The First Stone

Photo Credit: Rebekah Southwood

In life we encounter countless opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  But, we also encounter a judgmental mentality.

Countless times, I hear the typically, "he plays football, he is dumb," "all the baseball guys are players," "cheerleaders are sluts," or "bowlers are awkward." All these are preconceived notions.

Who says football players are dumb? I know a football player who is now a medical doctor. Who says cheerleaders are sluts? One of the nicest and pure people I know is a cheerleader.

Why is my generation, including myself, judging people for their occupation and not their character and spirit?

Why do we fall into the trap of judgment? Who are we to judge? We are not perfect and can never be perfect.

Jesus addresses the judgmental and said, "And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

Jesus also said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

Yesterday, after class a physical giant to 5-foot-4-inches me, leaned over and gave me a hug and gentle asked, "How are you today?" It was a simple gesture that rocked my world.

I instantly thought, "Gentle souls from physical giants. Never overlook the kindred spirits."

This gentleman was football player from what he considers, "the ghetto." He is not someone you would typically see as a kindred spirit. Yet, through all that he is a genuine and kindred spirit admist the rough outer shell.

This drives me to never have preconceived notions and to rid my life of misconceptions about people.

As I've said previously, "lessons learned as a child never pass away."

My hero, Anne of Green Gables, wrote by L.M. Montgomery said, “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” 

Challenge of the day, analyze the character and spirit of people before forming your opinion of them.

Tame Your Train

Photo credit: Richard Robards

The lessons learned as a child never pass away.

For the next two weeks my life feels like a runaway train. I have final papers, research presentations, The Derby Rose Gala, newspaper deadlines, our biggest track meet of the year and friends to say goodbye to. All in an extremely short amount of time.

Though overwhelmed there is a little engine from my childhood that reminds me, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

It is when we throw in the dish towel and say those two deadly words, "I can't," when life goes from overwhelming to impossible. Sometimes I have to look in the mirror and literal say, "you can do this." I CAN, you CAN and together we CAN!

In Corinthians 9:24 it says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."

There is no receiving a prize, keeping the faith or running with perseverance with "can not's" controlling our lives.

A simple reminder that you can has the ability to tame the runaway train in your life. I challenge you, as I challenge myself, remove all "can not's" from your life and insert "I cans."

A short person with a long story

Photo Credit: Richard Robards

I wake up every morning pen in hand to continue writing my story. These are the pages of my life. No, I am not sitting behind a desk and typing a book to later be published. I am working, sweating and pursuing my dreams because life is not chance or happenstance, it is what we decide to make of it.

I want a life full of enthusiasm. A Life full of dream pursuit and encouragement. A life lived for family and of being a mommy. A life exploding with passion and abounding with joy.

Enthusiasm: "Do everything enthusiastically as something done for the Lord and not for man." Colossians 3:23

Dreams: "When there’s no vision, the people get out of control, but whoever obeys instruction is happy." Proverbs 29:18

Encouragement: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise--dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8

Family and mommy: "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.  She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31:15-17

Joy: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

With pen in hand, dreams abounding and a Jesus pursuit underway I will write my story. Not alone, because I would only fail time after time. A story of striving to reach potential only leaves me exhausted.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth." John 16:13
As a screw up, I tend to yearn for the One who knows all truth to mentor me while I live my story.

Pens can be different colors black, blue, red, green or any color ones heart desires. My story is like none other and has a color all its own. Some days I climb mountains victoriously and others days I swing in the valley.

Going through the roughness makes me tough. Going through victories make me thankfully.

Every life story is written with a pen, not a pencil. What has been done is inerasable. Every chapter is lived once. I want the utmost of each word, each smile and every thought--my life will be pursuing the utmost from the utmost Authority.