Lucky

I hear it often, "You are so lucky."  I hear it about many aspects of my life and it irks me every time.

I have a blessed life-not lucky-but blessed.

I am writing today's blog, not to brag or boast, but to give some perspective on my perception of why I have a blessed life.

You are so lucky to have such a good husband and a good marriage!

Wow!  I am honored for people to think so highly of my marriage.  What they do not see is all the times, present and past, that have taken work to get along.  Yes, my husband is definitely my best friend, but there are also times we don't get along so well.  I do attribute our successful marriage to some key bits of advice.

• If it is bothering you, let them know.  You don't have to be hurtful or harsh, but let your spouse know when something is upsetting you BEFORE it builds into a large wound.
• Tell them often how much you love them.  Better yet, show them how much you love them.  Paul and I never hide our affection for each other, especially around our kids.  We kiss and hug often and a little squeeze or pinch on the backside every now again isn't a terrible thing either ;)
• Pay attention to what he (or she) says.  Give in every once in a while to what he (or she) wants to do.  I really could care less about deer hunting, but I do know more than I care to admit about food plot strategies and where to place a good tree stand.  This is because I know hunting is his passion so I will humor him every now and then by listening--really listening--to his stories.
• Pray for your spouse.  

You have such awesome kids.  You are so lucky!

Now, I DO have awesome kids, but trust me, they were not born that way.  It has taken 12 and 10 years to help guide them into choices that have made them what they are today--and we are still working on it.

I am NOT my kids' best friend-I am their mother.  I love spending time with my kids and I hope that they can tell me anything that is on their mind, but I will not hesitate to discipline them when needed.

I started from day one requiring my kids to use good manners, speak properly, and respect adults.  Yes, they are allowed to be kids, but they will also grow into amazing adults!

My kids are limited on certain activities (video games and ipods).  I do go through their room, read their texts, and will check in on them when they start dating and going out with friends.  I will "invade their privacy" because that is my job as a parent!

Best of all, I have sought out Godly counsel on the raising of my kiddos through classes and literature from respected authorities in the church.

You have such a successful Direct Sales Business.  You got in at just the right time.  That was lucky!

I started my Scentsy business in October of 2008.  This was NOT the start of the company.  In fact it was over 4 years old.  Far from "ground floor" where it is perceived that you must be to be successful.

I have worked my tail off to grow and team and build a customer base.  I do not take my business or any aspect of it lightly.  I have learned from some of the best and continue to be a life-long learner in the area of business.

You are just so lucky!

Lucky?  No.

Blessed?  Yes.

I struggle every day to live by the word and not by my flesh. 

My family tithes.  I am confident that because we live by this biblical rule, our finances are guarded and protected.  Now that does not mean we can be frivolous.  I am still frugal and we take guidance on our finances.  However, there have been many times when our finances didn't "make it" on paper, yet we always have the money to pay our bills.

We did not have the money to enroll our kids into Christian school but we were passionate that it needed to be done.  The money simply wasn't there.  We continued to tithe and take care of our financial obligations and somehow we had the money for tuition.  Don't know how-but we did.

We keep our relationship priorities in line.  God first.  Spouse second.  Kids third.  period

We choose relationships wisely.  

We guard our minds.  We do not have cable TV.  We actually rarely watch TV unless it is some silly show like "Wipeout" or "America's Funniest Home Videos".  We also enjoy the new line of inspirational reality shows like "The Biggest Loser" and such.  CONFESSION: I am a sucker for Celebrity Apprentice which I doubt fill my mind with anything of value ;)  

I still desire to be stronger in my daily life.  I desire to be more disciplined in the Word.  I desire to know Him more and more every day.  

I am so thankful that He has blessed us the way he has.

Please brag on your blessings!  I love to hear about them too!