Live Out Loud - Adventures of a mom

Are you a good listener? I mean, do you REALLY know what the other person is really telling you when they talk to you ?  Are you able to read "in between the lines"? I learned that I have a long way to go in the life lesson of being a person that LISTENS well and effectively this week. The kids had been practicing a song that they were going to share with our church congregation on Sunday but a couple of weeks ago one of my kids' teachers told me one of them didn't want to sing and was grumpy during rehearsals. BEFORE listening to my kids' version, I jumped into conclusions. After all, I told myself, this isn't the first time my kid didn't like to sing. I didn't even bother letting my kid talk.   I just jumped straight to "You know you should be singing, right?  ...... " The poor kid answered:  "It is embarrassing" Again, t his isn't the first time  my kid had said this. Have you ever felt disappoin...

Lately I have faced sad news about people close and far who have passed suddenly (hit and run), who have received devastating news of diseases, who are fighting mental health issues and much much more. As I ponder over all these, I find myself going back to thoughts of my life when my family was going through life-and-death situations. And am wondering and asking God... what do I need to hear today from you? As a leader in the church I serve, I asked the Lord... what do I need to know, hear, do as your servant? My heart is heavy.  My thoughts go to not just the people who have battling for life, the Lord takes me to people in my church who, as witnesses and bystandards, are asking God the proverbial question: WHY GOD?  WHY? And as it often happens, the burden and heaviness turns into literal physical tiredness.  By 7 PM I told my husband I wanted to go to bed. I woke at 2AM last night, suddenly.  And I knew.   It was time for a CHAT with God. Whe...