Mercy Grace & Coffee

Happy Fri-YAY! We have made it through another week.  No matter what this week held for you, I hope you will find this post encouraging.  Read, comment, share it, I appreciate it.

As a mom of two boys, I have found that there are three things I need daily and in somewhat large amounts…mercy, grace and coffee.  I know in the media world that we live in it is hard to not get caught up in the way we feel we should be living.  We need to do more crafts with kids, take them more places, eat all healthy food, workout, sleep, keep the house clean, yard beautiful, dog cared for, beds made, laundry done, the list goes on and on.  While some days I feel like I am getting things crossed off the list other days I feel as if I am treading water.  Do you feel me?  How many of us have these days??? We log in to facebook, instagram or twitter and see how everyone else is doing and think, man if I could just be like HER? Well who is HER? Is she even real?  I mean I just barely got started with this blog post and had to pause because my 3 year old was hollering at me from the basement that he went poop.  This is real life folks! Now don’t get me wrong I enjoy facebook and post on it fairly regularly, although I don’t have instagram or twitter because I just don’t care to figure them out.  LOL But the one thing I don’t think we give ourselves enough of is mercy and grace.  The only person who we should try to be living like is Jesus! Who cares about so and so’s amazingly clean counter space, perfect make-up or vacuum lines in their carpet.  We are all living proof that Jesus loves us all.  No matter the bank account, how many friends we have or where we live.  Isn’t that the person we want to be like?

Mercy. YEP, I need it and need to give it. Daily.  When the boys are acting less then perfect  and have made a mess everywhere and I mean everywhere (except the laundry room).  Mercy.  One little word that makes a huge difference in how we live out our life.  I am not perfect, so why should I expect my kids/friends/neighbors/other drivers to be?  Showing/having more mercy is what its all about.  I know the days that I do go so much better and I feel better.  I mean we all have less then stellar days, even though media may not portray THOSE days.  We never know the shoes that someone else is walking in.  I need to constantly remind myself of this.  No matter how rough it gets there is probably someone battling their own worse demons.  A little mercy goes a long way.

Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. Luke 6:36

Grace. Holy game changer. When I allow myself grace the day is always a little easier.  There are going to be days when I want to pull my hair out, but then there are the days when all is well.  There are always more good days then bad, especially when I make the choice to have a good day and remind myself of the grace that I have been given so should also allow for myself.  Aren’t we our toughest critic most days? This summer has been pretty busy with vacation, preschool camps, VBS, playdates, a backyard renovation, oh and rearranging three rooms in our home.  Yes there are so many things to do each day.  While I stress over putting the house back in order, I also know that these days with my littles are so precious and few in the grand scheme of things.  Making memories has been my motto this summer.  At the end of the day when your kids are grown and out of the house, will you remember the unfinished to-do list, NOPE. You will remember the fun you had playing endless hours of baseball, swimming at the lake, and making s’mores.   So when the laundry is piled high, floors/counters are barely visible and you feel like you just need nap… Grace.

For it is by grace you have been saved,                                                                               through faith- and this is not from yourselves,                                                                             it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Coffee. Iced, blended, luke-warm or hot. However you take your coffee, have a cup, or three or hey, even the whole pot.  I mean really some days require it.  If you are not a coffee drinker, insert your beverage of choice.  But have a glass and take a deep breath.  As the old commercial goes “have a Coke and a smile”.  Sit on the patio, deck, front porch or hide in the bathroom.  No judgment here! Raise your cup and say Mercy Grace & Coffee.  For this is the toast that should be shouted daily.  We were made perfectly in the eyes of the LORD.  Embrace your true self, stand tall, be proud and live each day wanting to be more like Jesus and less like the mythical “HER”.

So, here’s to a daily dose of mercy, grace and coffee…