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Celebrating Instead of Comparing

Linsey Driskill

Women walking hand in hand – Version 2

When our friends get that house contract, dream job, ideal adoption, book deal, dream vacation, or award for their children, what if we celebrate instead of compare?

What if?

Comparison and jealousy suffocate us with bitterness and inadequacy. But celebrating others leads to Life. Joy. Peace. Authenticity.

Everyone feels that tinge of jealousy. Everyone. But, do we sulk or celebrate? It’s a choice.

When our children witness this kind of love, they will be quicker to celebrate their friends instead of comparing to them.

LET’S CELEBRATE EACH OTHER: Share this post with a friend who you want to celebrate one of their recent accomplishments with or simply because you’re grateful for who they are.

When Mary hurried to Elizabeth’s house to share that she was pregnant with Jesus, Elizabeth celebrated and said, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45)

When Elizabeth had John, a son who would be “great in the sight of the Lord”, her neighbors and relatives SHARED IN HER JOY. (Luke 1:58)

Let’s fill our hearts with Scripture and the unbridled, selfless love of Jesus so when our friends succeed, we will be the first ones to celebrate with them…

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking…Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”1 Corinthians 13:4, 7

Being FOR Our Kids

Linsey Driskill

fullsizeoutput_78a2As our children face the hurdles of growing up, let’s be their safe place, their refuge, the ones that are FOR them, so they know we are in it with them.

When we hit the peak of frustration and want to pull our hair out (been there!), let’s show our kids we are ON THEIR TEAM and WANT them to succeed. Even though they might have let us down, let’s not retaliate in anger.

Instead, let’s WIN THEM OVER by being FOR them.

Not to say we shouldn’t discipline or follow-through – the opposite actually. But, when we give consequences, THERE IS POWER IN FILTERING OUR WORDS THROUGH LOVE AND THE BELIEF THAT “I AM FOR YOU”. (Lord, please grace us with this gift!).

Regardless of whether our kids show it, especially as they get older, they need us. They need us being FOR them. On their side. On their team.

In those painful moments they push us away or speak hurtful words, they might need some alone time to calm down, but they always need us pursuing them. Choosing them. Believing in them.

While we’ll need grace over and over, the more we practice speaking in love and not in anger, the more naturally it will come. While none of us will be perfect in this, every day is a chance to try again.

To try to show the ones God has given us, that we love them, adore them, and that we are FOR them.

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ…” Ephesians 4:15

“The Two Words That Changed My Relationship With My Husband”

Linsey Driskill

This is my first article published with Her View From Him. Thanks for checking it out! I hope it encourages you:

The Two Words That Changed My Relationship With My Husband

 

Redoing your Day, Dancin’ Shoes, & Dishwasher Facials

Linsey Driskill

Good morning! Here are three social media posts I made this past week. I wrote the first two, and the third one is by “Renewed Hope Parenting”. I hope they encourage you and that the third one gives you a laugh! Have a wonderful day!

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What a story. With a strong wind, God swept the waters high. And Moses, Miriam, and Aaron, a BAND OF SIBLINGS, led the Israelites to safety, freedom, and victory.

Miriam celebrated by playing the tambourine and leading the women in SINGING & DANCING to praise the Lord.

When you see no way, look to the Lord. He lifted the waters high to make a way for the Israelites, and he will do the same for you. As Moses said, “You need only to be still.”

And, once you’ve made it through to the other side, grab your tambourine, get your dancin’ shoes on, and praise the Lord.

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Thank God for Grace. I sure need it! When we fall short as a mom, as a dad, we can redo it. Tomorrow is a new day. Let’s embrace that gift of grace and give it to our kids. Beautiful Hearted Parenting: forgiving and being forgiven.

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“Deciding on a Church: What Really Matters”

Linsey Driskill

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With churches hovering every corner, how do we decide which to attend? I am grateful we even have options as so many are forced to seek Jesus in secret. However, we are still left with the decision of which church to attend.

After an unforgettable two years in Colorado, my family moved back to Virginia. We thought about returning to our tiny church, but we hoped to find a church with more people, programs, and opportunities. That deceptive word, “more”, led the search.

We visited seven churches throughout the year, our children asking each time, “Is this the one?” They quickly grew tired of church hopping, and so did we.

Until, we finally decided on a church that had more than we could imagine. I was relieved, for a moment. But after a while, I had an unsettled feeling.

The church had a seasoned band, engaging sermons, a massive number of people, and most everything I thought I wanted. I volunteered in the large church, and while we met people, we didn’t have a true community of friends there. That gaping hole was the unsettled feeling that burdened me.

Jesus valued community and sent his disciples out together. Mark 6:7 tells us that, “Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two.”

Even though Jesus retreated alone at times, he also spent a lot of time with people. It was important to him. I wonder if Jesus sent his followers out in twos to strengthen one another? For companionship? To avoid loneliness?

Mother Teresa once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”

We were made for community – not to brush shoulders and simply greet each other on Sundays, but to walk together. To connect with each other.

In Luke 17:21, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” The church is not a building. It’s a community of people. I had to learn the roundabout way that what mattered most wasn’t more programs and people, but deep friendships and community. So, we returned to our small church, their arms open wide, welcoming us back.

It was renewing to know and be known. After service one day, my daughter said, “Mom, all our friends are here!” I think the answer to finding a church was far simpler than I had made it.

Are you in the midst of searching for a church? If your beliefs line up with the church and over time you can build community there, then look no further.

Are you lonely where you are, longing for more? If after being involved, you still feel like a visitor, it might be time to look elsewhere.

But, in searching for a church, let’s remember that, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” (Acts 17:24) The Lord is far beyond the limited spaces we create to seek him.

Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. (MT 20:28) So, let’s not look for a church to be served, but to find community and serve one another.

Being with friends and seeking Jesus together is where “true life” is found. It’s where true church is found.