Four Things I've Learned About Life and The Gospel From Six Teenage Girls.

Its funny how life works out. For so long in college, I felt the  desire to lead a middle school/high school girls bible study. I never seemed to be in a position in college where that bible study worked out but here I am back at the church I grew up in and God has so firmly planted me in the middle of an amazing, AMAZING, group of girls that I get to do life with. From my Sunday night bible study to the Sunday school class I've had the pleasure of co-teaching this year, I feel so incredibly humbled and blessed that God chose me to get to have even a small part of these girls lives.

This past Friday night, we had a sleepover at my house for our Sunday school class. I always get really excited about these events and then last minute I go into panic mode over having teenage girls at my house. I'm telling you, some days 25 really catches up with me! But, the blessings that those six girls have brought to my life this year are too numerous to count.  I went to bed Friday night listening to the sweet sound of laughter and renditions of Taylor Swift songs coming from my living room. I woke up Saturday morning knowing that friendships had been strengthened and developed through lots of laughter Friday night and I was overwhelmed by the blessing God gave me in allowing me to witness it first hand.

 

The older I get, the more time I spend with these girls, the more I realize what a responsibility it is to be a positive influence in their lives. I constantly find myself thinking, "I can't tell the girls to do this if I'm not willing to do it myself." But what I've realized over the past few weeks is that I learn as much, if not more, from them every day than they ever do from me.  They've taught me so many things this year and its hard to narrow them down but here's 4 things they've taught me over the past few months:

1) Our actions and investment in others' lives often speaks louder than our words:

These girls have taught me that some times people need to know that you care about them and love them more than anything else.  What I've learned from these girls is that often it’s the investment of time that someone makes in our lives that makes the biggest impact. I've had the opportunity the past few months to pick one of my six girls up before bible study on Sunday nights and I don't think she'll ever know how much those car rides together mean to me. Whether she's telling me about some boy at school or I'm taking her with me to buy milk and dog food, I so deeply cherish that time together simply because it gives us time to laugh and be ourselves. She knows I care about her and I know she cares about me. Spending time with these girls and watching them on Friday night at the sleepover has taught me that some of God's biggest blessings in our lives come in the form of friendships we never even saw coming. God places people in our lives every single day. We each have a responsibility and will be held accountable in regards to how we handle those people in our lives. Sometimes people have to know we're willing to invest time in things they care about before they will ever listen to the words coming out of our mouths. If you want to make an impact in someone's life, start investing time there. Don't just expect them to listen to what you have to say if you aren't willing to let them know how much you care.

2) God created us each in our own unique way and when we live in that, we works so wonderfully together

If you look at each of these six girls you see six EXTREMELY different personalities but when you put them all together, you see a beautiful tapestry of lives that God has woven together. The six of them are a beautiful remind to me of the body of Christ. Just like the six of them, we each have unique talents, goals, dreams, and gifts that God has enabled us with and when we use them to glorify him, the richness of blessing that overflows creates a ripple effect on those around us. These girls love each other and they paint the perfect picture to each of us that fellowship in a body changes everyone's life in a positive way. It allows the uniqueness we each have to come out and it allows us  to be the people God created us to be, no fear of judgment, no fear of rejection, just people living in the full life God has promised.

3) We don't have to live in drama, we can overcome it and we can move past it

As with any group of teenage girls I've ever met, there's always drama at some point. Lets be honest, with any group of women I've ever met, there's drama at some point. But what these girls have taught me through all the drama of life is that 1) it's bound to happen at some point, 2) it doesn't have to consume you or define who you are, 3)If a 13-year-old girl can forgive her "mean girl" and move past drama, as a 25-year-old I can too. I feel like at some point in the year I've seen each of these girls deal with different situations of drama in their lives and I've seen them come out stronger because of it. I've seen them set aside their own feelings of hurt, disappointment, and anger and I've seen them take steps to make amends even when it was the last thing they wanted to do. I've seen them be real and honest about their feelings and I've seen them take a deep breath, trust in God's plan, and begin to make changes in their lives to let go of the hurt and drama. In those situations, they have challenged me more than I ever wanted to be challenged. They've caused me to look at situations in my own life and because of it I feel like I'm learning more and more every day to let go of the hurt, anger, bitterness, and resentment and walk in a unified body of believers building each other up instead of tearing each other down. What I've realized about myself is that I'm a selfish person and sometimes, a lot of times, I don't want to let go of the hurt/drama in my life. Sometimes I choose to stay in drama which it the total opposite of what God has called me to. This year I saw these girls write letters of forgiveness to mean girls in their lives and I've seen them live that out. If they can do it, we can to. Sometimes it take a simple reminder that it's not about us and more about who God is in us.

4) When trust is broken we have to look back at the one who will NEVER betray our trust

This morning in Sunday school, we had a hard conversation on trust. We talked about the hurt that comes when someone betrays our trust and how it's often hard to let our guard down to others once we feel like we've been betrayed. We talked about the importance of having trustworthy people in our lives and we talked about the qualities that make someone trustworthy. We talked about the importance of knowing someone in order to trust them. But what we also talked about is that sometimes, even when it's hard, we have to let go of the hurt that comes from broken trust. We talked about the importance of being an example of God's love instead of seeking revenge or further hurt on the one that we can no longer trust.  These girls want to live like this. I see it on their faces and I hear it in their comments. They want to be different from their classmates and they want to live and love people like God commands us to. They want to show unconditional love even when it isn't easy and they make me want to live like that. The only way to do that is to be secure in our faith and trust in the one who died for us. In order to do that, it's vital we know the character of God and the love he has for us. It's vital that we look at the sacrifices He made for us and the unconditional love he pours out when we really don't deserve it. When we take our eyes off ourselves and look at little higher, we begin to trust in the one who made us and the hurt doesn't seem as strong.

I sit here today, so overwhelmed and blessed by God allowing me to know these girls. As I said before, I've learned more from them then they've probably ever learned from me. They make me want to be a better person and they remind me that God uses each of us to touch and impact lives, regardless of our age.  I pray with everything I have that I can continue to be a positive influence in their lives. I pray that our little family that's grown this year can continue to grow and impact lives around us. I pray that when one falls, the rest are there to help their sister up. And I pray that they always always always know that no matter where they go, they are loved and they are making positive changes in lives around them. God has created each of them to be uniquely them, and I am convinced that he has big things in store for their lives. I look forward to watching how he uses them and I look forward to the things that they continue to teach me as we walk through life together.   Just like God wants to use each of these teenage girls, He wants to use YOU too. I pray that you know people love you enough to invest time in your life. I pray that you see the unique gifts God has enabled you with to impact others lives. I pray that past/present/future drama would not define who you are or leave you bitter and broken. And most importantly, I pray that through it all you would know the one who will NEVER disappoint or betray your trust. May that leave a resounding hope and joy in your life that overflows in all you do. 

Somewhere along the journey from brokenness to healing.

What I see all around me is brokenness. Broken hearts, broken lives, broken families, broken dreams, broken futures…the list could go on forever. I see girls who are 14 and broken, 21 and broken, 42 and broken. Brokenness doesn't discriminate. It finds you wherever you are and often when you least expect it. It's a lie that the enemy uses to keep us beat down and hurting in the situations of life. But praise God there is healing in the brokenness. 

After quickly jotting down those words in a journal of mine back in August, I tossed them aside not sure what to add. This often happens with half thoughts that I can't seem to build on when trying to write a blog post. In August, I didn't know how important those words would be to me in December. I didn't know the extent of brokenness that would be present in my life or the lives of those around me right now.

When I woke up this morning and rushed off to work in the all too familiar "it's Monday" irritation, I didn't know that God would bring those words back to me tonight as I shared my brokenness with a close friend.

But that's the thing about God, He works on His timeline and not ours. Just like the brokenness that sets in when we least expect it, sometimes the healing begins in the same way. 

I work in a career where I deal with physical brokenness, pain, and limited function ever single day. Much like my patients, we  often want a quick fix of the problems in life. We want something to fix the pain and brokenness we feel and we want it done now. Just like my patients, we all at some point realize that isn't always reality. We realize that the brokenness that occurred in seconds leaves wounds and scars that don't quickly fade from our bodies or our memories. But that doesn't mean there can't be healing. That doesn't mean the scars have to stay forever or that the tenderness we feel in those moments today have to cause the same hurt tomorrow.

Please know this-  Jesus is the healer of the broken. He is the one saying, "take my yoke upon you for my burden is light." He is the one saying, "I don't care about your circumstances or your brokenness.  I don't care about where you've been or what you've done, I want to bring healing to your heart and life right now."  Aren't you so glad that's what God says? Aren't you so glad that he doesn't want to leave us in our brokenness? Aren't you so glad that he wants to see healing in the broken spaces of our lives and that he wants to take those broken pieces of pottery and put them back together into the beautiful vessel he created us to be? I know I am.

I know that I can't possibly overcome the broken places in my life on my own. Believe me, I've tried. I know that when I try to fix the brokenness on my own, it's often like a bandaid patch on a leaky damn. It's always a temporary fix and often causes more damage as the pressure builds and bursts through like an overwhelming flood.

When I wrote the notes on this topic several months ago, I scribbled down Naomi's name on the page. If ever there was someone who God brought healing in the midst of her circumstances, it was Naomi. But what strikes me about Naomi's story, is that her healing didn't come right away. It also didn't come without a journey back to her home.

By all earthly standards, Naomi was a broken woman. She had lost her husband and her two sons and she was living in a country that wasn't her home. She certainly didn't hide the fact that she felt God's hand had come against her. But Naomi didn't stay in Moab. She didn't stay in the place of her brokenness. Unsure of what the future would hold for her, she set out for the land of her people where she heard God had provided food. For whatever reason, Naomi took the first step towards healing of her brokenness when she set out for Judah,  whether she knew it or not.

So often, God is calling us, urging us, leading us, to make the first step on the journey to finding healing for our brokenness. What I've learned is that He very rarely removes those broken pieces in one fail swoop. Much like Naomi, we often have to walk along the journey from brokenness to healing, no matter how scary or how uncertain. God is often calling us to begin that journey sooner than we ever thought we'd be ready.

If you're like me, you make up every excuse to start the journey. If you're like me, you're often too scared of the brokenness that may lie somewhere on your path to healing. I think about Naomi and I'm glad she didn't stop half way on her journey. I'm glad that she was able to put aside the fears, insecurities, and lies of brokenness in her life. I'm glad she didn't let the fear of gossiping church ladies keep her from making the journey home to find healing for her brokenness. Aren't you?

God used Naomi's brokenness to bring Boaz as the kinsman redeemer for Ruth and Naomi. He was also apart of the lineage of Christ. Had Naomi chosen to stop half way along the journey to healing, the story today would be a lot different.

Friends, God doesn't want us to stop half way on our  journey to healing either. The road from brokenness to healing isn't always going to be easy but He wants us to trust in His plan, knowing that He is working all things for our good. I can't guarantee you that there won't be mud puddles the size of Texas somewhere alone the journey. I can't promise you that old wounds won't be opened again. But what I can promise is that there is a God that loves you enough to keep calling you home in the midst of your brokenness.  There is a God that wants to take the scars and hurts you have in life and cover them up with the His nail pierced hands. You see, those scars on His hands might be the most beautiful picture of healing we ever see. It was those scars that made a way for us to find healing in our brokenness. It was those scars that defeated death and the grave. It was those scars that reconcile all men to the Father through relationship with Him. It's those scars that bring the ultimate healing of the ultimate brokenness of sin in your lives. Aren't you glad Jesus didn't stop  halfway on His journey of brokenness to the cross?

Wherever you are, don't give up now. Don't give in to the brokenness and don't let it keep you from starting the journey to healing. Don't forget that Jesus walked the ultimate road of brokenness so that YOU might find ultimate healing in Him. He cares about where you are right now. He cares about the pain and hurt in your eyes and he cares enough to light the journey towards healing.

Let's step out together friends. Let's begin the journey towards healing. Let's live as the redeemed. Let's live in the glory of God and let's live knowing that as sons and daughters of the King of kings, we are free from the  brokenness and invited to experience healing. Don't stop half way on the journey. Don't fear what may lie ahead. Lift up your eyes and see the one who already walked the road before you. He is waiting to walk the road towards freedom and healing with you right now if you will take the first step on the journey.  

My Top 10 Thankfuls for 2014!

Thanksgiving- the one day every year we as Americans celebrate all the things we have and all the things we are thankful for, then turn around and leave the turkey and dressing behind to make sure we get the cheapest price on that next big electronic device we don't need, all the while trampling over the person beside us who may hinder our ability to get said electronic device . But we're thankful for what we have!!  Makes perfect sense right?! All joking aside, there are so many things that I'm thankful for this year! So many that I could never list them all here on the blog. But I wanted to take some time today to share my Top 10 "Thankfuls"  for the year.

1. Forgiveness and Grace of My Savior- WOW! I am seriously so undeserving of the grace and forgiveness that Christ has given me through his death on the cross. More than ever this year, I've learned how important it is for me to share that same love and forgiveness with people around me, even if I don't think they deserve it. I'm thankful that while I was still a sinner God sent his Son to die for ME! And YOU!! That's something I'll never stop being thankful for!

(photo credit- Josh Click)

2. Mom and Dad- Every day I get older and every day I realize how very thankful and blessed I am to have the parents I have. I can never thank them enough for the spiritual foundation they have given me. Their love for The Lord and each other is a blessing to our family and an example I'm thankful to see lived out each day. I'm so thankful God brought me back to Texas after PT school and that I get to spend so much family time with them!

3. Thomas, Kacie, and Ella- Growing up, I never thought Thomas and I would like each other but then I turned 16 and we sort of became best friends. In the last year he married the love of his life and had the most beautiful baby girl!  I am so thankful for a solid relationship with my brother, a beautiful sister-in-law who has become a best friend, and the most beautiful niece who made me an aunt!

4. Extended Family- Seriously, God blessed me with some pretty AMAZING people in my life. This year we got to have a Lemons' family vacation with all 25 of us in Colorado and it was such a fun time! I also got to spend some fun time with the Leaton side of the family seeing relatives from Washington state I haven't seen in years. I'm so thankful for two sides of the family that love me as much as they do!

5. Pearl- Ok ok...I know she's a dog but I am thankful for this sweet little puppy. She's a great walking buddy, a sounding board, and a constant companion. She definitely drives me insane at times, hijacks my socks, and eats wayyy to many treats but my life would be boring without her and I'm thankful I waited so long to find the perfect dog!

6. My Sunday school and Youth Girls- I don’t think I'll ever get over the blessing these girls are in my life! I feel so humbled and so honored that God chose me to be a part of their lives this year. They definitely make me feel every bit of 25 some times and I frequently have to ask my mom if this was how she felt when I was a teenager but I love getting to go through life with each of them!

7. Physical Therapy- I've been a PT for a year and five months. Life seems to be flying by and I can't even believe its been that long! I feel like I waited forever to be done with PT school and now I'M A PT!! I'm so thankful for a job that I love, coworkers that I love, and patients that I get to work with every day!

8. Freedom- I know that today we have the freedoms that we have because of the sacrifices of so many men and women that have given their time, energy, health, families, and even their lives. Thank you will never be enough to acknowledge the sacrifices that they have made for our freedom but I hope and pray that they ALWAYS know someone loves and cares about them and is thankful for the sacrifices that they have made.

9. Friends- I started this year having a pity party for myself overthe fact that all my friends lived several hours away. Throughout this year, God blessed me with new friendships and strengthened old ones. I have a college roommate who I may only see 1x a year but no matter what, we're able to  pick up where we left off the time before. I have a best friend from college who I get to celebrate 5 years of friendship with in a few weeks. Another best friend from PT school who I get to be Auntie Katie to her newborn baby. A beautiful new friendship with someone forged in very unlikely and somewhat terrifying circumstances earlier this year, and two beautiful friendships that blossomed through leading Sunday school this year. I am seriously blessed! I think God just outdid himself to highlight my lack of faith and trust in his plans.

10. This Blog- The idea of this blog has been on my mind for a long time and I'm thankful that this year it finally happened. It definitely isn't much but I'm thankful for each and every one of you that allow me to share my thoughts and my heart. You don't have to keep reading my posts but for some reason you do and for that I'm so very very thankful! I pray that it continues to grow and that it blesses your heart as I share mine.

I know that the holidays are not always a joyous time for some people. I know that for some of you, there are deep hurts that go along with this time of year. I know some of you are missing family members or friends. Some of you are in the middle of a storm that seems like it will never end but I pray that during this time, God brings hope and healing to your life. I pray that in the midst of the circumstances, you are able to raise your eyes a little higher and see The Lord's blessing in your life. If nothing else, I pray that you know he loves you and cares about every single circumstance in your life. No matter what, you aren't alone during this time. If nothing else, I hope that you find thankfulness in knowing there is a God that loves you.

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting." 

- 1 Chronicles 16:34

What The Cross has taught me about love and forgiveness

Before I say anything else, I want to say this- Thank you for allowing me to be open and honest on this blog. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart through these posts and thank you for continuing to read them. I certainly don't deserve your time or your energy but for some reason, you've chosen to continue reading. Thank you for that. I pray that you know without a doubt how close these posts are to my heart. Not because I feel the need to share words of wisdom, of which I have very few, but because they grow and they develop out of things that The Lord is teaching me in my own life. Very seldom do I sit down to write a post spur of the moment. They almost always come through times of prayer and reflection on situations in my own life and they also almost always grow and change throughout the days and weeks, before I even sit down to write them. That's what happened with today's post.

I feel like God has been teaching me so much recently about forgiveness and grace. Today that concept grew even more into the idea of love and forgiveness.  You see, I think the two really go hand in hand. Without love, there's no reason for forgiveness. And true forgiveness, is born out of love. For weeks in our Sunday school class we've been talking to the girls about Jesus as the great high priest who intercedes for us. We've talked about the job of the high priest in offering sacrifices for the sins of the people and we've talked about how Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sin through his death on the cross.

I keep going back time and time again to that picture of Jesus on the cross. I keep thinking about Him hanging up there after being beaten and mocked, after being betrayed by those closest to Him, after praying in the garden for God to let the cup pass from Him. And what I keep seeing is the only example of love and forgiveness that I ever really need. What I see is Jesus, the very Word of God, come to earth in the form of a man to take the punishment for my sins and your sins. Not because he had to, but because he chose to. In my mind I see every picture of the crucifixion I've ever seen, I think of the most gruesome and heart wrenching pictures or performances I've ever seen and I know, oh how I know, that doesn't even touch the surface of the pain and hurt he felt that day. I know there's no possible way my small human mind can ever fully comprehend what was done for me on the cross.  And in my mind I hear Him say "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

And in that moment, my head falls in shame because I know that I have disgraced the sacrifice on the cross so many times. As a believer in Christ, I tell the world that I know who God is and that I strive to live more and more like Him each and every day. I tell them that I know the love of Christ and the sacrifice that was given for me. But every single moment that I choose selfishness and pride over forgiveness and love, I put myself above God. I put myself in a position where I say that I know better than God does and that I'm more worthy of love and forgiveness than anyone else.

Life is not easy and as I've been reminded lately, sometimes the people that need our love and forgiveness are those closest to us. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world with sinful people. No matter how hard we try, we are always going to make mistakes and we are always going to hurt people around us. But in everything I do, I have to go back to Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. If he can give love and forgiveness to a world full of sinners in that moment, I can give forgiveness and love to those around me. Last time I checked, no one's tried to crucify me today.

As The Church, God calls us to be different. He calls us to be in the word but not of the world. He calls us to take a stand on biblical truth without wavering. I think that for a very long time, The Church in America has sat back and allowed the culture to dictate the church instead of the church dictating the culture. We’ve decided that not offending anyone around us was more important than standing on the truth of God's word and because of that, the church, our country, our families, our schools, etc. are in the shape they are in today. I can't think of very many people that would argue with me when I say it's time for The Church to stand up and be the church. While many may agree, very few will stand and make changes. And while I think the church so desperately needs to get their head out of the sand and stand up on God's truth to face the battle raging, these last few days I've gone back to one thing- WE MUST ACT IN LOVE. 

1 Corinthians 13:1 says- If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. I don't think I want to know how many times I've been a noisy gong because I've chosen to act without love.  The truth is, the cross tells us everything we need to know about giving forgiveness and love to those around us. God's word tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In the very midst of a messy sinful world, God reached down and sent His son to die for sinners, of which I am one of the worst. And why did he do it? Because he loved me. And he loved you. And he loved every single person that would ever walk this earth and have breath in their lungs, because he created us and he wants us to be with Him. He didn't have to do it you know. He could have chosen to allow us to take our own punishment for the sins we would commit. He could have allowed us to face eternal separation from Him. That's what we deserved. But somewhere along the way, he decided that he would take the punishment for us. He decided that forgiveness and love were worth his death on the cross. They were worth every single bit of pain and suffering he would go through. Aren't you glad that God didn't change his mind about offering forgiveness. Aren't you glad that he didn't pick and choose who he would offer the free gift of grace? Aren't you glad he isn't anything like you and me? 

God is so gracious in the love that he lavishes on us when we really don't deserve it. Yet we are so very picky in offering that same love and forgiveness that we claim lives inside us. I know that there are a lot of people walking around with deep deep hurts, hurts that remain so tender today they can't be spoken, hurts that seem like they'll never heal. I know that some of those hurts  have come from people close to us, and while I know that, I know that God also commands us to forgive.  I know that there are relationships that may never be restored on this earthy and that's ok. What's not ok is to choose not to forgive those people. There can certainly be healthy boundaries in relationships but choosing not to forgive those people is in direct opposition to God's word.  No where in scripture do I find God saying, "you can forgive Him but you don't have to forgive her." That's certainly not biblical and that’s certainly not what Jesus did on the cross. Instead we have been commanded, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32"

If we make start making The Cross the thing in which we base every single thought and action, we start to change. We start realizing that it's less about us and more about making the name of The Lord known. We start realizing that God so graciously gave us his love and forgiveness when we did not and we would not ever deserve it and if he could do that from the cross, we can do that in our lives. We start realizing, and I mean really realizing that in this world we will face trouble but in light of the hope of eternity, it means nothing. The cross gives us that freedom. The cross gives us the ability to face any and all persecution with the hope of glory, knowing that we are safe and secure in the Savior's hand and that nothing can snatch us from Him. The cross allows us to let people off the hook when they have wronged us and show them the love that God so graciously gave us.

There are a lot of times when I don't want to let people off the hook. When I want to hold on to the hurt that they've caused me, when I want to shake them, when I want to yell at them and tell them exactly what they've done wrong, when I want to tell them that I'm right and I know it, but that’s not why Jesus came and died. He didn't come and die so I could be right or so that I could always have my way. He came so that I could have life. He came so that the person to my right and to my left might also have life. He came to make a way that was different from the temporary sacrifices the high priest made each year for the people's sin. He came so that each of us could spend eternity with Him. To do that, he had to take the punishment for our sins through death on the cross, and offer us the free gift of grace and forgiveness. And to do that, there had to be a reason- that reason was love.

When I choose to act out of selfish ambition or gain, I miss out on the opportunity to show the life changing power of God's love and forgiveness to those around me. I miss out on an opportunity to be different from the rest of the world.

The way I react to people who are mean to me, rude for no reason, or that I just don't like says more about my pursuit of the Gospel and God's love  than it ever says about those who have wronged me. The truth is, everyone expects me to react poorly, to react in anger and to withhold love when wronged. What a beautiful gift God gives us in those moments. He gives us the opportunity to show love and forgiveness to a world that so desperately needs it. He gives us the opportunity to make his name known and to give an account for the hope that is found in us. If we all started living life that way, I can only imagine what this world would be like.

Today God is calling some of us to forgiveness. He's calling us to let people off the hook and to show the light and love that is within us. He's calling us to step out of our selfishness and to realize that it's less about us and more about Him. I don’t know about you, but I want to love like Jesus loved. I want to be the change that people need to see in the world and when they look at my life, I want the to know that the love and forgiveness that God so graciously gave me through his death on the cross actually means something to me. I want to throw a kink in the way they see Christians and in the way they see my Savior. I want them to know that NO MATTER WHAT, I forgive them and that I love them. Not out of my own power or strength but because of the one who lives in me. Because there is one that is greater and there is one that gives the ability to live free from the bondage of sin, death, anger, and shame.  There is one that allows me to live that love and the reason is that he first gave that love to me. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to and because he loved me that much. 

A Veterans Day Thank You!

Every year as a country we celebrate Veterans day on November 11.  This year I decided to do a little research on the observance of Veterans Day and its history. Did you know- Fighting in World War I ended with a period of armistice (temporary ceasefire) that went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 to officially end the war.

In November of 1919 President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day which we now know as Veterans Day.  To celebrate the day he said the following words, "To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" (Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs- History of Veterans Day)

I have a special place in my heart for Veterans and their families as they continue to make sacrifices for our freedom.

Today I would like to say Thank You. To each and every service member, past and present, today  I say thank you. We will never be able to thank you enough for the sacrifices that you have made for our country and our freedom. You have sacrificed your time and energy, you have sacrificed birthdays, anniversaries, births, school moments, holidays, and many "firsts." You have sacrificed your personal hopes, dreams, and time. You have given more of yourself than we ever had the right to ask for. Some of you have sacrificed your lives and for that we will never be able to thank you enough. 

My prayer today is that each and every one of you would know that you are loved and appreciated. I pray that you would know that regardless of what the media or some people say, there are people that continue to be grateful for all that you have done and there are people that continue to stand behind you and support you.  I come from a family rich in service to this country and I know that your families make sacrifices along side you each and every day. For that I want to say thank you.

 My Great Grandpa Bill Leaton who served in the Air Force during World War II and Vietnam

I would like to say  a special thank you to my own family members- Bill Leaton, Donnie Leaton, Jack Leaton, Billie Leaton, Livia Kendrick, Marty Kendrick, James Almon, Kelly Jo Lemons, Gary Lemons, Casey Hughes, and Bob Roberts.  Thank you for the time you spent in service to our country and the sacrifices you made. I cannot put into words the pride I feel to come from a family that has offered so much to our country and for my freedom. Thank you.

I would also like to say a personal thank you to my friends and classmates Devin Greer, Tara Quiroga, and Bryan Quiroga, to a special family friend John Swann, Thank you. Thank you each for the time you have given and  continue to give to our country. I count myself blessed to know each of you and will never be able to thank you enough.

Thank you doesn't seem like nearly enough for the sacrifices that our veterans have made and continue to make each day in the fight for our freedom, but it's often all I know to say. Please take time to thank a veteran today but please don't let November 11th be the only day that you recognize their sacrifice.

I read a haunting fact recently that says 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Do you realize that means 8,030 veterans this year will commit suicide? That number breaks my heart, makes me sick, and stirs the need in me to do something more! #Mission 22 is working to end the stigma associated with PTSD and TBI. It's working to end the silence and save the 22. Consider joining #Mission22 in raising awareness for veterans and their fight.

Check out #Mission22 here. Or follow them on Twitter here. 

Other Ways YOU can make an impact-

Find a charity! There are countless charities out there that work each and every day to support our veterans and their families. They need our support to continue doing the jobs they are doing now. Two of those charities that are especially close to my heart are Lone Survivor Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project.

Lone SurvivorFoundation was founded by Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. The Foundation works to "restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded service members and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support."

Wounded WarriorProject was started in 2003 and works to raise awareness and enlist the public's help in meeting the needs of injured service members. They work to meet those needs through unique programs and services while helping services members aid and assist each other.

Our veterans and their families deserve so much more than a Thank You once a year. Consider making a commitment to do more to support their service and their sacrifices this year. They have given more than we will ever know in order for us to have the freedoms we have today.

Lets make every day a day to say Thank you as we honor and remember the heroism, patriotism, love of country, and willingness to sacrifice and serve for our freedoms.

To our veterans- Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. It's all I have to say but it will never be enough.

2 Reasons The Church is ineffective in reaching people and sharing The Gospel today

Do you know what the fastest growing religion in the world is? Islam.  Do you know that the number of converts from Christianity to Islam is growing at an alarming rate? I have to wonder why so many today are abandoning the teaching and truth of the Gospel and converting to Islam. There's really only one conclusion- the Church is ineffective in its teaching and practicing of the gospel.  Bottom line- as Christians we are not doing our job.

I'm sure we could argue over the numerous reasons The Church is ineffective today but there are two main reasons that stand out to me:

1. Complacency

The dictionary defines complacency this way- "a feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better; self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by an unawareness  of actual dangers or deficiencies." Oh that we might heed that warning.  As a whole, the church today has become complacent. For some reason, we've decided that fighting for the truth really isn't worth the effort anymore. We have sat back in our comfortable lives and watched as the moral compass of our country has crumbled to pieces. We have become so complacent in our actions that we don't even see the dangers and deficiencies that are right around the corner. (Or we see them and we're choosing to look the other way)

We have accepted the idea that change is bad and clung tightly to the motto "that's the way we've always done it" and refused to step up and do anything else. Now, don't get me wrong- there are some things that CANNOT change and that we must ALWAYS stand on, the truth of God's Word being one of those things, but there are other areas where our lack of desire to make a change has caused serious problems not only for The Church but for a lost and dying world. 

Somewhere along the line, we bought into the lie of the American Dream. We bought into this idea that we could have it all. We could buy our happiness with the latest electronic device and that we really didn't need a relationship with God to live a "good life." In a country where we face very little persecution for our faith, we have allowed complacency to take the reins of our lives and we've traded the commands of God's word for material happiness and earthly glory. We bought into this idea that we can do it all for ourselves and that we don't need God to do it for us. We've become content and complacent and we've put other things in front of our pursuit of a deeper relationship with the Father and making his name known.

A vast majority of us in the church look no different from the unsaved person we pass on the street. Pursuing a relationship with the Father takes time, effort, and energy to make the changes he often requires of us and at this point most of us are content not to make the changes. Living a "take up your cross daily" life is messy and hard and we've decided at some point that it's really not worth the effort or time.

The sad fact of the matter is this- no one is ever going to know the love of Christ if we don't share it with them. We can't ever effectively share the truth of the gospel and the picture of a changed life because we aren’t living it.  There are people all over this world willing to die  for their god or their cause, all the while as Christians we're  perfectly content with Sunday/Wednesday faith walks. No wonder so many are converting to Islam. 

Be aware- complacency will not be a valid excuse for our lack of pursuit and spreading of The Gospel come judgment day.

2. Church Drama

Those two words might be the most absurd words ever uttered in the English language. What a shame. It seems to me that the people who are supposed to be teaching the love of Christ to a lost and dying world have missed the entire message of love, grace, and forgiveness when it comes to their brothers and sisters in the pew beside them. We have missed our entire call to reach the lost because we're spending too much time fighting with eachother. 

Let me make this clear before I go on- there are several people that I know and love that have been the victim of serious church drama and hurt when they honestly did nothing wrong. Those situations make me angry and they break my heart. I pray for healing for those hurts and that God would provide stronger relationships that glorify him in their lives. 

But the church drama I'm talking about here most often occurs when we choose to put ourselves before our brothers and sisters, when we choose to forget the cross of Christ, and when we decide we know better than everyone else. It's the kind of drama that often starts over the color of the carpet, the Wednesday night meal, what songs to sing...you know, all those really important things that we like to fight over, and grows into something more.

It’s the kind of drama that may start out as petty to some but when left unchecked grows into a blaze that soon engulfs everyone involved. It’s the kind of drama where relationships are ruined, trust is broken, and hearts are hurt. And all the while Satan is laughing because the truth is, we make his job pretty easy sometimes. He doesn't have to do much to render the church ineffective. We're doing that to ourselves.

When I sit down and think about the stories  I've heard about church drama, its alarming really. We have forgotten the command to love our neighbor as ourselves and we've become people that take enjoyment in the hurt and pain we've caused others. The very people who profess to be new creations, changed by the blood of Christ, living each day to glorify the Father and to look more and more like him, have apparently completely forgotten what the savior looks like.

I realize that we are all human, and even in the church we will mess up and make mistakes. We won't always get along and there will be times when we disagree on the way things should be done. But the moment we turn and begin attacking that brother/sister beside us is the moment we loose our effectiveness in reaching the lost for Christ. Because lets be honest, if  all the world sees is members of The Church attacking and hurting one another, why would they ever want to be apart of it.

It's funny as I write this I've realized that a lot of church drama that happens  occurs because of complacency. We've sat back in our pew on Sunday mornings and become content with the way things are always done and turned a blind eye to the things that should be changed. Eventually those "things" come out and often drama erupts over differing opinions on the issue. I wonder how different church drama would be if we could take complacency completely out of the mix.

Here's my two  tid-bits of advice on the topic of church drama-  First off- If love and grace do not radiate through us in EVERY situation, despite our own personal feelings or hurt,  if it is not evident in our actions towards those that have wronged us and those we really don’t like, we have missed the entire point of The Cross. That love and grace has to be available for the Christian and non Christian. We cannot pick and choose who we give it to. We cannot offer it to the unbeliever and leave our brother/sister wounded and hurting. That does NOT glorify the Lord.

Second of all- If we have a problem with the way something is done or the way it's going in the church instead of causing a  fight over it, we need to get involved. How about getting plugged in and lending a helping hand. We cannot just sit around and continue to complain about the way things are done. The best way to know the heart of a project/ministry/person is to invest time there. I'd urge each of us to be very careful when judging those already very involved in the project/ministry/person if they voice a  problem or concern we don't necessarily see. Remember- the best way to know the heart of something is to be involved in it. I'd bet that if concerns are rising there may be a reason and it may be the pirit leading. We must be careful making judgments or assumptions on those already involved, we must be careful not to stir up drama in a situation we really know nothing about, especially if people are trying to bring about truth and change. Remember,  You can't see past the whitewashed doors until you're standing in the building.

It's time that we wake up Church. It's time that we get out of our complacency seats and put down our swords that we use to attack those on the pew beside us. It's time that we stand up and be The Church. It's time that we live lives that are different and set apart. It's time that we pursue a relationship with the Father and that we do everything we can to make his name known. It's time that we go to our brother and sister with a caring hand to lift them up instead of kicking them when they're down. It's time we remembered who our Father is and who we're called to reflect. Where is the love Christian? Where is the person who lets their brother/sister off the hook? It's time we stop making Satan's job so easy for him. It's time that we stop making ourselves so ineffective. 

Kase tout chèn- Break every chain

I can't begin to tell you all how excited I am about this next blog post. We have a first on the blog today with my first "guest blogger" and I know you will be blessed by her testimony as I certainly was!!

Several months ago, I received a letter in the mail (I love getting letters in the mail by the way) from my aunt Tami letting me know that she would be going on a mission trip in October to Haiti with her church in Pearland. In late September she was in town visiting and stayed at my house. Through visiting with her during those few days, I had the pleasure of hearing about her preparation for the trip to Haiti and I saw a heart that focused on serving and loving God boldly and faithfully wherever he took her on this trip. I knew then that I wanted to have her share her testimony here on the blog with each of you after she returned.

I hope as you read about her time in Haiti that God would reveal himself to you in a new way and that you would be blessed and changed just like I was. Enjoy….

Kase tout chèn (Break Every Chain)

Mission of Hope: Haiti Crosspoint Church Trip October 2014

In January of this year, God showed me Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us” NLT. I have read this verse many times, but it was very clear to me that I needed to get rid of some baggage and see how God can use me when I grow in healing and renewal. I had no idea how God would move so big this year in my life and guide me through months of preparing my heart for Haiti. Since January, I have faithfully attended Celebrate Recovery. My daughter, Kelsey was baptized in June, and we became members at Crosspoint Church in Pearland in June of this year. I was asked to attend leadership training for a new Celebrate Recovery class at Crosspoint Church. It was in this training that our Missions Minister asked me to consider going on Haiti trip. God sure guided me to where I needed to be in order to truly work this scripture that he put on my heart at the first of 2014.

I knew that I needed to pray about Haiti and ask God if I was ready to take this kind of trip. I had been working so hard this year to get rid of unnecessary baggage, the past failures, that were keeping me stuck. I just wasn’t sure if I was ready. I began to pray emotionally and focused on truly making the right decision, and as God loves to do, He answered in scripture. Psalm 71:7 & 8, “My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you. I declare your glory all day long.” I knew I was to go and show the healthy Christian me to Haiti and in return I would continue to transform my relationship with Christ. I would later that same month, sit down and write my recovery testimony and share it for the first time at Celebrate Recovery.

As I began to pray for Crosspoint Church and every individual that God would put together to form our October 2014 Haiti Team, I began to have a spark of joy and stronger faith as I was in God’s word and praying and studying hard. It felt amazing, and I was craving more scripture and more worship to get so close to my Heavenly Daddy. I was at one of my strongest points in my spiritual walk. That is where Satan loves to work harder to tear us down. Spiritual warfare the week before Haiti was absolutely horrible. Amazing that God has put the most awesome Christian individuals in my life, that in one text to many prayer warriors, and the anxiety and worry were lifted almost as quickly as Satan tried to put them on me. I prayed to God to let me spend some quality time with my son, Wade, after his game the Friday before leaving on trip because we have not had time just the two of us lately. I got my quality time in the ambulance as he got a concussion during the game. I think it was funny how the anxiety and worry over him being okay or if I would make this trip was barely crawling through me when I closed my eyes and prayed for SATAN TO LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE! Taking it all to God every day in all you do, makes Satan mad. I love making Satan mad. Wade was doing better by the time he was at the hospital. GOD IS FAITHFUL AND ALMIGHTY. Made it home that night, in time to throw bags in the car and head to Haiti.

I would learn very quickly that God strategically put together our Mission Team, with totally different personalities but all with a common love for the Lord. 16 of us on this trip and I feel so thankful for each one,  because God used each one of them in some way or another to change me and/or work in me to help them. I felt God move me in a direction to be blessed numerous times by placing me where I needed to be to have that life changing experience over and over again on this trip. It was powerful.

Shortly after arriving in Haiti, I had my eyes wide opened to why God sent me here. One of the lessons to prepare for Haiti focuses on Compassion, and Webster defines compassion as “feeling of deep sympathy for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” I have always felt God blessed me with eyes full of compassion in my life.  In Haiti, my EYES were OPENED WIDE and the COMPASSION was intense. I saw pain and poverty, yet I saw joy and simplicity. I was not in any way prepared for what God would show me and how he would use it to change my life and my focus in Haiti and in Texas. The first sunset, I sat at the top balcony thanking God for bringing me to Haiti and for opening my eyes and heart. I cried and knew that God would draw me so close to Him in every moment of this trip and that I would surrender my all to Him. I can’t remember ever praying that intensely or emotionally in my life. God was going to show me so much and I would feel so deeply through this trip in Haiti.

God also began working on me all this year that worship is being in a relationship with God. Like the Igloo Cooler, we drank from the whole week. If we didn’t fill it with good water, then nothing would come out. Our spiritual life is like that, we have to feed our faith through worship, prayer, and study, so that we can pour out to others about what God has done. If we empty ourselves, we will get full.  Blessings are all around us, in Haiti and at home.

As each day was a way not only to minister to others, God helped me dig deep into my heart and soul to invest everything I had and then I saw constantly all around me how He was  blessing me even more abundantly. Every sunset and sunrise during my trip was spent in quiet time with God. 1Thess. 5:17 “Keep on Praying” is what God told me on my second day in Haiti. He was telling me to have a prayerful attitude and be open to all I would learn and experience.

God moved big in my heart every Village Work Day or Witnessing Day. We were in the Village of Turpin. The drive to and from the Village of Turpin was absolutely breathtaking with the gorgeous water and the amazing mountains and valleys, yet all around was poverty. The Haitians were so friendly and made eye contact and greeted us with kindness and love. Our first day was painting a home. We ventured down the mountain with donkeys loaded with 5 gallon paint buckets, and we carried all our supplies and water. We walked for almost two miles through rocks, muddy streams, farming fields, and narrow paths that were way out of my comfort zone. I began to think I would never find my way back, then there was our home. The Monneus family had a sweet little home and we came to give it some good Christian love and a little southern charm. All of our hearts were so completely involved in painting. We listened to Christian music and we even were able to meet the newest Monneus family member, Sophie, just four days old. While painting, I was reminded of how much I complained about everyday life, nagging constantly, and even how much I hated painting. God worked on me so much in that moment, and tears were flowing as God was telling me to enjoy serving Him in life. My life song should be joyful and happiness. While painting a flower on the front of the house and tears flowing, I turned to see a row of beautiful children standing and watching us paint their home. They were all so happy to see their home transpire into a colorful home of love. The oldest young lady caught my eyes with a sweet smile. I blew her a kiss and she caught it and tapped her heart. Our hearts would begin a new journey together at that moment. After painting, we were all trying to decide who was going to carry the supplies and left over paint up the mountain, when the father said his daughters would carry the paint. Seeing these four girls climb this mountain with paint buckets on their head with joy, laughter and ease was a most humbling experience. I kept trying to catch up, saying “I’m Coming.” I wanted to be beside these girls and filled with their joy. Rose Marie, the one that caught my kiss, turned and put her hand on her hip and giggled, “I’m Coming.” She was laughing and smiling and pulling me into her joy. Then she sang “We love Jesus yes we do, we love Jesus how about you.” WOW she impressed me.

That night I thought of that path up and down that mountain and the paths that I have traveled over and over again in my life. Some of those paths, I should not be traveling any more. God told me it was time to make some new paths, and to let those old paths never to be traveled on again. A very humbling day as God brought Rose Marie into my life, and he showed me a child of God in a world that is so lost. Not only have I been on paths in my life, that I should not have been on, but I have also spent it complaining and nagging. God told me today to find new paths that bring honor and praise to Him and to change my Life Song to sing praises of what God is doing in my life.  I also learned a new song “Break Every Chain” (Kase tout chèn) which was a very descriptive song of how God worked in me in all of my Haiti experience. I learned through this that there is power in Jesus name to break every chain. I have spent my life with chains of past hurts and decisions that were hindering my relationship with Christ. It was time to break free and let go and serve God.

Our week in Haiti was life changing, through praying with Haitians, painting homes, planting trees and playing with children. Every moment there, I was completely humbled by all that I saw and experienced. My spiritual journey in Haiti, changed and transformed my daily spiritual walk for me going forward. I needed to break the chains of sin and bad decisions, to allow God to be seen in my heart. God used the Haitians to teach me about simplicity, perseverance, abundant worship, love and changing my life. He put the right people in my path in Haiti to pray for me or for me to pray for all week. He taught me that what he was doing in my life here in Haiti, he could do for me at home. It was about a daily walk with Him, joining Him in his sunrise and all day long being in worship with Him in all I do, and praying with Him in his sunset. I have never felt so close to God as I did in Haiti, and I believe that God opened my eyes to be on mission for Him daily. I experienced moments of total brokenness while my friend prayed over me, In Jesus name asking God to break these chains that have tied me down and kept me from glowing for God. That moment of knowing God chose her to pray so faithfully for me as I was so broken and scared about coming home and not being on fire for God like I was in Haiti. God used her to pray with me and help me to put on God’s Armor. That was a big GOD MOMENT.

The last day in Turpin was emotional to say goodbye to the beautiful faces of all those children in the school yard and to see around us all the people that God put in our path that week. Haitian Missionaries that we prayed together with, Camille who we prayed with and saw later in the week saying God made her well, families with sick children that we prayed with, trees that we planted to bring fruit for families in the coming years, and painting a home for the Monneus family were all part of blessings of our week. 26 people came to know Jesus through our Mission Team in Haiti. THAT IS POWERFUL! Most moving to me all week was Rose Marie. I saw her everyday at school, and our bond grew stronger. I am proud to say that I now am sponsoring her, and I look forward to taking my children to Haiti to meet her. She is forever a part of my family.

Haiti is Life Changing! The power of prayer has transformed me through my experience in Haiti. God used so much this year to prepare me for this trip, and he laid the foundation here at home with a great church family and Celebrate Recovery group to have the love and friendships that would carry me through the spiritual warfare. Galations 2:20 “I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I close with my vision statement I wrote after returning from Haiti. “to become marked by the cross in every aspect of my life chasing God and breaking every chain that hinders my daily walk with Christ.”  In Jesus Name I Will Never Be The Same.

-Tami

Dear Mean Girl.

Over the last year, I've spent more and more time with middle school and high school girls through various ministry activities. With these girls, I've experienced highs and lows, times of hurt and times of happiness. What I've realized is that through it all, there's always drama. There's always that girl who's being a basement friend and stirring the post.

It doesn't matter the age, there's always at least one mean girl. Whether we're being the one attacked or we're the one attacking, there's always one. I'm 25 and I still deal with times where people choose to manipulate situations in my life and use things against me that they know will cause hurt. For the most at this time in my life, I can take it but lately I've been more convicted about the way I respond to the attack than anything else. I can't challenge my youth girls to respond with Christ love if I'm not willing to do that myself.

I know that no one is innocent but when I feel like my youth girls or those closest to me are being attacked, I often go on the offensive. God's changing my heart to respond in love instead of anger, to see the person instead of the action, to realize that maybe it's less about me than it is that girl. So tonight if I could say one thing to those mean girls it would be this...

Dear Mean Girl ,

I just want you to know that we see you. We see that for whatever reason you've decided to take your anger and hurt out on us. We see that and we want you to know that we forgive you. I think if we're all honest, we'd admit that we've all been in your shoes at some point in life. Whether it was out of pride or jealousy, at some point we've all chosen to put another girl down, to attack when she was already wounded and for that I'd like to say I'm sorry.

Your words and actions have made us question ourselves and our worth. We've questioned if the rumors and hurtful words are true, even if we know they aren't. We've questioned whether everyone else feels the same way you do and if we have any true friends that we can turn to. I wonder, do you ask those same questions about yourself? Do you wonder who you can trust? Do you wonder what's being said about you when you walk out of the room? If we've made you feel that way I'd like to say I'm sorry.

I'll be honest, our first reaction to your attacks and hurtful words is often to respond in anger. I know that we've all responded in that way once or twice and maybe the drama and the war that often ensues in "girl world" is as much our fault as it is yours. Your attacks often cause us to circle the wagons and pull our friends in, even if that means we do everything possible to turn said friends against you and leave you standing alone. For that, I'd like to say I'm sorry.

What I've learned is that girls like you don't ever really go away. Whether we're 15, 25, or 50, you're always there in some way. You're that ever present girl that's never going to like us, regardless of how much we often want you to. So I'm left wondering, if we can't change your presence, how can we respond to the hurt you often bring to our lives?

If I could tell you one thing, it would be that we love you. We love you regardless of the hurt and pain that you've brought to our lives. We  know that maybe the way you're acting says more about how you've been treated by others than it says about you. We know that some times even bad attention is good attention and that maybe you just want someone to realize that you're there. We know that maybe no one has ever shown you a different way of treating people and for that we're sorry.

We want you to know that ultimately, there is one who loves you so much more than we every could. We want you to know there is a God that created you and sent His son to die on a cross for you in order for you to live in eternity with him.  That's a love that surpasses all understanding, and that's the love we want you to know. That's the love that changes our hearts, that's the love that changes our actions and how we respond to you. That's the love that we strive to show in every action and reaction, in every word and thought. That's the love that allows us to tell you that we forgive you for the hurt you've brought to our lives and that we still love you.

We know that life isn't easy and no matter how old we are, we've never really got it figured out. We know that going through life alone is completely miserable and without a trusted friend by our side, it often seems impossible. We know that we might never be best friends, but we want you to know we're choosing not to respond to your attacks in a way that causes more hurt and pain. We're choosing today to respond in a way that lets you know that you are not invisible and the hurt and pain in your life means something to someone.

We want you to know that whether you've started rumors about us, manipulated situations, used our deepest wants and desires against us, or you've just been flat out rude, we forgive you. We want you to know that we're sorry for the times that we've acted the same way to you or other girls and we want you to know that together, we can be different.  This world is crazy enough as it is, we don't need to go around wounding each other any more. 

We want you to know that when it seems like you're only option is be a mean girl, we can take it and we wont hold it against you. We want to be different. We want you to be different. We want you to know that you're loved and you're valued and you can be yourself with us. We want you to know that you are beautiful and you have a unique purpose that only you can fulfill. We want to see you fulfill that.

Lets move forward together right now. Let's decide to put the hurt and pain of the past aside and walk forward together. Lets accept the fact that we'll all have bad days and there will be times we say and do things we later wish we shouldn't. Lets admit that we wont always like each other and we wont always be best friends, but lets decide that we don't have to start another war tomorrow. Lets admit that we wont hold the things you say against you and we certainly wont let it define the way we see you. Lets both remember that regardless of how we've been treated in the past and the hurt we often receive from family, friends, and those closest to us, we're much better off supporting each other than we are  attacking each other.

We see you mean girl, we see you and we love you. We're sorry for the hurt we've caused you in the past and we forgive you for the hurt you've caused us. Now lets move on together because we love you.

Sincerely, Us.