Many Lessons...Part 2

Here go lessons 12-22...just one more segment and I'll be done I promise!!

1. Fake it til you Make it- There are times in our lives when the sun doesn't shine, when we can't find a reason to smile, no matter how hard we try.  I know, I have been there.  There were days when I thought, I just can't get up and smile and pretend like I'm not falling apart.  The thought that would come to me then was that my children needed me to be okay.  They needed Mom to get up, smile and get them through the day.  So I would do just that.  Get up, paste on a smile and pretend like I wasn't falling apart.  Funny thing is, as I would go through the motions, pretty soon I wasn't just going through the motions anymore, I really was okay, and my smile was for real.
2. BE SWEET- This one comes from my mother-in-law, and speaks for itself.  When her children would argue, fight, be disrespectful or unkind, these are the words she would tell them. (She actually still tells her children and grandchildren all the time!)  I think they are worth repeating.  Life is much better when we all try our best to BE SWEET and get along.
3. Children are a precious gift- What a blessing my children are, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for them.  They love me, no matter what, and they think that I am really smart, even though I'm not.  Nothing makes my heart melt like when they come up and hug me, or hand me a dandelion bouquet, or tell me how fantastic my Mac-n-Cheese is.  I am so grateful for these gifts from God.
4. Enjoy the little things- Like blanket forts and movie nights at home with all the kiddos.  Walks with a friend, or watching the first flowers spring up in your garden.  Remember, it doesn't have to be grand to be worthwhile.
5. Sometimes GOOD ENOUGH is just that- So dinner at our house is sometimes Mac-n-Cheese, or cold cereal, frozen pizza.  Sometimes the laundry stacks up to the ceiling, clean and dirty.  Sometimes the toilets get ignored, the floors don't get scrubbed, and the housework gets a lick and a promise.  Sometimes I hide the laundry if I know people are coming and I don't have time to fold it.  Guess what??? It's okay!!  I don't have to be perfect, and sometimes GOOD ENOUGH is WONDERFUL!
6. Listen to your Parents-  They are smart, they love you, and your children and your spouse.  They want what is best for all of you, so take their advice.  Love them and honor them for the good people that they are!
7. Date your Spouse- It's so important to foster that relationship that created your family.  It doesn't matter what you do, lots of time our date night consist of running to Wal-Mart for diapers and laundry detergent.  The point is to spend time together as a couple, nurturing that relationship that is the foundation of your family. 
8. See new places- I have never regretted a trip with my family, no matter where we have gone.  It always amazes me to see the wonder and beauty that God gave us in this world He created for us.  Sometimes the road less travelled is AWESOME!!
9. Find JOY in serving- It always amazes me how blessed I am when I have the opportunity to help someone else.  My kids, family, spouse, friends or strangers, it doesn't matter who or where.  When I help others, I walk away feeling better about life and the world we live in.
10. Trust in God, He knows the Plan-  There have been times in my life when I have wondered if Heavenly Father and I were on the same page.  Sometimes, I have even thought that we maybe weren't in the same BOOK.  Times when things just weren't working out the way I thought they should.  Those are the times when I realized that I wasn't the one holding the reins.  That I needed to let go, and trust in the One who knows what is best for me, not just right this minute,but FOREVER. 
11. Learn from your MISTAKES- A wise woman once told me that the only mistakes we make are the ones we don't learn from.  Now can I just state for the record that I have done a lot of LEARNING in my life?  I have made a lot of choices that weren't wise, or good, or righteous.  Though I regret those decisions now, I have to say, that they have made me who I am.  I wouldn't be the woman I am, wouldn't be here right now, if I hadn't stumbled and fallen along my path.  There are times when we ALL stumble and fall, and make unrighteous choices.  When we do, we need to get up, LEARN and REPENT!  Change our direction, and choose a better path. 

That's it for today, I better go conquer the mountain of laundry and housework that are stacked up from my Wilde Ones.  One more installment and then we are done, I promise!!