Monday’s have always gotten a bad rap. Everyone dreads them. No one looks forward to them like they do Friday’s. It marks the end of two days dedicated to doing whatever it is you wish. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Monday’s are a privilege. They are another opportunity to wake up and experience a glorious new day. I know you’re thinking..”How can I look forward to the daily grind?” There is nothing exciting about five days of the same old routine. I used to be like a lot of you. Watching the clock while the minute hand seems broken because you are certain this day will never end.

      Several years ago, I worked as a mailroom courier at a local bank operations center. My day consisted of driving around to different bank branches and delivering mail as well as picking up other materials. I enjoyed this job very much because I got to see different people. But I knew this was not my calling. It was not what I was meant to do. It was however where I was supposed to be at that particular time.  

      While working there, a fellow co-worker of mine, an older gentlemen with big bifocals and Grandpa-like qualities, dubbed me “The Sunshine Girl”. Every afternoon for two years, this man would bust through the doors of my office and make hisself known by saying as loudly as he could, “There’s the sunshine girl!” It wasn’t until years later that I realized this mans kind demeanor went with him wherever he would go and his happy attitude was a ray of light all of its own. As I was sucked into the boring ho-hum of my work, this man brightened my day simply by spreading a little sunshine to whomever he came across.

      About a year ago, I ran across my friend in the grocery store. Time had obviously taken a toll on him and his health had deteriorated tremendously. I went up to him and his sweet wife and the first thing he said to me was, “Hello Sunshine!” He still had a big grin on that old familiar face and his words warmed my heart. For it seemed while he was spreading sunshine in my life, I was also a small ray in his. 

      Yes, Monday’s are hard and we often feel as if a dark cloud is hanging overhead. But we must choose to shine wherever we go. Each day of the week is another chance to be a light in someone’s life and Monday’s are no exception. It’s an opportunity to embrace another day as a gift and do what the Lord has put us on Earth to do. So, choose to radiate sunshine today! It’s like medicine to the soul. And who couldn’t use a little extra Vitamin D? 

        A quick scan of the news or briefly flipping through the local newspaper is enough to send a parent into hiding with their children. The world has become a dark and sinister place and can be down right frightening at times. Parents are afraid to send their children to school. People are afraid to go and do simple things such as pick up groceries or go see a movie. There is an uneasy feeling in the air. You may have even asked yourself, “What will happen next?” As a new mom, I have become increasingly more alarmed by the encounters my son may have to face as he grows in life. With the type of society we live in today, I find myself pondering the question..”How do we raise our children in today’s culture?”                     

   With crime rates and violence at an all time high, it’s easy to feel the pressure of it all weighing on your heart. Many times circumstances are beyond our control and we are left feeling hopeless. There is a spiritual battle being waged daily against motherhood and the hearts of our children. But you can rest easy, friend! The Bible has a solution for everything! We are told: 

So powerful! This verse reminds us that  raising good and wholesome children begins in the home. By setting a vision for our sons and daughters lives, we are laying the foundation for them to create their own vision for themselves later on. Train up your children with kindness, positivity, faith, and love! The result will be a happy and confident child that meets the ways of the world with the morals you ingrained in them.