Tag Archive | Acceptance

Getting Those Brownie Points

You know, for years I worked myself to near death trying to obtain ‘Brownie Points”. Whether it was to gain favor with another individual or God, to be accepted, to be noticed, or just because it was expected, I thought I had to “do” something. No let’s get real…I thought I had to do EVERYTHING!!!

But then I realized…

Brownie Points Were Getting Me No Where!

God’s word says…

“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5

Wow How Liberating!!!

I realized, I didn’t have to work for it…I am accepted and have approval because He has shown me mercy!

Now, I perform for an audience of one. I am now able to ask myself. What would God want me to do and no longer worry about doing EVERYTHING to gain those…

Brownie Points

Love Lee ♥

I Won!!!

Aug3

I remember as a little girl playing a game with my classmates and friends called “Duck…Duck…Goose”. We would all sit in a circle and one person would go around the tapping each person on the head and labeling us as a duck or a goose. There was only one goose and everyone wanted to be the goose…

She would walk around the circle ” Duck…Duck…Duck…Duck…GOOSE”. Yeah…It was me!!! I am the GOOSE…I would jump up and chase her around the circle trying to catch her before she was able to get back to the slot where I had been sitting.

You know, looking back, I didn’t want to get up and run around the circle…I just wanted to CHOSEN.

Life is much like a game of Duck…Duck…Goose. Jesus walks around our lives and He chooses us wanting us to chase after Him…

The coolest part of it all is He didn’t choose me because I am

Perfect
Popular
Beautiful
Thin
Tall
Rich
Famous

He chose me because He loves me!!! He says…

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16

Wow!!! He chose me, trusted me with an assignment and THEN…He promised to give me the desires of my heart!!!

Now that is better than any game of Duck…Duck…Goose I have ever played and already

I WON!!!

Love Lee ♥

Take a Good Look in The Mirror

Jul27

Have you found yourself…

Laughing at a joke you didn’t find funny?
In a place you have no desire to be?
Engaging in a conversation you don’t want to have?
Wearing clothes you don’t enjoy wearing?
Doing things you don’t enjoy doing?

Have you asked yourself why…I believe human beings are so hard on themselves and seek the affirmation of others to validate their existence. They often say and do things in order to “fit in” or “be liked” and lose their unique identity in doing so.

I love this quote by Susan Jeffers…

“Remove those ‘I want you to like me’ stickers from your forehead
and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good —
on your mirror!”

Be all He created you to be and learn to like yourself…

Take a Good Look In The Mirror

Love Lee ♥

The New Way

Apr25

Rules…Rules…Rules!!!

Do you find sometimes all the rules and regulations can snuff out the joy of worship. You hear phrases like…

We’ve Always done it this way
Well, typically we…
Hmmm we have never done it that way before
You have to…
We don’t ever do that
You can’t do it that way…
It has to be this way…

And On, And On, And On…The Rules go!

Last night while watching the Passion Play at First Baptist Church Brazoria, I was reminded of how many rules people had to follow in order to have a relationship with God…Living a life bound by Law!

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of written code. Romans 7:13

Today, there are still those that choose to live a life bound by law, rules, and regulations…

I thank God for the new way of the Spirit! There is so much freedom and release living a Spirit lead life!!!

Today I am thanking God for the “New Way”

Love Lee ❤

Picture Perfect

Apr5

I absolutely love this video…It really helps put things into perspective!!!

Everything in life is not always picture perfect but…

Jesus Is…

Love Lee ♥

What Are You Standing On?

Apr4

When the world is whirling around me…When I feel like I am drowning …

I Stand on Christ the Solid Rock!!!

What Are You Standing On?

Love Lee ♥

How To Be Unhappy

Feb28

Having trouble finding “Happiness”? Can’t find the magic combination? Perhaps one should study the art of how to be “Unhappy” in order to figure it out?

How to Be Unhappy

Make little things bother you.
Don’t just let them, MAKE them.

Lose your perspective on things and keep it lost:
don’t put first things first.

Get yourself a good worry,
one about which you cannot do anything.

Be a perfectionist, which means not that you
work hard to do your best, but that you condemn
yourself and others for not achieving perfection.

Be right. Be always right. Be the only one who
is always right, and be rigid in your rightness.

Don’t trust or believe people, or accept them
at anything but their worst and weakest.

Be suspicious.
Insist that others always have hidden motives.

Always compare yourself unfavorably to others.
This guarantees instant misery.

Take personally everything that happens to you.

Don’t give yourself whole-heartily
to anyone or anything.

YEP, THAT OUGHTA DO IT!

Love Lee ♥

Whose Opinion Defines You

Jan4

My Sister Cheryl recently posted the statement below on her Facebook Status which lead to a quite lengthy list of comments…Because I am very passionate about the subject matter I just crawled up on my soapbox…

I share this because just this morning I realized Cheryl and I are not the only ones who have or are dealing with the opinions of others…

This New Year, stop listening to others’ opinions… about who you are, what they THINK about you, about who you are or what they think YOU should do or be! Stop speaking things over yourself that contradict who God’s Word says you are. Open His Word to see what He says about you. He’s a LOVING Father & wants His best for you. Don’t believe me: believe HIM. ~Cheryl Kimbrough Fairbank~

Lee’s Soap Box Session

I have sayings that helps me deal with those who attempt to steal my joy and suck my spirit out of me.

I am not warring against flesh and blood: If people say or do things that contradict God’s nature …then it is not of God…Satan knows he can best get to us through those we love. By using them to whittle away at our spirit his mission is accomplished. My prayer is I will stay prayed up, read up, and filled with forgiveness and love so I am never that person for someone else.
I am not the enemy: If Richard and I get crosswise. I remind him I am not the enemy. This helps us recognize exactly who the enemy is.
On my list of opinions that count…Your Name IS NOT on my list: This one can get tricky…As an over achiever and a people pleaser, I have always valued the opinion of others especially those who I call family or friend. But as one who DETESTS conflict, lies, cheating, stealing, laziness and spirit suckers (Negative Knit Pickers) it helps me get the right perspective when making my list.

My list is a static list and names are added or removed as needed. God has blessed me with the Spirit of discernment so it becomes very easy to add and remove names due to the sensitivity to He has given me.

Sister, I so proud of you! You are so right…God is a good and LOVING God but He is also a JUST God. Everyone will be accountable for their actions and woe be to those who allow themselves to create conflict, speak lies, cheat, steal, waste their life away, or attempt to suck the life out of others…They will be accountable before the Lord on judgment day! People may think they have the world fooled but God ALWAYS knows!

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

OK can you give me a hand and help me get down off my soap box but before I do…I ask…

Whose Opinion Defines You?

Love Lee ♥

She is Wonderfully and Marvelously Made

Nov21

It was a normal day for me…nothing out of the ordinary going on when the phone rang. It was my dear friend Jennifer Cannan and she was crying. Through her sobs I heard, “Can John and I come over? We’ve been at the doctor’s office today and we need to talk to someone.”

Within 15 minutes John and Jennifer were walking through the door. Both looked like they had been hit by a mac truck! Before she spoke, I grabbed her and held her while she sobbed on my shoulder. After a minute she was able to speak, “The doctor says Alisha is autistic.”

Because Alisha’s speech was delayed, we knew something was wrong…but Autism???? How do you wrap your head around that diagnosis???

Jennifer, being the take charge kind of person she is, immediately began to read everything she could get her hands on about Autism. She reached out to anyone with knowledge of Autism or anyone who knew of available resources for Autistic children. It wasn’t long after Alisha was diagnosed, she was enrolled in school and immediately the work began.

Within a very short period of time Alisha began to interact verbally with others. In fact her vocabulary grew to the point she was utilizing “big” words typically used only by adults. She began to laugh and interact with others on an emotional level as well.

Alisha was at my home for Halloween this year. She did not come for candy…She came to visit me and to give my candy away because in addition to Autism, Alisha has been diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. So, since she couldn’t have the candy she was elated to stand in my doorway and pass out candy to the trick or treaters who could. Then when my brother reached for a piece of candy, she provided him with a lecture on the perils of eating candy causing him to sneak his bites of candy when she was not looking.

Alisha is an adorable little girl who loves deeply everyone she encounters. She finds great pleasures in the most simple things. She is funny and witty making those around her laugh even when they aren’t in the mood to laugh. She says the cutest things and her mother is good to share them with us on Facebook. A couple posts by Jennifer I especially love…

“Mama, Can you come rub my back? I think there is a bone in it and it is really starting to hurt me.” How does she come up with these things?!?!?! Going to put on my masseuse hat….brb…a mother’s job is never done! LOL
“Alisha just informed me that she was “filthy, stinkin’ rich.” She then proceeded to show me that her change purse was full of coins plus she had 6 dollar bills. LOL”
“Alisha just told me that I needed to get bigger, uglier glasses since I am getting older. Nice! ROFL”

Today I was reminded of Alisha and her struggles and challenges in life when I read a post on Facebook by Alisha’s mom, Jennifer Cannan. It read…

“Kids with special needs aren’t sick or gross or stupid, and their handicaps not contagious. They only want what we all want: to be accepted and loved. Can I make a request: is anyone willing to post this and leave it as your status for at least an hour to spread the awareness? It is Special Education Week, and this is …in honor of ALL the children who were wonderfully and marvelously made.”

Do you know a child that is wonderfully and marvelously made? If so please honor them today!

I would like to take this opportunity honor my precious little friend Alisha Cannan…Alisha, your Aunt Lee Lee loves you Doll ♥

Love Lee ♥

The Value of Recognition

Nov5

I will never forget playing the role of Widow Carney in the musical “Oliver”, it was both challenging and fun. I like all my other classmates worked hard to ensure the production was a success. What I never expected was to receive the award for “Best Supporting Actress”.

Wow.. I didn’t even know there was one but it was such an honor to receive the award. In fact, I still have the trophy today.

What I learned from receiving this honor was…

It Is So Important To Recognize People For What They Do!

Today this concept was reinforced when I attended Stephen F. Austin Elementary’s Awards Ceremony. Watching my Granddaughter Cheyenne receive awards for “A” Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance, and the coveted Gator Award was priceless. Cheyenne beam as she looked around the room and realized everyone she had invited was there. While receiving the award was very important to her, it was more important for those she loves to witness her receive the awards.

I am so very proud of Cheyenne…She worked very hard for her awards. I would also like to thank the teachers and administrators at SFA Elementary for recognizing the children for their hard work!