I am learning...

I've grown up a lot in the past few years. I've grown up even more since becoming a mother. I still have so much growing up to do and maybe I'll never fully get there but I know one thing for sure, I'm getting the hang of life little by little. Here are some things that I have and still am learning about life:

1) Not everyone is going to like me.
And I don't have to like everyone. We are all different; different personalities, interests, spiritual beliefs, sense of humor, etc. And that's quite alright! I am learning to not be so offended when I just don't mesh with another human being. All I know is that that I still need to show the same amount of love for all those around me, regardless if we are the best of friends or not.

2) I do not have to change who I am. FOR ANYBODY.
I do not have to be somebody I'm not TO get people to like me. I've done this for a lot of my life and I am done. It's exhausting. I'm loud, crazy, fun, overly sensitive and just plain silly. God made me the way I am for a reason and to even question that as much as I have in the past makes me, well, kind of sad! Life is too short to walk around caring about every single opinion there is about me. I'm learning that I need to be bold and confident in the person God made me to be.  This is not easy but most certainly achievable!

3) Women don't have to hate each other.
It's true ladies, we don't. Women can be fierce creatures. We can be mean, spiteful, conniving, jealous; the list goes on. BUT GUESS WHAT! We don't have to be any of those. We are human; I know this. We get upset, let jealousy get the best of who we are but we can change that. I can change that. I used to be extremely judgmental. And mean. And spiteful. But mostly jealous and all of other women who had what I wanted. I dismissed my own blessings and focused on theirs. I disliked other women without even getting to know them first. I didn't like that and I didn't want to be like that. I didn't want others to look at my actions and get that vibe from me. My husband, who's actually heard most of the rude comments under my breath, is who really brought it to my attention (I LOVE his accountability! No sarcasm) and said I needed to work that out with myself. That side of me has improved in huge amounts but I'm just one person. Which leads me to my next point...

4) Mothers need to STOP with the harsh judgments...
against each other.
Like most of the mamas I come into contact with, we all want what's best for our sweet little babes. Some of us formula feed, or breastfeed or pump! Some of us co-sleep and some of us think that's nuts. Some of us believe in the cry-it-out method and some of us don't. It's OK that we all have different styles of parenting. What's NOT ok is judging others for doing or not doing something we may or may not do ourselves. We are all in this together. I believe it's in our best interest to come together as a huge community of mamas, support each other and help one another out. We are all doing ok and doing what's best for our own little families. There should be no reason to constantly have to defend our reasons for doing anything when it comes to our own children. Seriously.

5) Release the negativity.
There are just some people in my life that have not and do not belong there. This doesn't mean they are not in my heart and in fact it's these people I tend to pray more for. It can be a past friend, somebody you just met, a co-worker or even family. I am learning that it's ok to let the negative go. I cannot be the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and most importantly, a servant to Jesus if I keep letting all this negativity get the best of me. This includes what's put on social media by my "friends" list. I cannot stand my addiction to Facebook and have been praying for the ability to either cut back or cut it out of my life. I am really learning to get rid of the negative sources and start breathing in the positive I'm trying to surround myself with.

6) It's ok to give myself a pat on the back.
I once wrote a post The 10 Things I Like About Me. It was about complimenting myself on things I liked about, well, me! I sometimes look back on that post when I'm having a bad "me" day; when I'm really down on something I may have done wrong and I need a pick me up. Sometimes I feel like I'm not allowed to tell myself I am doing a good job. That's not ok. I've learned that I need to love myself before I can really love anyone else. So I've started making changes to better my body, my mind and my soul. I've started a workout program called t25 and believe or not I feel great and can almost see results starting to form. I've changed my diet into an almost all organic and natural (Gluten Free, of course!) diet. I've started making myself say one positive thing, a day, in the mirror when I get dressed in the morning. I've gotten back into the musical side of me by joining the worship team at my church and singing a lot more in general. I tell myself I am a good mom and wife. I'm doing my best to be a faithful follower of Christ. I am allowed to say "Good job Amanda!" and recently that's just what I have been doing.

7) God really IS on my side and my past does not matter.
I am more then hard on myself. I beat myself up. (Not literally..) I am my own worst critic. It's taking me a long while to move past some things that have happened in my life, the mistakes I made and the people I've hurt. I have been drilling into my head: HEY, I'm doing FINE! I am growing closer to Jesus and He is my BEST support system. He has come through and has pulled me through so many trials. My past is making me who I am today and has opened my eyes to what a relationship with Jesus is really like. What Pastor Perry preached today about Gods grace, really struck a nerve. I AM MADE NEW! HE IS FOR ME! HE BREAKS MY CHAINS! He rights my wrongs. He is NEVER disappointed in me. My past DOES NOT make who I am as a person but instead tells a testimony of where I am going in life with Jesus already ahead of me. I am so thankful to have a relationship with Him. To find constant freedom, forgiveness and never ending love in Him. I am so blessed to have Him first in my life, for it is because of Him that everything falls into place.

Life is hard, messy, beautiful ,exhausting, wild and fun. But mostly beautiful. 

I will never have all the answers but the more I go through all these different experiences, good and bad, the more I grow. And that's what life is all about right? If YOU have anything you'd like to add to this list or even have a list of your own, you know where to find me, 24/7: gfmamaj@gmail.com

God Bless!

MUCH LOVE!

Sticks and Stones

Whenever I receive a compliment it goes in one ear and out the other. But if I were to hear an insult or bad words spoken about me, it sticks to my heart like a leech and it pulls me down quickly.
I always had a way of beating to the sound of my own drum throughout school. I never liked what everyone else liked. I had maybe 3 or 4 pieces of Abercrombie and Hollister clothes and I was ok with that. I never had a fancy purse. I didn't date the cutest boy in my grade. And I'm really just weird! I had plenty of horrible things said behind my back and even to my face. Whether it be about my clothes or a part that I got in drama club. It always hurt and some days I would cry myself to sleep, feeling like such a loser. I never appreciated my differences back then and how special I was. How special we ALL are. I just wanted to fit in. I wanted to be popular and accepted by those that I put on such a high pedestal.
I couldn't wait to graduate. To get away from my peers that I spent, basically, 12 years with. Get away from those whose opinion should have held no value in my life, meet new people and start fresh. I was naive and felt like as soon as I went to college and stepped out into the real world, those problems would go away.
But they didn't. Of course they didn't. In fact, it seems like the older we get, the worse those problems become. Except instead of picking on someones bike or backpack or shoes, it's bigger things like where you live, what you drive, what kind of mother, wife or Christian you are.
I keep asking myself when am I finally going to let the sharp and hurtful opinions of others just roll of my back?
When are YOU?
God created us all different for a reason. We all have our different talents and a purpose in this world. I feel like if we were to all focus on the gifts and blessings He gives us instead of constantly worrying about others, the gossiping and judgement could stop. The bullying could stop.
Hurt people, hurt people. I heard this from my Pastor at church and it couldn't be more true.
Honestly, it shouldn't matter who's gay and who's straight. Who's wearing Abercrombie and who's wearing a thrift store special. Who's black and who's white. Who lives in a two story house and who lives in a 5th wheel. Who's a Christian and who's Jewish. We are all made different for a reason! We all have something to bring to the table!
I hope to teach my children the importance of building others up with our words instead of tearing each other down. That when you feel hurtful toward someone else, to pray and/or think before you speak. One bad opinion that we may speak aloud to another's face or even behind their back, could change the way they look at themselves in such a negative way.
Ephesians 4:29 says this:
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Be kind to someone today. Instead of glancing at another woman's outfit in a scornful way, how about you throw her a compliment that she looks nice or that you like her purse.
Let's teach the generations coming up the way this human race needs to start treating each other, so that maybe we can start to help control the madness that is going on in the world.
I've been guilty of caving into gossip. Of saying mean things about other people, to others, behind their back. But it's time to start setting an example. For all of us to set one.
And if you're the victim of any harsh words today, or any day, just smile; knowing that no matter what anyone may think or say that you are AWESOME!
As always, feel free to send an email with anything that may be on your mind. And if you haven't already, check out GFMama's new Facebook page. Thanks for reading y'all and have an amazing day. It's almost the weekend!!
Much love!

P.S. I went to my first trunk or treat last night with Makenna! (Daddy is away for work) I was a Pink Lady and Makenna was a little skeleton :) I had a blast. Having a child makes me feel like one again, in a way, and I'm excited of getting to experience firsts for both of us!!