And so it begins.....

Today is the beginning of pretty awesome era for this mom...No facebook.  Am I insane? We are talking facebook, not MySpace. (Is there even a MySpace anymore?) 

    I decided that it was time. You see....I'm a 36 year old married woman with three super awesome kids. Not just kinda awesome, but really awesome.  My darling husband (of 18+ years) and I have had a business in our home for over 10 years. I've had other jobs, but for the past few, I've been at home.  Hello Time Suck. I felt I needed to be connected with everyone, everywhere, at all times. This is a dangerous combination. I've played the games...Words with Friends was my favorite. I trolled around...found long lost friends.  I quoted AWESOME celebrity's, researchers, evangelists, astronomers, sesame street characters, movies, and cute things my children said.  This is NOT reality. People always sound really smart  and witty when they are sitting at a computer pulling up quotes from www.thinkexist.com or www.brainyquote.com.

     The nastiness that creeps around every corner was astonishing. Things that someone says gets turned around, flipped upside down, and misconstrued. Then when you realize that you are actually arguing, it's too late. A life of it's own, it has created.  I've been guilty of doing the same thing. I'm in no way the 'victim' here. I am however, more than happy to say, "no thank you, I've had enough".

    I would like to be able to freely express my opinions, my faith, and WHO I am without being talked down to, ridiculed, or ignored. (wouldn't that be a fun world?)  Being 36, tattooed heavily, a pretty strict parent, and a Christ Follower confuses people. I don't hide my faith. I don't hold things back. I try to love the way Christ does (no easy). I accept people for who they are and where they are at. I am however human and a horrible Christian. I say horrible Christian because I'm a hypocrite. I don't always feel like loving certain people. I don't want to be friends with people that make me feel bad. (friends:hanging out with them, sharing secrets, enjoying life together). It doesn't mean that I don't love them or I don't pray for them or care for them. It just means....we're not going to Hacienda for Margaritas.  I have friends that are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Agnostic, Wiccan,.....this does NOT change how I feel about them.  It also does NOT change the way I feel about Jesus Christ. (I'm not just a fan of Him, I'm a follower).

    It's awesome to know that Jesus loves me just like this. He truly does. He loves me through my faults. My pettiness. My secretive loathing of spending time doing certain things. Thank you Jesus.  Thank you for my husband, my children, my friends (especially Tanya who said, "Maybe you should blog"), my parents, my church family, the people who try my patience, the people who require grace, even the people who make me feel bad.  Jesus.....I'm all in.