Imperfect People

Imperfect People in love with a Perfect God

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Tag Archives: Imperfection

Social Media and the view of “perfect”

Have you ever scrolled through your Facebook, read a few tweets, or read a blog of someone’s “perfect life” and felt a little inadequate?

It’s not like anyone means any harm. The very idea of social media is to share updates and highlights of our life. We are fascinated by it! We even follow stars we don’t personally know to read and see their last post.

We highlight the good, fun, and interesting part of our day.

Take for example, this picture I took the other day and posted to instagram.

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An outdoor picnic on a beautiful day with two sweet girls. Awww isn’t it sweet? And it was…at this particular moment.

What I DIDN’T post was 10 minutes before that when our youngest peed in her pants. Or when our oldest exclaimed how this was the best idea ever…until a mosquito bit her and it instantly turned into the “worst idea ever”.

Scrolling through my recent feed you can also find pictures of the hubs and I on a date, some DIY projects we have done in the kitchen, my recent batch of canned tomatoes, and of course, cute pics of the kids. And then it hit me….EUREKA!! It almost looks like I have it all together! This is not good! I have a blog called imperfect people for crying out loud! And then I laughed hysterically knowing how I am truly far from perfect.

What you WON’T find on my feed is pics of hubs and I in an argument, the flaws and frustrations in our DIY projects, the huge mess that was our kitchen after canning tomatoes, and when the kids are driving us to the funny farm.

The problem is, We compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.

The truth is, my reality is messy, unorganized, without makeup, designer clothes, famous names or places. My typical uniform consists of a T shirt, faded shorts, no make up and a ponytail. In fact I typically look like a college student that just rolled out of bed (that is prematurely aging). I can’t possibly keep a clean house no matter how hard I try, and every time I think I am spiritually “mature” I am knocked down realizing how much I really, I mean REALLY need Jesus in every part of my life.

What I am coming to realize is EVERYONE feels this way. I know now behind the scenes of even the most “perfect post” are often far less than perfect. Reality is what makes us…well REAL!! It makes us who we are and who we are created to be.

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Emily from, Remodeling this life, says: I am learning each and every day that we all struggle with these things when we see other people’s lives. Is it just what we do –stuff down the bad stuff and put on a happy face? At least focusing on the happy face and the good stuff at the end of each day reminds that in the middle of all the bad, imperfect parts of me and my life, there is good to celebrate.

It’s a good reminder that we all have something worth sharing.

Celebrate with your friends their triumphs and journeys, but don’t compare yourself! It’s a trap that we can never escape.

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photo credit

We all have a mess behind the camera (often times literally when taking a picture of the house!!)

I am certainly not suggesting we share the less than perfect times in our lives but certainly DON’T stop sharing the good stuff!

Social media is a wonderful thing. I almost forgot how we got along without it! But it is merely a glimpse at each other’s life. Reality if often much different. Even when reality isn’t great, sharing the few nuggets of “awesome” in your day make you, and all your friends smile. And with that…my latest post:

I’m off to eat some “perfection!”

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If at first you don’t succeed (or get laughed at…)

The Rolling Stones performed their first United States college act on May 4, 1965 at my alma mater, Georgia Southern University.  The opening act reportedly “saved the show”  as the Rolling stones were reported “easily forgotten.”

Abraham Lincoln almost never won an election until he was elected to the white house. 

Walt Disney decided on a career as a newspaper artist, drawing political caricatures or comic strips. But nobody wanted to hire him as either an artist or even as an ambulance driver for that matter. 

Elvis Presley only failed one class in school, and it was music class. 

In 1987 George Foreman was a 38 year old man who hadn’t boxed for 10 years. He was 70+ pounds overweight and literally laughed at when he made a comeback for a charity fight.  Seven years later, he was the Heavyweight champion of the word.

Actors Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood were fired after co-starring in the “Riverboat” television series.  Burt, recalled, “They said I had no talent and Clint’s Adam’s apple was too big,”

International singing star Julio Iglesias was discouraged from singing when he was a teenager. When he auditioned for the school choir in Madrid he was turned down. The teacher told him he couldn’t carry a tune.

Lucille Ball got thumbs down when it came to acting. Just one month after she started attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts her mother received a letter from the school saying, “Don’t put any more money into this. This girl will never make it.” (source)

In a high school art class, his teacher insisted “you will never learn to draw, Theodore (a.k.a Dr. Seues). Why don’t you just skip this class for the rest of the term.” Later, he would reflect on this moment stating “I’ve capitalized on my mistakes, since I can’t draw, I’ve taken the awkwardness and peculiarities of my natural style and developed them. That’s why my characters look that way.”

Before I created you in the womb
I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; Jeremiah 1:5

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous! Psalm 139:14

You are made in the image of God.  Perfectly imperfect and made for a purpose that ONLY you can do!  Don’t let judgment get in the way.  You are a precious child of God created to do great things! 

You may never be the king of rock and roll, have your own sitcom, or write dozens of books, but you are PERSONALLY known by the KING OF THE UNIVERSE!

He not only knows your name, He knows every hair on your head.  You are famous to our God!   The angels rejoice over you!  You are a masterpiece created by a God who doesn’t make mistakes. 

In the words of Tenth Avenue North:

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

Confessions

  1.  My desk is swimming in paper.
  2. I just cleaned off the master bathroom counter for the first time in way too long.
  3. I am a hypochondriac and have self diagnosed myself with every thing web MD has to offer.
  4. I text more than a teenage girl who just saw Justin Beiber at the mall.
  5. I just realized I never sent my grandmother a thank you note from Christmas. (that one is pretty bad)
  6. I think I need more sleep than the average person. 
  7. I am rarely on time for anything, especially when I am going somewhere with both kids.
  8. Right now my garden looks like a hot mess:
  9. I am slightly obsessed with Kisses from Katie
  10. I have friends that think I eat all organic.  Excuse me while I wipe the chips off my face.
  11. I made an A in college calculus yet I need a calculator for simple math
  12. I have tried to wake up early for the past two weeks to work out. Yet..see confession #6. 
  13. I used to REALLY like rap..like a lot.  Now, not so much.
  14. I HIGHLY despise cleaning toilets.  We have hard water which makes it even worse. 
  15. My kids are usually dressed like this:

Notice the princess dress on backwards, and the dress sweater, lounge pants and boots 5 sizes too big. 

Now it’s your turn! They say it’s good for the soul ya know!?  What do you want to confess today?

Help me not feel so weird!

I have no idea what I’m doing

I have no idea what I’m doing with a blog.

I am not a writer or journalist by any stretch of the imagination.  I once had a post that mentioned “angles” (as in triangles) instead of “angels” (as in spiritual being).  I can’t honestly remember why this seemed like a good idea to start with.

 

With one silly post almost a year and a half ago this blog started.  At first I was UBER excited about it.  I annoyed all my friends until they subscirbed.  And now I secretly get really embarassed anytime a friend mentiones she read it.

This past Christmas I converted everything to a word press…which was kinda like having my teeth drilled with no anesthetic…only much longer and more annoying.  Word press is great, I just, well, have no idea what I’m doing.  935 Google crawl errors later, I  seriously considered just quietly closing up shop.

Then God confirmed what to do in a way I certainly didn’t expect.

In one week I had two strangers take the time to email me to let me know something they read here made a difference in their life.

If God can use a girl who can’t spell, writes sporadically, and lights up Google’s error logs like a Christmas tree…then my friend He can use you too!

Thank you for taking the time to read, the sweet people that share it with their friends, and your patience as I try to figure out what in the world I am doing :)

Mannequins make great models

Today is a guest post from Cecila.  She is a missionary in Haiti and is an amazing writer.  She is sharing her post today about feeling “imperfect” and it is BEAUTIFUL!  I hope you enjojoy!

It must be lovely to be a mannequin; to be perfect in every way and to never have to struggle with emotions.

Sometimes it’s typical to think that missionaries have this “all together”, “picture perfect”, “I’m-working-for-God”, “queue the angelic music” kind of life.

Contrary to popular belief, we experience;
doubt,
fear,
loneliness
and anger.

There are times, when we feel so alone, the lizard on the wall seems to be our only companion. We look at the little creature, and in all of our loneliness, we talk to it (don’t worry, this doesn’t happen a lot). We get pissed to the point where we yell at the coconuts hanging on the tree for not falling (or falling). We get tired of having to communicate in a language other than our own. We look at the fellow to which we are trying to explain something and start to blab in English (yeah, it’s kind of awkward).

We have days when we ask ourselves why are we in a third world country – where showers are cold and bathrooms are scarce. Why are we in a country whose currency can be counted in two ways (gourdes and Haitian dollars) and the electricity is never consistent; in a place where everything takes two times longer and is usually done backwards. We ask ourselves these questions and sometimes feel a tad bit clueless and somewhat confused. These feelings and emotions aren’t something that disappear as one mounts on a plane to enter the mission field, in search for the will of God. We have no halo, we carry no wings.

We are humans (in a foreign country), trying to conquer the mass of arrows and darts life throws at us. We are humans who have experienced the Grace of God on our lives. This Grace, so intense, so pure, so precious that we can’t help but share it with others. And we seek to spread it. This is why we do what we do. Far from perfection and still learning to deal with our vast array of emotions we look to hold the orphan, shelter the parent-less and teach those who would otherwise never get an education.We give of the Grace that was so freely offered to us.

Oh! To be a perfect little mannequin would indeed be ideal, but then I would never have the ability to receive this wonderful Grace and participate in his perfect purpose.

Thank you Cecilia!  You are wise beyond your years!  Please feel free to check out her personal blog or her families blog and see what a cool difference they are making in Haiti.

We all have junk

If you have ever seen a plane flying over head you might notice from a distance it looks beautiful.  Strong, steady, and powerful.  The plane looks light as air as it floats among the clouds.  However if you have ever actually been a passenger on a plane it isn’t always as smooth and steady as it appears from afar.  There is turbulence, the clouds are not as soft as they look, and if you have ever gone through a storm….let me just say lots of talking to Jesus going on in that situation.

The point is from afar many people seem to be smooth, steady, and put together.  Their marriage is perfect, their kids never misbehave, they have complete control of their finances, and they are extremely talented and good at everything you are not.  But inside that persons life there is “turbulence.”  I guarantee they have struggles no matter who they are.

WE ALL HAVE JUNK.  The reason I started this blog is because everywhere I go I couldn’t help notice this is such a common thread in all of our lives.  We are ALWAYS comparing ourselves!  I’ll say it again WE ALL HAVE JUNK but isn’t that what makes us who we are?

The friends I love the most are the ones who are “imperfect.” They are honest about where they struggle and don’t try to hide their flaws.

A dear friend told me the other day, “if someone you know appears to be perfect….they are miserable”  And she knew!  For years she had tried with all her might to have a spotless house, make everything from scratch and look good while doing it.  She was exhausted, and frustrated.

I secretly compared myself to her and wondered how she did it all.

When she came clean about it there was such relief in both of our ends.

“You mean you are not perfect?”  You mean I can stop pretending to be perfect?”

Oh what a wonderful moment that was!  Why don’t we do that sooner?

Jesus needs a better advertising campaign

The Barna Group, a respected Christian survey organization, recently asked young people to identify which perceptions they most strongly associate with Christianity. The three most commonly agreed-upon were: anti-homosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical.

Westboro Baptist church has made headlines with their “God hates fags” philosophy where they protest soldiers funerals.  Also making headlines are abortion clinics being bombed & protests for nearly everything under the sun.

At almost every event with a large crowd you can find “the megaphone man” yelling about hell and eternal damnation. 

All in the name of Jesus?? 

If this is the Christianity the world sees than no wonder many people are not interested. 

My dear friend Katelyn posted this awesome quote:

I have decided to stop letting political and religious organizations represent me on the issues. I have decided to represent myself, and in so doing I hope to accurately represent Christ.

-Mike Foster “Unchristain”

Dear friends, Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of Jesus.

 

We are imperfect people for sure.  Our attempts to model Jesus are clumsy at best.  He calls us, imperfect and broken, to transform us so we are no longer the same.  We just don’t always leave the old us behind. 

Please don’t reject Christ because of Christians.  We are still trying to wrap our head around the God of the universe wanting to make disciples out of us. 

Despite our misrepresentation, Jesus was a pretty amazing guy. 

He was the preacher of all preachers yet you could find him dining with some of the worst “sinners” of his day.  Mark 2:15

He was the King of all the universe yet he was born to regular people in a palace no wait, a manger.  Luke 2:7

He deserved servants and crowns, yet he washed his disciples feet. John 13 1-17

He is the only one that was or ever will be worthy of all the fame and fortune of the world, yet he was a servant. Mark 9:35

He spoke love into the people no one loved. John 4

He would touch those no one else would touch. Mark 1:40-45

He did nothing wrong, but he never tried to defend himself. John 18:28-38

He could have had a thousand Angels come to take his place on the cross, but he took mine instead.   John 19:28-30


 I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion.

-Shane Claiborne


The Jesus I know is turning the world upside down with his love.  The less I get in the way the better he can “advertise” through me. 

Have you ever witnessed a not so great “advertisment” for Jesus?

-Katie

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Misheard Christmas Music lyrics

Who doesn’t need a good reason to laugh?  I will never forget the belly laugh i had after i realized in the song “footloose” when he says, “I’m burning, yearning, for some…” that he wasn’t actually saying, “I’m burning, yearning, coleslaw” 

Who knew? 

Well here is a list of HILAIOULS misheard Christmas lyrics. I hope you laugh as much as I did! 

Deck the halls with Buddy Holly
Fa la la la la, la la la la

mis heard Christmas Lyrics

Have a holly jolly Christmas, It’s the best time of the year.
I’ll don’t know if there’ll be snow, But have a cup of cheese. 

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way
OH what fun it is to ride
With one horse, soap, and hay. 

Joy to the world!
The Lord has gum. 

Santa Clause is coming to town:
He’s making a list
Of chicken and rice
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. 

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My tulip sent to me:
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lawyers leaving,
Nine lazy Hansons,
Eight maids-a-milking,
Seven warts on women,
Six geezers laying
Five Golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turttle doves
And a cartridge in a pantry

Later on we’ll count spiders
As we drink by the fire
To change and appraise
The plans that we made
Walkin in a winter wonderland

Adolf the other Reindeer…used to laugh and call him names.

Frosty the Snowman is a ferret elf they say

Now bring us some friggin’ pudding…

 

Hahahaha Heheheh….breath…I am laughing so hard.

Hey Imperfect friends have you ever mis-heard a song lyric?  Whether Christmas or not, Please share! 

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I used to be cool

As you can clearly see in this Halloween picture circa 1990 maybe? I was Oh so cool.  I know, I know, the huge yellow bow in my hair and the Halloween tights are pretty amazing.  Don’t be jealous. 

Somewhere between getting older and having kids i officially became un-cool.

My clothing is whatever fits and is on sale. 

I have no problem going places without makeup.

The last party I crashed I showed up (accidently) an hour late and forgot my kid’s shoes.  

My handbags and shoes come from yard sales. 

I often have stickers on my back thanks to my kids. 

The few famous people encounters I have had, are “famous people” no one has heard of.  Although I did walk by Angelina Jolie in NYC.  Oh yea baby.

My cell phone (which wasn’t even a cool phone) recently died after surviving a trip all around town on the top of my car!  Poor phone couldn’t hold on any longer and fell to it’s death less than a mile from home.

Being cool and fitting in was the only thing in the world that mattered as a teenager…now not so much.

Oh how all of the wrong things mattered so much when I was young and not at all now.  

Dear Hannah and Ava, when you are teenagers please know that you are the ultimate in cool regardless of what the world thinks.  I pray knowing a loving God who thinks you are a rock star is all you need for acceptance. 

I love your comments. Share an “un-cool” moment you have had. 

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