SEPTEMBER!!!!!

It is finally September!!! Foster has been counting down the days until September for nearly 4 months now. This is the month he gets to see some of his favorite people in the whole world - Aunt Amy and Uncle Scott. This is the month Jason, Foster and Caleb get to meet Maggie. This is the month we celebrate Caleb's 1st birthday. And FINALLY this is the month we go to Disney World.
I feel like I have been learning some lessons in the past few weeks. Here is one of them - There is such a fine balance between joking with someone and making fun of them. I think the hardest part is when there is truth behind the joking. I also think it is the frame of mind people are in when they are getting poked at with sarcasm. I am one that uses humor a lot in my relationships...I am also one that tends to be the butt of a lot of jokes. (I am probably the most guilty of making fun of myself. A little of that is healthy - it is important not to take yourself too seriously.) Most of the time it is funny to me, but it only takes that one time when the hurt is a bit too deep. It is in those times when all the insecurity I felt when I was young comes rushing back to me - when I stuggled so much with self-esteem and lack of confidence. I feel like I am back in school wearing my school uniform on free dress day. We live in a culture that screams sarcasm. I think joking and humor needs to be used cautiously...I am not saying that it needs to be used infrequently. We just need to be careful not to hurt people with the things we say. I want to be someone who makes people feel better about themselves after spending time with me. I don't think I am necessarily good at that, but I want to be. People get cut down so much in their every day life, why not do the opposite and build them up instead. That was one thing I will never ever ever forget about my Grandma and is the reason I still get tears in my eyes when I think of her - she ALWAYS made me feel good about myself. I was never too fat, not smart enough, not pretty enough. She made me feel perfect, just the way I am.
I guess that is all I have to say about that. Now that I have put this out here in writing for all to read, I am really going to have to be careful with what I say. I know I may still hurt you occasionally but I am really going to try to build you up and not cut you down!!!

Top Ten Things That Inspire Me:
1) People who have children and keep their lives in order. Their house is clean, their car is clean, their kids are clean, dinner is on the table at a decent time..... (This may tick me off more than inspire me, but it is still inspiring)

2) A person who has overcome obstacles in life and who faces their days with joy and thankfulness.

3) People who are real. They don't pretend to be perfect and don't mind that I am not; they are so comfortable to be around.

4) People who are generous with their time, resources, and life. These are the people who are there when you need them and never make you feel bad for their help. For example, my friend Kelly...she is such an example of this. Just yesterday she helped me cook for a friend of mine who recently had surgery. Kelly doesn't even know this friend, but she knew that it would help me out and she did it without thinking twice.

5) People who have a way of making you feel listened to and important when you are in their presence. I too often am thinking about what I am going to say instead of really listening. Sometime I will walk away from a conversation thinking, "wow that person is really great!!!" and then after further thinking about it, I realize that I was the only one talking the whole time. It was that they listened to me that made them seem so great. Great listeners really do inspire me. Scott, my brother-in-law is a great listener...at least I think he is :)

6) The faith, innocence and honesty of children.

7) Someone who can set goals for themselves and follow through. Don't ask about my weight loss success :) In need more inspiration!!!

8) People who are excellent at what they do whether it be a professional athelete or the nurse aid who goes above and beyond in the care they provide. It doesn't matter what you do, I am inspired when you do it with excellence.

9) People who have the art of drawing people toward a relationship with God by being authentic and purposeful versus pushing people away with overspiritualization and legalism.

10) Any parent who has raised great children. I wish my boys came with instruction manuals. I want them to grow to be men who love God and others, are confident but not cocky, fun and funny...among many other things. I wish I knew how to do that. I am inspired when I see the little kids that I used to watch in the nursery at church who are now grown up and are such great young adults.

I guess I will sign off for now. Love to all.
Blessings,
Becca