Climbing to the tip top of a soap box...

Matthew 7
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Before I begin, it should be said...by me...that I am not perfect. Never professed to be. Never will be. I screw up every day. Multiple times a day. I yell at Logan. I speed when I'm late...which is rare. Not. I  lose my patience with the kids. Sorry, but poop simply does not belong on the table. Never has. Never will. I particularly don't like cleaning it off. Over. And over.  I guess it may be a teensy lie when Logan asks if I mailed the AC guy's check...and I say yes...as I'm grabbing it and running out the door to put it in the mailbox because I forgot. It's not like the poop on the table was a distraction from the to-do-list or anything. 

I have way more imperfections than I can list...or want to list.  My point is, we all have our imperfections. We all do stupid things. We all do things we later regret. As many mess ups as we all carry on our backs, we also carry the badge of honor of all the good we have done in our lives. We ALL...at some point in our lives...have done good for someone else. I like to think that the majority of us have done far more good in our lives...in the world... than not good.  We all have the ability to do good. We all have the ability to love.  We all have the ability to be charitable.  

So, when one of us screws up...makes a mistake...intentional or not...how do we, as non-perfect screw-uppers ourselves...have the right to condemn others? To judge others? To persecute others? To shun others? Why is it that we love to make sure the world knows about other's imperfections rather than let the world know when someone has done good? How many phone calls have you ever made to tell your friends what good someone did for you today compared to the phone calls made to talk about someone's mistakes? How many articles have you seen plastered on the front page of the news paper that makes a big deal over an act of kindness done for someone in our community?

Our community recently lost two of our own to the same river that I lost my brother. How quickly we forget what life is about. All it takes are a few mistakes made by someone other than ourselves to take our attention away from some of life's most humbling "stories."

Negativity and persecution hurt. It hurts the person that made the not-so-great choice. It hurts their families.  It ultimately hurts all involved. Sure, I believe there are consequences for all actions.  There has to be or the world would be in more disarray than it already is.  However, it is not OUR place to determine the extent of public persecution someone should endure for their actions.

So,  I will Ieap off of my mile high soapbox by leaving you with this:  It's easy to do what's right. It's often easier to do what's not right. To make choices that bring us immediate gratification, but unwanted consequences  in the long run. What's NOT easy is to look past the negativity that surrounds us and see the good that lies within us ALL. We must overcome our desensitization to gossip. Our desensitization to the demise of other's lives. So, as we continue to drown in stories of "have you heard what ___ did?" or divulge in the latest negative gossip on the front page of the paper...lets try to pick up the phone and call the person whom you have heard negativity about and offer them a kind word. Let them know that we ALL have second chances. That none of us are perfect. That they need to  pick themselves up and try better next time. Let them know that  if they need help overcoming their shortcomings, we will help. Make sure they know that no matter what  choices they made, we still love them.  We still believe in them. 

I know, that no matter what I do in this life, my Heavenly Father loves me. He loves me well beyond my understanding. I am grateful for this gift. I feel it is my obligation to extend this compassion to others. Though I am guilty as well for the "have you heard" phone calls and the posting of negative behaviors of others, I know its something I must work on. Everyday. It's something we should all work on. 

Charity isn't just giving donations of time and money to those in need of monetary help. More importantly, it is being a friend to those who are struggling with making the right choices. Leading them to make right what they have done wrong.  It is not isolating them from our lives.  It is not trying to make their lives miserable. It is not reminding them over and over of their mistakes.  It is not divulging in the negativity and baggage we all carry.  

It is loving unconditionally.
Extending compassion.
Having the desire to mend broken hearts and lives that are in disarray...even if the disarray is consequential.

Ultimately, it is quietly wiping up other's poop off the table...no matter how bad it reaks...with a smile on your face and hoping...praying...and teaching them not to do it again.

Ok...so maybe bad example. I've spent my last 3 years up to my ears...literally...in poo. At this moment, that's the best analogy I can come up with. So sad. But true. Might as well clean up the next batch with that Bachelor's in Business Admin diploma. 

Point made. 

Peace out. 

d

[these two]

So different.  In looks.  In attitude.  In all things...EXCEPT the fact that they have a tight squeeze on my heart.  Supa' tight.  Love um.

[january]

Love all these little monsters...

Black and White

Q:  What's black and white and red all over?
A:  No.  It's not a newspaper.  Well...technically it is.  But...this time it's more....

It's the month of February.  Ha.  Ha. Funny right?  Nah.  Well, here's the not-so-funny but well worth a smile details...

B&W sessions the entire month of February. Special session fee of $65 for a full session.  Final images will all be black and white.  Email/Call/Text/Facebook me for more details.

850-566-6946
corry_dee@yahoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/dee.kever

...and stay tuned for more business updates and details...

[knox]

Posting a few Sunday afternoon quick clicks of Little Man Knox. Just a few of the faces I see on a daily basis. How lucky am I? Sweet. Wee. Man.

Quicktakes...

...takes off to a great start! Love this fam. We are officially in the "Four and Above" club together. **knock fists together** You don't have to be in our club for fall pics, just call me. I'll fit you in. You may not fill up the bench quite like these guys do, but we'll make it work.

Knox = 3 months

When you have one child, you wonder if you could love another child as much.  Well, you do.

When you have two children, you wonder if you will be more stressed with three.  Well, you're not.  The stress level maxes out at two...you just learn to accept the fact that you've officially lost your mind.  You deal.

When you have three children and another on the way, you begin to wonder what causes them.  Well, you learn.  Then you forget again.

When you have four children AND another on the way, you wonder if it's possible to grow a third arm.  Well, you do.  You just can't see it, but I promise...you do.

When you have five children, you officially lose your sanity.  Your time.  Your money.  Your makeup.  Your toothpaste.  Your keys.  Your to-do-list.  Your everything that once was yours...is no longer yours.  It ALL belongs to the little beings you created.  The little beings you have been blessed with.  And really, just really, none of that other stuff stated above really matters.

What matters to me is that I have had the privilege of spending the past 3 months getting to know this little man.  Knox.  Though the past 3 months have been an understated form of crazy, he has been my "happy place" throughout the day.  All of the kids combined have sent me on an around the world trip from my "happy place" to places I'd rather not admit.  To places they probably would rather me not go to anymore.  Nah.  Well, yea.  But, at the end of the day, I'm always brought back to where I belong.  Where I want to be.  Piled up with not one, not two, not three, not four, but 5 cool kiddos who have rocked my world in a pretty dog-gone good way.

So, here's a happy three month shout out to Knox.  Love you little man!!!