Fragile: Handle With Care

I am so thankful that in the past few years I have been blessed with some truly amazing friends! For so long I wanted to have friends that were true, dependable, non-judging and loyal! Now don’t get me wrong, I have had a few long standing friendships in which this was the case, but not many. So many times I felt that I resided on the giving end and never on the receiving end in many previous so called friendships.

I can say that each experience, weather good or bad made me grow wiser and stronger. I can also say that sometimes I wasn’t equipped with the necessary tools to know how to handle each relationship with care. Unfortunately, my mother had the same experiences in her friendships and couldn’t offer much advice, which left me ill equipped in certain situations.

For this reason and many others, I feel that we should do our best to teach our children how to cultivation healthy friendships and relationships, most importantly through leading by example. Even if we haven’t had the best track record in relationships, we are directly connected with one who has, non-other than Jesus Christ. We can seek Him and Gods word on the appropriate ways to help our children in this area. Friendships and relationships are special and fragile and should always be handled with care.

Seek God on the best advice to give your children and always handle your friendships with care. Doing so allows for an opportunity for your kids to see this principle in action. Kids are very aware of their environment, even if it doesn’t seem as such. Be careful as to what you say and do in front of them. I am not saying that you shouldn’t be yourself around your children, but try to make sure that you are right in all of your relationships so that they have a great example to follow. Also, when giving them advice regarding situations that may arise in their friendships be sure to give them Godly advice.

I know from experience, the advice that can sometimes come from my “carnal mind” is not the advice that would come from the mind of Christ. Considering this, I take a moment to redirect and give sound Godly advice to my children when necessary. We all know that there is no instruction manual for parenting and relationships, but we do have the Word of God to reference whenever needed.

Share your relationship an/or friendship moments of fragility by commenting below this post at www.savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support and Happy Holidays to you!

Mommie Blessings,

 

Saved M.O.M.

Visits Revealed

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose sight of the little things that mean a lot. Many times as parents we take for granted the time that we allow our children to spend with their grandparents or other elderly family members that we hold near and dear. I have been guilty of this myself. My grandmother was constantly on me about bringing the kids by more often to see her; therefore, I have made it a priority to take them to visit her and their other grandparents as often as I can.

Because most of us have not yet reached our “senior years” we don’t realize just how much of an impact these visits have on our older relatives. Their lives have changed so much and their kids are now grown and far gone, often times with families of their own. I have come to a much clearer understanding of this phenomenon; therefore I am more sensitive to these requests from my parents and grandparents.

We must also consider the impact that the time spent with their grandparents and elderly family members has on our children. It gives them an opportunity to learn and grow from the wisdom that these individuals can impart upon them. It also gives them an opportunity to foster memories and relationships that they will recall for many years to come. We only have a limited amount of time left to spend time with them, so let’s enjoy it while we can!

So the next time one of your parents or grandparents “bugs” you about bringing the kids for a visit, think about it from their perspective and look at how much your kids will gain from the experience instead of seeing it as just another thing to add to your things to do list. You children will later thank you for those cherished moments. Share your last visit with the grandparents or your grandchildren by commenting below this post at www.savedmom.com.

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

 

 

What Is Your Child’s “Ness”

A few days ago during a conversation with a complete stranger, I was asked this question, “What is your ness?”  I paused for a moment because I didn’t really understand the nature of the question. After my pause, the woman went on to explain that a person’s “ness” is the thing that makes them unique. In other words she was asking me to describe my uniqueness.  I thought that was a wonderful way of asking this question. Each one of us has something that makes us unique, otherwise known as our “ness”.

As I pondered on the question, I started to think about my children. As parents, we quickly realize that thing which makes our child unique. Sometimes their “ness” may be something that we don’t necessarily care for, but we should try to figure out how to nurture it in a way that will help them live out their God-given purpose while simultaneously blessing others through their gifts and talents.

For example, my son has a very strong sense of determination and willpower. There are many times as a parent when his sense of determination causes frustration on my part, especially when I am trying to get him to do something that he doesn’t want to do. Although, I have come to the realization that this same spirit of determination could one day lead him to start his own company, become a great spiritual leader and/or do many other great things. His strong will power will keep him from allowing road blocks to deter him from his goals and aspirations.

I know that the task of parenting is not always easy, but with help from the Lord, all things are possible. Simply pray for the best way to guide your child’s “ness” so that s/he can become a great individual while operating at their full God-given potential. I would love for you to comment below this post at www.savedmom.com and share you and/or your child’s “ness”.

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Craving Adult Human Interaction!!!

So now that I have this new sense of self, including revelation of my life purpose, I have been pretty busy! I am moving onward and upward with my writing and public speaking calling. When I started really getting into the wonderful world of writing, I decided that I needed to find a space away from home to let my creative juices flow. Well, I made a decision to take time several days a week to go to my local library, bookstore or café to settle into a good writing space.

 When I originally decided to start writing away from home, my reasoning was as follows: to have a space in which I wouldn’t be affected by household distractions (i.e. the phone, laundry or the infamous INTERNET); to have a space unlike my usual four walls to invoke new thoughts and concepts; and to have an opportunity to feel tangible change! Well, I must say since I have been writing outside of the home, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The creative juices have been flowing like never before and I’ve been producing some pretty good stuff, if I must say so myself.

 Then the other day I was reading one of my newest favorite books, Writer Mama, by Christina Katz. In one section she alludes to the fact that writing outside of the home is a way to fulfill the need of adult human interaction. Well, this I had never considered before. Was I secretly craving to be around other people? Was I lonely at home? Could it be that all of these years spent working from home and being home with the kids had taking a toll on my need for social acceptance and interaction?

Wow, I think Christina hit the nail right on the head with this one!  I have come to the realization that part of the reason my creative juices flow so well away from home is because I am fulfilling an innate need for belonging. Most of you that know me personally know that I function best around others and thrive in social settings. Who knew that this would affect my level of productivity so much? So I guess that means I will be spending many more hours in the local library, café or bookstore while working on the next level of my purpose!  Well this post is finished so I guess my café time for the day has come to an end. Until my next café moment…

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

My Upcoming Speaking Engagement!!!

I have been blessed with another opportunity to speak with women about health and nutrition. Many of you know that I am very passionate about this subject and I am ever grateful to Life Changes Church for this opportunity. They are sponsoring Fit Factor, which is a monthly event catered towards women regarding health, exercise and nutrition. The upcoming session on this Saturday, October 6, 2012, is focusing on strengthening the mind and body. I will discuss tangible ways for you and your family to improve your eating habits and overall health while Prince Wilson will show you moves to strengthen your body and endurance. We will have juicing demonstrations, taste testing and samples of healthy snacks to take home!

At this event you will learn how to target multiple areas of your mind, your muscles and your nutrition to get the best results in total health fitness! If you are in the Metro Atlanta area you don't want to miss this!!!

Event Information:

Fit Factor Health Group
Attire-Work out gear, Sneakers, Small Weights, Towel, Water
Saturday, October 6th 2012
10:00 AM
Life Changes Church
5947 Fairburn Rd.
Douglasville GA 30314

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

So this week I’ve been gearing up for our quarterly potluck event. Every 5^th Sunday, we celebrate a fellowship dinner with our extended family. I started this tradition for several reasons… For one I felt a bit disturbed by the fact that the only time we would see our local extended family was usually at Thanksgiving dinner or when there were some type of family devastation; I also felt that since we now have children, it would be nice for them to grow up spending more time around their cousins and extended family as well.

When my husband and I originally decided to start hosting this event on a regular basis, I thought it best to do it one Sunday out of every month. Well, my Uncle whom usually hosts Thanksgiving dinner and other family events immediately told me that it was a great idea in concept to have potluck monthly, but would prove to later be exhausting and overwhelming. Thank God for his foresight and wisdom!!! After having that conversation with him, we decided that we would host the event at our home every 5^th Sunday instead, which breaks down to about once a quarter.

I wasn’t sure if the idea would be well received, but I figured, hey let’s give it a try. Needless to say, the event has been a major success! It seems that everyone really enjoys having the opportunity to see and fellowship with one another in this manner. There are no frills and no pomp and circumstance; no one spends a lot of money on anything, they just bring what they can and we all enjoy the fun time and communion. We never know what people are going to bring and to be honest, a time or two we’ve had way too much or way too little food, but that’s not the point. This gathering allows us an opportunity to spend time with people we love and appreciate; we get to share our life events as they unfold; we get to watch each other’s kids grow up; and we get to show love to our loved ones while they are still here and living.

Since we’ve been hosting this event there have been some pretty cool things to take place: family members who haven’t seen each other in years (sometimes over a decade) have had a chance to reconnect; We announced the news of my second pregnancy at potluck; and I have also seen some family members who haven’t been in the best place emotionally glow like they hadn’t in a long time while attending potluck. I have to be transparent and admit that there have been some 5^th Sunday’s that we’ve been exhausted and just wanted to rest. Although, once the first few guests arrived we took a look around and realized it was worth sacrificing some time and energy to keep this going. I have even been quite moved on occasion, even to tears a time or two, when family members came up to me and expressed their sincere appreciation for the fact that we have taken this on.

I don’t know how often you see your extended family, but maybe you too could do something like this. And even if you feel it’s too much for you to handle, maybe you could make the suggestion to another family member or rotate out the hosting responsibility. I just feel that we should take time to commune with our family and enjoy each other while we can. In the big scheme of things “Man that is born of a woman is of a few days…,” as the great book says, so let’s focus on making our days a little brighter with the people who matter to us the most!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Epiphanies and Realizations

I have to first start of this entry by simply taking a long breath… ahhhhhh. At last I am back and better than ever! I can’t believe that it’s been over 8 months since my last blog entry. This year has been truly amazing and seems to get better with each passing day.

Some of you may be wondering, why eight months off, well the hiatus didn’t exactly start off as an eight month journey, but we can see that’s what it turned into. Back in January, I made a conscious decision to shift my focus more so towards an upward progression for my family and I, not knowing that I would embark upon an amazing journey in the process.

It’s really hard to put into words the transformation that has taken place in me over the course of 2012 thus far. I have learned so much about myself and my family. My eyes, ears, heart, mind and spirit have been opened and awakened in a way that I could have never imagined possible. I see things more clearly, I comprehend life differently and I embrace the changes taking place.

I will give you a snapshot of some of these changes over the past few months, here goes…

·         I revived my “work at home” status, which has taken me back into the work place from a totally different perspective and has allowed me to encounter some truly amazing people along the way

·         My husband and I have gained a deeper and extraordinary appreciation and love for one another that only time, circumstances and parenting can bring

·         I have taken my spiritual walk to new heights and gained a greater and more intimate relationship with God

·         I have realized the foundational platform of my life purpose

·         The time, focus and attention that is given to me and my family’s health/nutrition has increased and shifted in a delightful way

·         Important relationships in my life have taken on new meaning and have been cultivated into stronger more cherished bonds; I have a clearer value and inner-standing of real friendships/relationships that I haven’t really experienced this way before

This is just a brief expression of a great shift that is in the process and I am so excited that I will have an opportunity to share some more of this journey with you. I am allowing myself to be used in a way that I never have before. I am not holding myself to a blog scheduled or staunchly self-imposed deadlines as to when I blog. I will allow the words to move and flow through me spontaneously and freely. I may blog weekly or daily; in the morning or at night; about silly things or thought provoking concepts; but one thing’s for sure I WILL BLOG!

Thanks to each of you for reading words that have come truly from my heart. I am here to serve and to bring forth life through words. I heard the call, I embrace the call and I share the call. Now let’s live life with eyes wide open!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved MOM