A Little Dance, A Little Song

One of the best and most fulfilling parts of my life so far has been being an aunt. Don't get me wrong, daughter, sister, wife, friend... they are all important but the aunt role has a special little place in my heart. Maybe it's because I was the youngest in my family, so I never had someone to baby and cuddle... or boss around. :) But I really think it's because we aunts, we have it the best.

An aunt can let nieces and nephews sit on the counter and stir the brownie mix, getting the mixture all over them. With an aunt, extra sprinkles is okay. With an aunt, you can jump on the cushions and play pretend. An aunt gives little drops of advice, that though heard every day, may stand out when it is said from an aunt. An aunt gets to give some of the best gifts because you ask your brother or sister what they REALLY want! An aunt is a friend, mentor and best of all FAMILY for life. I have three nephews and five little nieces. They are all absolutely precious and my heart just melts over them when I get to spend time with them. 

One of my nieces is named Kaitlin, she is absolutely a kick. She loves to sing and dance to her Disney princess songs, or the little church songs they learn at her school. She is only four years old, but she has quite the song list. She keeps her brother Andrew up at night because she won't stop singing. While this is very frustrating for my sister's entire household, I secretly love it! It cracks me up because I was the exact same way. My brothers and sisters would call down the stairs, "Mom, make Brittany be quiet!!"

When Kaitlin and Andrew's Christmas Production came around, we were all excited to go watch them sing on stage. We came with video and cameras, and set up as close to the stage as possible. I have to say, even if you don't know anyone on the stage, watching a hundred 2-5 year old children is hilarious. 

They marched on stage, we spotted them and immediately started waving, taking pictures and then the music came on. Here we go!

Andrew was a typical oldest child, every move to perfection and every word memorized. Kaitlin, the little singer, the dreamer, the dancer: nothing. She was not moving, staring downward with a very concerned look on her face. She remained that way the entire time. All of us were saying "Kaitlin, dance! Sing!" We were rooting for her with all our hearts. Did it matter to us if she was perfect? Did we care if she did all right moves? Would we look down on her for messing up? Of course not! We would have only cared that she had fun and went for it! But in that moment, our little singing, dancing, princess was paralyzed with fear. 

It was then that God showed me part of his heart for us.  If in my heart as an aunt, I took so much joy in watching Kaitlin and Andrew live and have fun, how much more is God's heart for us to live freely, unburdened by fear. I imagine when God sees us in fear, he says "don't worry, don't be afraid, it doesn't have to be perfect! Live for me, speak about me, love other people in my name, give, share, dance! Even if you dance a little, sing a little, I will love it and be proud that you did even that much". He wants so badly for us to enjoy our lives and be free from fear. How many times do we stop the song or dance of our lives because we are afraid? How many times have I shied away from doing the things God has called me to do? That is not God's plan for us who are called to his purposes. He wants us to dance, sing, have fun, laugh, play, and dream.

God's heart is rooting for us. When I saw Kate on stage afraid, I wasn't disappointed in her. I only wanted to encourage her that she can do it. When we hold back or hesitate to what God has for us, I believe God has that same heart, "you can do it, I am here for you, don't give up." I know that if I as an aunt felt that way, how much more does God, our creator, feel that way. He takes joy in us. We are His children. Just as many of you have your own children, remember that we are God's children, and His heart is even more for us than ours is for our own children... or nieces and nephews. :)

He is a good Dad. And His heart is for you.

There is no scripture that I looked for to back this up, although I know I could find some. There is no big concept here to grasp. Just a little moment in the life of a four year old, and an aunt who got a glimpse of God's love for us and wanting us to dance. 

And the next time Kaitlin went on that stage, my heart overflowed as she danced and sang. 

Confessions of a Southern Girl.

I am a Southern Woman. I capitalize it because... we are kind of our own group. ;) I identify with almost all things southern. Some of the southern women stereotypes include that a southern girl takes care of her man,  loves fiercely, protects her family, is hospitable, keeps her house clean...and don't even get me started on Southern Mommas. They are capitalized because I believe they are their own group too! I live a southern life: sweet tea, accents, outdoors, decor, sunscreen and moisturizer, and of course family. I say things like, "sweet heart, bless your heart, yes and no mam, y'all come back, stop by any time". The list goes on...

But I have a secret shame to my southern girl life. Ready for it?

.....I can't cook.

Don't judge! :) For all the non-southerners out there, yeah, I know this isn't a big deal to you. But if you understood how many times a southern girl gets asked this in her lifetime, you would understand the importance of her learning, stat. What makes it even "worse" is my husband cooks... GREAT. That wasn't sarcastic, he really is a great cook. He also loves to grocery shop (sorry ladies, both his brothers are already married). Tyler goes grocery shopping and comes back in 20 minutes with everything we need. I go grocery shopping, ask for help, call my mom for a location on about every other item on my list, circle the store so many times I convince myself that I don't have to work out later, and come back 2 hours later. Needless to say, it has become an issue. You know how most men gain a little weight after they get married? My husband lost weight...fifty pounds! lol...granted I was going to grad school most nights. :) Kidding! I can't take any credit for his success. What was his secret?? Big shocker: he worked out and ate healthy! I know that's not what you wanted to hear! Anyway, no excuses, I have to learn to cook. So recently I found a great little webpage called Dashing Dish. Please find the link below. This is a Christian lady who makes wonderful recipes that are simple to make and healthy. Will I become a member? Why yes. :)

Tonight I decided to tackle chili... made in a crock pot. Our three year anniversary is in December. This is the first time I have used my crock pot since getting married. Let me just tell you, I amped myself up for this cooking event tonight. It was in my planner, I pulled out all the ingredients, I set aside a chunk of time. And then I read the directions. They went something like this:

1. Cook meat and onions.
2. Put all other ingredients in pot.
3. Once meat is cooked, put in pot.
4. Cover and heat for 4 hours.

At least that's my rendition. Really?!?! I had to laugh out loud! Man, I may not know my way around H.E.B. or the kitchen, but I know my way around a crock pot! Mind you, about 98% of the "other ingredients" are canned vegetables. My kind of recipe! So as I was getting through the strenuous part of tonight's cooking, opening the cans, I began to think about how much I had psyched myself out for this "huge task".

How many times are we like this over things? We worry, we plan, we play out conversations in our mind, we consult others about it. Maybe if I stopped and took time to "read the directions" or hear from God, I would realize that what I am so worried about, may actually be easier than I thought. Maybe it's not always a big deal.

Lately, I have been seeing this little post on Facebook... and Pinterest... and Instagram, that says, "have you prayed about it, as much as you have talked about it?" Another confession, sometimes these little one-liners annoy me! But this one stuck in my head and I am reminded of it as I write this blog. Have I, do we, pray about it FIRST. For many of us our natural instinct is to first DO something about it, whether that be think about, or talk about it with someone. But again, I think God's plan and direction is to first hear his word on it. It may be as simple as "pray for them" or "love them". If you are worried about a conversation or relationship, He can give you the right words to heal a relationship or ease a friend's worry. He will give you peace to overcome your obstacle, or strength to do something that would have been hard for you to do on your own.

The ingredients are all in the crockpot now, and what started out as a huge endeavor has ended as one of the most simple things I have accomplished today. Will the things God calls you to do always be easy? No, I believe some will be difficult. But we don't need to worry in advance and magnify it before we have even started. We come to God first, magnify him in our life and in the situation, and wait for His directions. Maybe I should have read the directions first. :) But I am kind of glad I didn't because it allowed God to speak this simple truth to my heart.

Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"

Blessings,

Bri

www.dashingdish.com