Coming Clean

This blog started out as just a way of updating the masses on the various activities of almost a year ago when we started on a new journey as a family. It has become a journal of sorts, a place where I bleed a little, fly a little, and share pictures of my kids. I avoided a lot of obviously spiritual things since I know that there are several people who read this who aren't necessarily into my religion. However, my spiritual beliefs are such a huge part of my life and how I learn that I've decided to no longer keep that sort of thing out of here. Not that this is going to turn into a huge Mormon pamphlet or anything. It's still all about me, and that's what matters, right? Just kidding.

With that said, someone shared an experience with several of her friends that really got me thinking about my own prideful heart and how I view my failures. She spoke of how she was invited to sing at church and felt as if she had failed because she cried so hard that she couldn't sing the song. Easter and Christmas are such emotional times for me that I really couldn't blame her at all. So off I run at the mouth about how a display of emotion doesn't necessarily negate the impact of what someone has to share, as well as the following statement:

It's far too easy to assume that because it didn't go how we wanted it to, that it went "wrong" somehow. God doesn't ask us to be perfect, He merely asks us to do our best. You prayed for strength, you practiced, and prepared, and then you got up there and did your best. You did precisely what God would have you do, and that's good enough for Him. Besides, when we look at it as a *gift to God* instead of a display in God's name, it really changes things. It gives us the freedom to forgive our shortcomings b/c we know that God will forgive us, as well as the freedom to give so much more when we know that we're safe in God's hands. At that point you become an instrument in His hands and His Spirit works through you, setting your song and testimony on fire.

I found myself rereading it for typos and it hit me like a ton of bricks that here I was encouraging someone to not take her failures personally when, just days ago, I wrote a whole post about all of my failures that day!! Talk about being hypocritical. I read something amazing in an advice column a couple of months ago. Someone wrote in with the usual sob about a pretty sick relationship, and the columnist replied that all she could say is, what would you tell someone in your same situation? What sort of wisdom is inside of you that you keep penned up when your pride gets in the way?

Much food for thought for me. Time to make the world a better place and go shower.