Archives for August 2014

Angry? 3 Things To Do Before You React

August 31, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

I listen as my 5 year old lists her favorite things about the first week of kindergarten.

Art. Gym. Library. Recess. Spanish class.

My heart is filled with joy as I recognize she’s entered a new stage and so far, she’s loving it!

But me?

It only took two days of public school for me to find myself very angry with a newly implemented school policy.

2 days.

My joy-filled heart over my daughter’s love of school turned foul quickly after listening to a simple school-wide voicemail and I knew I had to get a handle on my emotions – and quick!

Time for an adjustment to my perspective.

While I certainly don’t get this right every time, I’m sharing three tactics to use for maintaining perspective when you find anger rising up in your heart.

1. Reach In

When I experience those first feelings of anger, I know I have just a split second to decide how I’m going to react. It’s that initial trigger that stops me in my tracks and helps me start to reframe the situation to gain perspective.

Andy Stanley, in his book Enemies of the Heart, describes anger as a situation in which we feel like others owe us something. When you start to feel anger bubbling up inside, take a minute to consider what you feel like the other person or organization you’re angry with might owe you. Then decide whether or not that’s actual truth or your heart lying to you.

This pause gives you time to use the other two tactics and prevent overreacting and doing or saying something you’ll regret later.

2. Reach Out

After recognizing my anger with the school policy this week, the next step I took was to call my husband. He’s my rock and the one I turn to when I need a hefty dose of perspective.

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Maybe for you reaching out to another person might be a trusted friend or mentor, but regardless of which wise person in your life you choose, reaching out is essential. While this is not the time to gossip about a situation, a wise godly person will help you talk out a situation, calm down a bit, and help you plan your steps moving forward before you act in anger.

In my situation, my husband helped me slow down, reassess the situation, and realize there was a simple solution. In mere minutes, my anger subsided!

3. Reach Up

When we’re angry, why do we often forget to reach up to our creator, the God who made us and knows us inside and out?

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I’m learning (ever so slowly) to reach up to God and remember that it’s His Spirit living within me who gives me power to do things I wouldn’t have the strength or power to do on my own.

When we take the time to remember The Comforter is with us, living IN us, it takes our anger down a notch and begs us to reflect on God’s truths instead of the lies we may be believing in the midst of our anger.

When my anxieties multiply, your comforting calms me down. Psalm 94:19

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What about you? What do you do when anger rises up in your heart to make sure you don’t overreact? Share in the comments so we can all grow together!

Sharing today with Five Minute Friday {Reach} and Essential Fridays. Note, this post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, our family receives a small percentage of your sale (at no cost to you). We’re in the middle of radically trusting God in our finances, and every little bit helps toward our goal of financial freedom so we can faithfully follow God’s lead in our lives. Thanks for your support!

Billy Graham’s Wife’s Secret to a Happy Marriage

August 24, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

photo credit: Keoni Cabral via photopin cc

The four of us piled in our blue 10-year old mini-van and settled in for the 20 minute drive home.

The day had been a long one, filled with the kind of relationship-building and memory-making our family relishes.

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A big Saturday morning breakfast as a family, a birthday party for the daughter of a couple we adore, an extended family cookout including swimming for the littles, a baby shower for my cousin, and another birthday party cookout for the daughter of a set of dear friends that included three pregnant mammas and 8 kiddos under the age of 8 resulted in an incredibly full day.

After three meals of hot dogs and three servings of celebratory cake in the span of eight hours, we were all sugared up and wired but exhausted from all the fun.

And that’s when I made a critical mistake. I started talking about our family finances.

I know, I know. Bad move.

I should know now not to bring up finances when we’re already physically at the end of our rope for the day, but I had some new information about a financial situation surrounding our health insurance that I had forgotten to share with my husband and felt like we needed to discuss. Right then.

But in a span of minutes, our demeanors morphed from cheerful to irritated as a result of a string of misunderstood comments and ill-placed assumptions.

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For a moment, I felt like the day was ruined. A whole day of wonderful family memories, spoiled by a few minutes of frustrated conversation over a situation neither of us have any control over. What a shame.

Instead, we remembered Billy Graham’s wife’s secret to a happy marriage. And took action.

“A happy marriage is the union of two great forgivers.” – Ruth Bell Graham

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“A happy marriage is the union of two great forgivers.” – Ruth Bell Graham

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We took decisive action to change our perspective on the conversation, realizing both of us were depleted from the long day and deciding to come back to the topic when we were both fresh and able to communicate more clearly.

It took us choosing to forgive each others’ poor attitudes and snide remarks for the evening to be spared.

Next time you are frustrated with your spouse’s or a friend’s faults, remember the Bible’s clear direction on how to handle these situations.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

Ruth Bell Graham had it right. Both for marriages and for great friendships.

Today, as you interact with your spouse, friends, and family, remember to make allowance for faults and be quick to forgive. It might just be your “secret weapon” for relationship success!

Do you have any tips to share on forgiving? What other relational “tools” do you have in your toolbox to foster healthy relationships? Share in the comments.

Also, “Making Room for Forgiveness” is one of 10 practices Bill Hybel discusses in his new book Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul. I’ll be sharing more about this book soon because I’ve grown so much from working through the ten practices & I’m confident you will too. {I received a review copy from Tyndale & link is an affiliate link.}

Sharing with Mommy Monday.

Change Is All About Perspective

August 22, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

She takes my hand, walks me up the stairs, and leads me through the halls of the elementary school that will become her daily educational home in just a few short days.

It’s Open House night and although to most kindergarteners, everything is new, she walks confidently after spending four weeks in a summer program housed within these walls.

All the sudden I am grateful for those four weeks and for how comfortable she is in a new place with new people all around.

We arrive at the kindergarten hall and find her classroom. Her teacher is new. Not new to teaching or to kindergarten, thankfully, but new to the school. A swarm of last minute kindergarten enrollments sent the classroom size soaring over 23+ and the school scrambled to hire another teacher to add another classroom of kids.

We’re right on time and Ms. Nettles greets us warmly.

She is short in stature but big in personality and I can tell already it’s going to be a good year. She’s attentive and kind and, while a bit overwhelmed at the whirlwind she’s been placed in, she seems completely capable of jumping right in and readying the classroom for the kids to arrive next week.

I do my parent-ly duty, sitting in the tiny blue chair at the tiny table, filling out form upon form upon form, picking up car rider tags, talking to cafeteria ladies about nut allergies and the nut-free table, meeting with the nurse about medications, and sending my husband to collect information about the PTA and various school clubs.

After the whirlwind of papers subsides and we make it back to the minivan, I take a breath.

This is really happening. My little one is really a big girl and is going to school. It’s year one of many years of education with other adults who I pray care about her development just a fraction as much as I do.

And I realize. Change, well it’s not only coming…it’s here!

And just as I’ve been learning in other areas of my life, it’s my PERSPECTIVE that makes the difference as to how we handle the changes that come into our lives.

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Wayne W. Dyer

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What things in your life do you need to look at differently?

Maybe you need to be reminded of God’s promises in your life. Or maybe you just need a friend to talk to to gain some perspective on your situation. Whatever it is, I challenge you today to take some time to change the way you looks at things.

You never know, the things you look at…well, they might just CHANGE!

This post is part of Five Minute Friday. Today’s writing prompt was Change. Also sharing with Beauty Observed, Faith & Fellowship Friday, and Essential Fridays.

No Such Thing As “Just A Mom”

August 15, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Maybe you’ve heard it before. You’re “just a mom,” so what big impact can you make on the world?

Doing laundry, picking up toys, wiping noses, washing dishes, trekking to the playground, bathing kids, picking up toys (again)…how is that making a difference?

I’m here to tell you…there’s no such thing as “just a mom.”

Especially when you don’t have one.

Meet Hannah.

She’s the cutie in the middle with the huge grin on her face. (name changed to protect privacy) She doesn’t have a mom.

Neither do the 25 other kids standing with her and most of the 250 other kids living in her community in South Africa.

orphan south african

Here’s the thing.

Instead of a mom, she has caregivers. And those caregivers do the absolute best they can do take care of her and her friends.

But as a mom, have you ever had a day where you just needed some HELP?

You’re not “just a mom” because taking care of littles is HARD. WORK. people! And a lot of the time, we need help. It’s no small job to take care of another person’s physical needs and to be responsible for their emotional and spiritual development too.

Your daily investment into their little lives makes a difference today and for eternity.

What about Hannah?

And those who are functioning as “mom” and are investing into her life? Well, they could use some help too.

It’s been said, “it takes a village to raise a child.” In this little community in South Africa, this is so true!

And guess what? Our little community here online? We can help!

Already, members of Lisa-Jo Baker’s blog community have contributed enough money to build a watering station/laundry facility, vegetable garden, and playground to this community in South Africa they’ve adopted. I’m one of them!

Lisa-Jo Baker and her dad sharing hope orphaned & vulnerable children in the Maubane community in South Africa

And now, members of our community here at The Mosaic Life (that’s YOU!)…well, we’re going to join them!

Here’s your opportunity to join in:

Watering Station – fully funded & built

Vegetable Garden – fully funded & producing veggies

Playground – fully funded & plans prepared

Community Center (admin portion) – $28,474 of $40,000 raised

Maybe $11,526 more to raise seems like a big number to you…but do you remember the “it takes a village to raise a child” concept? It’s true with life-changing generosity too.

UPDATE: In less than 24 hours, Lisa-Jo’s community has raised almost $4,ooo. That’s 160 “just a mom”s giving $25 each as part of this ‘village’.

communitycenter

Here’s my challenge to our community.

Right now, it would take 308 people giving $25 each to raise the remainder of the funds needed for the community center.

Wondering what your $25 will provide to this community? Check out these details:

By starting by constructing the admin building, the Maubane community of 400 will have access to:

A base of operations – for the 20-30 volunteers who serve the weekly church meetings that currently take place under an open air shelter that was donated by a local church in Pretoria. What started as 15 kids has now grown to 250-300 children and 100 adults every Sunday for the last three years.

Hygienic Food Preparation – every second Sunday the volunteer group, Take Action, provides food and drinks to the community. But no running water, no kitchen, no bathrooms make it challenging to serve such a large group of people.

Sanitation – this portion of the community center will include male and female restrooms (5 stalls each).

Facilities for the caretaker – who will farm the vegetable garden and provide security and maintenance for the community center site.

Conference Room – for launching economic empowerment with training classes in job skills, early childhood development and HIV/AIDS training for the community.

Safe storage for all the tables, chairs and equipment that serves the church and is currently stored in Pastor Norman’s house.

So are you with me?

ONLY 308 PEOPLE GIVING $25 EACH = $7,700

Remember, you’re not “just a mom” and your actions, whether you perceive them as “big” or “small,” make an incredible impact on the world.

This post is part of Five Minute Friday. Today’s writing prompt was “Tell”. How can you use your words and actions today to tell the story of Jesus’ generosity in our lives?

A Reflection on Rest & Recreation – Psalm 62

August 6, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

This week I’m away with my extended family for rest and recreation.

I’m in the middle of reading the book Simplify by Bill Hybels and he shares a perspective on recreation that I just love.

Recreation is a time to re-create energy in your life. If what you consider to be “recreation” is draining your energy instead of adding value and energy to your life, you may want to reconsider your choices of entertainment and recreation.

Note: I received a review copy from Tyndale House Publishers. The book doesn’t release until August 19th, but already I’d highly recommend pre-ordering it. He shares 10 practices to unclutter your soul and so far it’s fabulous! He shares wisdom from years of experience and gives practical suggestions for real life change. This is my kind of book for sure!

reflection on rest and relaxation - lake

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So…as I pursue re-creation of energy in our lives, we’ll be sharing some time together as a family at the lake, taking the kids (5 kids ages 5 and under!) to the pool, trying out our hand at fishing and boating, playing lots of Ticket to Ride, reading, and just enjoying one another’s company.

My sister lives in Nashville (a 7 hour drive with no potty breaks), so my kids are thrilled at the opportunity to spend quality time with their cousins.

And my sister? Well she’s the best a gal could ever ask for so I’m pretty pumped about spending a week with her too!

As the summer winds down, I’d encourage you to take some time to reflect on how you can incorporate regular times of rest and recreation in your life. For Worship Wednesday, center your heart on this message and allow your soul to find rest in the security of our salvation.

My soul finds rest in God alone, my rock and my salvation. And I will not be shaken.

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If you’re reading in an email or reader, click over to the blog to view today’s Worship Wednesday video and allow your soul to breathe.

Aaron Keyes – Psalm 62

My soul finds rest in God alone, my rock and my salvation

A fortress strong against my foes and I will not be shaken
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse
And lies like arrows pierce me
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to Him who hears me

O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God

Find rest, my soul, in God alone amid the world’s temptations
When evil seeks to take a hold I’ll cling to my salvation
Though riches come and riches go, don’t set your heart upon them
The fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven

O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God

I’ll set my gaze on God alone and trust in Him completely
With every day pour out my soul and He will prove His mercy
Though life is but a fleeting breath, a sigh too brief to measure
My King has crushed the curse of death and I am His forever

O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God
O praise Him, Hallelujah, my Delight and my Reward
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God

O praise Him, O praise Him, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Note, this post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, our family receives a small percentage of your sale (at no cost to you). We’re in the middle of radically trusting God in our finances, and every little bit helps toward our goal of financial freedom so we can faithfully follow God’s lead in our lives. Thanks for your support!

God Uses Small Beginnings

August 2, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Questions of doubt swirl in my mind. Maybe in yours too.

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Who am I to make a difference with my small town life?

We live in a tiny town of 1,000 people.

How can God use me to change the world?

I’m just an introverted office-working mom with dreamer husband and a couple of crazy kiddos (and now one more on the way) living in a simple no-frills house, financially just making it month by month.

Does my offering of encouraging words really matter?

I write because I felt God’s prompting, but does my writing really change women’s perspectives and turn their hearts & lives toward the Lord?

photo credit: markus spiske via photopin cc

And then I hear His voice.

Child, I specialize in small beginnings. Just look at my creation.

Acorns grow into stalwart oak trees.

Fuzzy ugly caterpillars grow into exquisite butterflies.

Tiny seeds grow into magnificent flowers.

He speaks again:

It’s your job to be available.

To put yourself into situations to foster growth.

To seek living water and bright sunlight.

And to watch me bless your small beginning.

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Small beginnings are the launching pad to great endings. – Joyce Meyer

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I hear his voice quietly in my spirit and then again through His word. It’s more truth sinking down deep and reminding me of His faithfulness in my life.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10

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God is pleased when we’re available to be used and we submit our small beginnings to His purposes. He has designed each of us uniquely and He equips us to make a difference, rejoicing with us as we begin our journey.

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to three of my in-real-life friends who have each made themselves available to God to be used. All three have started blogs in the last couple of weeks, sharing their hearts, their stories, and their lives as they seek to make God known in their own unique ways.

Take a minute to visit and encourage these brave ladies!

Brittany writes at Momolgie, sharing her story of faithfulness through the challenges currently presenting themselves as her husband is treated for stage IV metastatic colon cancer. She also has a heart for encouraging moms, especially pregnant moms and those nursing and caring for a new little one.

Mollie writes at Faith in Plain Sight, sharing her story of how God is helping her move through years of hurt and pain to a life of freedom in Christ, one step of faith at a time. As a single mom, she can identify with Christian women in similar situations learning to navigate the waters of parenting young children.

Amy writes at A Beautiful Mess, sharing her story of freedom from a diagnosis of bi-polar/manic depressive disorder at a very young age.

What small beginning is God birthing in your life? Let’s encourage one another as we each seek and discover God’s best for our lives.

Sharing today with Five Minute Friday, Essential Fridays, The Weekend Brew, God’s Girl, Faith & Fellowship, Beauty Observed, Recommendation Saturday, Scripture and a Snapshot, Sunday Stillness, and Give Me Grace.