Keeping It Real

I strive really hard to keep my blog a positive, encouraging place. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't.

I just feel that there is enough ugly in the world, and we as Christians should look for God's grace, mercy, and beauty in every circumstance in our lives. Because it is there. His Word says it is. Romans 8:28

But sometimes I struggle. Not with finding those things I just mentioned. But I struggle with wondering if my readers (you wonderful folks who are so kind to stop in and read my ramblings), see me/our family as real.

You see, I'm working on a lesson, about being authentic. And although I feel like I'm authentic here, I am afraid that from the outside looking in, it may not appear to be so.

So, let me explain:

1. There is enough ugly in the world - I often just don't blog about the "ugly" parts of life, because there is enough of that elsewhere, and my goal is to be encouraging. Just because I choose not to blog about the "ugly", does not mean that our family never walks through it from time to time. We do. Sometimes as a whole, sometimes a few of us, sometimes individually. Satan attacks, and we deal with it, learn through it, and grow from it. Sometimes well, sometimes not so well.

2. Good choices bring good consequences, bad choices bring bad consequences - God has blessed both of our families with a strong Biblically based spiritual heritage. We both have generations of godly examples in our lives. And we both chose to follow God's Word, and seek His will for our own lives (separately, before we were married, and now as a couple united in marriage). We both made mainly wise choices growing up. We were obedient to our parents. We stayed away from drugs and alcohol. We kept ourselves pure for our future spouses. All these choices that we made daily, have culminated into the good consequences we now enjoy. We have great relationships with our family. We have no drug or alcohol related regrets or health issues. We trust one another, to remain pure and true to one another. Living life by God's plan, even when it is hard, really is the best plan.

3. We teach and train our children from God's Word - Again, this is not always easy, but our goal is to raise godly children who love God, and others, and who have servant's hearts. And so far, God has blessed our efforts, and we truly have great kids. Perfect? No. But great? Yes.

Those three things, are why we live, what may seem to someone just stumbling across my blog, a "charmed" life. And I will admit, our lives ARE richly blessed. But please know, that it didn't just happen this way. We carefully followed God's plans, and He has blessed us because of it.

I am learning, though, that if I share my struggles, it can be a blessing to others who are going through the same thing, or something similar. So, I will try in the future, to include more Keeping It Real blogs, where I let you know what I am struggling with, and how God is working to make us as a family, and as individuals, more like Him.

Until then, please know that we, too, are sinful individuals, living in a sinful world, doing our best with God's help to let our lights shine.