Monday, June 17, 2013

To all of you guys out there!

To all of the guys out there, 

I know I am young, I do not have kids, not even married, but this was placed on my heart tonight and thought I would share my thoughts. 
Whether you are a father yet, or not to that point in your life. 
Most men when they have a boy, they instantly start thinking of all of the "manly" things they can do together. Go fishing, hunting, and playing sports. I have heard many stories of men when they find out they are having a girl, while they are excited, their heart sort of skips a beat, because they know nothing about little girls. From my past experience I just want to let you know a few things that will mean a lot to your daughter, that you might not have thought of or would even think would mean a thing to them. 
1) Let her dance on your feet. She will remember this, I promise! She will remember saying "Dance with me daddy" and you letting her stand on your feet while you spun her around and around. I know it is something simple, but you will see that it brings joy to her eyes, and will talk about it years and years down the road. 
2) Take her fishing, hunting, play sports with her. Start at a young age, show her you want to spend time with her. She might squeal at getting dirty, and cry because you killed a fish, but she will remember these precious memories with you taking time and spending it with her. 
3) Whether she is into sports, band, dance, gymnastics or riding horses. Go to her events. Be the loudest in the crowd! Don't be ashamed. You might embarrass her in the moment, but in the long run she will remember her dad being the loudest EVER in the crowd at her events. It will be a cool story to tell her kids. 
4) Take her out once a month on a "father-daughter" date. Do something she wants to do. It might be something you really like, like bowling, but it might also be shopping or getting a pedicure. Show her she is special and let it be 'her' night. Get to know her, before you blink she will be all grown up. Those years as a child/teen are precious, don't waste the moments. 
5) When she is around and even when she is not, treat other women with respect. How you treat other women, is going to be what she takes from guys when she is older and dating, and looking for a spouse. I know you want her to find someone who treats her with respect so treat other women with respect. 

Again, just my thoughts and what has been on my heart. I might be way off, but from my perspective as a woman and daughter, these are some things that I wish I would have experienced, things I could tell my kids someday. I promise, they will mean more to your daughter than you could ever imagine. 

Love, 
A daughter

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Father's Day

Father's day is tomorrow, well technically today since it is 12:19. I already have half of my FaceBook posting about father's day and how their dad is the "best dad ever", and all this other sweet and mushy stuff. I'm not trying to be negative, and I do love that these people truly look up to their father's and see them as a role model. Me on the other hand, am having a hard time saying just half of what everybody is saying. My dad wasn't a HORRIBLE dad, but I wouldn't say I look up to him either. However, I have learned what to not take from guys, and things that I know I don't want in a boyfriend, or husband (for future). He has secretly shown me how I should not raise my kids, and I am learning from the way he has treated his. Again, he is not a terrible father and I love my dad. In a way I do constantly strive for his approval, and his love for me, which usually I end up upset with the outcome.

I was sitting here looking at all of the posts on FaceBook in tears wishing I had a father who let me dance on his feet as a child, who would take me fishing even though I would have screamed at the thought of putting an innocent worm on the hook, and I don't even want to think about how I would react to a fish ending up on the end of that line. I wish I had a father who came to all of my events and was the loudest in the crowd when it was my turn to perform, who brought me roses to a dance recital, who called me just to say hi, who took me on "father-daughter" dates to show that I am special, who treated women with respect, and would have taught me not to let a man treat me differently. My father has done a lot for me financially, but I am having a hard time remembering when he showed me he loved me without buying me something, or bringing up the fact of all the stuff he has bought me in my life here on Earth.

In all honesty, I wouldn't care if my dad just quit with everything financially and just started to call me on a daily basis just to check up on me, who would send me a letter just to tell me he was thinking about me, who would want to spend some father daughter time together without drinking. I don't want to dwell on that though. I want to focus on another Father of mine. A father that isn't exactly on this earth but has been a father for me from day 1 and will forever be a father. I might not have realized how much he has been for me in the past but now I see how true he always has been. It doesn't matter whether your father is a great father, an absent father, still living, or has passed away, you will always always always have a father. Your father created you just the way you are. He loved you before you were born. He knows everything about you, and still cares for you through your messes. He forgives you, and took nails in his hands and feet for you. He loved YOU enough to die a painful death for you even though he knew you would betray him, deny him to your friends, and sin against him, and yet he still showed his love for you. That's a father. One who is there for you through the ups and the downs. Who never leaves you nor forsakes you. Who wants you to run to him and dance on his feet. Turn to him. He loves you , cares for you, wants you to share your heart with him. Pour it out. Don't dwell on the hurtful things from your earthly father, instead turn to the perfect heavenly father that created you! He won't let you down, I promise!(:

God Bless,
Ariel

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Kick back, and relax!

Who would have known that taking a day off every now and then, kicking back and relaxing for just a day, would be completely worth it? Why did no one tell me this before I made plans for every second of every day of my ENTIRE summer? Come on, who kept this secret from me? Who failed to inform me that I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion just within the first third of the summer and beg for the school year to start so I could finally have some time to relax? Yeah, well no one told me that so I am just going to say that it was everybody's fault. Not fair? I'm sorry, okay well I should have known after all the summers and semesters where I feel like this! 

I told myself last year that the next summer I was going to not plan a whole lot and was just going to relax. Do you think that happened? Oh not at all! This summer is busier than the last, and if it keeps going at this rate I don't even want to imagine what next summer is going to be like. 

Today, I realized more than ever before how important it is to take that time to yourself. To just kick back and relax for a day. To take a moment from ministry and refuel yourself. You will burn out, you will get tired, you will want to quit. We need to train ourselves in a way to focus on Christ and to keep going. Training in a way that we won't burn out. Being in a place that builds us up not tear us down. I am searching for this place, I am working on training, and it is getting hard. I think I am going to have to take a step back and reevaluate everything and try it all over again, because I am tired, and I am worn out completely. I don't want this for ministry or myself, and for sure don't want it for you either which is why I am posting about this. 

I have a tendency to not be able to say "NO!" so I get way too much on my plate than I can't handle and just keep piling it all up. It all becomes too overwhelming so I want to give up and start back sliding. This is why God told us to take the Sabbath day and keep it holy. We need that time to refuel our minds, and hearts. That time to rest to start back to ministry again. You need a break, I need a break. (Listen to me preaching to myself) You can't burn out on ministry because you are tired. Take a step back, take a breath and after you are rested take it back head on. I will be doing this right after my next three super busy, non-stop weeks are over. I can't help that I have already planned babysitting, VBS, and dance camps all in the same 2 weeks and will be going non-stop from 7-10 everyday. It is a done deal and I am trying my hardest to face it in a positive way! 

It is now time for me to try to get some sleep before I have to babysit tomorrow morning! 

God Bless, and don't forget to take a rest!
Ariel

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Long Time, No See

Dear Bloggers,

It has been a while since I have typed a new post. It has been on my planner for a good two months, so I guess it is finally time to actually post something, huh?

My life has been, what you could say, hectic yet calm. I am super busy with babysitting, and working the nursery, yet I feel like I don't have anything to do. Maybe it is because when I babysit, it is two-twelve year olds and they pretty much take care of themselves. It's not bad work just tiring. The kids tend to wear me out just about every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but that's what they are suppose to do right?

Yesterday, my brother came to live with me for 5 days. I haven't got to really spend much time with him yet, but I will tomorrow and the next day! He got in trouble at work today, and while the lady was explaining to me what happened I broke down in tears. I know I shouldn't have, and that was not professional as his care taker but all the emotions started flowing and I couldn't stop them. I was already upset with the fact that my dad doesn't seem to care that my brother looks up to him as much as he does, and doesn't act like he wants to ever see my brother. Then they brought up possible assault charges against my special needs brother. Needless to say, I broke down. I am already an extremely emotional person, and so this was not helping. I'm not even completely sure why I completely broke down, but I did.

On a different note, my devotional every morning has been so challenging. It's suppose to, right?!? Well it sure is. This morning it was about getting rid of the excess in our lives, the things that we could live without, and that might be tearing us down. Also, it was challenging you to get rid of the neutral things as well. The things that aren't building you up but aren't tearing you down, because obviously if it isn't building you up it can only take you one way. I have done a lot of evaluating the last 13-14 hours about what those two things consist of. I have come up with a lot of things and will post a new blog about it tomorrow (hopefully).

Sorry this was more informational on my life instead of spiritual. I felt like I needed to catch up with you all first, so you would know how the spiritual is relating to my life.

God Bless,
Ariel(: