What Would Ryan Lochte Do?

Maybe you've seen the previews for the newest show on E!, What Would Ryan Lochte Do? If you haven't, you can watch it here. I will caution you, you will want those 4 minutes of your life back, but to understand this post, you need to watch it. 

Now I have a few thoughts about this show….

1. That's great he loves his family so much
2. Bless his heart, he doesn't have a lot of compelling thoughts.
3. At least he's pretty. Very pretty. (Yes I call men pretty.)
4. Why is this a show?! Are people really going to spend time watching this pretty young man make us all thankful God at least made him attractive and a great athlete. Don't people have volunteer work they should be doing instead? 
5. America, get it together with the reality TV trash. Ain't nobody got time for that. (Expect the millions who watch shows like this but I think it's all silly. For the record, I do not Keep up with the Kardashians) 

But most of all this trailer really got me thinking, am I sometimes just a pretty face? What comes out of my mouth on a daily basis? Is it positive and uplifting? Rude and snarky? Belittling? Kind? And do my words glorify God? I think it's something we can all reflect on, as I struggle with this on a daily basis. Sometimes my sarcasm has a mean tone to it. When I play tennis or competitive card games, I cuss like a sailor. Is my venting to friends constructive or just negativity boiling over into gossip? Am I gossiping often? Was that comment about that girls pants necessary? FYI, it wasn't. Those comments do no one any good. (See yesterday's post on this.) None of those things are good or righteous but we all do them because we are all imperfect. 

The writer's of the Bible knew we all would struggle with our mouths and encourages us to watch our tongues. 

^{James 3:9-10} 

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Proverbs 21:23

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards himself from trouble. 

This week, I hope to not just be a pretty face, but use my words to encourage others and build them up as our words say a lot about us. Looks are the first thing someone may notice about you, but as Ryan has shown us, being the pretty face isn't everything. Jeah! 

Ladies, please stop tearing each other down.

Today I read about a female blogger who criticized the weight of a Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleader in a very passive aggressive way. You can read the full story here http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/sports-blogger-weight-shames-oklahoma-city-thunder-cheerleader-kelsey-williams--180043359.html

Now all I have to say is ladies' where is the love? Why do we as women feel the need to criticize the way other women look? Tabloids like People Magazine and US Weekly do it all the time with their Best and Worst dressed lists. Shouldn't all women be on the same team, encouraging each other with our insecurities rather than beat each other down? We are all insecure about something but we should build each other up in those, rather than tear each other down.

Or maybe criticizing other women makes you feel better about yourself? If it does, I think you need to take a good hard look at who you are as a person and your own self esteem. Putting others down to build yourself up is not good or healthy. You need to find confidence to be you. You do have a lot going for you. Go right now and make a list of your good qualities. If you're having a hot mess kind of day and can't think of any, ask your best friends. They like you for a reason! 

I just want to encourage you this week to stop tearing other females down. Instead, encourage one another to be the best version of you that you can be! 

A Baked Potato and Missing My Mom

My beautiful, courageous Mama!

Tonight as I sat down to eat my dinner all I could think was my mom and feel her in that moment. I didn't make anything special, a simple baked potato with cheese, bacon, broccoli and sour cream; a huge fan favorite in our house growing up. But boy did that baked potato make me miss my mom. She's the reason I know how to cook and am actually good at it. She taught me everything she knew, which was passed down from my grandma. All I wanted to do was enjoy that baked potato with her. Let her know how I'm doing, even though she's not here physically. It made me want to hug her and hold her hand. 

It made me think of all the lessons she taught me. How money isn't something to idolize. How kindness to strangers go a long way. How to be an independent, strong female but to love people with all I have. But more than anything it made me miss her. Made me miss the woman who single handedly raised me. The woman who was my protector, provider, teacher, guider and through out my college years was becoming a friend. My sister and I were raised in a home where our mom loved us unconditionally, but she was the mom. She wasn't one of those parents who tried to be our BFFs, and I am so eternally grateful for that, as I now know how to be a mom. However, I am sad I missed the chance to be BFFs with my mom. I long for that everyday and will continue my whole life. 

It's so just silly what things remind us of those we lost but for that I am grateful Grateful that things still remind me of my mom. Tonight for me, that reminder was a baked potato. 

Hope in Yet Another Tragedy

Our grandparents remember where they were when JFK, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. For our generation we will always remember 9/11, Newtown and now the Boston Marathon bombing. As I sat at my desk yesterday, unable to work, listening online and watching the live Twitter feed so many emotions ran through me. Anger, sadness and full of questions.

Anger at the person responsible for this. Anger that our country is yet again dealing with a tragedy. Sadness for all the people affected. The small children in the crowd. The families there from Newtown who were to be honored, to be given a break from their grief. For those injured and killed. All they simply wanted to do was watch or run a marathon. An innocent activity. Yet, that innocence was ripped away by this horrific act. 

I began to weep as I saw the video of the blast, and watched the old man get knocked down by it. Now, old men always bring about a lot of emotions in me, as they remind me of my beloved Grandpa. But seeing that old man go down, just really affected me. 

The Old Man After the Blast

It made me cry out to God, why? Why is this happening? Why another tragedy?  Why knock our nation down, when we haven't stood back up from the Newtown tragedy? All I wanted to do was go to church and pray. Pray and worship the Lord. The why question will never fully be answered during my life on Earth (I like to think when we get to heaven, you get a question and answer session with God, where he shows you why things occurred, it's probably wishful thinking, but hey, who knows!) as it just does not make sense, but the thing to remember is there is sin in this world. We all sin, and fall short. Everyday when we wake up, we will do something sinful that day. Because of sin, we all hurt other people. Why some people's sinful nature bring about so much tragedy and unrest, I don't know but what I do know is God is the only steadfast, unchanging thing in my life. In every circumstance, no matter how distant God seems, He's there.

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 

He was there today. Today watching over the scene, that makes no sense to us as humans. He was there with the brave men and women who rushed to the scene to take care of others. He was there as people comforted each other. He was there as our nation mourned. He's there tonight, comforting the families of those who lost our lives. God is in control of all of this. He never promised our life would be easy and without hurt. But eventually He promised that one day, He will return to wipe away all of our pain. Until that day comes, we need to keep praying, looking out for one another and finding the good in each day. Whether that good is just a simple sunshine or smile from a stranger. There is good out, some days it might be more difficult to see. But it's there. 

Revelation 21:4
and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away