In this season of giving and thankfulness, I have to stop and be reminded of what I am thankful for and what my heavenly Father has given me.

This post will get a little personal, and I hope that even though what I am about to share is very personal, you will understand that this is my struggles and I trust my readers with this information.My hope is that you will hear my story and feel a closer connection to those that struggle with mental illness or maybe feel comforted that you are not alone if you do, yourself.

For most of my life, I have [Read more…]

Most children sang the song “This little light of mine” when they were in pre-school or Sunday school. Did you ever stop to think what it means or how we can apply it to our adult lives?

If you are a Christian,you have the Light inside you. Jesus often talked about being [Read more…]

“God helps those that help themselves” is probably one of the most mis-quoted things people think is biblical.

The phrase was actually coined [Read more…]

When I first started this blog, I posted this video. I feel the need to post it again because it touches me in the depths of my soul. It shows the strength Jesus can give us and how easy it is to lose sight of him and get lost in teh world and how the further and further we get from him the harder and harder it is to see him, and feel him,even though he has never left us, and will never leave us.

Please share this post with others.

Today’s Guest Post is by Natalie at Newswahl.com. Her post is on Being Kind. I hope you enjoy it!

My son’s school has a program called Be Kind. It was started by parent’s of a child named Josh who was killed in a car accident, and has become quite the movement in our school district. The aim of the program is to reward children for being kind to one another and prevent bullying. My son loves it, and is often rewarded for going out of his way to be kind. We love the program because it teaches our son a value that is central to our faith and beliefs.

We recently had a family discussion about language and how we can use language to hurt or help. Our son picked up a lot of crude and disrespectful language at summer camp this summer, and so it is important that we teach him alternatives to such behaviors, and the reasons why we would choose not to engage in them. We all signed a pledge to use kind language and avoid crude, vulgar, or profane language. The questions “is it true, and is it kind?’ are central to helping to change the feel of our language and help us all to be better. The dictionary says profanity includes language that is disrespectful and irreverent. So even common phrases that are used in a hurtful or angry manner can be included under the definition of profanity. I find that I too have been guilty of using a lot of unkind language this summer, and am determined to change.

I have worked with a bunch of young, school-age boys all summer at summer camps. I have found that teasing, and crude language are how they try to be “cool”. This trend is destructive and frustrating to me. Several children were teased to the point that they left the camps early. Others were turned away or made fun of because of differing abilities. I did my best to mitigate such incidences and teach the children to use kind words and to be respectful towards one another, but it was a difficult task.

Our society is trending towards selfishness, and humor at the expense of others. It is of little consequence to make fun of ourselves and others. In fact, most comedy is aimed at ridicule. George Washington said that profanity “is a vice so mean and low. . . that every man of sense, and character detests and despises it.” How we have come to accept insults and crude language as humorous or even acceptable is beyond me. I do not wish to see this trend continue. Bullying in our schools is a real problem, and it is because we accept such language and behavior as being funny, or socially necessary to fitting in, however, it is not funny to the one who is the center of such behavior.

I work a lot with children with disabilities. I find it a blessing that many times they do not understand the intent or full impact of others language and behavior towards them. Those that do have demonstrated frustration and anger that breaks my heart. My son has been targeted at times, and will come home in tears. Children are not to blame. As parents and a community we set the example of what is acceptable. Television and media both glamorizes and shuns bullying, crude and hurtful language, and profanity. This is a trend that as parents and a community we must fight to change. My challenge to readers is to please look at your language, and the example you set. Examine what you allow to be said and done in your home, what media you allow. Is it uplifting. Does it create the environment that you hope to cultivate for your family? If not, then take our pledge and change that.

About Natalie

My name is Natalie. I am the mother of a wonderful ADHD 7-year-old, and his crazy teacher father. Think Bill Nye and the absent minded professor rolled into one and you have my life. I was just “diagnosed” with my 5th rare illness. Hopefully this will be the right one. It is called autoimmune hypophysistis, or failure of the pituitary gland, which apparently regulates all hormones necessary for normal life. This blog will share my journey, and my families fun, and anything that can make life better since we are all just muddling through.

Romans 8:28

New International Version (NIV)

I am sure that many of us have heard this verse as we have grown up in the church.  Or even if you came to faith in the Lord later on in your life, you probably heard this verse quoted.  It is one of those verses that we cling to, but I sometimes wonder if we truly believe it.

A family member is diagnosed with cancer.  A friend decides to sever ties with you.  Your marriage falls apart.  Your child rebels.  Your family turns against you.  These are things that many of us have experienced, at least in part.  I am currently going through some of these things.  I thought I had met the man of my dreams more than once in my life.  I have been rejected by so many people in my life that I sometimes wonder what’s wrong when people are actually accepting of me.

When I am in the midst of difficult situations, I sometimes find myself questioning if I have missed God’s best. Maybe I did something wrong, and now God is punishing me.  Or maybe my mistake will thwart God’s will of my life.  All these thoughts go through my mind.

Now, why is that the case?  After all, the early Christians suffered, so why should I be surprised when God allows suffering to happen to me?  I have not been asked at this point to die for my faith (I have sometimes told God that would be easier!).  As a Christian, I have not been promised an easy life.  So why do I not go back to this verse?

The easiest answer to this is that I have bought into the American church mindset.  Everything will be just fine in your life as long as you follow the Bible.  Nothing bad will happen, and if it does, then I have done something wrong.  My faith isn’t strong enough.  I missed God’s will.  I sinned.

Let me tell you a story. My daughter and I lived far from home for several years.  I went through a terrible divorce, and I was certain that I would never come back to the Pacific Northwest.  Imagine my surprise when God brought me back.  And He allowed me to go to at least four or five interviews.  I was certain that just as in the past, God would provide a full-time job for me.  After all, I came home to help my mom out, so I was doing the right thing.

I can remember the day I was driving back from an interview, and I knew I did not get the job.  I was afraid for the future, and I nearly convinced myself that I had missed God’s best.  God must not have wanted me to come back here.  How could it be His will for me to not have a job?

Through being a substitute teacher, God began to bless me.  I was certain He would provide a full-time job for the next school year.  He did not.  And then my family began to fall apart.  How could any of this be God’s will?  I was sure that I had messed up big time, and now I was reaping the consequences of being out of God’s will.

Remember what the verse says?  All things work together for good.  This means that even if we miss God’s best, it is no surprise to Him.  He is such am amazing God, that He is able to work every single thing in our lives (if we are truly His) for good.  And I have some personal evidence to back it up.

A couple years ago, when I discovered that being a substitute teacher could become a way of life for me, I decided to start my own blog.  It began slowly, and here, two years later, God has brought my blog to a place where I never could have guessed I would be.  My blog has actually been able to make me some extra money.  And if nothing else, I have a purpose in life.  God has given me a bigger ministry that I ever could have dreamed possible.

Today, I can assure you that had I never faced unemployment and only working part time, I never would have had the time to start this blog.  I realize that it is a small example, but isn’t that how God often works?  We always look for the miracles and the big things, but God works daily in small ways in our lives.  If we aren’t looking for His hand, there is a good chance we will miss Him.

So remember, my friend.  If you are truly the child of God, He will cause everything in your life to work together for good.  I am not asked to understand that.  I am merely asked to accept it by faith.  Don’t give up during the hard times.  God may just work in a way you hadn’t expected, and He is able to take the worst experience in your life and use it for good.

Ruth Hill is a blogger and substitute teacher in ten Pacific Northwest districts.  She lives in Yelm, Washington with her parents and her 9-year-old daughter, Martha.