Faith – Page 3 – Birds of a Feather

Mama Bears & Motherhood

September 26, 2017Baby Bears & Little Bears, Faith, Family, Happiness, Love, Mama Bears, Special PeopleLeave a Comment

Mama Bears love fiercely, protect their own, and carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They live each day for the baby bears they call their own. Some days the beauty of motherhood radiates around us like a luminescent aura. Other times our patience wears thin, and we cast blame on ourselves for our shortcomings.

Between the dirty diapers, runny noses, temper tantrums, home cooked meals, and bedtime stories, there is often little time for ourselves. Thank God for the brief quiet moments we steal from time to time, even if those moments come in the form of a quick shower, your child’s nap time, or an evening run around the neighborhood to clear your mind.

Undoubtedly, Mama Bears, we are often incredibly hard on ourselves and oftentimes not very forgiving. How easily we forget that we are human; flawed and imperfect. We have to cut ourselves some slack because we’re all doing the very best that we can. We are blessed with the amazing opportunity to help our children grow in faith, love, and character.

Motherhood will test and try us on more days than we’d like, but it will also surprise us in beautiful and unexpected ways just as often. I am grateful for every single day with my boys. They truly are my greatest joy, and my greatest hope is that they grow up to be respectful, responsible, and kind gentlemen who follow their heart and find great success in life. You, my sweet boys, are my sunshine, my light, and my reason for making every effort to be my best self for the two of you!

Kudos to all of my Mama Bear friends who I take notes from every single day. You inspire me through your words, actions, and strength. A special nod to the following Mama Bears: Anna, Ruby, Stephanie, Adita, and Blaine. I would be lost without your guidance, wisdom, and friendship.

Houston Runs 4 Harvey

September 7, 2017Faith, Inclement weather, Running, Uncategorized1 Comment

Tonight I laced up my running shoes in solidarity with other Houston Area Road Runners as part of HARRA’s Houston Runs 4 Harvey 5K. Participating runners had the option of joining them this evening at TC Jester Park in Houston for a 5K or running the same distance at a satellite location of your choice.

I set out later than normal. The night was eerily quiet with just the rhythmic hum of the cicadas cheering me on. As my feet hit the pavement, I fell into a cadence that easily allowed me to get lost in thought. With each step forward, I pushed myself a little harder and coaxed myself to run a little faster.

The deep orange glow on the horizon and a lone star shining brightly in the sky served as my guide to a finish line that only existed in my head. I weaved through twists and turns in the road racing against the clock closing in on 3.1 miles. As I ran, my head raced with negative thoughts about a hurricane named Harvey who brought destruction and heartache to so many people in the Gulf Coast areas of Texas. I thought of the people I knew directly and the ones I read about or saw on the local news who were directly impacted.

As my pace continued to quicken so too did my heart rate. My chest began to burn, but I still pushed on coaxing a swell of emotions out at the same time. My heart ached for so many who lost their lives, homes, and treasures to Harvey. My heart swelled with pride for a city I’ve called home for the last seven years that came together to support those who needed them most.

When my watch finally flashed 3.1 miles signaling the end of tonight’s virtual run, I found myself overcome with emotion. I stopped my watch, slowed to a walk, and found myself fighting back tears. For me, the completion of tonight’s run symbolized the end of a monster that took it’s toll across southeast Texas. A monster that left many wounded in it’s path; a path that still requires a lot of stamina, faith, and charity to overcome and rebuild what was lost.

As I turned the corner around the lake, a perfectly round moon with an orange glow took my breath away. It hung low cast perfectly on a blanket of black and purple sky. In that moment of natural beauty, I found myself reflecting on truth, goodness, and light. Those of us who lost nothing must serve as the light for those who have lost it all; coming together in goodness to help our neighbors through charitable giving.

A Helping Heart

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017Faith, Family, Inclement weather, Prayer, Uncategorized3 Comments

This morning the sky was a perfect blue and the sun was shining radiantly. After so many days of darkness and despair for so many in the Houston area, it was a welcome change.

As we sat together over breakfast, the local news stations continued to show footage of the devastation in our area. Liam and I sat in silence taking it all in. In that moment, teaching him about the importance of helping others in times of need struck a chord with me. I told him that we were so incredibly fortunate to have weathered the storm without losing anything. I explained to him that it was our time to help and give back to those who did not fare as well.

We spent the better part of the morning gathering linens, toys, diapers, water, children’s books, crayons, art supplies, coloring books, baby clothes, and toys for the rescue shelter at St. Maximillian Kolbe Catholic Church. A colleague and friend of mine was headed there after lunch with her son to volunteer and offered to deliver our donations.

Liam was a real sport parting with some of his prized possessions. He didn’t complain once and beamed with pride about being able to help others. For this Mama Bear, it made my heart absolutely melt with happiness and pride.

More than 46% of Texas’s population was affected by Hurricane Harvey. Rebuilding our coastal regions and the greater Houston area will require the volunteer and donation efforts of many. Although Liam is only five, you’re never too young to learn the value and importance of having a helping heart. Big or small every little bit helps. #Texasstrong

Difficult Decisions

August 24, 2017Faith, Opportunities, Prayer, WorkLeave a Comment

In life, “there are no accidents!” “Everything happens for a reason.” These adages may seem overused and even a little cliche, and yet they can truly be poignant in their own right.

I bring these well-known quotes up today because a very unexpected opportunity recently fell into my lap. I’ll elaborate in more detail in a future post, but I’m not in a position to publicly address this opportunity just yet. Now I find myself discerning over a very important life decision that up until last Friday wasn’t even on my radar. When I find myself face-to-face with a difficult decision, my first instinct is always to leave it in the hands of the Lord. He, after all, put this opportunity in front of me in the first place.

Decision making is something I struggle with even in the simplest of situations. “Should I order the French toast and bacon or the blueberry pancakes and sausage? Hmmm!” The last time I found myself pondering my breakfast options certainly wasn’t going to have life altering ramifications. So now faced with one of the biggest professional decisions, I find myself teetering a tight rope of indecision.

The aforementioned quotes I found on Google images last night encompass a wide array of the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are weighing heavily on my heart. In revisiting this theme of difficult decision making, two quotes resonate the deepest within me and are pushing me to accept how this all fell into my lap in the first place.

“Making a big life change is pretty scary. But, know what’s even scarier? Regret.” I know I have to follow my heart and my intuition on this, but that doesn’t make the decision I need to make any easier.

“Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you and your life, not what’s best for everybody else.” This final quote reverberates loudly all around me because in my work as a counselor, I’m often acting off of what is best for everyone else.

So in the next few days as I discern, pray, and ultimately finalize an incredibly difficult decision, I will continue to circle back to “everything happens for a reason.” I ask that you please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I turn it over to God.