Let it go....Let it Go...Don't Hold it Back Anymore!

I thought it appropriate to post this African version of Frozen, now that my teenager has returned from Rwanda! This song has been playing a lot in our house. In fact the words keep playing like a soundtrack in the back of my mind.

"Let it go, let it go...don't hold it back anymore....I don't care what the people say....the cold never bothered me anyways."

It was hard to let go of Alexandra and let her go on a 26 hour journey clear across the world.  We definitely had to let her go.  This is our baby of four, our fourteen year old. This was her dream, something she felt she REALLY wanted to do.  In fact, my husband and I were talking to some other parents of the eighth graders who were on the trip.  They said the same thing.  Their kids kept bringing it up, as if this was what they needed and wanted to do.  And, in the end, we all felt the same way...who were we to stand in their way?

Each of the kids had to raise their own money to go.  They had to trust that God would provide and use birthday money, Christmas money, and lots of generous friends' and families' money to make it possible.  They had to get Yellow Fever shots and take Malaria medication.  They had to make sacrifices and get all of their homework done for the six days of school they would be missing.  Her teachers were amazing.  One of her favorite teachers told her that he was so glad she was able to experience Rwanda and realize there is a much bigger world out there.  The teachers even graciously allowed her to stand up and tell about her journey upon her return.

I think we all live so much more freely when we "let it go," don't you?  I'm not saying it is easy at all. Perhaps there is some part of your life where you need to let it go? "Don't hold it back anymore."  I know as a parent it seems like it is always a daily process of letting go...kids as adults to kids in college to kids as teenagers to kids when they were babies and toddlers.  I think ultimately when we let it go, we truly become who we were made to be and we allow our kids to do the same.  You might have heard the expression from Rick Warren, "Hurting people hurt others."  A popular women's speaker recently said, "Free people, free people."  Love that.

Here is some comic relief for you of a dad who is a weatherman who decides to put Frozen to his weather newscast.  He thinks his son might be ashamed...but the cold never bothered him anyway!

Enjoy and let it go!

This is Your Moment

Every four years, for about two weeks during the month of February, I barely get anything done when the Winter Olympics rolls around.  How inspiring is it to watch these athletes who have basically given up years of their lives in the hopes of medaling at the Olympics?!!  While watching figure skating, I sit on my couch and watch these incredible athletes give EVERYTHING they have to their teammates and to their sport.  While watching ski jumping, I feel guilty and think I need to exercise more, train harder...for what, I don't know.  And while watching all of the other events, I just might be eating something like frozen yogurt while watching these unbelievable humans perform.   This all occurs while I sit in the comfort of my home, on my comfy (Craigslist) couch.

As usual, Ralph Lauren was the creative fashion designer for the USA team uniforms for the Opening Ceremonies.  However, these jackets for the US Skater team were made by Nike and they are awesome.  Not only are they silver but they say USA on the back which changes color.  The coolest part though is what is hidden within the jacket.  Take a peak inside the pocket:

The best part of the jacket is on the inside where it says, "THIS IS YOUR MOMENT".  I love that.  I think that it is their moment.  But, I also think it is our moment as well.  We could wear those jackets, well, maybe....not.  But, it does make me wonder about the rest of us.

What will you do with your moment, your day that you have been given, your job opportunity, your chance to love your toddler, your child, your husband, or your college student?

This is my moment....I am going to leave my comfy couch and take a spin class tomorrow morning.

 We are so blessed to be Americans.  What will you do with your freedom?  What will you do to make your next moment matter?

"The only true disability in life is a bad attitude."  Scott Hamilton, Olympic Gold Medalist 

This is Your Moment.

The IF: Gathering

Favorite theme song of the conference...Oceans Rise....

I was supposed to be on a plane to Europe and my husband and I changed our plans at the last minute.  We had frequent flier tickets, a free hotel stay, and yet the timing for this trip seemed off.  So, instead, Carl flew to Florida for a conference and I was able to attend the IF: Gathering at the last minute.  The strange thing was I had seen this conference advertised on the web the very first day it was made public.  I knew I wanted to go to Austin, TX to be there to attend.  The registration was flooded with entries as women from all walks of life wanted to attend.  As a result, they decided to make satellite locations all around the world.  So, in the end I was able to drive fifteen minutes and attend here with some girlfriends in Mission Viejo...and I am so glad I did.  It even made it ok that I wasn't in Europe...maybe God wanted me to be here more.  I kind of think so.

There were so many things I loved about the gathering.  I love variety.  Are you like me where you are the kind of person who orders as many flavors as they allow at the local yogurt shop?  This conference featured about fifteen women mainly in their late thirties to early forties casually dressed in jeans and cowboy boots. I loved the different personalities, and different styles of teaching.   The music was phenomenal. These women love the Lord with all of their hearts and they desire to be used by Him to make a difference in this world.  One woman had been a prostitute and now heads up a ministry called Hookers for Jesus.  These women are tired of the Christian culture of defending our faith and doing nothing about loving the poor, helping the sick, and feeding the homeless.

It was so encouraging to see the Lord raising up the next generation of women leaders.  These women want to be free, free to live, and free to love the people God brings across their path.  And their message was for every woman in the crowd to just play the one note God has given them to play.  We also had breakout sessions that encouraged women to go deep quickly...which everyone loved to do.  We were an army of women mobilized and released around the world to allow God to work through each one of us.

One of the most meaningful stories was hearing from Kristin Armstrong, former wife of Lance Armstrong.  She talked about the pain and how hard it was to watch her teenage children have to suffer the consequences of their dad's behavior.  One day she was standing in her kitchen when Lance approached her and said that he had gotten his new girlfriend pregnant.  Because of all of Kristin's work for the past decade on forgiveness, getting rid of bitterness, and allowing God to work in her life, she was able to ask Lance how she could best love him at that time.  In answer to her own question, she ended up taking nine months to knit a baby blanket for the new baby.  She taught her own children that this is how we welcome a new baby into the world, and show love.  Wow.

I encourage you to like the IF: Gathering's Facebook page so you can keep up with all that they will be doing in the future.  You won't want to miss it.