Be a woman of integrity

I recently took a training seminar on Intellectual property and the laws that govern it.  I learned that I needed to obtain permission for the art work I was using on my blog site. 

Although the World Wide Web is open for all to see and use, it is not a free for all to do and use as you please.  We must respect people’s property and have moral principals in which we are to live. 

As a parent, that teaching begins at home.  Although I was not aware of the legalities of using the art work, I immediately withdrew all of the art work and sent letters requesting permission to do so.  I have received welcomed responses and have added those to my blog.  

This was not only a matter of integrity, but it was an important lesson for my children as well.   We should never be lazy to make the adjustments or correct a wrong that was done.  Integrity should be the standard by which we live whether publicly or privately.

Set the standard for yourself, for your family and you’ll set the course for life.

We both can’t be tired at the same time…

A slice of advice:

Raising a family is both a blessing and a challenge.  Often you have both parents working outside the home and if you’re a stay at home mom you have more work than can be handled between the hours of 9-5.  The key is to work as a team.

I remember some years ago my husband and I were running with the busy-ness of the day and we were both ready to pass out. My youngest at the time wanted to go out to play and neither one of us could see straight, let alone think straight. 

Of course this was a problem because it created tension and strife.  When the two of you are tired it can create anger and resentment toward each other. This is important to keep in mind and why you both can’t be tired at the same time.  Don’t let resentment build.  Get rest when you need it.  

The demands of raising a family take a lot of work, sacrifice and discipline. Your family must be a priority, but so should your marriage relationship.  Keeping love alive is the key to a successful marriage and in doing so you keep the family well and strong.

Traditions!

Today I want to talk about traditions.  What are traditions? Traditions are the handing down of opinions, doctrines, practices, rites and customs that are passed on from generation to generation.  When my husband and I first got married we used to alternate between families’ in order to celebrate our respective traditional holidays. He had traditions that he grew up with and I had traditions that I wanted to follow. 

After many years of family gatherings and raising a family we soon realized that we needed to incorporate what was meaningful to us. Our traditions were the templates used to create traditions of our own.  Two of our favorite celebrations are Christmas and Birthdays.  Although birthdays were not celebrated in my husband’s home, they were very important in my family.  Growing up, we only had cake on special occasions like birthdays and weddings. 

How do you break away from traditions without breaking them all together?   You incorporate a little of his-story and a little of your-story to find the value in those celebrated traditions.

It may seem that traditions are unraveling, but they are not. It is what links the past to the future allowing your family the chance to create traditions of your own.

Let love be your guide...

Teaching moments:

When my youngest daughter was just a toddler she loved to play hide-and-seek.  One afternoon, I remember picking her up from grandma’s house and found her playing with her best friend.  The mother of the child was so taken by my daughter’s act of grace.  She said that my daughter knew where her friend was hiding and yet she would prolong the search and announce, “She’s not here, she’s not here”. All the while knowing exactly where she was hiding.  What was she doing?  She was extending grace.  

I learned something that day: first, I learned that we always have an opportunity to show grace.  Secondly, we may know of people’s flaws and be aware of their insecurities.  Sometimes people are doing the best they can for the stage of life they’re in.  We should extend grace, not judgment.  By extending grace we can be an example to them by allowing love to be our guide.

"Art by Hidden Eloise", follow her to http://www.etsy.com/shop/HidenSeek

Networking!

Today’s culture focuses on the importance on networking.  Your relationships at home are equally important as those cultivated outside of your home.  It is important to build relationships, but they should start at home with your family.  

I took a long ride recently with both of my daughters.  It was a spur of the moment event and it was fun. We literally had a laugh fest. It seemed as though everything was funny that day.  We took time to leave the routine of our day and made it fun.  

Take time out of your busy schedule and schedule some fun times with your family, whether you’re a single mom, or a family of four, take some time to have fun.  This is how memories are made.  It’s those spur of the moment events that they will long remember. So take time today and play!