I AM SPIDERMAN

This week my brother and his family are visiting from Detroit. There are so many reasons why I enjoy being around them- one reason, my brother makes me laugh! So... I laugh at my brother, while his wife is begging me not to encourage him.

Well, I took my kids and my brother's son to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Andrew, my nephew, really wanted to play on the indoor playground, so I told my son to go over and watch him while he played.

Apparently everyone had the same idea I did- because the place was packed. There were kids everywhere on the indoor playground.

We finally got our food, sat down, and ate. While eating, Andrew asked if he could go on the playground one more time before we left. So, being the incredibly cool aunt that I am, I said he could, after he ate. So, he quickly finished and he and my son went back to the playground.

At one point, I saw my son laughing hysterically. He came running over from the room where the indoor play area was located and tried to get a deep breath. After he got his composure, he said, "Andrew was in the playroom, and all of a sudden he yelled 'I AM SPIDERMAN' and the whole room of kids got completely silent.

For the rest of the day, we laughed at Andrew's ability to silence an entire room of kids with just three words.

The only point to this story is... life is good and having family around is such a joy. I also learned that Andrew is a lot like his dad!

Look for cherished moments throughout each day-so often they are right before our eyes, we are just too busy to focus on them! Blessings!

Transparency

I know it has been a while since I have written. I have been busy with preparing for vacation, vacation, and recuperating from vacation. So, now I am back!

Have you ever met someone who kept to themselves and would never share a struggle or problem- and when they did share something, it is about how great things are going in their life? It is as if by admitting that they are struggling, they are giving in to defeat.

I have been thinking a lot lately about transparency-Allowing people to see the real me- In my 15 years of ministry this has been the greatest lesson I have learned.

Have you ever looked through a glass table, glass door, or window? (if you answered no to this, you really need to get out more often) The thing about the glass is- you can see scratches, cracks and any other imperfections in the glass, however, you can still see through it.

Our lives are a lot like the glass- we all have scratches that people can see, but when you are a child of God, it is not the scratches that people will focus on- it is what is on the other side of the scratches- Jesus' shining light!

When we are determined not to hide the scratches in our lives, we become real to the people around us. A real person, with real struggles. Many times, it is through these struggles that God uses us to be a blessing or "light" to others. If we are constantly trying to cover these struggles - then we run the risk of not allowing God's glory to shine.