

At the same time, though, be careful that when you do have a rare beauty of a gem that you do nothing to tarnish that love.   Don’t taint it.  Instead, protect it, shelter it, honor it.  Value and appreciate it.  Respect it.  Treasure and cherish it.

We are allowed to feel so intensely, to feel it coursing through our veins.

To love and to be loved … is truly a gift from God.

Tear down those walls that you’ve built and let love in!

Love … deeply …

Care … genuinely …

Treasure every single moment …

And let love flow freely …

In your heart and in your life …

To those around you.

From our family to yours …

To love and to be loved

The Love of Music

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This week has been quite musical for me! On Tuesday, April 29th, my school held a talent show which was in support of Free The Children and Winnipeg Harvest ,which is a non-profit organization with the goal of distributing food to the hungry.  They offer training opportunities to help people step out of poverty.

The event was a success! We had a full house and we raised about $15,000, which I think is still pretty good for a high school show. There were quite a few good acts ranging from comedy to music. I chose to take the stage to sing All Too Well by one of my favorite artists Taylor Swift.  Based on the reaction I got, I’d say the crowd liked it!

Performing is one of my favorite things to do. Whether it’s playing a guitar recital or a school talent show or at church with the band, whatever the case may be I always feel at home onstage. Even though I get insanely nervous before going on, when I’m actually doing it, I’ve never felt more relaxed.

The music program at the school I go to offers an extra-curricular activity called Chamber Choir. It is an auditioned group made up of about 14 girls, myself included, meeting twice a week. We’ve been working on a song called This Is Me for the last few months, and we had absolutely no idea what it could be about until my choir director, Mrs. Ens, told us that Poet Shamin Brown was coming in to talk to us the next class. That same day Mrs. Ens had told us a little bit of a background of the song, which I will tell you now.

Shamin is a survivor of human trafficking. When she was a sophomore in high school, she kept a straight A average with a passion for sports. By the next year, all that changed. Shamin became a crack addict, and the drugs took over her life. She began selling herself on the streets just to feed her addictions. Shamin has written a book called I’m An Addict which tells her story in shocking detail. When I went up to buy her book, I told her about this website, and what it’s all about and she took the liberty of writing this in my copy:

Jackie, I pray that God uses your blog to set the captives free. Remember, don’t judge – LOVE. Love heals all.

If you meet and talk to her on the street, you never would’ve guessed that she was once a sex worker. She’s so full of life and charisma, that when you hear her story for yourself, you’d never be able to tell. When she told us the meaning behind This Is Me, it completely changed our perspective on what it was that we were singing.

On Wednesday, April 30th, our chamber choir was invited to sing at what was not only her book launch, but also the song premier (which I didn’t realize)! Before we sung, the composer Timothy Corlis stopped to talk to all of the choir girls thanking us for singing his song. During, he was visibly impressed. I caught him tearing up a little, so I took that as a good sign! After he came around to each of us saying how impressed he was. That same night we sung another song called You Are More, which I played guitar for, as well as sung a solo! Both songs we were asked to sing had Shamin tearing up, which is incredibly flattering because that shows that the music had touched that person’s heart.

To bring my musical week to an incredible end, I was given the chance to get into a professional recording studio to talk to a music producer named Jason about writing and potentially recording my first album!! During that chat, Jason had me play one of my songs for him, and he told me to come back to the studio in like a week or two to begin writing and recording. This is a huge deal for me because for as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamt about being a singer and this could be my chance! I’ve taken his advice to heart and I’ve been writing and writing all weekend, and I can see that my songs are improving. I just hope he thinks so, too. As of right now, the song I’m most proud of is called Fresh Start. I wrote that song about my mother and how I only want to make her proud, but it’s time for me to follow my heart regardless of what she has to say. It’s about how I’m growing up and how it’s time for me to spread my wings and fly.

~Jackie

In The Blink of An Eye

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Shirley, the owner and operator of Light Love Hope, is also a contributing writer for the City Moms Blog.   Her article was showcased on their website, and she is sharing it here today for Mother’s Day.
In The Blink of An Eye
I’m sure you’ve all heard it at some point or another:

“They grow up so fast!”

“Enjoy them while you can!”

“Don’t blink! They’ll be grown!”

I remember almost rolling my eyes when I’d hear this from so many well-meaning people as I strolled along with baby in tow. They would lean in, ooohhhh and ahhhh, then lay those lines on me.

Then … it happened!

momandtiffany

There I was, in the middle of enjoying sleeping babies laying on my chest, little fingers clinging tightly to mine as I rocked and cradled them in my arms. That quickly turned into playing patty-cake and chasing toddlers around as they giggled and squealed with excitement. Then I blinked, and my oldest was a junior in high school going to her first prom, while my “baby” was in third grade doing hard math problems and projects for school!

I was not prepared for this! I thought the age difference between them would protect me from the shock of my babies growing up.

I had my first daughter at the age of 25. Several years passed, and I went through a divorce. I got remarried, but then I had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, resulting in my chances being cut in half of ever having another baby. My hopes and dreams came crashing down on the day they wheeled me in for emergency surgery. They said it wasn’t a viable pregnancy, since it was in my fallopian tube. There was no saving the tube, either, since it had ruptured. And so I mourned the loss of my child and my chances of ever cradling another baby of my own in my arms.

After many months, a lot of painful treatments, and millions of prayers flooding Heaven’s gates on their way to God’s ears, He gave me my heart’s desire. He answered my prayer! I was pregnant with my little miracle baby. She honestly is, without a doubt, a gift from God above. I remember reaching an all-time low in the bathroom of the hospital after one of my many treatments and just begging God to give me my heart’s desire … just one more little baby … just one more … and He answered that prayer! My miracle baby came into this world when I was 33 years old.

Those times seem so long ago, though, now that my daughters are 17 and 9 years old. Oh my! Where HAS the time gone?

My precious girls, eight years apart. Then ...

As you can imagine, I get a lot of comments from people when they realize the 8-year age difference between my children. Some try to make a joke, asking if I had forgotten what caused that, not realizing that it could be a very sensitive topic due to what I’ve been through. Yet, I still just smile and hold my children so very close to my heart. I always will.

They did depend on me for everything, and I liked it that way. I enjoyed being there for them and doing things for them. Then one day they did not need me to help them quite as much anymore. They could do it themselves and would tell you with such pride and confidence in their voices when they would say those words:

“I can do it myself, mama.”

I’ll never forget when it really, truly hit me. I guess I’m lucky my older daughter didn’t officially begin to pull away from me until her freshman year in high school. She asked me to walk her in for her first day of school, and I was ever so happy to oblige!

Then it happened.

We walked into the school, and all of her friends came rushing by. I paused for a moment to speak to another mother, and before I even realized what happened, my daughter had walked off. I thought for a moment I had lost her in the crowd of people, but no. I spotted her, calling out after her, and she turned around with the most embarrassed look on her face as she sighed heavily and then turned quickly to walk away.

I remember standing there in the hallway, feeling a lump in my throat but not fully believing what had just taken place. I made my way to my car and the tears rushed down. I could not hold them back any longer. I will never, ever forget the way I felt at that moment in time. My daughter later apologized to me, but there it was … the moment I had to face reality.

My baby … did not need me … anymore.

It is times like this that I am SO very thankful that my children ARE eight years apart! One baby doesn’t need me anymore, but the other most certainly does. My younger daughter still wants me to play with her as she runs around being Merrida from Brave, or shooting her bow and arrow like she’s Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Oh yes, she wants me to play with her, to run with her, to go on field trips with her class! She isn’t embarrassed by my presence! And so I go, I run, I play, I do … I fly high with my youngest daughter as she giggles and laughs … and I enjoy every single minute of it!

Fast forward two years from the freshman first-day-of-school incident, and my older daughter no longer seems THAT embarrassed by me. Sometimes she will even say that I’m cool and that her friends even think I’m one of the coolest moms they’ve ever met.

Me!

A cool mom!

Imagine that!

shirley's two girls now

Even though they are years apart, it still seems like they grew up so fast … in the blink of an eye! One is almost an adult now, while the other will be turning ten soon. It truly did go way too fast for my liking! I’m trying not to have anxiety over the fact that we’re looking at colleges for my older daughter. At the same time, I’m facing the reality that my “baby” isn’t a baby any longer. I am enjoying the last little bit of her wanting to cuddle with me because I know that very soon she will not want to do that any longer.

Even with the age difference, it all seems to have happened in the blink of an eye!

On days like today, I pause to consider what all of these people said to me early on when I cradled my baby in my arms … and you know what? They were right!

In the blink of an eye, my babies have grown up to be strong, independent, confident, Christ-loving young women.

And then I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have done a good job raising them! God gets all of the praise, glory, and honor … because He gave me my little miracles from above!

Thank you, God. Thank you!

Grateful – On This Five Minute Friday

, 5

Today is Friday, and so we dive into Five Minute Friday with the prompt word of:  Grateful

Ready?

Set?

GO!

As I sit beside the pool with my daughter splashing and playing, I pause for a moment to consider all of the incredible blessings in my life.  I am blessed beyond measure, beyond what I ever dreamed possible in this life.

For some reason, God has smiled upon my life, my heart, my soul … and He has given me my heart’s desire.

I’m not speaking of anything material at all.  It isn’t about the house, the car, the pool … none of that matters.

It’s the PEOPLE that surround me in this life.

The people.  The precious people that love with their whole hearts.  They love without placing conditions or boundaries, they love … with such a greatness within them that I am undeserving of, and yet, they love me even still.

They love me despite my faults and shortcomings.

They love … me.

And I … am more grateful than any words could possibly describe whether they are spoken words or words on a screen.  They can not ever come close to a hint of how I feel about each and every person that surrounds me in this life.  They will never know how truly grateful my heart, my soul, my entire being … is …

For them!

And their unfailing, unconditional love!

You Will Never Be More Loved Than You Are Right Now

, 8

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching!   Today, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the hard work of mothers every where!  You truly do so much for your family and for your children, often times without any words of appreciation in return for the down and dirty duties of motherhood.  But then, you don’t do it for recognition.  You do it for love.

No matter the amount of diaper changes, potty training, or single handed food fights from your little one, you clean, you scrub, you change, you change again, and you change some more …

And then …

Moments come along that truly melt your heart completely.  These are the moments that you have your most precious jewels hanging around your neck, and I’m not talking gold or pearls … no, it’s something far more precious …

It’s the arms of your children!

Do you know that you will never be more loved than you are right this very minute?  Your children love you … all of you.  They don’t care if you have bed head or bad breath.  They don’t care if you have had a shower today or if you have on the perfect makeup and lipstick.  They don’t care if you’re mismatched with stains on your shirt.

They only care about YOU!

You’re there … loving them, taking care of them, being with them, teaching them new things yet learning from them as well.

You get to experience all of the new adventures with them.  You are traveling on this path right alongside them, and you open their eyes to a brand new world time and time again.  They stand in awe of the beauty that surrounds them.

The beauty inside of you, dear mothers.

Treasure these moments as they turn into moments with your pre-teen … then teen … and ultimately, your adult children who are your very best friends in the whole world.

These are the moments … right here, right now …

You will never be more loved than you are right now … unconditional love from your Heavenly Father above … and your precious children … who are miracles walking amongst us.

Thank you, God.  Oh, how I thank you for my two miracle babies.

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