Price of Your Love Tag

What is the right price of your love tag?

Love will never selfishly take away from you. If anything it will always add to you, in any relationship. Love will understand. Love will accept. Love will support. This means that your friend, a true friend, should be someone who accepts you for who you are, but is not afraid to tell you the truth, even when it hurts.

When friendship only benefits one side of the equation, it is not true companionship. Relationships require a healthy balance of give and take.

Life Saver and Boundary Maker Word

This sentence is a life saver and a boundary maker. Examples in layman's terms:

"Nope, ain't gonna do that."

"No, I'm not going."

"Thank you, but I'm not available."

"No, I'm sorry. I don't think our friendship is healthy any more."

"No, we can't make it that day. We have a family event."

"No, I will not work overtime."

"No, I will not stress over this situation."

"No, I will not stoop to your level."

"No, I will not let your drama affect me." (I really wanted to put crap in there initially.)

"No, I refuse to let you get to me." (I wonder if I add, freak you, if that would be wrong. I guess it would be huh.)

You get the point right?

No can be a beautiful word or sentence, and you don't even have to be nasty. Explanations are for those who have earned it, and are not necessarily required for the adult toddlers in your life. (Get it?)

Don't Miss Out on the Blessing

A blessing should not be limited in our minds to those small occasions. There are opportunities to bless and to receive. I find it’s easier to give than to receive. Perhaps it’s because of the joy of being the imparter and seeing the impact. However, when you do not let another person bless you, it steals the joy of their giving and an opportunity for them to be further blessed. You see blessings have a ripple affect. It doesn’t remain with the giver or the receiver. The impact continues to roll because we get motivated to continue to bless others. Indirectly or directly the blessing is never limited to one individual. There are actions and words that can inspire and can continue to roll into the broader realm of unlimited time. Think of the wonderful things a teacher may have done; a parent or a friend.

Perhaps a mindset shift is in order. These few reminders will help us to balance and become a better receiver (and yes this includes me!).

1. Accept Help. We have the mentality that to receive help is a sign of weakness. Love or friendship can be expressed in different ways. When someone asks to help you, they are also saying you’re important; I want to be there for you and love on you.

2. Accept Compliments. How many of us are guilty of hearing a nice compliment with a ready rebuttal? Instead of coming back with ‘you must be mistaken’ or with ‘no I’m not’, how about the words ‘Thank you’. It will put a smile on both your faces and even lighten up your step for a few moments.

3. Accept Advice. There may be a lot of unwanted advice out there, but there are a lot of good ones that come your way from those who love you most and are truthful, even when it hurts. You know who they are in your life.

4. Accept the ‘God Bless You’. We take those words for granted and have no idea how powerful those words are in our lives. They care enough to want the very best for you when they speak those words.

5. Accept and relish the investment of others in you. When people take the time out to look for you and spend time with you, acknowledge the value of family and friendship. Not everyone has that experience.

6. Accept the gift. How often have we gotten into a tug of war in a store line with a family or friend when they wanted to pay for something; or in a small match because someone who couldn’t afford to buy you something did? The reaction from the giver was probably that of sadness or hurt. (Hmmmm…something to think about.)

7. Accept the celebration. People take a lot of time and effort to celebrate you because of a great accomplishment or milestone. Don’t get all weird. Enjoy the celebration, the time with others, throw the false modesty out the window and have fun.

8. Accept the ‘I love you’. Here’s where a few of us get all weird. I admit I’m guilty of this because I was taught the words ‘I love you’ are powerful and should not be said lightly. This sentiment is not shared by all who say it. People can at times say it because for that moment in time you impacted them so deeply that they gushed with that feeling and expressed it. Here’s what we forget. There are different levels of love but they all can be genuine for that moment in time – in most cases. You should be able to discern the difference between liars who want something vs. folks who states it from the heart.

I bet you didn’t realize that things we think as common are actually blessing in our lives. Today, make a conscientious decision of being an accepter and not just a giver. Remember, you bless others by accepting blessings well.

Time is a Gift

Time is the gift that you do not get back. Yet you and I take it for granted. We don't appreciate certain moments because they do not feel like gifts. We miss the lesson.

The richness of life is being able to differentiate the bad and the good; what's missing and what you posses, and what is worth the investment; be it people, places and of course, time.

Time is what you give people or a place, be it a job, a home, a church, a trip, etc. The more time you pour into some one, some place or something, the more valuable it becomes to you. For that reason, it becomes a contradiction when you tell someone you love them or care about them and don't make time.

It's not because you're not spending time with them that becomes the offense. It's because time is precious and as it moves forward, you have less of it here on earth.

The world is full of regrets because of the unsaid I love you's, the missed opportunities of I forgive you and the sudden realization that time is limited or has run out.

Gosh this a challenge, right...to become conscientious of how time slips by, but better to plan, reach out and say what's on your heart then miss out, be pained and even regret.

Live...conscientious of time. Remember time is a gift.

God is Listening

So Rich shared about a time where a young man was shot and he happened to be in the vicinity. He explained that he took the young man's face in his hands and told him that he was going to die and pass into eternity. As blood spurt out of his chest, Rich asked the young man to ask Jesus to forgive him. His last breath was taken with those words.

When I asked my hubs if I could post this, he reminded me of another time that a similar shooting had occurred with another young man. Weeks later, he approached that particular young man's mother after she left the courtroom in tears. He explained that he was the last one to be with her son and he had prayed with him right before he died. The woman collapsed. She had been praying for her son for years.

When I heard the first story, the first thought that came to mind was that there must have been a praying mother somewhere.

Some of you mothers with children with issues need to be reminded that God answers prayers. It may not be the answer that you envision but He never leaves a prayer unanswered when it comes from a mom...no matter how late she thinks it is or was.

Be encouraged tonight. God is listening.

Beautiful

Beautiful. The word that is used to express how attractive something or someone is. It’s a word that often brings a smile to the lips of a woman. At times she can be taken aback or be dismissive, depending on the seriousness, the moment, the feelings that are enveloping her.

Beautiful describes the heart of many women who are selfless and give without expectation. Beautiful are those women who day after day, care for those they love. Beautiful are those women who teach each and every day through their actions and not just with their words. Yes beautiful.

Each day we are graced with beautiful women who allure those around her not by their physical nature but by the gentleness of their spirit and the enticement of their kind heart.

Beautiful is such a thrown-around word in society and equates to the curvaceous model that strides the runways. Perhaps that’s why our women no longer believe that phrase when addressed to them. The competition with gorgeous models makes one shrink when the natural inclination of an ordinary women’s mind goes automatically into comparison mode.

Beautiful is a word that lifts the spirit and elates the heart of the receiver.  It's the affirmation that every little girl, every young woman, every single woman regardless of age should receive throughout her lifetime. And yet, even when said, why does she still cringe and compare even when she knows logically that she shouldn’t?

Why not relish it, revel in it and accept it? Why not? What will she lose? What will you lose?  

Be beautiful. You are beautiful. Accept the compliment and pay it forward.  

Glass House...More Thoughts

Glass allows you to look in and, in most cases, is fragile. Often people are critical of others and ignore the fact that their house is also made up of glass.

Kindness goes a long way and is not limited to actions filled with compassion. Actually kindness is also tied with what comes out of our mouths.

When we view others as glass, we become careful with our actions and words. We don't want to crack them. We want to polish them...to edify. It doesn't matter the fault, we want to cover them with love...again in actions and in words.

Glass House

There are times when you can see your reflection on glass. Women especially love it because she can do a quick check of makeup, hair and wardrobe.

How you get dressed internally matters also. Your personality, your reaction and how you roll is reflected in your do and words. It is a reflection of what is going on inside of you.