Acts 16:22-34 Thoughts
"Saints Paul and Silas lived a life of praise - they never lost hope" -Blessed is She
In all circumstances, they praised God because they knew whatever was going on He would provide. They preached to those who were unkind to them because they loved God, so they loved all men.
"We are called to a deeper love - one that does not expect reciprocity. It is offered freely and openly, on bad days and good, and can convert hearts" - BIS
"As we grow in our faith and become able to praise Him even in our darkest moments, we reflect the light of Christ to others. Living the faith is the best way to share the faith, and sharing the faith can save souls." - BIS
"As Christians, we are not supposed to pick and choose when we love God, nor should we pick and choose who is or is not worthy of our love here on earth." - Dr. MaryRuth Hackett
I can't be selfish with my love and only give it to those I think of as "worthy". I have to let go of my ego and allow my love to be spread all over. Those who are mean or rude are the ones who need love more. And I need to be reminded of that. I AM the face of Christ, and if I love God, I love His people. I can either turn others toward God or away.
Especially as a Mama, I know Nora's always looking at me - the things I say, do, how I treat Don and others. I have a huge responsibility to be kind, loving, and respectful as an example to her. I'm just praying God is with me and will guide me. I'm definitely trying my best to keep calm and cool and flexible over things, not to overreact. We're currently doing this "little problem/big problem", where I tell her if a mistake is a little problem or a big problem. This way, she'll learn to react appropriately so she can slowly learn what's a big deal or a little deal.
She is such a light during this time. It's such a blessing to be her Mama and have her at this age/stage. Don can be a little hard on her at times, I think he expects a little more from her than she's developmentally able to do, but I know he means well. It's just hard sometimes when we have different ideas of how we want to parent. I just hope she's not too confused or anything.
She's definitely a wild, energetic kid and at times I don't feel equipped enough to raise her, but I know God is with me. That phrase, "God is with me"... will always remind me of when Nora plays David & Goliath. We pretend to be giant Goliath and she pretends to sling a rock at us. When we fall down, she says, "God is with me!!!" It's so good. Whenever she talks about God, or prays for Jesus, or blows kisses to Mama Mary, my heart is filled with so much grace. I feel the Holy Spirit happy in my heart. Those are the moments I feel like God is happy with me and telling me I'm doing good.
If I can be the light to Nora, she'll be able to be the light to others and continue to spread God's love all over. The people we love will be affected by it and spread it, as well.