As we enter a new year-hopes, dreams and visions are often topics that are widely discussed.
We tend to set goals and fantasize about what can be or what will be. We have excitement of new beginnings! Some are so thankful to say goodbye to the old year, while others reminisce the moments of what was a great year.
Regardless we all move forward and desire that the year ahead be better than the year now behind us.

With the snow falling outside and the temperatures in the teens, getting the family all dressed and out the door for church was just too much this morning, so instead we listened to a sermon online.

The pastor spoke of dreams and visions…of course suitable for the new year but this also got me thinking….

Now as a mom of two babies under the age of two….my biggest dream is often knowing what I am going to fix for dinner and getting all the laundry done! This is not to say I am not a dreamer…I have chased many dreams already in my lifetime and in return found what I was really looking for.
As mothers “dreaming big” seems like crazy talk! I mean, it kinda says a lot when it feels like my dreams have come true if  I show up at the grocery store when they are offering the “two for one” special on organic chicken! 🙂

But what we do as moms in the simple day to day is sooooo important, it’s absolutely crucial. It’s bigger than any “dream” could be, because it directly, concretely and eternally impacts a life of one or more, and those life’s we have influenced could potentially or possibly effect hundreds, thousands or millions.

We decide the course of our country by what we do or do not do in the day to day with our children. My 21month old watches my every move and at this point it’s hard for him to miss a thing. He models my behavior, and mimics my gestures and I know my daughter will follow suit….
What I do, they will do.
At the same time, our children are little tiny individuals….ummm did I mention I have a 21month old, so we are in full toddler mode right now! Screaming, crying, tantrums, hitting -are all on display-and what I DO or DO NOT  do…will have lasting impacts.
To minimize the roll of a parent literally minimizes the future of our society.

Just look at our country….if parents started parenting we’d see a lot less crap!
If mom’s would just play the role of mother and not ‘best friend’ (at least until the kids are in college)
If dad’s -for god sake-would just be around!
If society would stop diminishing the major and critical role of “Mom” and “Dad.”

Instead of, “most beautiful,” “most sexy” – I think a new cover idea for Time Magazine should be  “Mother of the year” or “Father of the Year.”

It starts in the home. Right now, our futures are crawling around with pacifiers in their mouths and we have the vital role to determine what our futures look like. Let’s aim for excellence….forget the dream-it’s up to us to make it a reality.

Ughhhhhh! Can I just say that I am so over the ‘Freedom of Speech’ applying to only one particular group…. and…that same group being the front runners for ‘tolerance,’ when in fact there is NO tolerance!

Now let me preface this by saying this is not against homosexuality, those that live that lifestyle will stand before God just like the rest of us. I have loved ones very dear to me that are homosexuals and I love them with all my heart! Disagreeing with something, does not mean that you in any way ‘hate’ and I am sick of this being an automatic label! This assumption is wrong on all accounts and is the very cause of why we live in such a broken world.

I am writing this because I read that Phil Robertson, I guess one of the stars of “Duck Dynasty,” has recently been put on leave because of some of the statements he made in regards to homosexuality. Now I don’t watch the show, I heard it’s great and it is highly rated-so I am not writing this because I am a fan.

This is about the Right to the Freedom of Speech….have you heard of it? Yes, it’s the 1st amendment and it’s a beautiful thing. One of the most amazing freedoms we as Americans have. It’s something that thousands upon thousands of our American soldiers have bled, fought and died for. It is our right to speak freely, without the threat of imprisonment! This amendment also protects our freedom of Religion…our right to worship, what, whom, when and the way we choose.

This Right that we have been given-is being greatly threatened! When we start witnessing people being “let go” or “put on leave” for exercising their constitutional right…we are in danger. Just because one side doesn’t like what they hear from the other side, does Not give them the right to exterminate the voice of that opposing side!

Helloooooo this argument goes both ways! We together must oppose this suffocation that is slowly eliminating our right to utter our thoughts! If our voice is taken we have nothing!

The fact that I can write what I think and feel on this blog, is because of our 1st amendment! We must stand TOGETHER, though we ALL differ with opinion, and fight for our Right to Free Speech and Right to Religion, this gift may go extinct if we don’t speak up and speak out!

I wasn’t going to write anything today, but I read an article that just compelled me to vent a little.

So I guess Adam Levine, “sexiest man alive” has been hired on to promote Obamacare, along with a slew of other ignorant celebrities.
The bummer is I like Adam Levine, I am a fan of ‘The Voice,’ ya ya ya he’s sexy, but not as sexy as my husband of course:)
But when you combine sexy with ignorance….your ignorant.

The fact that he’s going to be promoting something that really isn’t that great of a product and we really have no idea what the long term effects will be AND there is the looming possibility that this product is forecasted to completely destroy private healthcare all together is “slightly” upsetting.

But, what is REALLY upsetting to me is this Hollywood cultish mentality.

They really think they are the popular kids in school. The rest of America is just a bunch of morons that will follow their lead just to be popular. If “they” do it, we really must want to do it, (in order to fit in) it’s pathetic really.
To them, all that exists is the state of California, New York City and Park City, Utah (only in January though) Middle America just writes their paycheck…but they don’t see it that way.

It is a TOTAL “group think” environment. Hey….I was there. I unfortunately know how the whole thing works. Join the Liberals or you don’t work.

The oh so super wealthy in Beverly Hills, rocking their Chloe bags, sipping their latte’s, while driving their Ferrari’s….complaining about how terrible capitalism is! The broke ass server trying to break into the movie industry, succumbing to this naïve thought process in hopes to fit in, abandoning their roots.

The fact that this whole industry views us as pawns who cannot think on our own is what annoys the hell outta me. We must be told what to wear, what to listen to, what to eat and how much, how to look, AND how to VOTE, just straight up bothers me, ughhhh!

Just wait…the onslaught will hit soon….the celebs will be taking to the air waves and social media sites…telling YOU what YOU should do, cause in their world You don’t even know how to wipe your own bootie! For real people…..

Merry Christmas!
Yes, I said it…I dare say it! Merry CHRISTmas!

Now let’s be clear….I don’t say Merry Christmas to offend…and if someone is offended by the mention of “Christ”mas, I’d just like to say take your Scrooge pants off!! Seriously people!

Even if you aren’t a Christian…celebrating Christ’s birth can’t be a bad thing! The man, who I personally believe was/is the son of God, is someone who should be celebrated!

Jesus Christ simply broke all the rules and I love him for it!

He embraced the broken hearted.
Healed the sick.
Loved those who were unlovable.
Exposed darkness.
Brought Light.
Condemned all Hypocrisy.
Broke down all the binding barriers of race, class, and status.
He forgave the unforgivable.
He empowered the individual.
He taught that we can have a direct relationship with God himself.
He stood up to corrupt authority.
He hated religious smarminess.
He embraced those that felt they could and would never be embraced.
He transformed an entire way of thinking/living: love one another.

And he’s still doing this today.
And he taught us to do the same…..

If that isn’t someone to celebrate….than there’s nothing worth celebrating.

Merry Christmas.