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I don’t normally rant on my page, but I couldn’t resist on this one. So much so that I have named it the 2012 Unbalanced Awards. I read some stuff on Yahoo! this morning regarding last nights Academy Awards and I just can’t help it.

Let me start by first saying that I did not watch the Academy Awards last night. I was not home and didn’t have the pleasure of partaking in the Pre-Red Carpet, Red Carpet, Post-Red Carpet, Pre-Awards, Awards, and Post-Awards show. I find it quite ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that those who have done an incredible job in acting should be honored, but it is the “fluff” that annoys me. It is the stuff that we (and I say “we” because I DID read on it this morning) find necessary to know. It is all the useless information that we just can’t get enough of.

I have two small children who tend to distract me from normal, every day grown up stuff like local news and global news. However, I have a computer I can get on Yahoo! and read current news on the go so it is all good. This morning after dropping my four-year old off at preschool I opened up Yahoo! to skim the current news and find that the most important information and news in the world right now is whether or not JLo had a wardrobe malfunction and whether or not Angelina Jolie showed too much leg on stage.

Really? Out of all of the world right now, JLo’s malfunction and Angelina’s legs are more important? I realize I am a woman and don’t find those two things as exciting as a guy probably would (no offense to guys), but really? They say that Twitter had 800+ Tweets a MINUTE on whether or not JLo had a wardrobe malfunction.

Here is the sad thing: After all the glamour, glitter, diamonds, flowing dresses, tuxes, flirting, jewelry and makeup…. these people still have to go home to their lives. Angelina Jolie still has a ‘boyfriend’ and house full of children and JLo still has a nanny with her two children to return to. Ultimately, we see the “fame” side of their lives and we jump to see them fail more than succeed. We look for any little thing to hold on to and compare ourselves to them or their ‘jobs’ and their romances that last no time at all.

I feel bad for people in this industry. They are so picked apart by media and by all of us and at the same time they are lifted up on a pedestal and asked to be perfect in how they look, what they say, what they do… How can we adore these people when in reality they are just like us? The only difference is their career. Their talent may be different, but you are just like them. Maybe you can’t act like them or sing like them, but I have a feeling they can’t raise children the way you do, or they can’t sale product they way you can, they can’t teach children the way you teach in the schools, they can’t build and be a carpenter the way you can. What makes us different?

I’ll tell you what makes us different. Jesus. We all have talents and giftings, but whether you are in the spotlight or at home with your children the thing that sets you apart is Jesus Christ. What we do doesn’t matter unless it is done for the glory of Jesus Christ. What THEY do doesn’t matter unless it is done to glorify Jesus Christ. We all have faults, but not all of us have faults that are covered by the blood of Jesus. What we do in life doesn’t matter unless we do it for Christ.

1 Peter says, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people to show forth the praises of Him who has brought you out of darkness and into the light.”

Let your light so shine before men that all can see the glory of Jesus Christ. Don’t pursue after the things that don’t matter. Don’t marvel at the “talents” of others just because you don’t have that “talent”. Marvel at the Jesus Christ who gave us our talents and gifts and marvel at those who use those gifts and talents for the glory of God!

There you go.  That’s my Monday morning rant.  =]

I had a good lesson in giving the other day.  Ironically it came from my four-year old daughter, Sierra.  I’m not sure she totally understood exactly what she was doing, but it showed me the heart of a giver even at such a young age.  Most importantly, it showed me how much of a giver I am NOT.  Sad, but true.

Sierra came to Steve and I on Wednesday and said, “Mom, I want to get the toys I don’t use anymore and give them away.”  Of course I said, “Okay, here is a bag.  Just put in it what you don’t want and we will take it somewhere to give away.”  Now, just so you know, I was thinking that the “somewhere” was going to be our local Salvation Army.  I mean, really…. It is quick to drop off.  I sometimes don’t even have to get out of the car.  I just hand the bag of junk to the guy in the semi-truck and drive away.  No sweat.  That was MY thinking…

After a few minutes Sierra came back with a bag of toys she had collected.  Not only did she collect toys, but she dressed up.  She had a pretty skirt and leggings, a nice top and her “play” high heals on.  (Uh oh.  I think my Salvation Army trip was quickly approaching.)  I told her, “Wow! Sierra you got so much stuff!  That is so nice of you.  After dinner we will drive it to the Salvation Army to give it to the guy for kids that need stuff.”  Her response?  “Oh no!  I don’t want to drive.  You have to go with me to the doors!”  I said, “The doors?  What doors are we talking about?  We’ll drive down the street.  Salvation Army isn’t that far away.”

Her concept of giving her toys away apparently had nothing to do with driving, a man in a semi-truck, or Salvation Army.  Come to find out, she had plans of me walking her around the neighborhood while she knocked on doors to find kids to give her stuff too.  I should be proud, right?  I am.  I was…. after a while.  I hate to admit that, but it is the truth.  My first thoughts were, “Ugh.  I have company coming over soon, I need to clean, I need to get myself ready.  It would be so much easier to drop it off.  Besides, who wants to knock on doors!?  I’m going to feel stupid knocking on a door to give a used toy to a random person.”  Yep.  There it is.  My pride, ego, selfish, arrogant ways coming to the surface of my everyday life.

Eventually, I packed up Cheyenne (my one year old) and my friendly, little, toy giving elf and I set out to the neighborhood.  We rang door bells.  No one was mean.  A few weren’t home.  Everyone was so nice and I have to admit that after the first 2 or 3 I was sort of getting into it.  I was pretty excited to give away that $2 microphone from Target or the toy key chain that made noises.  I even participated in the giving away of a Tinkerbell coloring book (a little used, but whatever).  One house that had two little kids even gave Sierra $5 for being so nice.  We walked home pretty proud of ourselves…. or ummm… Sierra walked home pretty proud of herself.  hahaa

I learned how selfish I am.  Amazing what lessons you learn from a four-year old.    I’m so proud of my little toy giving elf.  I hope and pray that her giving spirit and heart never goes away.   God is such a giver.  It took the innocence of a small child to remind me that it is better to give then to receive.  Find someone to give to this week.  Go out of your comfort zone.  You may be surprised at how exciting and enjoyable it is.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38