Sunday, March 7, 2010

Growing up...

When do you start feeling like an adult?

Sometimes I feel like I'm still playing a game. The Game of Life! The goal is to surpass as many obstacles as you can, while making yourself and everyone else as happy as possible.

As a self-proclaimed "people-pleaser" I hate upsetting people. It makes things awkward, and above all else, I hate awkward. I would rather have MY feelings hurt, than hurt someone else's. Why? Because I can handle it. I'm pretty tough. I know that I'll get through it...and I don't know if they will.

The problem in this type of thinking, is that I've unintentionally let people walk all over me my entire life! Is it fair to me? No. Will I ever say something to them about it? No. Why? Because it might hurt their feeling...and I don't know if they can handle that.

There have actually been a few instances where I will speak up for myself. Usually by the time I get to the point that I'll speak up about how you've mistreated me, you're lucky, because someone else would have already knocked you out! However, after I say something, I go home and dwell on it, and feel terrible because I can't stand the thought of having upset someone. Vicious cycle.

There is another side to this, though. Mess with my family, mess with my friends, mess with someone who can't defend themselves, and I won't hesitate to stand up and rip you a new one! Afterwards, I won't feel the least bit guilty!

I think forgiveness is important. God tells us to forgive. He forgave, and we're supposed to follow His leadership. What I think I often forget is that forgiveness is not "justifying" what the other person did. To forgive someone does not mean that you think the way they treated you was okay or right...it just means you aren't going to dwell on it and let the bitterness of a grudge interfere with your life.

I find it extremely difficult to hold a grudge. It's exhausting to me. If I'm mad at a someone, undoubtedly, something funny will happen and I'll think, "I HAVE to tell so-and-so about this...oh, wait...I'm mad at them right now. Guess it'll have to wait." But I'll want to tell them whatever it was SO bad...the desire to tell them the funny stuff is stronger than the anger I feel towards them. So, I just forgive. It's easier for me.

So when do you start feeling like an adult??? I really don't know. Maybe I won't ever feel like an adult. Maybe I'll always feel like life is a game. Maybe that's what keeps me from being bitter and "unforgiving" towards other. If so, I hope I never feel like an adult. I hope I always remember that foriveness is not justification, remembering, instead, that forgiveness is a refusal to let something take #1 spot in your life.

That #1 spot should belong to God.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Control Freak?

Where did the time go???

Everyone tells you that your kids will grow up quickly, but this is just ridiculous! :-)

I could swear it was just yesterday that we were driving to the hospital, middle of the night, flashers on, running red lights. Now, I have this little person running around the house, getting into everything he knows he shouldn't, with a twinkle in his eyes, and a grin on his face. Payback? Probably.

We had a rough start. Well, not rough, but not the easiest! Grayson was, as many of you know, a surprise. Not a mistake...he'll never be a mistake...but definitely a surprise! "My Surprise Blessing" is what I choose to call him most of the time.

It amazes me everyday that God, in all of His infinite wisdom, chose us to be the parents of this sweet, mischievous, rowdy, hilarious little boy. He chose US! I still don't know what I did to deserve such an honor, and I say that with absolute conviction. It is an honor to be his mom.

Isn't it crazy that we question God's plans for our lives? I mean, have you ever strayed away from the life God has called you to lead? It's MISERABLE! You end up stressed out, depressed, angry...it's a lot to handle! That's why we aren't supposed to try and do it all ourselves!

Yet we do try to do it ourselves. All the time. You would think we would learn after the first 1,000 times we mess up! God says go right, we go left...and we end up lost, crying, and on our knees begging Him for answers. And, after He picks us up and carries us back to where we are supposed to be, I'm sure He has a good laugh at our expense!

Never in a million years could I have planned a better life for myself. God really does know what He's doing! It's so nice when you finally give up the control you try to have over your life to the One that knows what's best for you. Things become a lot less stressful! You can spend less time worrying, and more time enjoying all the blessings He has given you...

...like, reading a story to your son, or cuddling on the couch with your husband, or laughing about the fact that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to keep your kids out of your purse, and they'll end up with bright pink lipstick ALL over them!





Enjoy your life!!! Kids really do grow up too quickly, and wouldn't it be a shame if we missed moments like this because we were too busy stressing out about something we should be handing over to God? He's bigger than us, and therefore better equipped to handle the "not so fun" things in our lives!

Love and God Bless!

The Ramon Family

Us!

Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog! I decided to start giving updates on here so our family that doesn't get to see us all the time can still have a place to go to see what's going on with us. I also feel like there are so many things that happen everyday that I need to keep track of, and this is a great place to jot those down.

I'm Cyndi, and I'm married to Nick. We got married on November 7, 2009. We have a little boy named Grayson. He'll be 2 on May 2 of this year.

We are really enjoying our life together. We're just getting started, so we have a lot of crazy stories to share about our learning experiences! This is the place I hope to keep track of the chaos we call our life!

Although life is unexpected and crazy, we are blessed beyond measure. Our God is an AWESOME God and we give him praise every single day for the things He has provided for us.

We hope you will get a little enjoyment out of our everyday experiences. If nothing else, at least you'll have plenty of examples of why we should be in your prayers every night!

Love and God bless,

The Ramon Family