A Tribute to My Grammy

I wrote this for my grandmother (my mom's mom) for Thanksgiving 2015 and read it to her that day in person in PA. We call my grandmother - Grammy. :)

Proverbs 31:31 says “Honor her for all that her hands have done.” There is so much that you have done that is worthy of honor. Worthy of respect. Worthy of praise. As far back as I can remember, coming home to Grammy’s house in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania has filled me with joy. One of the greatest reasons is knowing I will walk into a home filled with peace, love, and incredible hugs! In my almost 30 years of life, I have never met anyone with as sweet a presence…as gentle a spirit…and as loving and compassionate a heart as you. Your kindness warms every soul you encounter. Your sweetness is contagious and makes everyone want to be around you. Your calm and peaceful demeanor is so overwhelming that it can break even the strongest tension in a room. Everything about your demeanor and character is a wonderful display of how I picture Jesus Christ was during his ministry on earth. A loving wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother of three children, a grandmother to six grandchildren, and a great-grandmother to five great-grandchildren – what a legacy you have created, and your love can be seen spread throughout all of them. On this Thanksgiving holiday, let me list just a few things about you for which I am thankful…

Your incredible hugs

Your character

Your love and support no matter what I do

Your quality time playing cards with me

Your millions of delicious homemade meals

Your sweetness

Your faith in God

Your interesting stories

Your love for cats

Your love for your family

Your positive perspective on life

Your generosity

The list could go on and on. Most of all, I want you to know that I am incredibly grateful for you, and I thank God for you. I love you. Your family loves you. This Thanksgiving, we honor you, Grammy.

The Art of Saying No

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

In such a fast-paced world, there is always something going on. Work, family, friends, social activities, commitments, church, volunteering, etc. Life can get filled up with so much STUFF that we barely find time to take a breath, to pause, and to rest. Why do we do that? Why do we feel the need to have to be present at every activity, as if we're going to miss out on something if we're not there? Why do we over-commit ourselves to more than any sane human can balance in their life? We feel like if we don't do that social function, or don't commit to every volunteer opportunity, that we will lose our friends, our reputation will crumble, and life will pass us by.

But what if stretching ourselves too thin and saying "yes" to everything is really dishonoring to those commitments because when we are there, we aren't able to give all of ourselves. We are so run down, thinking about the next commitment or thing we have to be at, and not present at our current activity. When will we learn that it is ok to say "No" to some things? When will we learn the art of saying "No"? It's ok to not attend every social event. It's ok to not be able to be there for every single friend every single time they need something.

This idea of saying "no" can apply to so much more than just life commitments or social activities. What about saying "no" to buying that extra outfit or extra pair of shoes that you know you can't afford in your budget? What about saying "no" to eating out, and packing your lunch because you know you need to save money? Or what about saying "no" to that sin or temptation that creeps into your life every time you get weak?

Sometimes....the art of saying NO is the best YES!

What I mean by that is this: God wants what is best for us. Yes he wants us to be in relationship with others, to have community, accountability, etc. But He doesn't want all those things to take full precedence over time spent with Him. Sometimes, it is in God's Will for us to say "no" to things and to turn them down. Saying "no" to our sins, addictions and temptations may be extremely difficult, but we know it's what is best for us. Even the things that we think may be good for us, like volunteering at church, going out with friends, those things may seem beneficial and honoring to God, but if our schedules are too jam-packed to fulfill those obligations and activities with our complete focus and best performance, in a way, it could not be what God had in mind. Maybe the best answer, our best YES, is to actually say no to things.

This is something I have really had to work on over the last couple years, and I think I've gotten slightly better at it. Being involved in so many things definitely fills up my schedule, but does it fill up my life, does it fill up my heart and spirit? The only true time that my heart feels full is when I am sitting in God's presence, one on one, because I made time for Him, because I had to say "no" to something else. It's ok to say no. Don't feel guilty about it. It might be something you have to say in order to bring a sense of order to your life, or a sense of peace. God does not want us chaotic running around trying to be EVERYTHING to EVERY PERSON. That is God's job, that is His role. It says in 1 Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace." Let your yes be yes, let your no be no (Matthew 5:37).