4 days 'till Christmas!

       I have really enjoyed getting those weekly texts from MOPS international, specially the very last one it said “Xmas is in 8 days. Pick your battles, say yes to cake for breakfast! Whatever does not get done, its OK. You’ve got this mama (aka Santa)!” Like it literally cracked me up because that day I remember trying to make Christmas cookies with my girls and it was complete chaos like flour battleship attack/forgot to add ingredients to the recipe chaos. I was about to quit and just throw away the stuff when I saw the smile on my girls with fingers full of raw cookie dough and my little one literally licking the mixer beaters ( I was not done mixing) straight off the bowl. That Is when memories are made when you stop and really breath in all those little “wonder faces” that will soon be gone.

    I love our mentor moms they bring so much raw wisdom to our meetings. Do what works for you this holiday season it will probably be different each year. Some you will feel like you are rocking it and some you won’t (probably most lol) but that is OK! So today is 4 days until Christmas and If the elf forgot to move itself last night its OK, bought cookies instead of making them its OK! (probably better anyway) if you didn’t get to do Christmas cards its OK, if you are not done Christmas shopping its OK, if your house is 50% gift wrap 50% clothes all over the place its OK, just remember you are not alone.  So with that said, I have officially lowered my expectations for this holiday season and the future ones coming of my role as “Santa” and will be more forgiving on myself of those disaster memory making attempts of traditions we often attempt to conquer remember your kids will love you anyway even if you did not get to finish marking everything off your list.

Disclaimer: If you got Christmas cookies from me this year I am sorry! ( just kidding they actually turned out pretty good to my surprise and don’t worry I did wash their hands and mixer beaters haha!)

~Alis~

What type of friend do you want to be?

         I have always admired the way little kids make friends.  I took my girls to the park the other day and there was this other mom at the park with 2 other little girls and in a matter of 10 minutes my girls had each made their new best friends. They were planning playdates and their next outing to the park, while their mom and I had only politely said hi to each-other. 

        Many of you know that I did not grow up in Modesto. I moved from Guatemala when I was 15 years old, right at the middle of me trying to “find myself and find my people,”  but even then friendships were hard. I was bullied most of my elementary years. Yes, I was that kid that ate her lunch inside of the restrooms because I wanted to just get away. Then boom! I moved hundreds of miles away from those toxic relationships to a foreign country and no friends. I pretended I did not speak English for the first year of high school. I used to say it was fun to pretend not to understand, but really I was just afraid of getting hurt. My second year of high school was some-what better, I was able to find 3 nice girls that were part of my high school years. In a blink of an eye we were seniors and we graduated high school and life changed! 

           When I got married, I didn’t even want to have bridesmaids just thinking of not having who to ask made me think, “friends suck!” can I just ask my mom to be my maid of honor? Because she is pretty amazing! Then as a new mom seeing all these put together moms at story time going in groups and talking, socializing with each other made me feel very sad like why can I keep a decent friend around for longer than a year? 

           Throughout these drastic life changes I came to realize that yes friendships do come in seasons, but it really is up to us to put the heart and time into our relationships. I truly believe mops helps you find those women who truly have your back! The kind that would totally stop what they are doing to listen to you, stop and pray if needed. I want to be that kind of friend. I started to focus less on the kind of friend I wanted to have but focusing more on the type of friend I want to be. I want to be able to give hugs without expecting one in return. Most importantly, I want my girls to see that person and for them to want to be that type of friend as they grow up. 

                The video we watched last week was like a big slap in the face, like I have been looking for a friend without first examining myself of the type of friend I have been. Yes, its true my life has had some crazy drastic life changes that have made it extremely difficult for me to keep friendships. I have also been around friendships that are toxic and better left to be a thing of the past, but if we are being totally honest, I think there have been stages in my friendship life that I could have tried harder, I could have kept trying, I could have hugged more, I could have been there more, or I could have said sorry and forgiven as well.  

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor “9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Lets be the type of friend that lifts each other up. I want to be that friend that If you fall I fall and we get back up together. Lets all strive to have friendships to the full. 

    Today, as I have been reflecting on my friendships I can for sure say I am in a different season. Mops has been a great part of that, and only time will tell where these friendships blossom but I do feel more prepared to be a better friend. I can tell you that I am still “finding my people” so far I have been able to meet a great group of ladies that love Jesus, they encourage me, and challenge me to be a better friend and I want to be part of that. I encourage you today to be a bolder friend, a more loving friend, a friend that is just simply there.

~Alis~