Lessons For My Little Ones

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

 even as we put our hope in you." 

{Psalm 33:21-22}

1. Love Others

Whether someone is easy to love or hard to love, love them. Be kind, be generous, and be encouraging. Love goes a long way and you won’t regret showing someone love. Do it when its convenient, do it when it’s not. Just love people.

2. Build Friendships

 Friends are the family you get to pick. So pick wisely. Find people who encourage you and find the best in you. But make sure they will also bruise you with the truth. Choose friends who won’t let you fall down without being there to pick you up. Friendship is one of the most valuable things God gives us so cherish your friends and never give up on them.

3. BeYOUtiful

Be yourself. You are beautiful no matter what anyone else says. There is no perfect person who is the perfect example of beauty. You may have a pretty face or great body, but beauty is more than that. Beauty comes from being confident, radiating joy that comes from Jesus, and by the way you live your life. Part of it is also how you view yourself, so view yourself as a daughter of the King. He (The King of all Kings) and Creator of THE WORLD says you are beautiful and there is no flaw in you (Song of Solomon 4:7). Girls may say you’re fat, or your hair is stringy, or you stomach isn’t flat enough. Who cares? God made you the way you are He is satisfied and pleased by you. When he created you, he said you were good and he made you exactly how he wants you--not how the world wants you. So, if you don’t believe me, believe God when he says you are beautiful.

4. Bad Day, Not a Bad Life

You are going to have bad days and you’re going to have bad weeks. That is life and every single person experiences those kinds of days. Just remember though, a bad day DOES NOT mean you have a bad life. Do not let a bad yesterday distract you from today. Jesus already has taken care of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Trust that he will guide you and bring you out of the bad and into the good. On the bad days, seek Jesus more and the world less. That usually is where the problem lies ;)

5. Guard Your Heart

OH man. I know you will hear this so many times but it is one of the most important things to do. As girls, we fall for so much when it comes to boys, love, and our happily ever after. When you find a man who you think could be “the one”, be careful. Do not let his promises about the future blind you. Until he can and will put a ring on your finger and ask your daddy’s permission to marry you, don’t let him lead you down that path. Boys will say things-some will truly mean them and some will not. Sweet talkin is what I call it. I fell for this and it will break your heart if the relationship ends. Find a man who will not only guard your purity and your physical body, but also your emotions. Don’t let him cross lines or make promises he can’t keep. Be wise and take it slow. Trust him, but not all at once. Let him prove that he is guarding you completely; not just the parts he wants to. You’ll meet your prince charming one day and God is preparing him for you RIGHT NOW!! How exciting. So be patient and wise. He is coming.

6. Do What You Love

If you art, sports, school, outdoors, indoors, baking, or whatever it is, do it. Don’t worry about what others will think about it. Do not let the opinions of others determine what you love. Don’t let them discourage you. Those are the people who you do not need in your life anyways. Don’t let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Whether it’s a hobby, a sport, or the job you want to do when you grow up. God will lead in the direction he KNOWS is best for. If you have a relationships with him, you will not fail. Do not let the devil and the world tell you otherwise.

7. Work Hard

I have seen the consequences of not doing my best and slacking off. Not doing an assignment or studying enough isn’t worth getting some extra time to hang out with friends. If you make a habit of doing the minimum or being lazy, you will have a very hard time breaking that when you’re older. So, whether you are doing homework, at basketball practice, or doing chores, do it to the best of your ability and in the future, you will see the rewards of it.

8. Share Jesus with the World

Your whole life you have and will hear about Jesus and his love and grace he has given to you. Don’t keep that to yourself. IF someone tells you good news you are going to want to tell everyone, right? The Gospel/Gods love story about you is the same. Tell people about him because there are people who need it more than you know. There are people in your school, your neighborhood, you city who need to hear it. There are people in countries you don’t even know exist who need to hear it. They need the hope of someone greater than themselves who loves them and guides them. Don’t be selfish with the gospel and don’t be scared. Go boldly, go quickly, and go without hesitation. Help be Jesus’ hands and feet and walk the streets of Africa, Alabama, or wherever God takes you.

9. Ask for Help

There’s nobody who has all the answers in this world, so you won’t be the only one who needs help and advice sometimes. If you need advice or encouragement,: ask someone. Ask me or a friend or your family. You weren’t made to go through alone and have all the -answers. God will show you answers through his word and also through the lives and wisdom of those around you. Take advantage of the people who love you by asking for their )help. We all need help from time to time and in my life, I have been blessed with many people who will come to my aid. I pray that you will have the same blessing.

10. There’s No Such Thing As Perfect

That includes you. Yep, I just told you that you aren’t perfect. It’s okay though because I’m not either and neither is anyone else that you’ll meet. Being imperfect means that you will make mistakes; some big and some small. You will have failures. You will sin. You will hurt others and be hurt. So do not beat yourself up every time you mess up or something doesn’t go “according to plan.” The fact that you are not perfect shows your need of someone who is perfect- Jesus. He will never fail you, hurt you, leave you, or turn his back on you. His perfect love casts out all of your fears and makes you able to face the world. Do not strive for merely perfection- strive to be like Jesus. By doing this, everything else will fall into place. The world’s definition of perfection is not lasting and shallow- but striving for Christ-likeness is eternally rewarding.

All of these bits of advice are here to help you make it through the things that you will experience in life. Hopefully they will help make it a little easier. I want you to know that I have gone through the same things that you will and pray that you will come out of them better and stronger than I did. But ultimately, I want you to know that God is on your side and he has let me experience these things because he needed me to see that I am not enough. I cannot satisfy him on my own and I cannot bring him glory through my life, on my own- I need, you need, we all need Jesus. I am confident that he will show himself to you and that you will trust and love him more than you do any human being, because in Christ, we find hope and we find life.   

Disney Isn’t the Only Author of Fairytales

                                            

       So before I start, here is a fun fact about Karel: My all-time favorite Disney princess in Rapunzel. So obviously, my favorite Disney movie is Tangled. I know the words to every song, I can quote the movie almost line by line, and I even buy myself Tangled things (even though Im 19). All that to say, the reason this movie is my favorite is because the story, or even better said, this fairytale, is relatable to my life. No, Disney didn’t write my life or base Tangled off of mine, but they still relate. Rapunzel feels trapped in a place she doesn’t belong. There is a world out there that Rapunzel dreams of exploring and although that journey may be difficult and full of both failures and successes, she doesn’t give up. She longs for something that she can’t get on her own and realizes she needs help from someone who loves her, can protect her, and knows more than she does. She finds this hero and leader in Flynn Rider, who comes into her life right when she needs him to. Although she was hesitant to trust Flynn at first, she soon realized that he was what she needed and from then on out, he proves that he was one who would save her and love her forever. Rapunzel had a goal and the reward at the end of her race makes the long journey to the finish line completely worth it. At the end of her race, she came face to face with her mother and father. She was accepted, cherished, and welcomed with the warm embrace of the ones she longed to meet. And at that point, she was finally home. At her real home, with the people who loved her the most.

       I am in the same situation Rapunzel was in. I am in a place that is not my home. I am not in a place (yet) where sadness is absent, pain is gone, and happiness is unending. The journey of my life is getting there. Getting to that place of perfection where my Father will greet me with a warm embrace and I will finally be home, where I belong, with the One who loves me most. And once again like Rapunzel, I cannot reach the finish line on my own. I am not strong enough or wise enough to take on the dangerous woods, soldiers, and darkness alone. Rapunzel was given her hero and “savior”, Flynn Rider at the exact moment she needed him. The same happened for me, but I was given Jesus. He came into my life when I needed him and despite my lack of trust and faith in his abilities and plan, he never left my side. He guided me through the woods, past the soldiers, and into the light like only he can. There have been many many trials I have gone through during my journey, but I have never faced any of them alone. Flynn was there to stay by Rapunzel’s side, and Jesus is here to stay by mine.

       Even though Rapunzel has a happy ending, that doesn’t mean there weren’t difficulties, trials, and stumbling blocks along the way. Rapunzel could have given up when the King’s guards chased them, when Gothel found her, when Flynn was captured, or later when Gothel almost killed Flynn. But she chose to fight against the evil and fight for what was good. When the man she loved was dying in her arms it would have been easy for her to give up and pity herself but no, she kept fighting. She told Gothel, “No, I will not stop! For every minute for the rest of my life, I will fight. And I will never stop fighting until I get away from you! But if you let me save him I will go with you. Just let me heal him and you and I can be together I promise just like what you want just let me heal him.” Gothel was taken back by this but still wouldn’t give in. Rapunzel was willing to sacrifice her freedom to save the man she loved, which is one of the most courageous things she could have done. Finally, when Gothel thought she had won, Flynn was healed and Gothel was defeated. Rapunzel was free and she and Flynn could continue their journey together, to reunite her with her real family and her real home. At this point in the movie, it is shown that love conquers all and is the greatest power of all.

               Once again, like Rapunzel, Jesus made the greatest sacrifice so we could live and be free. He did this knowing that he would be tortured and that God would turn his face away from him. Jesus did this selflessly and without delay. Why? Because he loves us. It is amazing the things that love can overcome which is why Jesus says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). There are obstacles that we will face in life where we have to sacrifice for someone, and when you do, it always makes you stronger and teaches you to love deeper.

       Now, we can’t talk about Tangled without bringing up Pascal and Maximus, Flynn and Rapunzel’s faithful friends. Friends who happen to be a lizard and royal horse. But what Disney princess doesn’t have animals as her friends? Anyways, Rapunzel has friends who keep her encouraged, happy, and cheerful. They are there for her to talk to when she’s happy, sad, or confused. They support her and never leave her side. There are times Pascal is scared and suspicious of Flynn and the places they go on their adventures, but he still supports Rapunzel and makes sure she is safe. Maximus is the same- he makes sure Rapunzel is safe and stays loyal to her, no matter what happens. True friends are a huge part of why Rapunzel did not give up and how she made it through the good times and not so good times. This is something that is completely true in real life. It’s not just princesses and fictional characters who have loyal and caring friends. Without people (or animals) there to push you along when you get weak and cheer you on when you cross the finish line, it would be much harder to press on. God has blessed me with Maximus and Pascals and they have all helped me to make it through the dark and lonely times when I thought I couldn’t go on any longer. Friends are a necessity in life because they pick you up when you fall and give you hope when you’ve given up on yourself.

       Now for some not so happy parts about Tangled. One lesson Rapunzel learns is that bad choices lead to consequences. She chose to go behind her step mother’s back, disobey her rules, and do what she wanted to do. She rebelled because she thought her way was better than her mother’s. Even if Rapunzel was right, she still disrespected her mother which led to consequences. Flynn got captured, the crown was stolen, and Rapunzel was taken back home. At this point, Rapunzel felt guilty and remorse for what she had done, so she apologized to her mother, even though she still thought her mother was doing wrong by keeping her locked up. Even though Rapunzel did wrong by disobeying her mother, she did end up asking for forgiveness. As a result, Mother Gothel shows her forgiveness and accepts her apology. Rapunzel’s apology was sincere and true- she knew she was wrong to lie to her mother so she apologized because of it. On the other hand, the step mother’s forgiveness was selfish. She only wanted Rapunzel to stay in the castle because she wanted the benefits of having her there: The magic hair. The love that Mother Gothel had for Rapunzel was a love that existed only for personal gain. If Rapunzel didn’t have something Gothel wanted and needed, she could care less what happened to her. This is something we face in life day to day. We will hurt people and sin against them. When we do that, we are called to apologize and beg for their forgiveness like Rapunzel did. Not only does this help to repair the relationship that was broken because of sin, but it also is pleasing to God. On the other hand, when someone asks for you forgiveness, make sure your apology is genuine and that you truly mean it when you say, “I forgive you.” If you don’t do this, it can lead to bitterness and anger that can last a life time.  Jesus has shown us the ultimate example of forgiveness- he has forgiven our past, present, AND future sins! All of them. His blood that was poured out was to save us and forgive us. There is nothing we have done or can do that will change that. He has forgiven us completely, genuinely, and eternally. He is the light and life in the world that defeats darkness and death. And taking it back to Disney, Rapunzel’s light and kindness contrasts with Gothel’s darkness and selfishness.

       As cliché as Disney movie and fairytales are, they portray truth. The truth that goodness always conquers evil and that the light will always consume the darkness. The story of Rapunzel shows the need of someone greater than yourself to save you, the importance of friends, perseverance, and forgiveness. These are all things that we, as real people, who live real lives, in real cities face, and will continue to face our whole lives. Disney may have created and written this fairytale, but God has written mine and yours. And as great as Disney is, my God is better and the fairytale he has written for me is far greater than any story you can read in a book. It may not be as magical, colorful, and entertaining as Tangled, but it is your story and God has written it perfectly for you. But, you can still thank Disney for teaching you such great lessons through a fun and exciting fairytale. I bet you didn’t think Tangled was so deep and relatable did you? You’re welcome ;)