Hey Mom :)
I just wanted to tell you that I love you! I know the plan was to be together for your birthday, but even though our plans change, I want you to know that no matter where we’re at, TODAY WE CELEBRATE YOU!
I can’t thank you enough for the wisdom, care, and unconditional love you pour into my life, so I wanted to share a couple of the many, many lessons you have taught me. Some require explanations and others are self explanatory, so enjoy!

1. Try Your Best, But Grades Are Not Everything // The freedom I felt with this statement growing up. While kids were petrified to go home and tell their parents they got “satisfactory” grades, I knew I might have explaining to do…but I knew that my parents valued who I was as a growing person more than what grade I got on my report card every nine weeks.
2. Take Hooky Days // Some of my most favorite childhood memories were made on days taken off of school. Whether we took day trips to Disney World, or if she checked me out of school to go see a movie. She taught me that memories are made all the time, not just during Spring and Summer break.
3. “You Represent This Family” // AKA don’t act a fool and use your manners — your momma raised you better than that!
4. Birthdays Are BIG DEALS // People are big deals, and we should make everyone feel special and so loved!
5. Christmas & Easter are also BIGGER DEALS // Because Jesus is the BIGGEST DEAL! Also, I think I have turned this into holidays are big deals! Specifically these two though, because Jesus is the best!
6. Use Your Manners // Because manners are not only everything, but they go such a long way.
7. When you date, (and then break up) leave your relationship and the person better than you started it.
8. Prep Before & Make Too Much // My mom is the ultimate host. Buffet style, prayer before the meal, plenty to drink with lots of ice, and NEVER forget about dessert & coffee. Always be thinking ahead, so prep as much as you can before to make it easy on yourself the day of. BTW if you are ever host people, you never want to run out of food, so always prep more serving than you are expected to serve.
9. Be able to say sorry when you’re wrong.
10. “Blame Me” // Or the “You can always call your mom.” I wish I would’ve taken advantage of this more, but I’m sure you all know this one. You’re walking out of the door to go somewhere with friends, “If anything happens, call me I’ll come get you!” OR how about this situation... you randomly text your mom "say no". You call your mom 10 minutes later in front of your friends, sounding *super* hopeful she's going to say "Yes!" to that thing you're about to ask her to go do. But she says no (?!?). Mom, thanks for always being there.
11. Actions Speak Louder Than Words // Mom, you live this one out.
12. Retail Therapy // We know it's not REAL REAL, but I do know that long car rides with you to the mall, deep talks in shops, laughing over our Chinese lunch in the food court, and a good Tory Burch bag -- that was real. And the best kind of day filled with the best kind of memories with the best kind of mom (YOU)!
13. Be Honest, Don’t Lie // You said it best, "Nothing to remember when you tell the truth!" Also, how did you always catch me in lies? How did you always know? I've never been any good at getting one past you lol. 
14. Stand Up For What You Believe In // If we have a conviction, we should know why we think it and we should be able to defend it. If someone is being mistreated, say something. If you don’t think something is unfair, say so. Have a question, ask! Mom, you taught me that my voice matters, so thank you for that.
15. Be A Leader, Not A Follower // Mom, seeing you work so hard everyday, taught me that I am fully capable of making my own way in life.
16. Never Forget Where Home Is // And you never meant a place, but you always meant people — people that make you feel like home.
17. “Be Sweet, Kind and Loving” // I don’t specifically know where you got this phrase, but it will always make me think of you. Whenever I didn’t know what to do, or whenever I got so mad I couldn’t form words, you always met me with this phrase. It grounded me then, but is something I often think about now. I know that Fraz and I will pass this phrase down to our kids because it not only reminds me of you, but it reminds me of the best lesson you taught me...
18. "I Don't Care What You Do, As Long As You Fall Madly In Love With Jesus" 

Mom, I love you! And I hope this birthday is beyond special for you today because you deserve it!

Over the past 26 years I've had some success (mostly failure) when it comes to loving people well. However, I am growing and learning from Jesus more and more every single year. For many, love is a feeling, for others it is an action, but it's crazy to me that love is who God is, not even a simple characteristic, but it's literally WHO HE IS. Every year Easter time makes me very reflective (and weepy) about God's love for us. And every Easter I am reminded that 1 Year = 365 opportunities (366 this year!) to show the love that I have found in Christ to others. So, here are 26 things I've learned from Jesus and others around me in order to love others, from friends and foes to strangers and sinners, well.

1. Go beyond the small talk // I could small talk all day if that's what other people really want to do, but there is something so special about sharing memories and ideas with others. Get curious and ask questions. Figure out their family history, favorite memories with their kids, enneagram number, the way they like their eggs cooked. I challenge you to go beyond the small talk and get to the heart of what makes people themselves!

2. Look beyond yourself // In a world full of "self" (whether it's being selfish or simply having a wonderful self-care day), it's easy to get tunnel vision on your goals and your dreams. Don't forget about people, even if they forget about you.
 
3. Just be kind // I feel like the word "kind" is very underrated. Nowadays, it's cool and sexy to be cynical, sarcastic, and rudely-opinionated. I'm not exactly too sure who said it, but "In a world where you can be anything... be kind!" Showing kindness might look different for each individual and their emotional needs, but just be kind.

4. Encourage // I've heard it plainly said, "If you're breathing, you need encouragement." Even if you think you don't, you do (I know I do)! Let someone know what they're good at, when they did a good job, that you're thinking of them, etc. Extend words to others that you want to be given yourself. 

5. Show up // Raise your metaphorical hand if you're busy *raises hand* Okay, cool, me too! We're all "busy" but showing love means showing up. Not when it's easy or convenient, but especially during the hard days and trying times -- rejection, miscarriages, diseases, death, heartbreak. You'll be amazed at the number of people who will come out of the woodwork for you after you've shown up for them. 

6. Invite them // Listen to this cycle and tell me if this sounds familiar. You tell your friend about the plans you have on Saturday afternoon you're excited for. Saturday afternoon comes and you go do your thing. You hop on Instagram and suddenly you see your friends hanging out, no one has invited you and your feelings get hurt, "Why wasn't I invited? Do my friends secretly hate me? Did I offend them?" You quickly spiral. The next day comes and you all are hanging out and your one friend says those oddly satisfying words, "I would've invited you, but I remembered you had plans!" PHEW, that was a close call. Here's the deal, even if you know they can't come, invite them anyways! The text goes something like this "Hey! I know you said you had plans on Saturday, but I just wanted you to know that I want you to come to ____. Again, I know you're busy, but I love you and I wanted you to know that I wanted you there! But I hope you enjoy your day!" Simple. As. That.

7. Include others // From #6 above, you might be asking, "What if I don't want them there?" Here's the thing, please don't invite toxic people into your life and allow them to stay. Extreme narcissists, kleptomaniacs, etc. protect your family and yourself! And I also think that there is definitely a time and place to have people over. Sometimes you can physically and financially only have one or two people over, maybe you want to have a movie night specifically with your best friends - and I'm saying... DO IT! However, if you are having multiple people over, being exclusive is not showing love to others, and I just need us all to more cognizant of that!

8. Ask hard questions // I firmly believe in this one, because I swear that asking questions is probably one of the only things I am extremely confident in my ability to do. You can ask the people I love dearly... I ask hard questions, very hard questions (I'm sorry). It's not that I mean to pry or to question someone's motives, but it's because I believe figuring out why people do what they do is a form of getting to know the depths of their being and who God created them to be. For me, asking questions is a form of loving someone. 

9. Give soft answers // Read Proverbs 15:1. The idea of someone (especially in front of people) saying something hurtful and rude and sarcastic to you is just annoying to think about. BUT allowing someone to intentionally say harmful things and not saying anything back or confront the opposing party? -- Now that takes true character and self control. Be gentle and be sure not to jump down throats, even if those "throats" are deserving.

10. Share a meal // When you can't seem to connect with someone, everyone's gotta eat! One of my favorite things about Jesus is that it always feels like the guy was constantly chowing down, or at least around food. Jesus loved people over meals. He went to dinner with all different kinds of people and talked about everything under the sun. I want you to remember that Jesus even shared MULTIPLE meals with a man who would literally be the reason for his death. If that isn't love and humility between hamburger buns, I don't know what it! 

11. Share a smile // #11 goes hand-in-hand with #10, but it's on a smaller scale. Say, you don't know a person well enough, or feel comfortable enough to go to a meal with someone, share a smile instead! It sounds silly, but a smile indicates you're approachable (I think this is why people always stop and ask me for directions). When you're approachable people would rather talk to you, and therefore you are able to love them more. Smiling is an easy way to start loving people when you don't know where to start.  

12. Push them to be better & not stay comfortable // Along with asking questions, this is another small (unfortunate) strong-suit of mine. For me specifically, asking questions is a large part of how I help my friends push themselves outside of their comfort zone. Figure out how you can help others around you be a better (and BEST) version of themselves. (I feel like this one is particularly specific to Enneagram 3's), but I truthfully think this has some validity when it comes to loving your friends well and hard. 

13. Apologize easily // Don't hold grudges. Set your pride aside. Empathize with others. Recognize when you're wrong. Value relationships over being "right". Apologize. It's truthfully not that hard. 

14. Be more patient // Growing up, I loved math and all its formulas -- simple and calculated. One thing I've learned about people is that they are not as simple at all and some "equations" are harder than others. Give grace and be patient, because (quick reminder alert:) we are not as simple and rose-smelling as we think we are. 

15. See the benefit of the doubt // As humans, we seek to understand and to be understood. Do this for others. Practice assuming the best in others because it's so easy to do the opposite. And just a bonus tip: if you're struggling because you don't know the "whole story", ASK THEM (kindly)!

16. Let it roll off your shoulder // One thing I am really learning about myself (that I don't like very much), is that I am quick to anger. Most of the time, around people, I let things go. I am very quick to see another side of an argument before getting thoroughly upset, HOWEVER, it's very easy for me to get a hot head if something doesn't go as planned or expected. I tend to not show this often in public, but WATCH OUT if you're at my house when I'm trying to make simple technology work. However, God has been graciously teaching me to relax, and let things roll off my shoulder a little more every day. Not because things aren't important or don't hold value to me, but because in the grand scheme of things, I personally need to value relationships over what is right.

17. Give more // When you see that someone needs help, give all the help you can. When you think you can’t give anymore, give more! God will provide you with everything you need, everything else is His anyways. Be generous! 

18. Pray with them // When someone comes to you with a problem first listen. Then simply ask if you can pray for them, right then. It's not super hard, but I promise it will make a major impact, especially on those who aren't particularly religious. 

19. Pray for them // If they don't (or do) let you pray for them, make sure to talk to the Lord and go to the throne on behalf of them. I promise you, even the most difficult people you deal with (ya know, the ones you really can't stand), your heart will start to soften towards them the more you pray for them. 

20. Listen // Don't listen to give advice. Don't listen to gain information. Don't listen to internally compare your life to theirs. Listen to learn and really hear what others are trying to say. A helpful hint, when someone is venting... make sure to ask, "Do you want me to give advice, or do you just someone to listen with no judgement?" They might need one thing or they might need both, but in that moment you will know exactly what they need. 

21. Laugh // Bob Goff. If you've never heard of him, go look him up, come back and please let me know how much your internal joy meter (yes, we scientifically all have one) has increased! Laughter and joy is contagious. The people around you have enough stress and anxiety. Be a place of joy, laughter, and love when people choose to spend time with you!

22. Unconditionally Love // Again, please use wisdom when it comes to toxic and dangerous people in your own life. With that being said, love others unconditionally, with reckless abandon! Not because they deserve it (and they most definitely do not) but because they don't deserve it! And you didn't deserve it! Jesus is honestly too good to us, and because of that hard fact, unconditionally love others. Forgive, learn, grow, and fight for people because Jesus fought for you.

23. Share resources // Honestly, this has a similar, if not exact same effect as purchasing and giving someone a tangible gift. People like to be reminded of their worth, they like being remembered and they like being thought of, even if it's in a small way! Love them well by sharing a random verse, your favorite graphics, a podcast, youtube videos, songs, etc! 

24. Praise in public, correct in private // This one will help you love your friends a little different and deeper. This one also works WONDERS with your spouse, and is just an all-around, good rule-of-thumb. You and your friends are going to argue and to fight. (Flirty bickering is different) No one thoroughly enjoys being called out in public, most of the time, we already nitpick and agonize over that one thing we did or way we said that. In the words of T.Swift, "You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don't already see them." Praise your people in public, for the world to see! Shower them with REAL (don't be fake) compliments and admiration. And if something bothers you, simply just wait until you've fully processed and you have the time to talk out whatever needs to be talked out. 

25. Lead by example & don't expect anything in return // If any of these things seem enticing to you, remember that you cannot expect others to do any of these for/towards you (especially if you don't do it for them). Sure, that would be nice, but remember that you shouldn't do any of this for others in order to get this same treatment in return!

26. Tell them about Jesus // I need you to know that I saved the best for last. Nothing is better than Jesus. If you are a Christ-follower you know and are confident in your eternity, that is the best news! But if you truly want to reflect the purpose and personality of Jesus, tell your friends about the love you have received! This is truly the best and only real way to love others! 

I'll make this quick so we can get to the good stuff. This is a crazy time that none of us ever expected to be in. I chose these songs specifically because of the power I believe these lyrics hold. Worship can give us such a deep connection to God, so I pray that today you choose to pause, listen, and reflect. Happy Holy Week!

Here are some other things I also know:

1. God loves you and me, and He didn’t intentionally create humans and the world to be full of sin.
2. God cannot be near sin. So we are separated from God because of sin.
3. However, God loves us so much He made a way for us to be with and near to Him!
4. Thousands of years ago, God sent His only son, named Jesus to be born on Earth. Jesus lived an absolutely sinless, perfect life. No bad thoughts, no giving into temptation, no sneaking around, no sin ever.
5. In this perfect life, Jesus performed miracles, preached, and led many people to a relationship with God. Jesus valued and brought value women, He touched and healed the diseased, He hung out with people who were pretty terrible people, He ate dinner with outcasts and He loved every single person He ever came into contact with. He lived a PERFECT life, but some people didn’t like that.
6. When Jesus was 33 years old, He was tried and convicted for crimes He clearly did not commit. The penalty for these crimes was death, but not just any death — death on a cross (which was very terrible, in-fact, the most dreaded way to die). Jesus didn’t defend Himself and He didn’t try to get out of it — He just let it happen. He just let the most cruel death in history take place, He did nothing to stop it.
7. Jesus died on a cross and was buried. The crowd yelled. His people wept. The Earth went dark. Friday wasn’t turning out to be good…
   
   

Here’s the BEST thing I know:

1. God loves you and me, and everybody else that has ever and will ever live. God sent Jesus to Earth to live a life we could never live (aka a perfect life).
2. Jesus died on the cross because ultimately He knew that was the death we deserved, but He took our place.
3. On the third day, JESUS LITERALLY ROSE FROM THE GRAVE! Death and darkness and sin did not and can not hold Jesus down.
4. If you and I believe in God, in what Jesus did on that cross for you and me. If you and I admit we are sinner and we know we need nobody else but Jesus. If you and I commit to following Jesus, getting to know Him and His character, and if we spend our lives making Him known — Hell is no longer in our future! God is our Savior! And death has no hold on us!

Please don’t miss this. This is the good news. We don’t celebrate His death because He died, we celebrate His death because He LIVED and LIVES! This is why we celebrate. This is the "good" in Good Friday.

I get frustrated by circumstances. I get angry with people. I get disappointed when things don't turn out like I want them to, or think they should. Many times, when life throws me curve balls or knocks me with a one-two-punch, I have to vent to someone. It's not necessarily considered gossip (although it's close enough), so I go ahead with it. To be honest, when I come to you to vent, 5% of the time I want your advice, and the other 95% of the time, I want you to simply listen and feel bad for me -- I want your sympathy. I want the person I'm venting to validate my feelings. I want to be told that I am right, and the person that upset me is wrong. I want someone to hear my side of the story and side with my side of the story.

So, where does this leave us? If the person we're venting to shocks us and gives their unsolicited opinion, we either don't like it, get upset they gave their input at all, or we [might] take what they say with a grain of salt. On the flip-side, if the person we're venting to sides with us, tells us everything we want to hear, understands our thought process, and sympathizes deeply with us -- we should feel better, right? Maybe we do! ... until the next person hurts us and the cycle continues. So, what do we do when our friends' sympathies aren't enough? How can we break this cycle?

I hate to say this, but there's not exactly a formula and I don't know how to exactly answer those specific questions. BUT here are 2 facts I do know... 1. Expect disappointment! This is a cynical point of view, but people will let you down, always. It's sad, but a sad fact, nonetheless. Whether they personally let you down, or if they unknowingly give you bad advice for a situation you were counting on them to help you fix. People are sinners and people will let you down, and you will let people down -- just facts. 2. Jesus will never let you down. You live on a planet full of sinners, so in this life, you will never escape the disappointment, or the need to vent. But Jesus will not only never let you down, but He promises to always be there for you, to unconditionally love you, and to give you strength. 

In all reality, sympathy from your friends is great, but strength from Jesus is better.

​

So, I got to thinking about this message and I believe that when we, not only as women, but as humans start to discover how loved we are, THAT is the moment we start looking outside of ourselves. THAT is the moment everything can change for us. We are not loved because of what we do. We are not chosen because we're better than the person next to us. We are not beautiful because of our bone structure.
Jesus is the one who makes us worthy. God created us beautiful in His image. He loved the world so much He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and Jesus rose from the dead. He calls us to a relationship with Him. When we start to see that we are totally unworthy, but we are chosen by the grace of Jesus anyways, we gain a kind of holy confidence that is unbreakable. 

​​During this season, I don't know about you, but I tend to become a little numb. December is a season full of hurrying, shopping, parties, scheduling, mailing, studying, visiting, cleaning, cooking, and so much more. For me, I get caught up in all the added to do's on my list. I tend to go day-to-day, completing tasks and doing the things that need to be done, and before I know it, I look up and there's TWO WEEKS until Christmas! Yikes, how does it come so slow and fast at the same time? It's not the added to-do's that get to me though... it's that moment I look up and notice that intentionality has slipped out the window. Any heart, or thought behind the presents I'm sending, or smile I'm giving is just a formality. Before I know it, the reason for the season has become checking things off my list, not because I'm placing other's first for the sake of Jesus, but because it's rude if I don't participate in all these holiday activities. So today, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, I encourage you to slow down, and take a minute to read Romans 12. I promise it will help shift your mind-set to be more intentional with others around you, and your own walk with Jesus. 

Here are some things I'm going to try and remember for these next 2 weeks:
- When we serve and are giving ourselves, we are worshipping God
- Give yourself grace
- Don't compare your house, grades, family bonding ability, literal gifts or spiritual gifts
- You were designed uniquely and specifically for your life, and yours alone.
- Genuinely love, even when it's hard
- Always try and out-serve one another
- Don't gossip with your families or with one another (it's going to be difficult, but don't do it!!)
- Try to live at peace with everyone 
- It's going to be really easy to get upset, annoyed, and impatient, but instead try reciting the fruits of the spirit, then act on them.

Romans 12 just kicked my butt and told me how I needed to live. A lot of those phrases and statements are very cliche and you have heard them before, but they're just an encouragement to live intentionally and to not miss it this Christmas season.