#choosingtosmile

It's time to shift gears. I've written about the struggle with this brain injury. I've written about trying to hold on to truth when everything around me seems to be falling apart. That struggle is very real, and God is walking with me daily as I work through the hardest parts of this journey. You can read about it here and here.

Walking through our darkest times feels like one of those weird situations no one tells us how to do. I know I felt left to my own devices when my emotions and the truths I had known my whole life didn't seem to match up. I felt like I had two choices: I could push on with a brave face and shove my doubts and questions down very deep, never to be dealt with; or I could hold my questions up to the light of day and beg for answers. I could run TO my struggle instead of away from it. Friend, if you are struggling, if life is hitting you hard, please don't run away from the struggle. Please run TO the One who has the answers!! I promise that Jesus can handle our anguish, our pain, our questions, and our doubts. He wants us to cry out to Him. And He is waiting with answers and comfort. If you aren't sure what it looks like to go to Him with your pain, or aren't sure I understand, please go read my recent post. I have been there - as recently as last week! And God is patiently and sweetly leading me out of the dark.

But is that all there is to life with a chronic condition? Struggle, suffering, spiritual wrestling? NO! Our God is so gracious and loving that He gives us so much more in our lives - we just have to look for it! If we look, we can find beauty, peace, joy, and laughter. This last one, laughter, is my favorite. God wired me (Enneagram 7 here ✋) with a smile on my face and a laugh just waiting to bubble up. I admit that in the dark days, it's harder to laugh, but so often, being able to laugh at life has broken through the darkness and gotten me (and my family) through another hard day.

There are many practical ways to "find your happy". Making a list of things I am thankful for is a huge boost for my spirits. It's hard for me to stay down when I list all my blessings. Another fun thing for me is to scroll back through photos. Memories can be wonderful mood boosters! There is an excellent book out with more great practical ideas called "A Year of Living Happy" by Alli Worthington. I highly recommend it!

I want to share a few things that have made me laugh over the last year. Why? Because it's important for us to remember that even in the hard times, God is alive and working. And one of the ways He reminds us that He is at work and on our side is by sending things that make us smile. We have to do our part by being on the lookout for those moments!

I'm willing to bet that the things that make me smile won't be the same things that put a smile on your face. That's ok. Part of the beauty of this wonderful world is the differences we all bring to the table. I would love to hear from you. What kind of things make you laugh? What moments put a smile on your face? What silliness breaks up a hard day and helps you make it to the next day? I'm posting my happy moments on social media with the hashtag #choosingtosmile - I would love for you to join me! When you post a picture of something that makes you laugh, especially on a hard day, tag it with #choosingtosmile - that will let folks know that even though life is hard, we are choosing, at least for that moment, to focus on the things that bring us joy. We can support each other together!

I think you know me well enough to know that I'm not suggesting we be anything less than authentic. I'm not recommending turning our Instagram feeds into highlight reels or our Facebook profiles into Fakebook pages. I'm all for keeping it real. I think that's the beauty behind the hashtag. It lets us say: "Yes, life can be hard. But in this post, I am acknowledging that while I can't control my circumstances, I can control my focus. And today, I am choosing to smile." Are you with me? #choosingtosmile

Ok 😊 Are you ready to see the things that have made me laugh? The moments that have brought me joy? The silliness that cracks me up?

A pig on a leash - how do you not laugh?	Deep fried oreos - now we are talking joy!
The bunny slippers my sons bought me for my birthday I smile every time I wear them! The little ears flop when I walk!!	Being a Band Mom brings me so much joy! I love watching my son tear it up out there! I cheer like a crazy woman.
Dates with Drew - definitely reason to smile	Is anything more fun than being a Football Mom? The crowd? The cheering? The yelling at the refs? Watching my boy make tackles? I love it!
That time we were playing basketball at a park in Tennessee and a bear showed up! Y'all, life is full of crazy moments!	My youngest is finding his way on the basketball court. It's so fun watching him come into his own. I love cheering him on!

This Is What I Was Born To Do!

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
 - Confucius

I'm back! And I missed you. I can't believe how long it's been since I posted last! Life really can get in the way of blogging sometimes.

Today, I'm dying to tell you about the event we were a part of this weekend. I found myself doing exactly what I was born and designed to do. And that is an amazing feeling!

DH and I lead a basketball and cheerleading league through Upward Sports. We are entering our 7th year of Upward Basketball and Cheerleading, and I absolutely love it!! We run about 450 basketball players and cheerleaders. I'm completely involved alongside DH (the director of the whole program), and our boys are involved too. I can't imagine life without Upward in it.



This past weekend, we held our Upward Player Evaluations. That means that the players and cheerleaders come to the gym to try on uniforms and run drills (basketball players). We use the information from Evals to order uniforms and make even teams.

At Evals, it's my job to be the greeter and "traffic cop" of sorts. I'm the first face that our Upward families see when they come in the door. I stood in one spot for four hours and greeted over 300 players/cheerleaders and their families. Some were brand new to our program, and others have been playing/cheering with us for years. I answered questions about the program, sent them to the correct spot in the building for drills and uniforms, and basically tried to make them feel welcome.

I loved every minute of it!! I saw people I have come to care about, pitched a program I firmly believe in, handled administrative details, and loved on little children.

Here's why my role this weekend was such a great fit for me - 

• Greet people as they came in - God has given me a knack for names. I just remember them. So when the folks came in, I was able to greet many of them by name. I was able to ask about their families and their friends. I could tell them that their best friend just came through and was in the gym or that I had just seen their coach from last year, and he was going to coach again. Remembering details about their lives made our people feel at home and welcomed. I can't take any credit for it. God made me this way. But I absolutely loved being able to use that gift to make people feel cared about.  
• Answer questions about the Upward program - some of the folks who came in Saturday were brand new to Upward. They had heard about us and wanted to give it a shot, but most had questions or concerns that needed to be addressed. Because God has given me a bubbly personality (to put it lightly - I tend to gush about the things I love), I was able to handle any questions with complete confidence in the program. I could look into the eyes of a little five-year old and put them at ease about trying something new. I could tell a dad that his new cheerleader wouldn't be learning anything inappropriate. I could promise a nervous basketball parent that their child's coach would be kind and would teach their new ball player everything they need to know.
• Handle administrative details - because God has given me an eye for detail, I've been able to help DH as an unofficial assistant director of Upward. I'm able to help with the details of teams and coaches and dates and cost. And then when the questions come from the parents, I'm able to answer them. 

Where in the world am I going with this? 

No, this is not a commercial for Upward Sports. They haven't asked me to promote them, and there is nothing in it for me. I do believe that Upward Sports is an amazing program. I would highly recommend that if you aren't involved in Upward (as a volunteer or as a parent of a player/cheerleader), you look for a league in your area. If you've never heard of Upward Sports before, look them up. It's a wonderful program! Click on the image to learn more about Upward Sports.

Here on my blog, I've done a lot of self-analysis over the last few months. I've looked at my strengths and my weaknesses. I'm learning that when I know how I was designed, and when I put my gifts and abilities to use helping others, I'm at my most fulfilled in life. I'm working alongside my family, using my talents, and serving my community. And it's wonderful!

What about you? Have you found a way to put your strengths and abilities to work in a way that brings you joy? I'd love to hear about it. If you haven't found your "thing" yet, don't quit looking! Try something new. If that doesn't work, try something else. Keep trying until you find that "thing" that sparks you - that thing that lets you be the person you were made to be. 

I'm a Philadelphia Eagles fan. And It Makes Me Crazy!

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that."
 - Bill Shankly

I hate the Philadelphia Eagles. Really. I do. But I'm also their biggest fan. Confused? Allow me to explain what it's like to be an Eagles fan.

Here in Philadelphia, we really love our sports teams. Whether it's the Phillies, the Sixers, the Flyers or the Eagles, we are an insanely loyal bunch. We love our teams! We dare anyone to criticize our teams!

But my team makes me crazy! The Eagles have an uncanny habit of winning by the smallest margins at the last possible minute. No game is ever a blow out. No game is ever decided before the last second. No "sure thing" is ever a sure thing. We lose games we should win and win games we should have lost. It's so confusing to be an Eagles fan.

Have you ever driven past a really bad wreck on the side of the road? You know it won't be pretty, but you just have to look? That's what being an Eagles fan is like. I know it's going to be an ugly game. I know they are going to call stupid plays. I know there will be turn-overs that make me want to yell at the TV. But on the off chance that they actually win, I have to watch! It's my team! Even if it's a complete train wreck, I have to watch the game.

And on those special days when they pull out a win, I cheer, I do a happy dance, I celebrate. I am an Eagles fan! I love them, and I hate them. It's how we roll in Philly.




Linking up with Finding the Funny.

Want To Hear About One Of My Favorite Places?

I need to preface today's post with this - what you are about to read is not an advertisement. The place I'm blogging about today has no idea they are the topic of my blog. They are not paying me to tell you about it, and there is nothing in it for me other than sharing my love of something with you. I simply want you to see it through my eyes and feel my excitement. Why? Because it makes me happy. And maybe it will make you happy too.
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Today I’m in the mood to tell you about one of my favorite places on earth.

Bright colors.

Magical words.

Great food.

Free childcare.

Spectacular displays.

A feast for the imagination.

Have you guessed yet?

I’m talking about Ikea!

Have you ever been to Ikea?

Let’s start with what I see as I drive up: a bright blue building with bold yellow letters, flags waving in the breeze announcing the name of this magical place. Already, I can feel the excitement!

So I park and go in.

Inside, the first thing I see is an escalator that will take me to creativity on display. But behind the escalator is a special treat – free childcare! I can drop my children off to be cared for by conscientious, screened Ikea employees while I shop!

So, child-free, I ride the escalator. I hold my breath in anticipation the way a child does walking through the gate at Disney World.

And then I reach the top to find display after display of the most cleverly designed items ever!

There are bedrooms, dining room, home offices, kitchens, and even patios on display.

The chairs and light fixtures have shapes I never could have imagined. The practicality of every piece is genius!

Then there are the names! Every item Ikea sells has a distinct name. Most are names I’ve never heard of. I’m convinced that some of the names are an attempt at humor, and some are just letters put together at random. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• A rug called Soften
•  A flashlight named Ljusa
•  A throw blanket called Gurli
•  A pot with a lid called Favorit
•  A brandy glass named Optimal
•  A screwdriver dubbed Fixa
•  A trivet called Heat
•  And my brother-in-law’s favorite – a spatula named Skrapa

I could wander Ikea for hours. I love to see all the new products and imagine them in my home.

But my time in the childcare is up. They only give you 90 minutes, then it's time to pick up the kids. And I promised them 50 cent hotdogs for lunch (Ikea makes a really good hot dog!).

So my wandering is over. I'll have to come back another day.


Want to enjoy your own Ikea moment? Click here to go to Ikea's Locator site.



Linking up with Calm My Crazy.