In Your Language

Saturday, May 31, 2014

More than you Bargained For


When you deal with me, 

you deal with my Parent's 

influence on me

According2Meredith.blogspot.com
I listened to the Focus on the Family Broadcast (Daily Edition 05/29/14) by pastor Louie Giglio talking about generational impressions and influences. He proposed that we have to look into our past and deal with it so we don't bring it into the present and future.

I've mentioned this theme of family legacies, for bad or for good, before in different ways. But, after listening to pastor Giglio, I realized that I'm screwed. I mean, my family doesn't have a chance, but for the Grace of God [or whatever source you have].

Friday, May 30, 2014

You're being Used

I Know You Did that Sweet Thing This Summer...   ^_^

 

 I think that God uses EVERYBODY to do his good work...

especially the ones that don't "believe" in him...

to humble his followers.  =)

 

You are why this world has something good to offer. You're the reason why that person smiled. You're the reason why that person didn't "go through with it" (YKWIM, I don't have to say that dark word).  You're the reason why that person felt relieved.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Put a frame around it

"How you frame what you say is everything."

~Rina Wallace, Professor, Univ. of Phoenix 

 

True story. I made a post on a discussion in my human services module and my professor said to me the above quote. She also said that I shouldn't have to hold back in my contribution to the discussion. The only thing she warned me about was something that would be useful to my future in the human services realm.
 

Other words that come to mind about the quotation:

According2Meredith.blogspot.com


Those are the things that I left of out my post that made it seem very dry and incomplete. Funny enough, I've had this prompt in the Blogger "draft" category for weeks and now life has jabbed me in the ribs to go on and do it! 


My Claims to Frame
Christian, wife, adopted, mother, deep thinker, analyzer, non-confrontational,
"devil's advocate" for the sake of conversation
for starters...

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Childlike Belief + Updates

Hi There~



Birthday Highlights...

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Married to a Godly Atheist

I married a




What do I consider a "Godly Atheist"?

A person who acts loving and righteously (as humanly possible) without labeling themselves as a Christian or believing in G*D.

How is that possible? They are two opposite things, right?


Not necessarily. If God is love and teaches believers to act righteously and an atheist is loving and strives to be righteous, then they are not incompatible

Atheists and Theists can co-exist and 

they can learn from each other.

Photo Credit: http://www.immi.gov.au

 Atheists can teach Theists...  

  • How to stand convicted in our propensity for judging others.
  • How to give without bragging.
  • How to be okay with people who disagree. 

Theists can teach Atheists...

  • How to forgive themselves and others
  • How to value themselves outside of their status and "works."
  • How to connect with a larger purpose, for G*D or otherwise.
  • That they are also the hands and feet of G*D
  • They are loved by G*D whether or not they believe in him.
 
Being Married to a Godly Atheist...

Friday, May 23, 2014

If relationships were non-perishable

Photo Credit: According2Meredith.blogspot.com

Prized Relationships Do Not Perish

Peel off that expiration date sticker off your relationship... go on... DO IT! =)

 

I had this flash of inspiration (rather than expiration) yesterday of something I could pray over relationships in this world. It's half fantasy and half prayer-- you choose how you want this post to resonate with you.

The safe part of not being in a relationship is that there is no danger of dissolution. And if your attitude is that relationships are bound to fail, why start one anyways? Maybe you've been relinquished as a child; maybe you were un-friended in elementary school; maybe your parents split up; maybe your boyfriend broke it off with you before college; maybe you never got the ring and got the goodbye text; and maybe, painfully so, you got a divorce.

There is a legacy of broken relationships out there. I cannot deny this. My own life is a testimony to the fact that relationships are not all set in stone, none-the-less DNA. I had this naive notion that upon adoption I'd see the world full of great relationships. Most of what I see are the bad ones. The good ones rarely surface. What a tragedy that our exposure has painted the way we conceptualize relationships.

If any one thing should be dependable in this chaotic  and (sometimes) scary world, that thing should be relationships: parents, siblings, cousins, adoptions, marriages, blended family. If we allow relationships to be temporary, then how do we decide how many strike outs are "allowable"? How many times do we want to be cut from the two-man team?  What does that say for our value of others?

Thursday, May 22, 2014

DIY Therapy



Photo Credit: www.nendo.jp

How to be your own S.H.R.I.N.K.

 

Disclaimer: I'm not a trained psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor or the like. I am a mother, student and deep thinker. I'm basing this on my own personal growth in preparation for becoming a counselor in the future. This is my personal encouragement to you. If you have need beyond what you can do for yourself, please do not use this post in place of trained and licensed therapy. I still go to counseling, there is no shame in that and my family likes me better because of it. =)


[S]  Seek Different Perspectives 

By the time we are in a marriage or career, it is pretty hard to be socially successful and be stuck in our own perspective. Seeking different perspectives will come in handy in the event of a conflict. If we consistently seek different perspectives, then it won't be such a challenge during those instances of elevated nerves. YKWIM?

[H] Honor Yourself

Honor your personal journey with its highs and lows. Try to learn from the mistakes and see value in them for the lessons instead of looking at them in shame. Also, try to step back and see that other people might have done similar things if they were in your situation. For example: If anybody else were in my position (having a history of X), then they might have done the same thing. When we accept our mistakes, it makes it easier to accept ourselves as a whole. We want to be whole people, right?

[R] Reflect

Reflect on your choices and experiences regularly. Put judgement on the shelf as you look over your recent choices. What worked and what didn't pan out as you'd expected. Any surprises? Did you learn anything worthy of repeating? Is there anything you should make extinct (as in behaviors)? As long as we make adjustments, we do not have to stay in judgement phase.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Stop, Drop and Snuggle

My son Gabriel's instinct to roll and snuggle 

his blanket. He cries until he feels the softness on his face... and then slips into slumber...


He (like most people) has a hunger for comfort, for the touch of something soft and familiar. All it takes is a few seconds of feeling and smelling his blanket, then he ceases crying and falls asleep.

When my husband and I started dating, we spent a lot of time cuddling. I similarly felt drawn to slumber with the closeness and touch of this warm, safe human blanket being with me.

Mothers who nurse their child, might notice that they are lulled to sleep just by contact (especially skin to skin). What we don't see is a hormone secreting in our brains that is responsible for our feeling of well-being and attachment to each other. This is the hormone that is called "oxytocin."

 This physical contact is for honored relationships (rather than casual): family, friends and other organically developed relationships. This attachment hormone does not filter the good and bad people to get attached to. We must use  diligence to make sure that our oxytocin is functioning to solidify healthy, long lasting relationships. Otherwise, the withdrawal can be quite intense, like detoxing from drugs.

Recall a time when you experienced a hard breakup, or when your best friend was just beside herself immediately after a breakup. This oxytocin withdrawal is a big reason for "rebound" dating. At that point, "anyone will do" for the oxytocin "fix." That phenomenon was exquisitely captured in an episode of Alphas

Sunday, May 18, 2014

You didn't deserve it

Consolation, 1894 - Edvard Munch
It didn't happen because you're a horrible person. It didn't happen because you had it coming. It didn't happen because you didn't tell them you loved them.



Saturday, May 17, 2014

God is the settler, we're the reachers

Photo Credit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/perksofaurora?ref=exp_listing

Based on: How I Met Your Mother






It occurred to me the other day that this one "premise" could change the way I approach my relationship with God. 

 

If I choose to think of God and my relationship with him from the perspective that I am the reacher (towards God), it could be life-changing. I would pray more often; I would have more drive to "die to myself"; I would develop a deeper calling to minister to my family as well as my community; and it would make me entirely more humble than I am now.

I spend so much time rejecting much of media for it's lack of Christian themes. But recently, I've found it important to "dig" for the ways the shows can translate into my walk of faith. I can watch Supernatural through the filter of my faith. I can watch How I Met Your Mother and increase my faith. It's an active process.

I remember before taking my philosophy elective classes, I asked God to appear in my studies. I prayed that I'd have a stronger faith through his presence in my studies. He even "appeared" in the commencement speech last week. He has been faithful to that request-- to me, the reacher!

Imagine if we looked at our family members that way. Imagine if we looked at our friends and community members that way. How would we navigate conflicts if we viewed others as the settlers? [Not to denigrate our value in ourselves, but to elevate the other person.] From the example that Jesus- the king of Kings, washed his disciples feet. That is not to say that Jesus was demoting himself, but to give a gesture of value and service to his protege. 

So today, I decided to look at God as the settler and I'm the reacher. I will report back at how my life has changed from this shift in perspective and attitude. Thank you for reading this portal into my mind. Blessings to you and your families.

How do you think this concept works in individualist societies versus collectivist societies? What's your take on elevating your fellow man? Please comment below and join the discussion!




 










Celebrating in Grand Style

I have a 12 year old Child! 

The birthday was yesterday; the party was today.

 It went well.



*Baby surprised us by grabbing the picture of Coke and 
it went all over himself and daddy's lap*

Baby Gabriel's birthday is in 2 days! 
May is an open wallet month for this family: 
3 birthdays (two on one day), 1 dog birthday, 
and Mother's day! Phew! 

What month are you slammed with holidays and birthdays the most? How do you give each birthday it's deserved attention? Please share in the comments below! Thank you and 
Happy Birthday to my fellow May birthdays! 

 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Do you know who to blame?

Photo Credit: inquisitr.com

If you believe in them,

you're off the hook!


Because of Adam and Eve, we have our "first cause" 

of all our family inequities.

        If  we want to know where our blaming nature came from, go to the Book of Genesis and the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden. They had a perfect life. They walked among God. They had provisional immortality. They got to be naked 24/7! They had no shame. No wants. They had the life! 

       After Satan, tempted Eve to eat of the apple, leading Adam to do the same, the first occurrence and deflection of fault (blame) happened. Accusations flew as to who was to blame. The only happy source of that chaos was Satan himself.

       Because of the transgression against God, their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Because Cain killed Abel, X, Y, Z....


Thursday, May 15, 2014

Flawed Femme

Based on a the video featuring Nancy Thomas, adoptive mother to 9 children. http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/adoption-reactive-attachment-disorder-rad-kid/52e299e678c90a08d00002bf


My dog Bella: Jan. 29, 2012


 What do soft eyes look like?

I watched the video that I linked to above. "Soft eyes" really spoke to me. It was convicting because I've been told I have an angry expression most times, even if I don't feel angry inside. There is a YouTube-er called "clothesencounters" who said she smiles a lot because otherwise she has a bitch face. LOL, I guess I must be her sister. [sigh]

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

You're not asking too much


You Aren't Asking Too Much

Some days I just want to spend time with the childhood version of me to set some things straight. We're groomed to expect perfection out of each other and ourselves, but we are looking for the impossible. Should we like being yelled at? No. Is it realistic that we won't get yelled at ever? No

That's why I'd go back and say- sure, people let you down - they probably even hurt you - but they were bound to do it at least SOME of the time. We shouldn't give up on people because they aren't perfect. We don't need to resent them for being fallible (as they are fashioned to be). 

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Mouthwatering Mondays

Deluxe Ramen

According2Meredith Style

 

 

Ingredients:

* Ramen package: I use NongShim. They, in my opinion, produce the best tasting noodles and flavoring package. Don't follow the directions on the package, follow mine. =)

* Fish Fillets: 1 or 2 depending on their size and your taste

* 2 Eggs

* Optional: Dried Mushrooms, Seaweed, Rice Cake, left over meat or vegetables
*****************************************

COUNTDOWN:

0-5mins: Bring Water, flavor packet, dried mushrooms, thawed fish and ricecake to a boil on High

5-7:30mins: Add noodles

7:30-9:30: Add Eggs and optional Seaweed. Don't scramble egg, cover egg with noodles or fish for about a minute, then disturb the egg to get the yolk to thread into the broth like egg drop soup.

9:30-10mins: Serve in pot or bowl.  I like to cook my ramen in a personal size (sauce) pot and eat right out of there (Korean Style). It's one less dish to clean. If I'm making for husband and I, I use a quart size pot.

 

ENJOY!



 

Visit Mouthwatering Mondays Host:

Southernfairytale 

 

#mouthwateringmondays #bestrameneverytime

Monday, May 12, 2014

More than Mother's Day

According2Meredith: 9/25/13


My first Mother's Day with the Little Man...

My husband was afraid that I was not going to love him because he wasn't a girl...

And now he has been proven wrong in the best way. =)

This is going to sound terrible, but I know many of you step-parents can relate, that having an "ours" child makes the holidays feel more "normal." There is no awkwardness between the parents and their child together, especially around holidays.

To my stepson, I feel guilty that he didn't have his mother to celebrate "Mother's Day" with. Then, my daughter also has another mother, that couldn't be included (her stepmother). All holidays seem incomplete (without the "other parent") except for when the "ours child" comes along. 

All of the sudden there is a sense of normalcy. We don't have to explain: "Yes, I'm the stepmother" or "I'm the stepfather." There are no qualifiers needed in concern to our baby, Gabriel. He is OUR baby and THEIR brother. It's as if the other details don't matter anymore. We are sealed and bonded by Gabriel. We all have equal ownership of him and it feels comfortable and wonderful.

**********

It is such a gift to be a mother this time around in the selfish sense. It is the first time, I feel like my husband cares about our child as much as me. I really feel like we're both in this, and with that knowledge, I can endure anything. There is no "parenting plan" other than ongoing communication. There is no "custodial arrangement" other than shared and at the same address. It's as uncomplicated as we have to deal with in this blended family.

Gabriel is our "If all else fails, we've done right by him" child. He is our one child who does not understand the pain of divorce; and we plan on keeping it that way. I have come to accept myself thus: as long as my "last effort" is a success, I can forgive myself of my failures. In this way, I can be okay with being, plainly put~ human.

Gabriel is special to me in the sense that my own relationship with my mothers are so complicated. He gives me the inspiration to do the mother relationship right in some capacity. I vow not to be a total failure, with God helping me. He is God's gift to me, that my life might not end in failure but with a victory.

Gabriel's name means "Strong Man of God" in Hebrew. I want to believe that he is part of my life as evidence of God strengthening me for this ever meaningful and worthwhile calling of motherhood. The fact that I shrugged off my original fears of motherhood because of my adoption history speaks to my desire to parent to the Glory of God. I will break the curse of relinquishment in my family. It stops with me.

Mother's Day reminds me of the utter happiness I felt when my first child was born. I felt as though I broke the chains of my past burdens. So yes, motherhood and Mother's Day reminds me of a small victory in this messy journey called life. God bless all of you mothers and future mothers.

Thank you for reading my personal reflections on Mother's Day. Did you have any reservations to becoming a parent like me? Care to share in the comments below? Thank you!




#mothersday2014 #adopteemom #remarriedmother
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Commencement

Photo Credit: studentcenter.uci.edu

It was a long morning...

Standing around in goofy hats...

Waiting to get a piece of paper.

 

Actually, it was a lot more than that...

I listened to two keynote speakers at my graduation Saturday; one was the Denver Sheriff of the Police Department and the other was a math professor at the college. Both of them were alumni and both of them were large successes. They were not destined to be "the most likely to succeed." They, like me, had rocky starts to their post secondary education. Their pursuit of education was downright painful.
*******
In elementary school and in high school, we are all led to believe that education is a requirement that is paid for by tax dollars. We take it for granted. We think that our school fundraisers are a drag and forget that places in third world countries describe a "school" in a totally different light.

Once we hit college, it dawns on us that no one is bugging us to go to class, to do our course work and to study for exams. We are no longer doing it for mom and dad. It suddenly becomes a personal venture. It becomes a serious, life altering, career deciding matter. 

If I looked at my diploma cover as if it was just housing for paper, then I could say I have not grown out of a juvenile mentality; nothing has changed about me on the inside.  

It was my job to come to the conclusion that my biggest hurdle to success-- was myself. 


Education forces us to delay gratification. There is a famous psychology experiment that can predict a child's future success based off of whether or not they can wait to eat a marshmallow in order to get a second one. 

The truth is: education requires sacrifice. Sacrifice is also the foundation of relationships and commitment. Education puts us in a future focused mindset at the expense of the present and all of the "rewarding" things we could do in the ~now~. Not only are we expected to put enjoyment on hold, many of us have to use our free time to work to PAY for our studies. Add on top of that, our hormones are in full swing. It seems that higher education is asking a lot of our young adults and older students as well. 
******
The less we indulge our inner appetites, the better off we are professionally, educationally, relationally, financially and health-wise. It seems impossible to be successful in any one of those areas where we don't submit to authority outside of ourselves. 

I'd go as far to say that college forces us to be in better relationship with ourselves. If we do study well, we should notice our perspectives and selves changing. I'd dare say, that once we get our diplomas we can consider ourselves to be largely different people than we were upon beginning the college journey. 

Perhaps if we had the "education" mindset in other areas of our lives, we could get virtual diplomas in marriage, the workforce and beyond. It's the process of pursuing a greater version of ourselves that makes college such a great personal investment. And, I would venture to say, that to teach a child or to support a loved one through their studies is to help them evolve as people into better versions of themselves. God bless those kinds of enablers. 

I thank my family for supporting me thus far. I hope they see how much I've valued this journey and know that I won't take their sacrifice for granted. Hopefully they see positive changes in me already and have a vision for how I can be in the future. I am humbled by their love, loyalty and support. I will reward them in the future for believing in me!

Congratulations to all of the graduates out there this May. My square hat with tassels is off to you! Go take this world by storm. Blessings to you and your families. I have a question: Would you go work an entry level job in your future career field during college, or work a job that allows you to save money on childcare? Please share your answer to me in the comments box. 

#inspirememonday #graduates2014 #classof2014 #brightfuture

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Friday, May 9, 2014

Broke Down




Image Credit: Tears of Love Drawings, galleryhip.com

 

Why am I the only one who's Happy?

I've tacitly asked God: "How come I am not depressed and unhappy like a large portion of humanity?"


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

It's never enough

By the world's standard, I will never do enough.
~~~~~

I saw the pained, impassioned look on my husband's face. He already worked a normal 40 hour work week plus his National Guard duty for our Country. I figured that he had done enough-- in my eyes. On his one day off, despite his tiredness, he put up a dog fence. It didn't stop here. He wanted to do landscaping (moving rocks, pulling out bushes, replacing bushes, putting landscaping cover down, putting rocks back). He said that so much was going wrong (in my mind nothing had gone wrong) that he just needed to accomplish more things so he could feel better about himself.

At the end of the day, he did about half the landscaping job done and he was finally content with his work, physical pain and fatigue. I watched him work in anguish and was at a loss at how all of that could land him at feeling mentally good while his body was overly spent. Somehow his work drive numbs the pain of perceived failures and disappointments. I wish I had that ability.


Monday, May 5, 2014

Many voices, one message: HOPE

Please join in me in spreading hope. 

As part of my blog mission, I've opened a forum to speak to answered prayers and blessings.

Click on the hyperlink "forum" above to get started. 

 

I know that I can't be the only one who's getting blessed by God, others or the universe. I'd love to hear about the ways your lives are being positively touched and transformed by events that seem to be out of our control. Sometimes that's us feeling blessed by doing our own acts of kindness. Sometimes we are the answered prayers that karma and God uses in other peoples lives. Please share!

As I shared in my last post, my husband was that person that blessed a family of 5 with extra cash. Mind you, he's pretty "cheap" for his own needs, but he is very generous in giving. When we go to restaurants, he's a big tipper.  He doesn't do it because we live in the richest neighborhood; that is the quality person he is. 

Also, if you check out my new forum page called "Hope," you will see a new opportunity that I'm opening up to my readers and fellow bloggers/writers. 

Breaking News! I'm about to be an Aunt in the next 24hrs! I'm so excited.  

Thank you for engaging with me. It has been a blast interacting with you. I look forward to your comments every day! Blessings to you and your families~

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Uncanny Timing

After the last video I took on the National Day of Prayer...

Unexpected Blessing: Video Update


Just as I was thinking we ran out of funds to send me to finish my undergraduate degree, I got great news. University of Phoenix called to tell me that I was awarded the full scholarship that I applied for. I assumed that my chances of getting the money were slim due to the high number of applications.

Other great news:  
The main thing that attracted me to my husband was his dedication to his boys and his family. Yesterday, he found round trip tickets for under $100 so he can visit his side of the family in California at the end of the month. He wants to be there for his brother who is about to be a first time father any day now. Plus, he will be bringing our Gabriel to spend time with the family too. I'm excited for them to see Gabriel as a little person instead of blob. =)

Uncertain times, or are they?
There was a moment of insecurity about our funds. The kind of insecurity you feel if you don't rest your faith on God's provision. We had spent thousands of dollars to fix our three automobiles. We could afford to be thankful to have 3 paid off cars that we could pay the repair bill without much suffering.

We are planning on selling one of the vehicles and our motorcycle in the coming months to replenish what we spent. But really, if our funds were so prohibitive, and if the circumstances were so tough, we wouldn't have found or bought cheap tickets. And, I wouldn't have received the free scholarship. 

Past actions saved us today:
Ever since we got the windfall of money a few years back, we took care of our "financial house." I was determined not to operate in financial despair any longer. I stashed away money that, not surprisingly, came in handy for those recent repairs. So things are not as bad as they seem.

God was testing my faith and now we are having a full turn around in our life. I feel so blessed. I talked to an old neighbor of ours today and even she attested to how far my husband and I have come in just four years. I attribute it all to God and his faithfulness to us.

We have beaten so many odds. 
We've looked the beast straight in the eyes and didn't flinch. We went THROUGH the storm and now things seem to be doing a full turn around. Things that filled me with fear and anxiety no longer have a grip on me. Many of those things have resolved themselves.

I've learned that hindsight is our gift from God to see how much we have been blessed and cared for by him. Today, I wonder if that family by the Safeway will see my husband (in their hindsight) as blessing them with some spare cash. Though not a "believer," he is repeatedly an instrument of God. He is a very generous guy who wants to do the right thing even if life hasn't been so easy on him. He is such an inspiration to me!

Ultimately, I walk forward in life knowing that I'm under the care of a Powerful, Faithful and Everloving God. The more life comes together for me the more I know I am in line with his will as he promises in the Bible. When we submit to his will and vision for our lives, he will use us for great things. I'm on an amazing ride.

Like I mentioned in the video clip, I'm astounded by your comments and interaction with me. I will continue to scout your businesses and blogs also. Please keep us in your prayers and keep the good karma coming. I am blessed by your readership~ Would you kindly leave a comment about what you like about my blog layout and what I could improve? Thank you!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Have a strawberry margarita for me! =)

#blessings #besthusbandintheworld #fightingthegoodfight

Saturday, May 3, 2014

I almost listened

A Glimpse into My studies



Click on the to remove the sidebar



Despite my errors in English, I found this interview paper to be a great edifying experience for me as a student and as an adopted person. I wrote it in four hours. My fingers flew over the keys as if I was playing an opus on my long neglected piano. [ I have a story about the piano... for a future post! ] I felt like I could see clearly how my career endeavor intertwines with my own adoption experience. I could finally make sense of why I feel okay. I'm not a tattered mess from my life, although I'd have plenty excuses to fall back on.

I almost listened...


Friday, May 2, 2014

A Funny Story: Spoiler words- Karaoke, Dirty, Mistaken

This is a true story...

Three years ago, my husband and I were hanging out at my brother in law's bar in California, The Dirty Bird.  We went on a Wednesday for Karaoke Night. I sang Pink's "Who Knew" and The Fugees "Killing Me Softly." It was a fun night. I was hitting the notes, the crowd was enjoying it. The D.J. let me sing the last song... the gay customers were "feelin'" my performance and were swaying their hips to the music. It felt like an out of  body experience...










Lovin' the Weekend Blog Hops






Welcome to Lovin' The Weekend Blog Hops with your co-hosts:
Karen from Tots and Me, Rena from An Ordinary Housewife, Erin from For Him and My Family and Aurie from Our Good Life

Thank you to every one who has stopped by, whether this is your first visit or you have been a faithful ongoing participant! 

Please note, there are 3 linkies, please scroll down to the 3rd one to link up giveaways! Thank you so very much!
(Giveaways linked up to either of the other linkies will be removed. Thank you for your understanding.)

We would love for you to stop by all the co-hosts and follow us, then feel free to add your links to any or all of the following linkies.


 We also randomly choose a Featured host each week. This week we are featuring Meredith from According2Meredith.



according2merideth

 Here's what she has to say:
"I started blogging as a teenager, but I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I've created blogs on randomness, frugal living, yarn arts and now on personal perspective According2Meredith. I persist with writing to silence the curse of my parents who said I was a horrible writer.  I write because I have a high need for cognition and blogging gives me the opportunity to sort out my thoughts on the cards life has dealt me. The blog showcases my life lessons as a thirty-something college student who is remarried with special needs children. My key topics are adoption, relationships, Christianity, and special needs. Outside of blogging, I am in training to become a school counselor and will eventually open my own counseling practice. I also train in martial arts with my family, three dogs, 9 fish and two snails. I love my life."


Don't forget to link up to the Lovin' the Readers Hop if you would like a chance to be a Featured host next week. Please comment with a way to contact you, especially if there is not an obvious way mentioned on your blog. We would love to include a little write up about you and your blog in the next week's Lovin' The Weekend Blog Hop post, including a link to your blog. And you will get to include the linky codes on your blog. Sound fun? We're looking forward to getting to know our readers better.


Here's how this blog hop works. We would appreciate it if you would follow Tots and Me, An Ordinary Housewife, For Him and My Family and Our Good Life then please head on over to our Featured Host and follow as well. If you no longer have GFC please follow in some other way. After that there are three different linkies you can link to. Whichever one you choose to link to, please grab that button and share it on your blog (the codes are on Tot's and Me's sidebar). We'd love it if you could tweet or in some other way share about this blog hop, the more people who know about it, the more potential visitors and new followers of your blog. We'd love to meet some new friends this weekend.  

Some people are more interested in just increasing their numbers, while others really want people who appreciate their blog and want to keep up with their posts. So, there are two separate blog hop linkies. 

The third linky is for you to link up your giveaways.

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Tots and Me








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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Why do I care so much

Today, you were on my mind...

Sometimes I regret hearing about your life because I can't help but care... the more I care, the more I pray... and who wants that?! Right? [insert sarcastic facial expression]

The most painful experience in life, I've concluded, is to be invisible; to shout and hear no echo, to talk and not be responded to, and to hug a limp body. We need that sense of connection. It's not far from my mind that I might say somethings that you would just die to hear from somebody else close to you.


Here I am Again

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