Patio Furniture time again

It is that time of year again. I love spring and all of the smells and sounds that come with it. I love being able to use the patio furniture once again. Being able to enjoy the outdoors and finally getting to use the patio furniture on the porch is like gaining another new room in the house. There is nothing more relaxing then sitting out back with a good book and relaxing. Then you have those warm evenings when you can take dinner outside and enjoy the warm rays of the sun. Oh the joys of the smells and sounds of spring.

100 Dogs and a sleigh

I am a cat person. I love cats and have two of them. I like dogs but would choose a cat over a dog any day. That being said, I have a seven year old who feels the total opposite. He wants a dog. He loves dogs. In fact, if I would allow it, the child would have 100 dogs. He has this desire to train them, teach those 100 dogs cool tricks and give them all baths. It is cute to listen to him talk about what it would be like for him to have a house filled with 100 dogs. I am just not sure that having so many canines in one place would be such a great idea but he informed me it would be a way to save money. He informed me that he would be able to train them all, we could hook them to a sleigh or wagon, and they could pull us behind them. He said it would be cheaper than having to pay for gas to drive the car. I am thinking he missed that we would have to feed those 100 dogs. Oh, the mind of a child. Makes me smile.

Curio Treasures

I have a lot of little trinkets and treasures around the house. There are those things that I find precious and that I am quite sentimental about that I would like to display in my home. I want to find a curio cabinet that fits the décor at atmosphere of my family room. I love curio cabinets and not only the way that you are able to showcase your rare treasures but that it can be used as a piece of furniture as well. A full curio cabinet can become quite the focal point for any room when filled with exquisite and eye catching treasures. I guess that will become my next quest, a curio cabinet of sorts.

The luxury of a kitchen cart

There just never seems to be enough space in my kitchen. Granted I live in a townhome, which means the kitchen is not overly large. What I need is a kitchen cart on wheels that will move easily into the kitchen when I am cooking to serve as additional counter space. What a concept and a convenience. It is an excellent way to gain that extra space without tearing down walls. When I am finished with my job in the kitchen, I can just push the kitchen cart against the wall and there it would stay until my next cooking experience. I think a kitchen cart could become a girl’s new best friend in the kitchen.

My Dining Table

Back in the summer of 2008, I refinished my dining room table. It was not the hardest thing I have ever done but being that it was the first time I had ever completed such a task, it was time consuming. I took a dining room table that was full of scratches and turned it into something that my kids and I can sit around sharing our meals or playing board games. This special dining table has brought my family together where stories are being told, jokes are being shared and memories are being made.

“The Liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.”
George Bernard Shaw

“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
Abraham Lincoln

“A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.”
Aesop

“Don't Lie alone, join a group of liars so that your Lie can be successful.”
Francis Mathew

“The masquerade that liars wear seems to always make people think that the victim is the poison, while the poison is the victim.”

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“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.”

Will Smith

“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction”

Blaise Pascal

“Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”

Samuel Johnson

“Who in their right mind would sacrifice Eternal Life for something as temporary as a breath? Believe it or not, most of us do it everyday and shrug it off as if there will be no consequences for our choices, and as if it is of absolutely no importance whatsoever to our lives now.”

Leif Ericsson Leo Veness

Community

No this posting is not about a tv show. If you found this site by Google-ing and thought you would find fun facts about a certain show...exit now.

I have found great joy and I am so excited! I have always had a heart for missions. I LOVE taking care of people! I LOVE IT!

I am so thankful that God has placed me in a community. A community full of people from all walks of life. People from different cultures and status groups. People who need to be loved on and to see Jesus in the people around them.

For the first time, my kids are playing with kids from all kinds of backgrounds. The opportunity to do things I have always wanted to do with my kids is finally happening. I don't even know how to describe the overwhelming sense of joy that I am experiencing. All I know is that God is here and He is blessing me with the desires of my heart. And I'm getting to do it with my kids!!!! It is amazing!

We don't have to leave this city. We can minister and love on people right here in Raleigh. Right here in our community.

I have found a church that shares my heart for reaching the unchurched but not only that, God has placed me in the perfect place, the perfect community so that I can share His love with those who need it most!

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Blame Him or Thank Him

Monday, February 21, 2011

Blame Him Or Thank Him? No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT). Dear Friends, This is the story of two people and their two different approaches to tragedy. Susan was broken-hearted. She had just lost her first child at birth. The trauma of that experience had affected her relationship with her husband and with everyone else around her. She had become cynical and moody. She blamed God for what had happened and said, "I hate Him. Why would this happen to me? Where was God when I was going through the birth pangs, the excruciating pain of giving birth to a stillborn child? Why didn't He give me a healthy baby?" We do not understand the mystery of why God allows certain tragedies, heartaches and sorrows, but we do know that those who trust the eternal God as their refuge will experience the reality of His promise, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27, NIV). By contrast, sometime later I talked with a godly Christian whose son had just taken his own life. Of course, this man and his wife were devastated. Their hearts were broken. But what a difference there was in their reaction. Even through his tears, this dear follower of Jesus was saying, "I know I can trust God. He is a loving Savior. He is my refuge, and I feel His strength and compassion and care for me and my loved ones. My wife and I and all of our family are rededicating ourselves to Him as an expression of our love and confidence in His trustworthiness." It may not always be easy to do and it may go against our fleshly nature, but it is important to follow the Holy Spirit's exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (NIV). God does not say in some circumstances, or in most circumstances, or only in the pleasant circumstances, but in ALL circumstances. God is not the author of tragedy. We live in a sin-sick, devil-infested world. Tragedy comes to believers and non-believers alike. But when it does come, God is always there to comfort and to work out everything for our long-term good according to Romans 8:28. No matter what happens, let us thank and praise Him. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright

The day after the drama

Yesterday was traumatic and the kids handled it well in the end.

Today we took a walk on the golf course to get a closer look at the damage done and just how close it had come to our home.

Let me say, that I was shocked. It was probably better that I hadn't seen just how close it truly was to our house yesterday.

My ten year old had gone to investigate the smoke when we first noticed it yesterday afternoon. He witnessed the fire shoot down the course within minutes. Seeing the damage helped me to better understand his fear yesterday. He was certain our house was going to burn and it is truly by the Grace of God that it did not.

I am in awe daily of God's faithfulness in our lives right now. He has made it abundantly clear that His hand is upon us and He is protecting us in so many ways.

We have found an amazing church and this morning the kids walked in with a different attitude. They are seeing God move and work in our lives and they are able to celebrate it on Sunday mornings.

This morning I walked into the kids class to find my 10 year old singing and playing the air guitar in his class. This is my "too cool for school" kid, the one who would never find church the "cool" place to be. I really believe God is working in the hearts of my kids.

We got into the car after church and he was giddy with excitement. He said his church was awesome and he loved it! I would like to say that the church is awesome but what he hasn't realized quite yet is that it's awesome because he is seeing God work in his life and getting to celebrate it on Sunday mornings with people who love him.

Sometimes our life takes a turn we would never have expected. Those turns can lead us to places of hopelessness. I am learning through all of this mess though that when we set our sights on things above, our perspective totally changes. God has given me such confidence as to His place in my life and I truly believe, now more than ever, that my God is for me! With God for me, then who could ever stop me or stand against me? My God is awesome!

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Fire and smoke

Today the Fab Five experienced something that they won't soon forget. This afternoon we decided to go for a walk. We headed out the front door where we were greeted with the strong smell of smoke. Gabby immediately started asking what the smell was and where it was coming from. We walked out from under the porch and when we looked up, there was thick smoke above our heads. As I looked around I notice people moving about with a sense of urgency. I became somewhat anxious.

Brett went to investigate as people drove by me, stopping to ask what was happening. I had no idea. Something was on fire and it was close but I didn't know what and I didn't know where. Being a single mom, I got scared. I knew my kids were counting on me.

It was not long before Brett returned and said that the golf course behind out home was on fire. At this point I heard people saying get what you have to have and any pets and get out. I then got scared. Suddenly there were firetrucks everywhere.

Our home is on the golf course. The fire was in our backyard. It was 30 to 50 feet from our back door. Thick smoke was everywhere. Gabby was screaming while the middle three cried at the thoughts of losing what we had. I felt helpless. I was trying to keep them calm while telling them to get the pets and their special things without my voice being shaky. We have been through so much already. These kids could NOT lose another home along with what stuff we had left.

We all went into my bedroom where we were able to sit on my bed and watch as the firefighters went to work. We were told to hang tight a while longer. We watched as they drug their water hoses and neighborhood men grabbed fire extinguishers, working together to put out the flames. It was a long couple of hours but they contained the fire and saved the day.

At dinner we thanked God for His protection and talked about how scared we all felt. It was another experience that brought us closer. It made me feel good to know that this is their home and that it is where they want to be. God protected my kids today in more ways than one.

All pictures were taken from bedroom window.

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The Woodcutter's Wisdom

by Max Lucado

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. "This Horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "It Is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. "You Old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune."

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse."

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?"

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him.

Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old Man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us."

The man responded, "Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?
"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don't."

"Maybe the old man is right," they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.

"You Were right," they said. "You Proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever."

The old man spoke again. "You People are obsessed with judging. Don't go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured.

Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.

"You Were right, old man," they wept. "God Knows you were right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever."

The old man spoke again. "It Is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows."

The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life's mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life's storms until we know the whole story.

I don't know where the woodcutter learned his patience. Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee.
For it was the Carpenter who said it best:

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Matthew 6:34)

He should know. He is the Author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter.

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Wrapped in peace

Unshakeable Peace

Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety is the enemy of a peaceful life. People go to great lengths to get rid of stress: travel ads promise that vacations will sweep you away from it; gyms offer to help you "sweat it out"; and popular magazines suggest ways to lessen it by adjusting schedules or habits. The problem is that no one can adequately shift circumstances to achieve total freedom from heartache, burdens, or trouble.

However, we can have unshakeable peace during anxious times. Jesus said to seek peace in Him because He has overcome this troublesome world (John 16:33). The key is to shift our focus from the scary problem onto God, who lovingly provides whatever we need from His limitless resources and power (Ps. 50:10; Rom. 8:11).

Serenity can't be manufactured—it's a gift from our heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit produces a sense of calm in believers who seek the Lord's protection against anxiety (Gal. 5:22). The Greek word translated as guard in today's passage literally means "to garrison about." God wraps hearts and minds in peace, effectively safeguarding both against all-consuming worry or fear. Notice that He doesn't make problems go away—we may still be under pressure or prone to weep, but we're cushioned against anxiety and surrounded by peace instead.

Today's verses tell us to pray rather than give in to anxiety. These words are Paul's orders for doing battle against the stresses and troubles of this world. Prayer keeps your mind and heart garrisoned with peace. Keep trusting in God so that your defenses are strong and anxiety cannot slip in. 

Author unknown

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How to Provoke Your Children To Anger

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

I was thinking about this today as I prepared for a parenting class. Here are some ways that we parents can provoke our children to anger. I’ve done many of these, and for this reason I’m grateful for the blood of Jesus and the power of the Spirit to change.

We can provoke our children to anger:

-By constantly criticizing them and not encouraging them. When they feel they can never please us enough.
-By Having double standards –Do as I say, not as I do. Expecting them to do things we don’t do, e.g. Ask forgiveness, humble themselves, etc
-By anger and harshness
-By a lack of affection
-By telling them what to do or not do without giving Biblical reasons (e.g., Do it because I say to do it, or because it’s just wrong).
-By Being offended at their sin because it bothers us, not because it offends God.
-By Comparing them to others (Why can’t you act like your sister?)
-By hypocrisy –acting like a Christian at church but not at home
-By embarrassing them (correcting, mocking expressing disappointment in them in front of others)
-By always lecturing them and never listening to them
-By disciplining them for childishness or weakness, not for sin
-By failing to ask their forgiveness when we sin against them
-By pride –failing to receive humble correction from our spouses or our children when we sin.
-By Self-centered reactions to their sin (How could you do this to ME?)
-By ungracious reactions to their sin (What were you thinking? Why in the world would you do that?)
-By forgetting that we were (and are) sinners (I would NEVER have done that when I was your age).

May God give us gracious, gentle, humble, affectionate hearts toward our children.

Mark Altrogge

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Redbox

This has become a big deal in our house. When we have nothing to do, we head down to the Redbox. How can you go wrong with a movie for a buck?

My phone has a nifty little Redbox app. Whenever we're in the mood for a movie, we look up the title and it tells us which box we need to go to in order to find it or we can reserve it for later. We have about 6 different boxes within about 3 miles of our house. A little crazy but makes it more likely that we'll find a movie that we're looking for at the moment.

Between my two oldest boys and myself, we have several cell phones. At the beginning of the month, we get text messages for free movie rentals. Not only that, the more you rent, the more they give you for free.

At least once a week, we have pizza and movie night. We grab a couple of $5 pizzas from Little Caesars and rent a movie. It has become the highlight of my week! Love that time cuddled with my kiddos doing two of my favorite things....eating and watching a good movie!

Admit nothing, deny everything, make coutner-accusations- CIA motto

How to Become Correction Free

Don’t you hate to be corrected?

Don’t you hate it when someone says, “Do you mind if I share an observation for you?” Don’t you just want to reply, “YES, I DO mind. Now please go back to Observationville and I’ll call you when start to run low on observations.”

One of the worst things about being corrected is the way your face feels. You want to smile and look “receptive,” open and humble, yet your face essentially feels like it’s made out of Plaster of Paris and is about to crack into a thousand pieces. On the outside your face says, “Yes, I can see what you’re saying. Hmmm. No, I didn’t realize that every time I open my mouth you feel like I’m tazering you. Thank you so much for sharing this with me.” But inside you are saying to yourself, “Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.”

So here are some suggestions for how to receive correction.

First, take a lesson from the CIA, whose motto is “Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter-accusations.” The minute someone begins to correct you, even before they’ve finished their first sentence, launch your offensive: “Why are you always attacking me and tearing me down? Why can’t you support me for once? Aren’t there enough dogs in the street that you have to start kicking me?” Do this at least 23 decibels louder than you normally speak.

This should take your would-be “observer” off guard. They may be speechless for a moment, which will give you the opportunity to launch your second fusillade: the guilt trip. “After all I’ve done for you, this is the thanks I get? Whatever happened to encouragement? You know the last time you encouraged me? In the Truman administration! Why do I even bother trying to do anything nice for anyone if this is what’s going to happen to me?”

Now they may gently point out they haven’t actually even said anything to you yet. Don’t be put off by this. Launch stage 3: Play the ‘Woe is me’ card. “I’m sorry for snapping like that. It’s just that I’ve been under so much stress lately. My pet lizard, ‘Lucky,’ died last week and all the crickets I’d fed him got out of his cage and my whole house became infested and the city came and condemned it. They accused me of being a hoarder, just because I like to collect things. On top of that, I had to get rid of my 32 cats. It’s just been terrible. I don’t think I can take any more.”

If your observer hasn’t left yet, launch stage 4: The downcast listener. “Ok, give me your observation. I need to be teachable. Tell me how bad I am. Tell me what a loser I am. I need to hear it. It’s good for me. Just let me grab some kleenex first.” Then look at them with sad watery eyes. Sniff and wipe your nose.

If at this point, they still have gumption to actually give you an observation, repeat tactic 1: “Oh, right – I’M insensitive. Well what about last Sunday when you snubbed me at the coffee bar? What? You didn’t see me because of how crowded it was? Talk about insensitive! If you didn’t see me, why weren’t you concerned? Oh right. You were reaching out to a guest. Well, I guess I just have to try to be more sensitive to YOU, Mr. Outreach.”

Get the idea? It’s not that hard. Put these simple techniques into practice and soon you’ll be correction free like I am.

Written by Mark Altrogge

Sweet as Honey

Five kids not only means messes made but injuries as well. We get cuts and scrapes quite often and whenever I go to pull out the polysporin, there is panic and screaming.

So here is the latest product that I have to keep close by for whenever trouble strikes. Now this one may seem a bit odd and I have to admit I was skeptical at first but it works. When you have a cut (not deep) or scrape, cover the wound with honey. Yes, honey. I was watching Dr. OZ and he gave the recommendation. Sure enough, last night, child number 4 received quite a large scratch down the side of his face and was crying that it hurt. I took him into the kitchen and spread a thin coat of honey across the scratch. It worked. The pain was gone. Miracle product!!

Disclaimer: I would not suggest using this product in this way if you are allergic to honey or have lots of different allergies.

This picture is that of one of my favorite Christmas presents. I love McDonalds honey and have yet to find any other honey in the stores that even compares. SO...for Christmas my loved ones went to McD's multiple times and collected honey packs. They then emptied out another honey bottle and filled it the those individual packs. Cute huh??

Oh the Cleverness of…

There is nothing like having a three year old around the house, especially when they are the youngest of five. Her oldest sibling is almost 13, which means she hears all kinds of things and then repeats it all. What I find comical is how she repeats those phrases, and is able to use them in the correct context. Sometimes it blows my mind but it ALWAYS makes me laugh.

A few weeks ago, we were heading out for the day to run errands. All the kids were getting into the car but two were fighting over who would be sitting in the very back. I had had enough of the arguing and told one of them to move to the back. This particular child began arguing with me, which led me to inform him that if he did not move, he was grounded. Out of the chaos I hear, "Oh Snap! Brett is going to get his butt spanked." With that, laughter exploded within the car.

Back around Christmas, the girls were helping me make Christmas cookies. My oldest daughter was talking to the youngest about which cookies should be left for Santa. The three year old chimed in stating that she did not want to leave cookies for Santa. She said that if he came he might eat her instead.

The three year old is afraid of things that make loud noises. Whenever I pull out the vacuum cleaner, she immediately runs around picking up any of her toys off the floor and yells, "Mommy, this is not a good idea." Cracks me up every time.

Yesterday we were doing shops. She had been talking my ear off all afternoon. I had reached my breaking point. As we were walking out the door of the last shop, I couldn't take anymore and said "OMG". She quickly replied "Oh my Gabby. Cause Gabby starts with G." Suddenly the stress was gone and I was laughing yet again.

When we go to do shops, most places have what she calls a "baby buggy". She typically grabs her buggy and pulls out her map (a piece of paper with her drawings on it). I am then told to follow her because she is the leader. If I happen to get ahead of her, she stomps her foot and says, "Mommy, I am the leader. Follow me. I have the map." It usually gets the attention of other customers in the store and they find it quite funny as well.

Never a dull moment with a three year old who LOVES to talk. More to come….

 

Stalker???

I am pretty certain I have a stalker. That would be a cyber-stalker. With today's technology, it makes stalking SO much easier. People can keep up with what you do through Facebook and blogs. They can keep up with your every day life and you are totally clueless. It is kind of creepy when you think about it.

Thankfully, when you are a blog writer, you have a way to track those that visit your blog. It doesn't give names but it does give helpful information that should something happen to the writer of the blog, the culprit can be tracked down.

Yes I am being a bit dramatic but we live in a scary world and I no longer put anything past anybody after what I have been through.

That being said, what motivates someone to keep tabs on someone using the internet? What obsession becomes the driving force behind a constant need to know what someone is doing or thinking?

I found several theories on the web.

Research suggests jealousy. Why must things always come back to that word? Why can we not be happy with who God created us to be but instead of comparing ourselves to someone else? When we are jealous of someone, why make that jealousy worse by torturing ourselves through their FB pages and all the friends they have that we don't. Why torment yourself that way?

Research also suggests the need for validation. We are dealing with something and need our feelings to be validated. We turn to other's FB pages or blogs to prove that all is not right in the world.

Research suggest fantasy. We feel something for someone that we feel is out of our league so we live vicariously through the FB pages or blogs. (This one creeps me out just a little)

I don't know what the reason is behind the person who spends the majority of their day checking my blogs but I know you're out there. Hope your reasons are healthy ones :-)

Anonymous

I had an interesting comment left for me by someone two days ago on my Zephaniah blog. I always love anonymous comments. Those comments are the ones left by people who are looking to take a jab in order to make a point but also too scared to stand behind what they believe.

This comment left me to research online why people hide behind anonymity. It is quite interesting that we tend to use a fake name or anonymous when we want to lash out at someone or make a loud statement without having to face the crowd. Many articles call those kinds of people cowards. I tend to agree.

Everyday bloggers around the world put their thoughts out there for "the world" to see. We air our opinions, life stories or share our heart only to be slammed by those who cannot even be honest in who they truly are. Why is that?

Some articles claim that it comes from jealousy. Those who use anonymity are jealous of those who are not afraid to be transparent because those that use anonymous want to be transparent. Other articles claim that it comes from people who are just plain mean. Still yet, other articles suggested that people comment using their real name and then use anonymous in order to play devil's advocate just to stir up a debate.

I do not know the reasons of those that choose to comment on my blog with anonymous and truly, I do not care. I just know that I am proud of myself for being able to speak up and for not being afraid to share my opinion. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me. My first year of blogging I spent so much time worrying about those anonymous comments and constant slams, pretty much taking it all to heart. The past two years have made me tough and now, I read those comments with a smile and can accept that not everyone likes me or will agree with my opinion. I have grown through my writing and God has taught me many things about myself as well as others through it all. Because of those things, I will continue to write and read the blogs of others out there like me.