Thankful Thursday: "I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature."

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. 

I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” 

― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Just last night, AC and I were talking about how I seem to have more than one good friend whom I regularly spend time with.   I also have a few good friends who do not live nearby anymore, but I chat with on a regular basis.  This is an anomaly for me, as I am fairly introverted and don't deal well in most social situations.   In fact, typically having just one good friend is difficult, stressful and exhausting for me.  As well as being introverted, the Austen quote above is very true for me, and contributes to my difficulties with friendship.

This week, I am enormously thankful that God has placed this handful of women in my life, and that even through my awkwardness or sometimes inappropriate comments, they continue to be faithful.  I hope you all know who you are, and I love you.

What are you thankful for this week? Leave a comment below, and then check out some other Thankful Thursday posts here:

"The only tolerable state is having just written." Happy 1st Blogiversary!

“It's hell writing and it's hell not writing. 

The only tolerable state is having just written.”

-Robert Hass

Today marks the first "blogiversary" of Proverbs 2 Pursuit :: Wisdom.  As I look back on the last year and some of the posts I have made, I realize that I have grown in ways I did not expect.  Initially, the goal of this blog was to focus on my breakdown and learning about education, specifically as it relates to SC, and to chronicle our baby steps into homeschooling.  However, though we have done some of this, it has also been a place to talk about struggles with SC, to share the blessings God has bestowed upon our family, and a place to hash out what being a parent to SC really should look like, considering the uniqueness God created within her.  

I love what the blog has become, and while when I first started I was consumed with posting regularly in blog hops and getting my voice out there, I am much less stressed if I miss an "appointment," because I just don't have anything of quality to contribute that day.  I am okay if I don't post for a week because we were busy, or on vacation, or if my post is mostly pictures, or a brief bit of thankfulness.  I think over the past year, the blog has become less about "having a blog" and more a representation of me and our life, which is exactly what I want it to be.

So, in looking back today (which is Top Ten Tuesday), I wanted to highlight ten of my most-read/commented-upon posts, and I hope you enjoy them.

1. "Most people would walk along a path beside the river."

2. Thankful Thursday: 

"How Not to Have to [Wash] the Dishes"

3. Top Ten Tuesday:
PBS Kids Shows

4. Top Ten Tuesday:
"Home is home, though it be never so homely."

5. Top Ten Tuesday:
"Books and movies are like apples and oranges."

6. 2013-2014: K5/1st Curriculum:
"Look what a lot of things there are to learn..."

7. What 2 Read Wednesday:
"She was expecting something empowering."
Book Review: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank
stories by Nathan Englander

8. What 2 Read Wednesday:
"is the fleeting jolt of meaning that art gives us valuable?"
Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

9. "...come to this hallowed place/ Where my friends' portraits hang and look thereon..."

10. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

Which of these posts was your favorite to read, or is it one that I have not listed?  Leave a comment below, then check out some other Top Ten Tuesday posts here:

Thankful Thursday: "...and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."

"The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." 

Psalm 19:1

This Thursday I am thankful that in the midst of a hot July in Texas, God blessed us with not only a much needed rainstorm, but a whole day of drizzle, cool temperatures and light breezes last Sunday, which became a much needed day of relaxing together as a family.

We started out early in the morning having coffee (AC and I) on the back porch, and then SC and I tried out her new "watercolor" pencils.  We decided to draw some of our backyard sunflowers.  These pencils are neat because you use them first to draw with, and then you can use a small paintbrush with water over the top to create a "watercolor" effect.

We moved inside to make breakfast, and then went back out with some peppermint tea, a book for me, the book AC is working on for him, and some fun playtime in the rain for SC.  She kept her pajamas on all day, but added her rain boots, and spent time toting buckets of water from the gutter downspout to her "pie" in the wheelbarrow (which had previously been filled with dirt and debris).  She also pulled a bunch of weeds to throw in and mix about.  

We didn't finally come inside until mid-afternoon (when GoldCup soccer was starting), and had to put SC directly into the bath.

It was a wonderful day of rest, especially since AC left Sunday night for a week-long business trip to New Hampshire, and was just what we all needed.

Are you thankful for an unexpected break from the summer heat, too?  Leave a comment below, and then check out more Thankful Thursday posts here:

"The apparition of these faces in the crowd ..."

In a Station of the Metro

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petals on a wet, black bough.

— Ezra Pound

I spent about an hour last night trying to fall asleep, but struggling, and the oddest thing was on my mind.  I really felt called to write about it, because maybe my little bit of writing might find someone who needs it someday.  What kept me up was the demand on women and teen girls to completely cover their faces with makeup.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I think makeup is fun, and I do wear it (on occasion).  However, I think the relationship that many women and teen girls have with makeup is unhealthy.  Most women and girls wear makeup because they are trying to hide their true faces, because they find them flawed.  They do not like the way they look.  

I used to be like this, too, and the road to self-acceptance was long and difficult.  When I was a young teen, I was horribly awkward looking, having developed the body of a woman already.  However, I had not exactly grown into my features yet.  I was teased and picked on by some very jealous girls, who said some very hateful things that to this day I still remember.  Add some goofy glasses, and I was very uncomfortable with my outward appearance.  I understood that, in the society of middle school, popularity was directly related to how you looked on the outside, and the girls who were the most popular (1) wore the most expensive "fashionable" clothes and (2) wore the most (and most expensive) makeup.  I honestly did not like many of these girls, and I have no idea why I wanted to emulate them, so all I can say is that the middle school years are hard and young teens will try anything to figure out who they really are.

Once I was able to get a job, I worked in the retail environment, selling "fashionable" clothing.  This was another area where outward appearance was pushed heavily, including the style of makeup that the employees wore.  We even had a employee meeting in which one of the managers spent time showing all the other women exactly how their makeup should be applied.  The constant message we received was "you are not good enough to represent the brand on your own - make yourself BETTER."

Why would anyone want women and young adults to think that their bodies are not good enough?  Well, it all points back to the driving force behind the products - money.  If women and teens think they are not good enough, they will spend an exorbitant amount of money trying to make themselves "better," be it through fashionable clothes, expensive accessories, the latest in "change-your-body" tricks and diets, and massive amounts of makeup.  If you aren't sure, take a look at every magazine geared toward women and teens.  They all tell the same thing, that we will be "better" if we just [insert change here], and it almost always involves spending money (usually from the advertisers for said magazine).

After I had SC, I had horrible post-partum depression, and it ended up being a very good thing.  I rarely did my hair (which ended up growing out very long, a look that I now love) and I stopped wearing makeup.  I just never felt like putting myself together.  I also may have spent more than my fair share of time in yoga pants and AC's t-shirts, but that is for another blog post.  

Seeing myself every day without makeup really gave me a chance to get used to my face.  And you know what, eventually I liked what I saw.  I got past the preconceived notions that I had heard from others since middle school and was able to see the real me.  Now, my skin had changed from the hormonal changes of having a baby, so once I got out of my PPD funk, I spent probably two years bouncing from cleanser to cleanser and moisturizer to moisturizer, trying to find what worked for ME (rather than the latest "fad").  Eventually, when AC and I would go out on a date, I wanted to try makeup again, but I was so uncomfortable in it.  I just didn't know what the goal of wearing it was.   I asked myself what my purpose was, and why I wanted it.  I came to realize that I liked to accentuate my features on occasion, but that even doing it for AC wasn't the right reason.  I needed to do it for me, and not because I didn't like the way I looked, but because I liked something so much that I wanted it to stand out more sometimes (like my eyes).

However, I had spent so much time away from doing makeup, I still didn't have the knowledge to find the products I needed to do what I wanted.  So, I spent time researching on the internet and looking at brands and products that I might want to wear.  I read reviews and looked up information about health/safety issues and some of the ingredients in said products.  I spent some time at Sephora getting a "free" makeover, but I didn't let them push me around.  I knew which products I wanted to try out, and I knew which I didn't.  I knew what my goal with wearing makeup was, and it wasn't just to wear makeup.  

So, now, on a daily basis I rarely wear makeup, and when I look at myself in the mirror on the way out the door (and I do look), I like what I see.  Then there are times when I want a little extra oomph and I put on makeup that accentuates what is already there.  So, here are two pics, one with makeup, one without, and I think I look beautiful in both of them.

  
So, ask yourself this question:  Are you wearing makeup to cover-up/mask or define/accentuate?  One of these reasons is inherently negative, while the other is inherently positive.  Whichever reason you are doing it, then ask yourself WHY.  If your answer to why has anything to do with other people or the status quo (because you feel you have to or that society has determined it is what you should be doing or someone has failed to see the real you and asked you to change), try taking a makeup break for a few weeks.  Spend some time finding a good cleanser and moisturizer, and focus on getting used to the beauty that God created.  Then, after some time with the real you, reevaluate the WHY before going back to makeup 24/7/365.

Remember, we are all created in His image (Genesis 1:27), and He is nothing if not beautiful.  I hope that I can pass this message along to SC when the time comes, that she was created beautiful, and that makeup is a fun addition, but by no means a necessary one.

What do you think on the topic of makeup, self-image and beauty?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: "you and I are the light that endures..."

Whoever loved as we did? Let us hunt
for the ancient cinders of a heart that burned
and make our kisses fall one by one,
till that empty flower rises again.

Let us love the love that consumed its fruit and went
down, its image and its power, into the earth:
you and I are the light that endures,
its irrevocable delicate thorn.

Bring to that love, entombed by so much cold time,
by snow and spring, by oblivion and autumn,
the light of a new apple, light

of a freshness opened by a new wound,
like that ancient love that passes in silence
through an eternity of buried mouths.

Love Sonnet XCV, 100 Love Sonnets: Cien Sonetos de Amor
Editorial Losada, Buenos Aires, 1960 (trans. Stephen Tapscott, 1986, p. 201)

This week AC and I are celebrating ten years since we met (we celebrate two anniversaries each year), so I wanted to focus on one memorable thing from each year of our relationship for my Top Ten Tuesday.

1. January 24, 2003: Technically, AC and I met the day before, Thursday, January 23, when we both agreed to go out to dinner with two other mutual friends, but after spending the evening pretty much ignoring them (sorry Y & K!), we went on our first official date the very next day, after setting it up via text.  What can we say, we were cutting edge.  I remember I went to the movie theatre where we were supposed to meet and I was terrified I wouldn't recognize him, even though I had spent so much time with him the night before!

2. 2004: AC and I traveled to Long Beach, California with my parents and brother to visit family, and so the boys could go watch Texas thwart Michigan in the Rose Bowl game.  However, this trip was memorable because we went to Disneyland with the family, and it was cold and rainy, which resulted in AC and I having an absolute blast acting like silly kids because there were so few other people at the park.

3. 2005:  AC and I were married on July 23, 2005, exactly two and a half years after we met.  We were married in a very small ceremony, at AC's parents' home, by the same minister who married them.  I honestly do not know how women handle the stress of a large wedding, because I was completely overwhelmed by a small one.  I remember not getting teary-eyed until AC did, when I was repeating my vows.

4. 2006:  We took our honeymoon (finally) to Whistler, Canada, and it was the first time I ever traveled out of the country.  We absolutely fell in love with Whistler, and it is at the top of our list of dream places to live.

5. 2007: AC and I took a trip to Chicago to see the Bears play in the NFC Championship game.  We also got a dog, whom we named "Rexy," after the worst quarterback to ever play in the SuperBowl.  Being a Green Bay fan, I told AC it was the ultimate act of submission as a wife to go cheer for his team, but I had a blast.

6. 2008: Our beautiful baby girl, SC, was born in May of this year, a whopping 8 lbs. 15 oz.

7. 2009: This year, unfortunately, will be remembered for the week of spring break, when I ended up in the hospital on St. Patrick's Day having to have my gallbladder removed, and while I was recovering, SC developed an ear infection, had a febrile seizure (her first) at Target, and was rushed to a different hospital about forty miles away from the one I was in.  I was able to get checked out, and my father-in-law drove me to the other hospital, where they pronounced SC okay to go home.

8. 2010: This year (and half of 2011, technically) will be remembered for how I worked as a high school English teacher (all four grades), and I missed out on so much of life with AC and SC.  I know now that my circumstances (the school, the economy, etc) made things much more difficult, but I am glad I had the experience because I realized I was missing out, and now I relish the time I get to spend with SC and AC.  

9. 2011: This is the year we spent trying to get back on track from the craziness of having a job that was so demanding.  AC started traveling more, and I got to tag along to San Francisco for the first time.  We spent family time in Southern California, taking SC to Disneyland (again - she has been a few times) and playing at the beach in the winter.  We started going to a new church, and made some great new friends.  We tried to get healthy by eating Paleo (though it is easier for me to do at home than AC to do while he is traveling).  It was a year of living life.

10.  2012: This last year will be remembered for the great family times we had, many around traveling.  We went to visit family in Kansas and Portland, OR.  SC and I tagged along with AC on an amazing trip to Curacao.  I was able to meet up with AC again in San Francisco, and we spent a great "adult" weekend with some friends in Las Vegas.

So, we obviously love to travel, as most of my memories have to do with traveling.  AC and I are great traveling companions, as we typically have similar agendas as to what we want to do and see, and SC has been a great tiny traveler addition to our journeys.

AC, I am so glad that I gave in to Y and met up with her and K for dinner that night.  When I look back, I am awestruck that God planned out what otherwise would be countless coincidences to bring us together, including my decision to go that evening.  I know that He created you for me, and I for you.  I cannot believe that it has been ten years, and I cannot wait for whatever adventures and experiences the next ten years will bring.

What is your favorite memory of the past ten years?  Leave a comment, then check out more Top Ten Tuesday posts here:

Top Ten Tuesday: "when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~Thornton Wilder

In light of the Thanksgiving holiday approaching at the end of this week, I decided to focus my top ten on the food I am looking forward to both making and eating.  You can read more about part of the family tradition on my father-in-law's cooking blog There's a Hippy in the Kitchen.

1. Apple Pie - This pie I make myself, and was lovingly dubbed "Christmas pie" by a friend when I attempted to make a traditional 4th of July apple pie.  Instead of a fresh apple flavor, I managed to recreate Christmas in  a bite, though it is not necessarily a bad thing.

2. Cherry Pie - This is the pie my mom makes that is her grandmother's recipe, and has been something I look forward to every year since I was very young.

3. Bread - My brother-in-law has a knack for baking bread and whichever recipe he brings to our feast will be absolutely delicious.

4. Mom's School Rolls - Yes, these are the rolls you remember from the elementary school hot lunch line.  My mom has worked in a school cafeteria since my brother and I were in elementary school and this is one of the great recipes she has brought home with her.  There is nothing like these fluffy rolls.

5.  Butter - Last year at Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law brought out a butter churn from her mother's house, something they used to do all the time on the farm.  We had a blast passing it around, whipping heavy cream until it turned into butter.  It was delicious. This year, I plan on bringing butter to dinner, but I will be using my Kitchenaid mixer instead of doing it by hand.

6. Turkey Gravy - I am not a gravy fan at all, unless it is turkey gravy.  I love it on my potatoes, but not so much on my turkey.

7. Mashed Potatoes - AC makes the best creamy mashed potatoes, and I am looking forward to sampling them before we head to my in-laws house.

8. Cranberry Mousse - This is my father-in-law's famous recipe and Thanksgiving would not be the same without small bowls of this pink deliciousness decorating the table.  Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try it on their table this year!

9. Green Beans - There is nothing special about these, but they are my favorite vegetable.

10. Turkey - I am a dark meat eater, because I typically find that the white meat is too dry (even when it really isn't). Yes, I know this is last on the list.  It just doesn't compare to all the other foods.

I asked SC what she was looking forward to eating for Thanksgiving and she said "mac 'n' cheese."  Somehow, if the message gets passed along, I bet BOTH grandmothers will have this offering, just for her.

What are you looking forward to eating on Thursday?  Leave a comment, then check out other top ten lists at:

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Thankful Thursday: "...as you did it to one of the least of these..."

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, 

as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" 

-Matthew 25:40

This week for Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that our sponsor information packet arrived from Compassion International.  AC and I have actually been talking about sponsoring a child for a while, because though we both have a heart for adoption, it just isn't in the cards for us at this moment.  Sponsoring a child was the next logical step, but neither of us actually went out and signed up.  

In the last few weeks, we have been dealing with SC being a product of the technology generation and have really taken a hard look at what we have compared to what so much of the world has, and how we can express to SC that she is so blessed.  We do not want to raise an entitled child, who demands to be entertained during dinner, in the car or when she is "bored" at home.  In fact, we thought we would never be those parents who hand over a phone or other device at a restaurant or have movies playing in the car.  Things have changed quite a bit in the past four and a half years since she was born.  

So, when I signed up to sponsor a child, I wanted to choose a girl who is the same age as SC, because I think as SC grows, it will be easier for her to compare her life with that of a child her own age.  I was really excited that one of the first girls I was shown was born only two days after SC.  I immediately selected her, and tried to wait patiently for the packet to arrive.

Our little girl's name is Oneydi, and lives in El Salvador.  SC cannot wait until we get back from our next tag-along trip with AC to start making her cards (stamped with both girls' names) and send her some small gifts, like stickers.  We have also already been able to talk about how her life might be different from SC's, as well as what things might be the same (they both care for animals as a chore, though I imagine Oneydi's animals are much larger).

Now, we are not doing this so we can say "there are starving children in third-world countries, so you have to eat your dinner" or in any way threaten her to feel guilty about what she does have.  We want her to see how blessed she is, and to raise up a child who loves to give to those who need in the same way that we have been given to cover our needs.  We want to educate her that not everyone lives the way we do, but show her that God's love extends to the deepest, darkest reaches of the Earth, and that He can use us to spread His love.  We want her to feel that giving is so much better than receiving.  We want SC to, hopefully, be able to develop a friendship with Oneydi rather than simply think of her as someone "less than" us who needs our help - to really know that we are all equal in the eyes of God/love.

Do you sponsor any children through Compassion or another organization?  What type of gifts have you found to be the best/most liked/easiest to send?  Leave a comment, then check out what some others are thankful for at:

Thankful Thursday: "A happy family is ..."

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."

-Sir John Bowring

When AC and I met, I knew he was the one when I realized I could be even my silliest with him (I am usually a pretty serious person) because he did not feel it detracted from who I am most of the time, but rather added to my multifaceted personality.  On the flip side, AC also has various aspects of his personality that range from silly to serious, and blended together, we fit.  It is obvious that God created each for the other, and that our marriage was His plan all along.  Similarly, and this is something we tell SC all the time, she specifically was created by God to be our child specifically.  Even though I know this, it still is such a relief to me that SC is a little bit of each of us, plus quite a bit of her own, and like a puzzle, it works really well for us.

This afternoon, as I was preparing to blow my straw paper toward the back of the car at SC, I was struck by a wave of gladness that we are the type of family who blows straw paper at each other.  We are the type of family that makes funny faces at each other, and plays in the rain, and digs in the dirt, and spends endless time tickling.  We are the type of family that dyes our hair semi-permanent pink or purple "just to see how it looks."  To me, that means we stick together, no matter what (we blow straw paper at nice restaurants, too), and can take a break from the stress of life to just enjoy life with each other.  I am thankful that I have been blessed with a family with a great collective sense of humor, and that we have such a good time just being together.  I am thankful that God knows just what I need in my life, from the goofy-and-smart husband who indulges my football whims, right down to the beautiful little girl He has blessed us with.


What are you thankful for today?  Leave a comment, then check out what some other people are thankful for at:

Top Ten Tuesday: "Blessed is the influence ..."

"Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another." - George Eliot

As we go about our lives, both in everyday activities and within our homeschooling adventures, there are things that I think it is very important for SC to see me doing.  Not everything that SC needs to be taught can be simply told to her or taught in a way that fits neatly under any of the educational styles, but rather she needs to have these things demonstrated and modeled for her.  



This week my top ten will focus on ten things I want to model to SC, and hopefully model well.

1. Love:  This is the most important thing I think SC needs to see me doing - loving both her and AC, as well as demonstrating love for family, friends and others in our community. My goal is to love in the way Jesus loved us, selflessly and without expectation of these feelings being returned, and in a way that emulates 1 Corinthians 13.

2. Faith:  This is the second most important thing for SC to see me doing, and I do not mean for her to simply observe an outward faith, one that I speak of on occasion when it is time for church.  I want her to really understand that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).  For me, faith comes from the heart, and it is the heart knowing a truth that the mind cannot comprehend.  I want her to see that I have this faith, and specifically faith in God and His promises; faith that Jesus died for her.  I want her to find this faith for herself and be confident in it.

3. Wisdom:  In our American culture it has become very popular to act unintelligent, to appear unlearned, and to make foolish choices in an attempt to create humor.  I do not think this has created a better civilization for us to live, but has created a culture of selfish, hateful citizens.  James 3:16-17 says "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."  I want SC to see me using the intellect God gave me, making wise choices, and foremost, asking God for guidance so that I am sure my choices are wise.

4. Literacy:  Along with the growing popularity of foolishness and appearing unlearned is the declining popularity of reading.  This has been helped by the drastic development in technology, which has been portrayed by many as more fun and less work than reading books.   I think in order to combat this ideology, SC must see me choosing to use my free time reading, and expressing that reading is a pleasure.  Honestly, I love to read, so this in and of itself will not be difficult, but I know that when I read to her (and, eventually, when I ask her to read on her own) I need to make sure it is never forced or portrayed as a chore but as a way to enjoyably spend time.

5. Tolerance:  I think most Christians get a negative reputation for being intolerant, but I also think that is due to a societal change in the definition of the word "tolerance."  Mirriam-Webster defines tolerance as "sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own," but our society has manipulated the word to mean not just accepting the existence of beliefs other than one's own, but that in order to be tolerant, one must accept those beliefs as, if not truth, then plausible.  This is not true tolerance, and for a Christian to accept other religions' beliefs as truth is counter-Biblical.  In John 14:6, Jesus tells the disciples “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  That does not allow for much room for other religions' ideas to even be considered as plausible.  However, I do believe that Christians should be tolerant, as long as being tolerant means only accepting the existence of other beliefs while holding true to God's word.  This also means that Christians should lovingly follow the great commission, but that is another blog post.  All in all, I hope that I am able to demonstrate to SC true tolerance, but in conjunction with being tolerant, I need to make sure I am demonstrating love to those who need it and providing SC with Biblical truth.

6. Loyalty:  This is another characteristic that has become antiquated in our current American society.  Again, our society has become self-serving, promoting "winning" and financial gains over honesty and integrity.  I hope SC learns from me what it means to be loyal, just as God is loyal to us.  In Deuteronomy 31:8, Moses assures Joshua "The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."  I want to emulate God in this, and I want SC to learn to be loyal rather than focusing on her own selfish desires.

7. Compassion / Charity:  I lumped these together because I think it is hard to have one without the other.  Being compassionate should beget charity out of love, and the act of providing charity should have compassion as its motive.  I hope SC sees me give with a loving heart, desiring nothing in return.

8. Patience:  If there is one item on this list that I have to pray daily about, this is it.  I am naturally very impatient, especially with people, and SC tries what little patience I have.  That being said, I think it is very important that SC sees me being patient, both with her, as well as at other times when the desire to be impatient creeps up.  I think patience begets peace in that it allows time for understanding and, ultimately, wisdom to make Godly choices.

9. Diligence:  This is another unpopular characteristic in society - to be seen as having a passion for something, working hard toward a goal and achieving it.  It is much more popular to take the path or least resistance and accept what comes along.  Proverbs 18:9 says "He also who is slack in his work/ Is brother to him who destroys." I want SC seeing me work hard toward a goal, and sticking with something, even if it is difficult.  I want her to value quality results over quick results, and to learn the satisfaction and rewards of being diligent.

1o. Forgiveness:  Though this is last on the list, it is by no means last in importance.  It is commanded in the Bible that in order to receive God's forgiveness, we must first forgive others (Matt. 6:14-15).  However, I believe that this command is evidence that forgiveness is cyclical.  We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:7-21), and in His loving, he sent Jesus Christ, God incarnate, perfect and blameless, to receive the punishment we deserve in our stead.  This outpouring of love exemplifies his forgiveness of us, and if we are to truly receive this forgiveness, we must come to love others in the way that God loves, offering forgiveness.  I want SC to see me genuinely love by forgiving others (including her), and to learn that nothing that occurs to her is unforgivable.


Any comments, advice or opinions are welcomed.  Don't forget to check out other "Top Ten Tuesday" posts here.