The Help

So we recently saw the movie 'The Help' and I just loved it. I know there was some language, but honestly, I think it was appropriate for the situation, and very true to life. My favorite line from the movie was the encouragement that the main character gave to the children: You is KIND, You is SMART, You is important. I want my kids to know that.

I love this statement that I saw on one of my favorite blogs today: 

(I blog-lifted it  from Lain Ehmann at www.layoutaday.com )

Thanks, Lain

And that just about sums it up.

But the most important thing is for them to be kind. To everyone. All the time. Especially their brothers or sisters. It is easy to be kind to strangers. You only see them for a few minutes. And unless they cut you off in traffic or are rude to you is some way, most people at least tolerate others. And even open the door for you or let you go in front of you in line if you only have one item. But how do we respond to the 'rude' or 'difficult' people? Especially when they'll never know. How do we react when someone cuts us off in traffic or takes that parking spot we have been patiently waiting for?? Or that person on their cell phone who isn't paying attention to the traffic signal? Sometimes I have an easier time with this than at other times. But I try thinking about what they could be dealing with. Maybe they just got bad news. Or maybe they need to get home because their kid has been hurt. I try to offer them the same kindness and courtesy that I want someone to offer me when I do something stupid. Which I do. Regularly. Perhaps that is why I can offer them kindness. I have come to realize that I am so flawed and I think of only myself and how things that other people do affect me way too much. I fail to realize that I am not the center of the universe, and contrary to my thinking, the person did not deliberately try to make me angry or upset. They just did whatever they did without thinking about how that might affect others. Like me. Like I do so much of the time. So I try to offer them the same grace and mercy that I would want them to offer me. Cause next time, it will probably be me doing that aggravating thing that ticks him off and gets on his last nerve. Or maybe I will be ahead of you in the left lane driving 5 miles below the speed limit, talking on my cell phone. And before you get all upset, try to imagine what news I might have just gotten. Maybe none. Maybe I'm just oblivious and obnoxious. But regardless, I need grace and mercy from you. And the other drivers. And when you get zoom around me and cut me off, I will try to do the same.

But why??? Why be kind??? Because it is the right thing to do?? Well, yes. But its more than that. The Bible says, "we love because he first loved us." If we know how much he gave up for us, how he lived and died for us, and that he did it all because of his great love for us, what other response can we have? It is not a matter of what we should do, but what we are constrained to do because the love of our Savior. It is the LEAST we can do.

Still standing Amazed,
Leslie

LOAD Challenge

Don't know why that link didn't publish, but here it is again:
www.layoutaday.com



Still standing Amazed,
Leslie

New Year

Wow! I can't believe I have not blogged in such a long time! It seems impossible that 5 months have passed (well, technically, not 5 months yet, but close) since I last wrote something on here. What a bad blogger I am! But I haven't been without excuse. Here are the top reasons I have been silent:

1. My oldest daughter, now 28 decided it was time to go back to school and finish her degree that she started 10 years ago. She moved to Savannah in early September to go to the Art school there, and that was a huge adjustment as well as a busy time for the rest of us. And seems like she was home for the weekend for more time than she was at school!! (no school on Fridays made it easy!!)

2. Homeschooling happened. Even though we did not blog about it, we did it. And did guitar and piano lessons, and history, math, reading, spelling, and more. We took pictures. But they are still on my computer. I will share them soon.

3.Thanksgiving. Need I say more??? But I will. #1 daughter finished her first semester Nov. 17 and was home until Jan. 2. Wish I had that long of a break from hard stuff!! But that meant more things to do to add to the list. And food to cook. And laundry to do. Good, but busy time.

4. More travel. We went to Disney with my niece and her family from Ohio. Right after Thanksgiving. So much fun but busy. Pictures to follow....sometime.

5. Injury. Right after we got back from Disney on December 4, I was using the mandoline to slice some potatoes (you know where this is going, don't you??) and sliced a hunk of my middle finger off, as well as slicing my index finger and my thumb on my RIGHT hand. And I am right handed. It took 3 weeks to fully heal. I really lost some serious time there, because I couldn't type at all for 2 weeks. It is all better now, except it feels really funny....like the nerves are exposed or something. You can't tell by looking at it though. And every day it feels a little better.

6. Christmas parties. Several to host. MOPS here at my house December 12. And our annual Christmas breakfast for our neighbors on Christmas day. That was fun and huge. Thankfully my fingers were healed by then.

7. New Years and Alicia going back to school. She wanted us to accompany her back to Savannah, but we just couldn't. We didn't have the time that week, so....

8. More travel. We went to Savannah for MLK holiday. Left last Thursday. Back on Tuesday, late.

So here I am, finally, without excuse anymore. Except, the real excuse, the real reason is LIFE. It is just so daily. And this blog just seems to go by the wayside. So What I've decided to do is:
Join my friend Lain for her LOAD challenge. This is for scrapbooking, but I am going to use it for blogging my scrapbook pages. I hope that will help me with consistency and with digging into my memories because if I don't share them, who will?

One thing I learned while teaching literature to my kids is that one reason for reading good books is that the author is the only one with his perspective on the story he is telling. He is truly the only one who can tell that story in his way. And the same thing is true for me. And God has been showing me how he perfectly directed my life to lead me to where I am today. Sure, I've had hard things happen to me. But my perspective in hind sight is so much more than what it was when I was in the throws of the event. So I am the only one who can share that with my family, friends and with you.

So I hope you'll keep reading. I promise I will be a better blogger. It is my commitment to you, and to my family. And to my God. His story is worth telling. And reading.

If you want to join me for the Lay Out A Day challenge (LOAD), I would love it so much. Just click on the link.

Still standing Amazed,
Leslie