comparing & judging

I'm going to pour my heart out a little, but I'm going to do it quickly... Micah & Meredith are both napping, but since that never seems to happen simultaneously anymore, I figure one of them will wake up as soon as I get to the good part... so I'll make it snappy.

My name is Kristin Daniels and I compare myself to other people/women/wives/moms and I also judge myself and them based on how I do things or wish I did things.

WHY!?!

Do you vaccinate?  Did you do a delayed schedule? Are you breastfeeding? Do you ever leave your baby over night? Do you and your husband have regular date nights? Do you work outside the home? Do you grocery shop with coupons? Do you spoil your kids with toys? Are you thinking about going back to work? Do you let your baby sleep in the bed with you? Do you like your baby cry it out?

Whatever your answers to these questions - GOOD. FOR. YOU! You are a rockstar mom/dad/friend/wife/husband/sister/brother... whatever... and the decisions you make for your family/self are, I'm sure, the best decision based on your circumstances. In light of eternity the only thing of true importance is: Are you serving the Lord and seeking His will... and are you sharing Him with others?

My jealousy/comparing/judging issues are absurd and I'm trying my best to be confident in who I am, the decisions I make, and the way I take care of my family. There are people who think they'll do it differently... or people who judge the way someone raises their child or treats their spouse... and I'm going to try to NOT be that person. I'm thankful God chose me to raise my kids and be a wife to Billy... and I have a lot of room for improvement, but doing it because someone else does it better, or because someone else thinks I'm crazy/silly... well that's not reason enough to change.

My name is Kristin Daniels and I'm trying my hardest to live my life the way the Lord would have me live it - flaws, craziness, awkwardness, and all.

But in reality...

Billy & I are doing a small group study using the "Not A Fan" series with our college life group. This past week the question to ponder was "What have you had to sacrifice to follow Christ?"

I grew up in church. I enjoyed high school. I went to a Christian university, married a Christian man, and we have, for the most part, Christian families and friends.

I've sacrificed very little to follow Christ.

And the sad thing is - I don't always sacrifice my time or money to serve him. :(

I wish I could tell you that I wake up 30 minutes early every morning to spend quiet time with Him. In reality, I fit him in while I'm drinking my coffee and Meredith is watching tv or playing barbies.

I wish I could tell you that I sacrifice my pride and nerves and witness to my friends that aren't followers. In reality, they know my beliefs, but our conversations aren't always focused on the Lord.

I wish I could tell you that I sacrifice my money to serve others. In reality, I stress daily on where our grocery money will come from the next week, let alone how I'm going to bless someone else.

I wish I could tell you that I invite people to church. In reality, I will if the topic comes us, but I never push the issue and I never call to ask the day before.

I wish I could tell you that Billy & I put God above all else. In reality we struggle with this daily.

I wish I could tell you a lot of things... but I've been reminded this week that I ask a lot of God and give little in return.

I can, however, tell you this. I love the Lord with my whole heart. I'm learning, on a daily basis, to trust Him with my life, my family, our finances, etc. I truly do seek to follow His will for my life. I talk about the Lord and pray with my kids every.single.day. I pray for my family and friends daily as well. I love going to our amazing church ((goooo Brentwood!)) and love serving as leaders for College Life. I have a passion for teenagers and young adults and I hope I'm a respectable role model for them. I love my children and my husband and want our family to serve the Lord - not just at church on Sunday's but in our neighborhood and in our world.

I'm still learning... and growing...

What about you? Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He sacrificed his life for us. What have you sacrificed to serve and follow him?