Love All

Matt and I often talk about how we plan to raise our children. We discuss the importance of truth in our family, how my children will know about my beautiful birth son and his family. There will be no secrets or hidden stories as to what challenges life has handed Matt and I, and how we learned from our mistakes. We share our fears in what the world can do to our children, but know that we will do everything in our power to give our little ones the tools they need to be successful. And most importantly, we pray that they make the best choices and decisions when it comes to drugs, sex, and friends. We try not to worry too much, since we know that together as a team we will do our very best, and the rest is in God's hands.

Most recently, thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, Matt and I created our top 5 Spaetzel family rules. We sat down one evening after Jayden was soundly and sweetly sleeping, the dog had been walked, the dishes done, and a quiet moment for my hubby and I. We talked about what we wanted to teach our children and what would be the most important of these lessons. More than the accomplishments they will strive for in their own lives, Matt and I want our children to understand the importance of what they can do for others. We want to make sure they understand these five rules are the basis of what this family is about.

-Love Jesus: Knowing Him and how much he loves us, will give our children the understanding of how much they need to love others and never judge. Jesus loves all and so should our family. We are not above, better, or more perfect than anyone! My children will know that regardless of what controversies are out there and what messages the world may be telling them about a type of person or situation, they are to love all, just as Jesus did. After all, who did Jesus surround himself with? The Bible tells us that Jesus spent his time with the people whom the world called worthless, rejected by society, and those who felt unloved. Our children need to understand that they are not God and will not be the ones to judge the character of someone else. I also understand that nobody is perfect and that we will judge others. That is why we need Jesus and his love, grace, and mercy.

-Be Thankful: This is a big one! Regardless of how much or how little it seems that we have, we are truly blessed. We want our babies to know how thankful we need to be for what we have been given. We live in a country where we are free to do and say what we want, (with respect to our laws) without persecution or death, fear of being punished for our beliefs, or bombs going off right outside our front door. We have a home filled with love, family who adores us, and friends who bring joy to our hearts. What more could we want or need, for that matter. Teaching the concept of thankfulness is something Matt and I will never stop doing.

-Dream Big: Shoot for the stars and beyond! I know that sound cliche', but we want our children to know that they can do whatever they have in their hearts to do! What is their passion? What excites them inside? What gifts has God blessed them with that they will wake up everyday using? Matt and I want to encourage, foster, and remind our children to dream big in whatever their hearts desire.

-Show Love, Kindness, and Generosity to All: Despite what you all may think (ha), I was never part of the popular group at school. In fact growing up was tough at times for me. My dad is black and my mom is white, giving me the most awful combination of hair anyone could ever ask for. Even now as an adult, I spend hours at the hair salon putting chemicals on my head to straighten this crazy fro of mine. I was often made fun of for being different. I just didn't look like everyone else. Fair skin, kinky hair, big lips, and a ghetto booty-that's what I'm made of. And, as much as I appreciate and love my uniqueness now, as a child, it was tough. Sadly, some of the awful memories I have are of other kids picking on me, making fun of me, or passing around ruthless notes about how ugly, stupid, or unpopular I really was. It breaks my heart to think that Jayden may someday be subjected to the mean spirit of people in the world. So, in an effort to teach him something about love, kindness, and generosity, our family rule is to BE love, kindness, and generosity at all times with all people. Showing others love may help brighten their spirit and in turn they will also show others love. It's a pay it forward, kill em with kindness kind of rule. Just love on each other, people!

-Take Care of Each Other, Always: Remembering that as a family we need to be there for each other, lift one another up, support, encourage, and respect one another. If we can't do it in our family, how can we possibly share it with the world. Such a simple lesson and yet many struggle with it. My amazing mom always shared this thought with my brother and I. Being kind to each other will teach us to be kind to the world. Thank you mama.

So, there you have it! Our Spaetzel family rules. We will have them on our wall today, tomorrow, and always, to remind this family of how we should be living our lives. I know we'll make mistakes and that not one of us is perfect, but Matt and I will forever try to teach our babies to to be selfless in their actions and hearts. Simply put, to love all!