My Daughter

"She grew up on the side of the road

Where the church bells ring

And strong love grows

She grew up good

She grew up slow

Like American honey

Steady as a preacher

Free as a weed

Couldn't wait to get going

But wasn't quite ready to leave

So innocent, pure and sweet

American honey"

-Lady Antebellum, "American Honey"

When I first heard the lyrics of this song, I thought of my daughter. Mind you, if you're reading this, please don't think that I'm using rose-colored glasses when it comes to my children because I don't. These lyrics literally describes my daughter to a T. 

I'm writing this blog as the clock ticks towards midnight that will officially announce that my daughter is 23 years old.

 

I had her at 19 and we praise & thank God blessed us with a daughter who is the complete opposite of her parents. 

She gave her heart to the Lord at the age of 7. She willingly participated in church activities (still does). She self-motivated herself in school, graduating summa cum laude and earning a scholarship to attend a business college. And she still had the time to boss around her brothers. 

Today, she still continues to be involved in church ministries and I know she has a deep love in teaching and guiding young girls to be Christian women.

She's a working gal now!

And is a great aunt to her nephew

Through all these accomplishments and growing into a beautiful, young adult. I know it is not easy because I know it grates on you on how people will continually remark on how good you are that seems as if there is an underlying expectancy for you to maintain a high standard. 

Krys, my prayer for your 23rd birthday is that God will quiet your soul because the twenties is trying to find your identity yet many have fallen because they've run way ahead of God not waiting for His timing or allowing Him to unfold His plans for them.

I also want to encourage you as you read this blog post to stand strong and give your dreams to God. Allow Him to determine your steps on where you should go and how you will grow. 

I love you...don't ever change for the world

"Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.

Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know.

I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.

You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.

Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.

Go on, take on this whole world.

But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl." -Tim McGraw, My Little Girl

An inside look of a Christian parent to a young adult

You have that one child who for some odd reason can't stand you anymore.

You feel it in the way they talk and their actions

You stand there and look at them and wonder...what have I done to you that makes you hate us?

You try to talk with them while they shrug their shoulders and mumble nothing yet their stance is full of suppressed irritation making you feel as if you are in the wrong

A whole myriad of emotions goes through you from wanting to cry to wanting to slap them across their face to yell and say, "Who do you think you are? I gave BIRTH TO YOU! I provided THIS! I provided THAT! I tried my BEST! I brought you to SUNDAY SCHOOL! I brought you to YOUTH! and yet you stand here making me feel as if I am the worse parent in the world while I have always tried to protect you and support you."

You begin to start second guessing yourself and wonder about your parenting skill until a sense of calm washes over you with a gentle voice saying, "That's exactly what you did wrong, you have stood time and time again for your child when you should have let them fall to learn to rise up and stand on their own."

Your heart breaks...

You stare off in the distance and struggle with the inner turmoil of "If I let them fall on their own, what will happen? Will they resent us (but your child resents you already)? Will they die in their backslidden condition?"

God certainly knows what we (you) are going through. After all, we were wayward kids to Him once.

I don't know what to say at this point because I'm angry, offended, hurt, sad...

And through these emotions and struggles, my husband texted me,

"We'll get through this"

All that I am...

All that I am is because of God.

Seriously, I'm having a tearful and greatful moment because I'm reflecting on recent events. I can't help it because I am looking back and I am amazed of where God has brought me from to where I am now.

Who wouldn't be in awe especially if He had to pick you up, dust you off, point to the mirror and tell you, "See that dirty girl (or guy)? You are beautiful...so why do you want to continually be dirty? Trust me and I'll create you to be more than you ever thought you could be."

I am blessed. Not because of me but because of Him.

All I can say is that I hope and pray that I will consistently shine for Him and that no one will stumble or fall because of my idiotic actions that does happen from time to time.

Warning Light

Your thought for the Day – "Warning Lights"

“Be Bold in what you stand for and careful what you fall for.” -- Ruth Boorstin

Scripture:
“If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just, that He forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all wickedness.” -- 1 John 1:9

Reflection:
Our cars have warning lights on the dashboard that tell us when something is wrong that needs attention. They say things like "Check gauges," "Door ajar," "Tire pressure," "Battery level," etc. The lights are there to protect us, and to protect the car from being damaged.

When one of those lights comes on, we can do the wise thing and stop to find out what the problem is, and get it fixed. Or we could just carry around a little hammer and smash the light.

That sounds silly, but it's just what we sometimes do in our spiritual lives. We are doing something wrong, engaging in something that is wrong, and we get a warning light from our conscience. We might ignore the sign--smash the light, so to speak--and go on. But a car will stall if we ignore the warning lights, and our spiritual lives will stall if we ignore the prompting of our conscience.

In 2 Samuel 11-12, we see the result of ignoring the warning lights. King David has taken the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite, and now she is pregnant with David's child. David tries to cover what he has done by getting Uriah to go and sleep with his wife. When that doesn't work, David engineers his death. So now David is guilty of adultery, deception, murder.

The warning lights, the "guilt lights," have come on, and David has chosen to smash them. He hasn't dealt with the guilt properly, and he is miserable.

Maybe you have guilt in your heart right now; you've seen the warning light of your conscience come on. If so, you need to pay heed to it and take care of it, not just smash it with a hammer. God give us forgiveness each and everyday.

Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, we ask that You would help us to turn away from the temptations we face, and to live a life of integrity. Help us to walk blamelessly, to do what is right, and to speak the truth at all times so that we may honor You in all that we do we pray. Amen.

~Taken from COL (Chaplain) Sherman Baker's "Thought for the Day"
Tripler Army Medical Center