Monday, September 9, 2013

Social Media Do's and Don'ts

Alright ladies, the last couple of posts have been pretty intense so I figured we would do something a little more fun!

Let's talk about some social media Do's and Don'ts.

1. Enough with the negativity already!!
I understand everyone has a bad day! I know things get tough and we just want someone to feel bad for us, but come on! The rest of social media doesn't want to hear how awful other people are to you, they don't want to know that you have had a tough day or that your boss was mean to you. If you are upset or need to vent call your BFF and let them hear it, but the rest of social media doesn't want to be your therapist! Have you ever noticed when others are down and out your attitude drops? Really, negativity is contagious. I am not saying you can't talk to someone about the bad things that happen in life, I am just saying let social media be a place where you share happy and exciting news. Share good things! Be happy and positive and help others to do the same!


2. Stop being petty!
I actually see this WAY more with adults than I do with teenage girls, but I am going to tell you this ahead of time so you don't do it when you get older! ;) If you are mad at someone, if you get in a fight with someone or don't like someone DON'T put it on facebook. Statuses or posts you put out there to imply your dislike for someone are very juvenile. It makes you look tacky and silly. Grow up and act your age. Stop throwing temper tantrums on social media!




3. Remember people see your pictures so DON'T post anything you will later regret.


It amazes me the pictures people post on the internet. Whether it be a selfie of you in your bedroom half dressed or out with your friends sloppy drunk. The image you portray on social media is the image you will be stuck with. Future employers, future mother in law, and other important people may get the wrong idea of you if they feel your pictures are inappropriate! Remember you are a lady and to come across as such, you want others to think highly of you! I get really tired of hearing people say we need to stop making young women feel bad for dressing inappropriately or portraying themselves in a negative way. Young ladies I WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS! You need to be aware of how you are portraying yourself, you need to be aware that you are responsible for your actions and you need to be aware of how to be that Christian lady God expects you to be. And that Christian lady is not one that takes a high selfie of herself so that her cleavage is staring the camera lens in the face. Take some responsibility!!! Obviously I think boys should abide by these same rules as well, but let's be honest. When was the last time you saw a guy post a picture of him in his boxers, poking out his rear end with a pouty lip??? :) Think about it!

4. Please DON'T proclaim your Christianity and then 2 hours later let the profanity train run through your page!
If you are going to have a filthy mouth, it doesn't look very convincing when you post a scripture on the next line. Most people would look at that and think it's hypocritical. As in all areas of our life, we need to portray Christ all the time, not just when it's convenient. Decide now that if you want to have a Christ like attitude you aren't going to post inappropriate pictures or use foul language, but positive and wholesome things.

1. DO post statuses that show gratitude, happiness and joy!
Corny right? Not really! I once heard someone say "I hope your life is one day as wonderful as you make it sound on facebook." I really thought this was a silly saying because they were sarcastically implying that people play up their life on social media which may be true, but I have to say I love seeing positive and happy attitudes on facebook.  I love to hear what people are thankful for and that they are enjoying life. I think it is negative unhappy people that get irritated with positive statuses because they are unhappy with their life. Does that mean constantly bragging on yourself? No, does that mean when there is a big accomplishment or even a small accomplishment posting it so others can pat you on the back? Absolutely! Your life is what you make it so make it positive!!!


2. DO make others feel special!
I love calling people out on facebook! I love to make others feel special by letting everyone know how wonderful they are! I think we all like that!

3. DO share inspiring and positive posts.
I love the share button. I love that there are things my friends see on their friends pages and that they can share with me. Otherwise I may have never seen that wonderful information! Share things that will uplift and inspire others so that you in turn can be uplifted and inspired!

4. DO shine your light so that others may see it.
Social media can be an extremely powerful tool. Others see what you like, they see what you post and they see what you are reading. Make sure that the things that you are doing on facebook are things that you won't ever be ashamed of. Make the best of your time while using it!



Sunday, September 1, 2013

For the Moms and Dads out there.......







Where are your priorities? Think about it for a second. Grab a piece of paper and a pen and jot them down 1-10. Obviously for most people or Christians at least they would probably put God as #1. That's who our first priority should be right? Then  most people would probably put their family. Under that might be work, sports, exercising, some sort of hobby you enjoy doing, or even school. Now that you have them written down in front of you I want you to stop and examine it. Are you looking at it and really examining it? Now I want you to think about your life and really consider whether or not these are your priorities. It's easy to write them down, its even easy to talk about them, but are we living them?

We are getting ready to head into our revival week next week at church and our minister has really been preaching about where we put God and church in our life. And I pray that our congregation has been really listening and taking to heart what he has been saying. I have definitely gotten several things out of it. I wonder though if people really realize the priorities in their head aren't usually the priorities in their life.

Earlier I said it was the obvious answer that Christians would put God as their #1 priority. God tells us he should be our #1. He tells us we should love him and put him above all things. This was a hard concept for me for a REALLY long time. I mean until about a year ago, I didn't get this concept. I am a very family oriented person and it was really hard for me to imagine being able to love anyone more than I love my husband, or my children, or my parents, or my nieces and nephew. I just couldn't comprehend it. Yet, God commands us to love him first.

Mark 12:30 - And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your power; this is the first commandment.

We are commanded to love God with EVERYTHING before anything else.

Does your life reflect that?

Growing up in my family there were very few things that came before sports. My dad taught us unless we were dying, we went to every practice and every game and we gave 100%. The only thing I can think of that would have taken priority over sports is God. Every time the doors were open at church my family was there. Every time there was something going on at church whether it was a youth event or a revival or a potluck we were there. No questions asked. And as important as sports were to our family, it was never questioned that God was of higher importance. I love my Daddy, I am and always have been a Daddy's girl. And I can tell you that you can't get much closer to a perfect God fearing and loving man than my Daddy. You will never hear anyone say anything bad about him. You will never hear him say anything bad about anyone else. He is the most honest and faithful man. As I say that you should know that my Daddy was in a career for 13 years where he could not go to church on Sunday mornings because as a professional football player he was in team meetings and getting ready for games. He always made sure that in some way or another he had his time with God before he focused on football. And outside of that we were always involved in church activities. My Dad made sure we knew God was to be our first priority and after that was up to us.




Does your life revolve around God and let other things sprinkle in? Or does your life revolve around other things and let God sprinkle in? Is God a necessity or a convenience?

I will tell you what I have seen over the last 10 years of working with churches and youth groups. A lot of Christians lives revolve around other things and let God sprinkle in. We get very busy with a lot of different things. Sports, work, kids programs, dance, after school activities and we feel committed to those things. We allow all of these other things to take priority over God whether its missing church for a game or a practice, missing an important church event because of a meeting or other obligation and we find time for God when we don't have all these other things going on.

What message are we sending our children?

What are we telling our children when we skip church because we stayed out at an event too late Saturday night and don't want to get up?
What are we telling our children when we blow off a potluck or a revival because we have too many practices?
What are we telling our children when we don't go to services on a Sunday or Wednesday night because it will stress us out getting home so late on a school night?
What are we telling our children when we show up for worship service, but not for Sunday school class?
What are we telling our children when we find time for everything BUT God?


We are telling them it's ok to make God a convenience. We are saying that it's up to us and our schedule, not God and his. Parents, we have got to realize we are responsible for our children's souls. We are responsible for what they are learning now so that they take it into adulthood with them and pass it on to our grandchildren and our great- grandchildren. We are laying the foundation now in our children to become strong Christian men and women. And the only way that we can teach them that is by showing them that God is the priority in our life. We need to begin to make changes in our life to make sure that God is the center and we make time for everything else. We need to make sure our children know what is important and that we make sure they know God comes above ALL else.

Decide now that you want to make God the center of your family and if you have time for those other things then GREAT! Right now our children only have a couple of things that they are involved in and so far we haven't had to make that decision of this or that, but when the day comes we have already decided our children will know that God comes first. Their coaches will know that God comes first. Their dance teachers, extra curricular activity supervisors and anyone else that does things with our kids will know that God comes first. And if that means missing a practice, a game or whatever in the end my children's relationship with God and their salvation is WAY more important than any skill or trophy they will get here on earth.  Start living by the priority list in your head and not the one in your datebook.