Don't be an OMG (Old Mean Girl)

Mean girls…are you one?  You know what I am talking about if you have ever traversed the rivers of the middle & high school season of life.  I like to believe that most mean girls mature out of that phase of life and develop sensitivity towards others and just stop being mean…but as I was reminded of recently it doesn’t always happen that way.  Unfortunately, some mean girls don’t stay in Middle or High School; sometimes they graduate and develop into UBER mean girls or as I like to call them Old Mean Girls (OMGs.)    I found myself super frustrated at some friends recently when I saw their OMGs  come roaring  to life, and I just didn't see it coming.   It wasn’t directed at me but it broke my heart to see otherwise lovely ladies stoop to this level.  Now I am rethinking a friendship or two.  I am sure I had my moments of being a mean girl at some point or another as a young person, and I have also been on the receiving end of my fair share of mean girlness, but somewhere along the line I walked away from that pettiness, meanness and just total waste of time (several decades ago as a matter of fact).  I don’t want to rear children who are like that and I know I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to tear others to shreds with my words or actions, just because I can.  Life is too precious, people too special, and friends too rare.  Why, do this? 

Don’t be an OMG!

You are now returned to your regularly scheduled program while I climb down off my soapbox!

Tackling the New Season

Whether or not I was (am) ready  I have found myself in a new season of life.  It isn't a dark season, it is just a different season. 

In the last 6 months, my husband took a new job in a new state, my daughter graduated high school, we left a town that we loved and had lived in for the better part of 10 years, we left a church and church family that was second to none, we moved into a new town, we have a new-to-us house that needs a big dose of TLC, we took my baby girl off to college and left her there(!!!) and my boys started a new school.  Oh, and not to mention, I find myself basically living in a household full of males for the first time and far away from the majority of my girlfriends! Overall the changes are to be considered positive...but I am not really all on board with change, especially a lot of it!!!

The last few weeks, as we were preparing to take my daughter to college, have been -honestly- pretty hard.  Beyond the surface changes that have gone on, I have struggled with this new season deep down.  I don't feel old enough to send a child off into the world (albeit a college campus isn't exactly the world, but Mamas know what I mean).  I still see myself as the Mom of children...small children...but I don't have any of those anymore.  My youngest turns 9 in two weeks.  See, I liked having little ones under foot.  So, I am struggling to fit into my new season a bit.  I feel blessed by my life, but as I  look around, I am bit lost about where the next step is leading. 

We have been visiting churches in our area, and although they have all been nice we aren't sure if we have found the right one yet.  Because I am not plugged in right now, and I truly miss my Ladies Bible Studies, I have a book that I am going to start solo tomorrow.  It is Praying for Purpose for Women by Katie Brazelton.  It is laid out in a 60 Day format with a short study for each day.  I think it will be nice to spend some time in prayer over what exactly God is calling me to do in this new season of life. 

"...you are only a steward of the personality, roles, and talents He has entrusted to you."

~ Katie Brazelton in  Praying for Purpose for Women