I’m learning to be much more open minded than I have in several years.

Before I became a follower of Jesus, I was very critical/judgmental & very insecure. I was always a people pleaser. However, that hasn’t always been a healthy experience for me. And honestly, it’s still a struggle for me sometimes.
After I became a Christian, I was much more critical & judgmental of myself than I was of others. And somewhat, I was still insecure. I worried a lot about what others thought me. I believe my insecurity stems from when I was bullied in elementary school but I am not sure if that is the only thing my insecurities stem from. But I’m proud to say I have learned not to worry SO much about making everyone happy because I will never succeed at doing so nor is it a responsibility of mine. My responsibility is to love & that is where I get the two confused. I used to think in order to love I had to make those whom I love happy at all times. Having that way of thinking caused me to be unhappy. It was a win-lose situation.
In the last couple of years, I’ve been intentional in learning & growing as a human being & as a believer. I do so by allowing myself to learn from other people’s experiences, wisdom, & knowledge. As a Christian, I like to align the different things I learn to the Word of God even if the person or book I am reading doesn’t mention Jesus or express their religious beliefs. I don’t apply everything I listen to or read but I have an appreciation for the things I do learn because I want to be able to understand other people & their view on things as oppose to being critical of them or their belief system even if I don’t believe it is beneficial for me as an individual & as a follower of Christ.
Yes, the Bible is still & will forever be my #1 guide. I know that there’s no greater teacher than Jesus but I do believe God uses certain people to bless & encourage you in many ways. I am very mindful of who I choose to receive guidance, wisdom & knowledge from. However, not everyone I listen to are “Christians”. Not every book I read is “faith-based”. And that is OK – for me.
For a long time, I believed I could ONLY learn from others of the same faith. But that hasn’t been true in my case. Anything I share on my blog is based on my experience. Not everything will resonate with you nor will you agree with. And that’s OK.

If you wish to comment or share your thoughts on anything I share on this blog, I am open to it & I will never take it personal.

In fact, it would be appreciated. For instance, your experience in listening to certain motivational speakers or reading self-help books may have been different than mine & that is to be respected. Maybe certain songs, TV shows or movies might affect you differently than me. I would never want to be a stumbling block to anyone. It’s important that we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in every area of our lives.
Now, this video has given me a refreshing perspective on so many different levels. I say “refreshing” because I remember reading Love & Respect by Emerson & how it taught me the importance these two factors are in a marriage.
This video not only encouraged me to look within my marriage but also within myself & my upbringing which plays a major part in my role as a wife. I literally texted my husband right after & asked him a few questions because it’s important that my husband & I communicate with one another to the best of our ability. It’s important that I understand what his needs are & if there is an area where he feels unloved, disrespected, unappreciated or any area where his needs are not being met or any areas where we may need to work on. And vice versa.
My marriage is a priority in my life & this video definitely helped me recognize certain behavior patterns I had that affected our relationship when we first started dating. I am sure many of those have been broken but maybe not all. Maybe different patterns have been created. We grow day to day. But what I don’t want is to ignore what could possibly ruin our marriage. It’s important for me that we recognize them & work on them together.
While watching this video, I began to experience many “ah ha” moments & I love when that happens. So, I hope it encourages you as it encouraged me. 💕🌻

Disclaimer: The old me would have NEVER posted this video due to the choice of words being used in this video. However, I’m ok with being judged or criticized for it. This is clearly not for the critical, judgmental or “perfect” Christian.