Double Portion Inspiration

That's right, we are only 11 days away from Christmas.  Most people schedule's are packed with holiday parties, social events and family gatherings.  The weather has not been as cool or dry as it normally is in December, so it has lulled people into thinking they have more time to prepare for Christmas than they do. As you rush around to beat the holiday rush, find a way to truly just ENJOY the season.  We only have a few more days left in 2015.  The days left on the calendar are evaporating like the mist on a foggy morning.  SLOW down, BREATHE and relish in the fact that you are alive. I recently had the opportunity to join my sister on her annual "Christmas photo session".  It was a blast and thankfully the weather turned out perfect.  As we went to a park overlooking a lake, the water was serene and the sky was the perfect shade of blue.  Our mom joined us, which was icing on the cake.  My oldest is 15 years old, and this is the fi...

As we head into Thanksgiving, I thought it would be  fun to repost one of my favorite Thanksgiving posts. ENJOY! ****************************************************************************************************** We traditionally gather together with a large sampling of our family members.  Everyone under one roof is loud from the football games playing on the tv, kids playing games, and the rest of us reminiscing and catching up with each other.  Seeing cousins, uncles, and aunts, that you haven't seen in awhile is such a joy.   The agenda for the event is simple. Bring a dish. Say a prayer of thanks. Eat like tomorrow may not come. We have a traditional southern Thanksgiving meal.  However, the other day I realized, there's some traditional items  I've never enjoyed .  Some would say it's a tragedy but I would say, why add something new to the menu?  If you think I'm missing out, leave a comment a...

Pray For Paris The news around the world today is shocking as we learn more of the details of the shooting in a concert hall and soccer match.  Our world is unsettled, leadership has resolve to deal swiftly with this tragedy but people are still afraid.   As the images play out across the National news, the stories of yesterday (ex. Starbucks red cup, political polls, etc.) don't seem as important, until the executors of this type of violence are found.   HOW DO YOU FIND PEACE IN A TIME LIKE THIS? God is the answer.  There is no other peace we can find outside of Him, nothing else will work.  I was reading a story of a father that was informed his daughter died.  He was with the "Teacher".  He was walking with the very One with the power to save his daughter, yet the report that came to this dad was, "she was dead".  Would he believe the report that just came to him about his daughter's medical update OR would he believe in the hea...

I enjoy being a speaker.  I'm addicted to words and love to share words that inspire and uplift others.  The entire purpose of this blog is to "inspire the whole world" since life can just get crazy.  I rarely have writer's block because words seem to flow seamlessly when I'm in my creative mood. Recently, I unexpectedly lost a cousin.  Born the same year as me...I remember the phone call that changed everything.  It was early morning and I was on a treadmill exercising.  The words heard on the other end were shocking. "He's gone".... and just that quickly, life took a sharp turn. NOTHING prepares you for a day like this! As the funeral plans started to unfold, I was asked to speak at the funeral to give reflections.  I struggled to deal with my own hurt, loss and anger but to speak seemed TOUGH.  I didn't sleep much that night thinking this is truly one of the hardest speeches of my life.  What do I say, what if I break down, what...

The other day I headed out of the house to rush off to the grocery store.   Out the corner of my eye, I could see a group of teenagers walking the streets.   When they saw me moving toward my van, they quickly approached me.   To my surprise, they wanted to offer me the gift of salvation.   They were middle and high schoolers from the local church.   Evangelism was probably their topic of discussion for the past few weeks and tonight was their time to practice winning souls for Christ.   They were sharing their faith……how about you ?   Each day we encounter numerous individuals and it’s an opportunity to share our faith.   Be mindful though not to impose/force your belief on others.   Read God’s instruction in Romans 14:22 (MSG):   Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others.   Here are some ways to share your faith:   Invite your neighbors to church.   Mak...

What happens when your worst nightmare comes true! One of my worst nightmares came true - the air conditioner being broke in August.  Do you realize how hot it is in August? I'm pretty sure this is every Floridians nightmare.  It's amazing how fast your house can heat up when you don't have on the AC.  The temperature in our home reached 90 degrees.  Your body is drained and you can't move because you are so lethargic from the heat. The worst part, I made five service calls about the same problem.  I ended up not having air for almost six days.  YES...you heard me, six days.  As they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  My AC is back on and now I thank God everyday for something that I so easily took for granted.  Once fixed, the house took 4 hours to return to a normal temperature of 77 degrees. During the process of having my AC fixed a pipe in my ceiling burst (who knew water pipes were in your ceiling).  This lef...

If you're like me, it's hard to believe that summer is almost over.  We'll have to say goodbye to staying up late, summer travels, and homework free nights.  As I get ready to send my kids off to first and eighth grade, I feel secure knowing that I will pick them up from school each day, tuck them in at night and prepare for the next day.  Some of us won't have that blessed assurance.  In the excitement of my kids returning to school tomorrow, I recognize that there are parents everywhere that just left their babies at college for the first time. Their kids are excited, but they aren't. How are they supposed to deal in this new season of life?  For years, they've cuddled their children and coordinated their schedules. What are they supposed to do now? I can't begin to say that I know what they're going through.  I can, however, share scriptures that give strength and hope when we find ourselves transitioning into new seasons. Ecclesiastes ...

Summer is officially here.  Many of us enjoy having longer days, no schedules and lighter traffic on the roadways when school is out.  There is value in taking time to rest, especially in our culture that repeatedly says, "keep going".  Rest is how the body is renewed and refreshed to tackle what comes next. I recently went on a trip with my family and although it was a short 2 days it was one of the most memorable experiences.  It doesn't take much for us - sand, water, sun and we are in our happy place as a family. But, this time was different.  We were surrounded by people with the exact same agenda as us - REST. They were people who have demanding jobs but realize the need to just get away.  When that happens, everyone senses are down and you start to unplug. I walked around with people willing to say, "good morning".  In our land of rush and hurry, you barely find anyone wanting to say "hello".  Everywhere we ate or walked a conversa...

Confession…….relaxing is hard for me.   That’s why the message at church today was just for me.   My pastor talked about the necessity and benefits of relaxing.   He pointed out that even God rested from creating the heavens and earth.   Genesis 2:1-3 (TLB) Now at last the heavens and earth were successfully completed, with all that they contained. So on the seventh day, having finished his task, God ceased from this work he had been doing, and God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he ceased this work of creation. I've come to realize that I can be a workaholic .  Gosh, I can’t even believe I’m saying that out loud.  It’s amazing how much we can deny certain truths about ourselves.  Between being a wife, mommy, career woman, blogger, involved community member, church volunteer and runner, there’s not room for much more.  My days normally begin at 6:00 am and end around 1:00 am.  If ...

We are SO close to the end of another school year.  I can only imagine how every educator, student and school employee must feel because I am beyond ready to start Summer.  I will enthusiastically embrace a more relaxed schedule in my home. Recently, I was attending an appointment with my older son.  I arrived 7 minutes before the appointment time but noticed that my son was STILL rushing me.  I said, "Jeez Tyler, we are on time" (in my frustrated voice).  His response blew me away. "Being on time is late mom, being early is being on time." I had a perplexed stare on my face as he jumped out of the car completely convicted by his statement.  I sat and pondered what he said.  Tyler has always been the child to "rush" me out of the house when he knew he needed to be somewhere.  I am thankful to be raising a son that values TIME .  After that statement, I understand the hurry he has before any appointment, school day or practice. ...

I normally try and put my kids to bed with a book or Bible lesson.  The other day our Bible lesson came out of Psalms 103.  This text of scripture is full of description about God's character.  Here's just a sampling from the chapter: He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. 9  He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever.   (Psalms 103:8-9) I knew my 12 year old understood the words that illustrated God's character but I was pretty sure my little one didn't.  I wanted to make sure he knew just how much God loves him.  I wanted him to know that God's love is constant whether he made good or poor choices.  There's nothing he can do that will cause God to love him less, just like there's nothing that causes God to love him more.   His "works" won't change God's love.  He's the same yesterday, today, and...

My boys enjoy video games, like most kids.  This generation is so stimulated by those interactive games that it has seeped into our classrooms.  My 4th grader has to complete homework every night on a private educational website that looks similar to Facebook. Normally, when my boys play on the weekends, I snuggle into take a nap.  It is one of the RARE times in my house that it is quiet.  The other times at home are filled with rowdy boys making crazy noises with their body parts.   With a simple xbox controller they can CREATE themselves in this fantasy world.  They choose from a plethora of features like eyewear, skin color, hair style, shoes, body type, etc.  They have the ability to build the perfect athlete, with the perfect skills and stamina.  No work has been done to achieve all this, just a little boys creative imagery.  My youngest always HAS to win.  If he doesn't, he carries around an attitude all day,...

Roslyn (left) & Renee (right) Spring is in the air!  Can you feel it?  Longer days, shorter nights and warmer weather are just some of nature's beauty this time of year.  Roslyn & I decided to take in some of the great weather this weekend by taking the kids to pick strawberries.  Everywhere you looked there were rows and rows of strawberries (and even a few blueberry bushes). The winter strawberry season begins in the summer.  The farmers prepare the soil to receive the strawberry plant that will require watering, near perfect weather conditions, and fertilizer.  Extra attention is given during the brief periods of frigid temperatures that can harm the crops.  The highlight of  my day wasn't so much the harvesting component, but knowing that  I could reap a bounty with very little effort on my part.  We didn't have to till the land, water the soil, or apply the fertilizer.  We just had to g...

Sad but true, rejection is a natural part of life.  There are many parents that might have a problem saying, "no" to their children, but eventually that child will experience the bitter sting of rejection.  In the month of February, many anxious high school seniors found out if they were accepted or denied an opportunity to attend the university or college of their choice.  You can believe there were many that were experiencing extreme happiness and some unfortunately felt the pain of being rejected. Even as adults, we struggle to find meaning on why someone rejects us in a relationship or our workplace.  We have all the qualifications to add value to a company but they intentionally move on to another candidate.  In the midst of the emotion you will feel, realize that: The rejection does NOT define who you are! There is not one person, organization, club, team, competition, school or university that holds that much control over us.  My mom ha...

It's hard to believe that in just a few short months, I will have a teenager in my house.  People always tell you to treasure every moment with your child because time flies.  I now realize....they were right.  It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the very first time.  Where does the time go? At a tender age of 13, she's only five years away from adulthood.  I only have a few short years to teach her all about life and the challenges it can bring.  We've surrounded her with positive friends, taught her God's word, taken her to church, and engaged her in extra-curricular activities.  Out of all the experiences we've provided her with, my sincerest desire is that at the end of it all, she has her OWN relationship with Christ . As parents, we must encourage our children to nurture their  OWN relationships with Christ.  Their faith can't only come through us.  They have to learn how to stan...

Roslyn with braces This is my new look.  I've had so many people comment and say, "You had perfect teeth, why did you get braces?"  I'm sometimes shocked at the overwhelming honesty of people.  We all make decisions at times that others might not understand. Trust me, there have been moments of me thinking to myself...Why did I go and get braces?  My mouth and teeth were so tender for the first week.  Eating a cracker or even a bite of toast made me wince in pain.  But as time has moved forward, I've become more accustomed to the metal cage in my mouth. The process to put them on was SO easy!  But when the ortho assistant added the connectors (look like pink rubber bands), that's when I said, "ouch".  She nodded her head and said, "that discomfort Mrs. Rice, will soon turn to PAIN ".  She was absolutely right.  I'm excited, that in a few short months, I will have an absolute winning smile.  It will be complete with aligned...

Let's admit it. We all lead busy lives. We can often find it hard to spend quality time with family, especially our children. If we allow it, our community responsibilities, careers, and church activities can take away a large amount of our time. I thought it would be great to share some cool ideas to spend quality time with your children while navigating life. Games . Have them available close to your family room or kitchen area to make it quickly accessible. I keep Scrabble, Uno , and Puzzles in the family room because my youngest always wants to play a game right when I'm trying to cook. So that he feels momma's love, I play a quick game with him first and then return to cooking. Park . Being outdoors with your children is exhilarating. It also provides a great opportunity to get in some physical exercise so that you can skip the gym and make memories with your babies. Movies . There's nothing better than a great...

We are almost 15 days into this new year.  2015 started with us intentionally making promises to ourselves. Do some of these sound familiar - improve finances, stop shopping, build an emergency cash fund, spend more time with family, weight loss, better eating, more organization, more exercise, clean out a closet, etc. Whatever it is, just a few short days ago we were fired up and ready to invoke positive change in our lives. WHAT HAPPENED? Some of us didn't even keep the promise for a day without falling off the wagon.  Truth moment:  a box of Godiva chocolate that sits in my refrigerator keeps me from keeping my promise.  The sad part for me, I find a way everyday to justify  why this little pleasure or distraction won't derail MY success. Think about it, one little slip up doesn't hurt that much does it?  Well overtime that little slip up, compromise and justification can quickly lead to me gaining 20 pounds. The funny part, at the end o...