Grace

Grace. God's grace. Grace for others. Really, what is grace?

I've heard people define grace as receiving something [good] we don't deserve. Example of the ultimate grace would be God's grace. We sin, He forgives. We don't deserve it but He graciously gives us grace.

Giving grace to others has been defined as giving others something [again, good] they don't deserve. Example of human grace could be someone in 'power' has made a mistake that effects you. You could either hold a grudge, and grumble and moan, or show grace and forgive.

But, do we extend this grace to ourselves? Are we so hard on ourselves that we cannot give ourselves grace? Does perfectionist come to your mind when I ask those questions? Yeah, me too.

I believe we are all perfectionist in one area or another. Some, it might show up in more than one area. What are we doing to ourselves? There is nothing wrong with trying hard and doing our best. But, when we mask it on the outside while we are a mess on this inside, it will get us nowhere fast!

I've been reading [slowly so I retain it] Grace for the Good Girl ~ letting go of the try-hard life by Emily P Freeman. Let me take a moment to inhale and exhale. It is that good. It is packed full of many things I want need to remember.

I've been reading this book since late fall. Not because it is a slow read. I need to retain this information. It isn't a book to read in a few days. Infact, I am planning on re-reading it soon. This time I'll be packing a highlighter!

Author Emily Freeman keeps it real. She keeps it truthful. I see so much of myself in this book it is a little creepy. How did she get inside my head? Yet it is comforting to know I'm not the only one with masks covering up what I don't want people to really see about me.

I know this post is not doing this book justice. There are just so many things about this freeing book it makes it hard to put into words all I'm feeling. I cried when Emily wrote about seeing a trusting friend and counselor. She confessed (pg 125) she didn't know how not to be this way. The coping, masks, and fear was all she knew. She was waiting for him to unveil a multi-step program on how to live, real and free. Instead, he said the next freeing words, "You're not this way. This may be how you cope, but this is not who you are." Insert tears rolling down my face when I read this. I agree with Emily. Those are freeing words.

{This is not a book I received to review. The author nor the publisher knows I'm posting about this book.}

Follow up...

This is a follow up to the last post entitled, "Oh the things we learn".

I learned one cannot exchange coconut flour for all purpose flour with the same ratio.

What.a.disaster. A perfectly good waste of ingredients, natural gas (oven) and time. Sigh.

Anyone out there want to help this girl out? I still have some coconut flour left (which is healthy therefore my purchase) and want to know how to convert a few recipes.

I will say I googled chocolate chip cookies coconut flour and found recipes. But some used a few weird ingredients, and, to be honest, the pictures looked gross. So, I just thought self, just take a traditional recipe, use the same amount of coconut flour as the recipe calls for all purpose flour and you'll be good to go. Just add more eggs. (I knew to add more eggs when working with coconut flour but apparently that isn't enough info)

Self, you were wrong. Oh.so.wrong.

If anyone knows anything that could help out this girl, please comment. I'm begging. I'm pleading. I'm on my knees. ☺ And, what is one thing you've learned today?

Oh, the things we learn

What I've learned from our first born, Writer/Cos Daughter:

1. Conditioner. Use conditioner after shampooing. Every time. Every single time. Why you ask? Great question. The shampoo makes the hair follicles open up. The conditioner closes them. Why is that important you ask? Well, it makes your color last longer...assuming you color your hair. I may or may not color my hair to cover gray so this may or may not be a huge deal for me. Plus, if the hair follicles are open, then all the product used for fabulous hair when styling is going to get sucked into those follicles and make for some pretty icky feeling hair. Just saying. I may or may not know this from experience.

2. Being the oldest isn't always the easiest. Yeah, we parents are still learning. She is a young adult now but being a young adult still is a time of needing guidance. She is a great young woman. She probably feels like we will never let her grow up. But, we are. She just doesn't quite realize how hard letting go is for parents. We're letting go. She is making decisions. Life is how it is supposed to be.

Things I've learned from our second born, Dancer Daughter:

1. A dancer falls. Up the stairs. Over a not so obvious 'thread' in the carpet. Or over a crumb on the kitchen floor. Anything. And nothing. She just falls. Never hurt physically, just maybe a little embarrassed. But, that is okay. We've all learned to laugh...even her. She is humorous and tripping over nothing just adds to her humor. When she falls, she gets back up. Laughing. My prayer for all my children is when they fall, they'll laugh and get back up.

2. Faith, prayer, listening, and obedience. I watch her with amazement as she trusts God with everything. Faith being lived out.


Things I've learned from our youngest, Firefighter Son:

1. Passion is a great thing. Find your passion and dream big. Yes, he knows reality. But, his dreams are attainable. Within reach. I watch in amazement as he walks toward his dreams. I smile as I see his passion. Passion for dreams is something one should hang onto...no matter what curves "life" may throw.

2. Don't take life seriously. Laugh.
He is a young man of few words so I thought I'd match his personality above by not using so many words! ☺

PSA

Here is your Public Service Announcement for the day.

I wish I could get the video to post on this site without being gigantic. Sigh. Trust me, it was enormously big! So, follow the link at the end of this post to The Doctors TV show. Henry Winkler, known as Fonzie to those of us from the 80's, talks about Dyslexia. He found out he was dyslexic when he was 31 years old.

This video clip is very informative especially if you have a child or know of someone who has Dyslexia. It gave me a visual aid as to what our daughter goes through.

Now, go. Click on the link and learn something new today! ☺

(The link is trustworthy so don't be afraid to click on it. You won't get a virus. Or if it would make you feel better, look up "the doctors tv" in google. When you get to the site, type Henry Winkler in the sites search box. You'll find the video that way.)

http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/home_page?init_type=Feature&init_id=5734

Note to Self

Dear Self,

Sometimes you amuse me. Really, you do.

I feel I need to remind you, dear old Self, that you should really look at things a little closer. Wearing your glasses would definitely help the situation. However, I feel as though that would have changed the outcome very little.

Self, look and actually read labels. Labels matter. Labels are more than merely decoration. Labels inform. Labels save lives. Labels save one from wasting a quart bottle of body lotion.

So, next time you reach for that bottle of bubble bath, make sure you read the label. If it says, 'body lotion', quickly drop the bottle and step away! Body lotion is not bubble bath.

But, I fear you already know that, don't you Self?! No matter how vigorously you splash the bath water, body lotion will not sud like bubble bath. And, don't you feel a little foolish adding more body lotion because it wasn't bubbling the way you wanted after already adding the lotion to the bath water?!

Self, I'd be quite embarrassed if I were you.

Your loving and slightly pink-cheek alter ego.