Breaking News: Kathy Caylor Greene wins first ever People Mom of the Year Award

KATHY GREENE- This is a just a name to a lot of people. To a lot of other people, it's a woman who many have called mom, a woman who makes people feel good when she is around them, one of the funniest women they have met, and the most generous, hospitable person you have ever met. I have the pleasure of this woman being my mom. From some of my earliest memories, I remember seeing people always coming up in church to hug my mom. I now realize that everyone loving someone is not normal. I mean EVERYBODY loves her. She was always cooking or doing something social and generally the life of any party. But she is good one on one as well. She is my best friend and the closest confidante I have. I honestly hope that I never have to live a single day without her because I just don't even know how I would ever go on. 

Mom won most funny in high school. She is funny. So funny I have had boyfriends who would call me to ask, "Is your mom home?" "Yes" "Okay good, I am coming over." Then they would proceed to talk to my mom the entire time as she paraded us with her stories from her past and present. She has been the source of a lot of very funny moments in my life. My mom is a boss. She has been kicked off an airplane (I mean besides Justin Bieber, who can say that?), jumped from a boat into our backyard because she got locked out of the house when she was out and then her high heels staked into the ground to save her fall...this was four years ago), the same night decided to go to the restroom on our extremely steep driveway only to roll down the hill with her drawers down, and even dressed up like the KKK one time to scare her little black friend (He was her friend and it was a JOKE, our family loves black people). Her stories make even 2014 sound like a G rated movie. She's the best. 

But the best thing about my mom is the way she makes you feel. It's hard to put into words. She was a mom to a lot of people who weren't her kids. I asked several people who have known my mother over the years to describe her or any memories they had of her- You will see that she has touched lots of lives and given us a laugh or two!

Emmaleigh Camera TravisI just remember all the nights we spent with her at your house, how drastically different (in a good way) she was from my mom, how we could be ourselves and talk about boys with her! And makeup and jewelry and whatever else we wanted! Introducing boys to her for approval, I loved your mom!
Chad HeatherlyI have so many wonderful memories of my mother. But what it makes so great and heart felt is I honestly can't touch on one but each day the memories and how much i love her grow and continue to build. She gave me life and two beautiful sisters. Our family is growing which is adding to the memories that started with my mother and her mother before her and so on.
Kristen LanningSpending Sundays with her when I would go down to Tennessee was always my favorite  we would spend all day watching football and sometimes go to shoneys
Christina Rae GrazianoWhen she took us all out to that restaurant at seaport! Then we hit the town and partied like rock stars!!
Paige SlusherI only have one memory with her so far but def her generosity and hospitality : )
Kristin KeithBella spazio!! Nuff said there was alot of oh hells being thrown around 
Ashley NieporteMama G did my makeup for freshman homecoming! She taught me tips and tricks she learned and I still use them today! I spent basically all of highschool inseparable with the you guys and she always treated me like her own! I'm pretty sure during the Myrtle beach drive Mama G was the one that hilariously suggested how to cut back on potty stops lol I don't remember if it was Julie or Bek that was the brave one to do it! Always the coolest mom 
Lauren BallardI remember how she was basically a second mom.. Especially when we used to get in trouble!In high school
Bekah MorrisMom has the biggest heart of anybody I knowAnd we used to make her rate who had the best dive in the pool which was super annoying and she never once complained haha
LeAnn NealOne of the many best memories of your Mom is when we dressed up in our leather pants and went to the Tina Turner Farewell Tour concert. We had a blast. I couldn't imagine sharing that with anyone else. Her zest for life is infectious!  You just want to throw caution to the wind and act a fool without a care in the world and you laugh SO hard that you cry every time.  I always know I will smile, ear to ear, when I get together with her. I guess you could say she taught me how to let go and dance in the rain.
Veera JohnsonI ain't got no daddy! Enough said!! Your mom was like oh hell! That might be one her favorite phrases!
Jessica Kohler HeatherlyThe very first time I met your mom I was 7 months pregnant with Jayce and my ankles were swollen bc of the Tennessee humidity and a 24 hour car ride. Within 20 minutes of meeting her, she was rubbing my feet and legs to help the swelling go down despite the face that her hands hurt now. She rubbed my legs for like an hour and it was the best I had felt in a long long time. So her care and love for everyone is what I love the most.

My mom accepts everyone as they are- she is the most Christlike person I know. No judgements. As you are. She has always encouraged me to be me. Not another version of someone else. From the time I was a little girl, as you can tell in the above photo, she was encouraging me to dance, be goofy, to sing. When not another person on this earth has understood me, she has stood in the gap and said "I'm your person, I get you." She has encouraged my happiness above all else and always embraced her weird little girl. Kathy Caylor Greene, from the bottom of my heart and with every bit of love I have in my heart, I am so very thankful God chose you to be my mom. I love you and so does a lot of other people! XOXO

Hey guys. I wrote an article for sheismore.com. It's a love letter from God. http://sheismore.com/will-you-be-mine-love-god/ is the link. Hope it speaks to your heart! XOXO

Guard your heart

The ring was gorgeous! It was everything I had ever imagined. I was planning my wedding and getting married... Except I wasn't. Jake (name changed) had sent the ring via text message after "meeting" me 24 hours earlier on facebook. This should have been a warning sign that this guy wasn't going to be very careful with my heart but I didn't listen. Something about rings and weddings makes my heart beat a little faster as I am sure it does a lot of you unmarried gals. I gushed to my sister about this perfect man I had met and since she is the logical one, she thought this behavior was nuts and warned me that in the past, this kind of guy did nothing but destroy my heart. But I just brushed her advice off. I decided to drive to meet the guy 8 hours away so I could meet my future husband. He was going to be my husband, he was already looking at rings after all. I had a fairy tale weekend with him. I had butterflies more than half the weekend. He did everything right. He said everything right. And when I went home...nothing.

Everything changed. As a woman considering a long distance relationship, it is a necessary feeling that there is commitment in the relationship. But guys move slow. But I was confused cause the ring was moving fast. I expected a commitment after all the hours we had spent on the phone and the marriage talk and amazing time we spent with each other. He should know by now that I was the one. But somehow he didn't. He didn't want to commit to me. He didn't want to give me up but was okay with me seeing other people. I, on the other hand, had a sick feeling in my stomach to think of him going on a date with another person. And this imbalance of what the other person wanted resulted in me pushing him away as men hate pressure but women need commitment. I started behaving like an insecure woman and the (un)relationship ended.

My heart was not okay. Although I had only known the guy for a few weeks, I had already begun dreaming of our wedding. Because I am in my late twenties, I am very serious about marriage. I have a husband list and this guy exceeded everything. My heart had became attached to the idea of being Jake's girlfriend and maybe even wife. I was already in a relationship that had not even begun yet. I started to feel those heart pains that you feel when you know something is ending. The anxiety set in. I began questioning who I was. The enemy sure knows how to sneak his way in when you are feeling down. Don't let him. Fight back! But the great things about being a woman of God is that if you pour your heart out to God and lay your feelings on the altar before him, he always works things out for the good of his children. Always. So looking over that season, your heart is so valuable to your life. It is what pumps life through you not only physically but spiritually as well. GUARD YOUR HEART.

So here are some ways to Guard your heart:

1. Have realistic expectations at the beginning. It could happen but more than likely, no man is going to be madly in love with you in a few weeks. Feelings take time to develop. Yes, you are amazing and it is easy as woman to decide you want to be with someone but men need time. Give love a chance to grow.

2. Be aware of warning signs. A guy that says "I have commitment issues" has commitment issues. Most men do but if a man knows that and is warning you about his stuff, believe him. They are probably pretty bad. He is telling you for a reason. Another warning sign is a guy who moves too fast in the beginning. A guy who is so sold out about you without knowing you will probably slow down a little further down the road and as women, we have a natural tendency to fight that slow down of relationship pace. A man of God needs to be a man of his word so if he is making promises he can't keep or saying things that he doesn't mean, what kind of husband will he be?

3. Don't give all of yourself over to someone so soon. Let him discover who you are. If you share so much intimate talk and time with someone very quickly and it ends, you are left with a hole that shouldn't be there. Slow down.

4. Give them space. I say this but I am the worst at this. I know the few times I have been successful at giving space, it has worked tremendously in my favor.

5. Keep your dignity. You are a woman of God. Don't compromise the things you want in a relationship. If they aren't there, let him go. As women, it is easy for us to love anyone but let's be good to our hearts and only really risk them for someone we could see a future with. If the relationship does end, be filled with grace and dignity. Don't say things you don't mean. Wait a few days if you have to to get your emotions in check.

6. Keep God above everything. Make sure that he is still the keeper of your heart. Ask him for advice. Read his word for guidance. Surrender the guy over to God's will for both of your lives. You ultimately want to end up with the guy God chose for you so let God have his way!

I hope this encouraged someone. God bless!

Being a Finisher

Has anyone ever felt stuck in their life? You want so badly to move forward and be the woman of God you know in your deep gut you are but there is something holding you back? That no matter how hard you press in, you are still in the exact same place you were last month. I have felt like this recently and been really discouraged. I was praying to the Lord to move forward in my life and he gently gave me a reply- "Because you aren't a finisher." Ouch. Ok God. How do I become a finisher? 

"What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly 

extravagant generosity of God." (Acts 20:24, MSG) 

1. Be faithful in the small things. I realized that I start tasks and do a lot of talking about my dreams and goals but never actually do anything about any of them. Even housework being half finished. So I made my bed. I started to do the dishes as soon as I used them. I didn't wait to take out the garbage three days later. I finished the last two minutes of my workout because I told myself I would do an hour of cardio and I am going to finish that hour of cardio. I started answering emails and texts as soon as I got them that would normally sit for a day before I would respond. It's not that waiting around to do these things is bad in itself, but the Lord has taught me and is teaching me that he is preparing me for a great future filled with advancing his kingdom, and if he can't trust me to finish dishes, how can he trust to use me to heal the hearts of the broken?

2. Make a daily to-do list. It sounds so simple but it is a great feeling when you can check things off that list. Go one step further and make a list of life long goals. I have a several long term goals that include my spiritual, personal, family, and ministry goals. It also is amazing because looking over that list, I am able to see how much God has moved on my behalf to help me accomplish those goals.

3. Tell people about your goals. Ask people to hold you accountable. It can one thing to fail yourself but to fail others is a different story.

4. Do everything you do as you are doing them unto the Lord. When I find myself trying to half-do something, I remind myself that everything I do can be worship to the Lord and to finish for him.

5. Remind yourself that Jesus was a finisher. The last words Jesus spoke on this earth before dying on the cross were "It is finished" (John 19:30). Not only that but he is continuing to do a good work in us that will be completed upon his return. Come on, the person you most want to be like is an amazing finisher!!

Be encouraged to keep running the race and not only running, but FINISHING! 

Why a breakup was the best thing that ever happened to me

Six months ago, I would not have agreed with the title of this article. My heart was broken. I had met the man of my dreams and he dumped me very harshly one unexpected night. For the next month, I couldn't eat, sleep, and all I wanted to do was cry. I wondered why God had let this happen and often cried out to him asking him why. Then one night I heard his gentle still voice say "I didn't do this to you, I did this for you." In that moment, I understood and trusted him that he had better plans for me. I began to thank God for loving me enough to protect me from anything he had not planned out for me even if it meant being hurt in the process. 

As my heart began to heal, God gave me a strength to carry on with my life. I learned what it meant for him to be the lover of my soul. He taught me the true definition of unconditional love. I was able to finally see the woman of God that God saw in me and to truly love myself. And today, six months later, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. Sometimes you have to go through the fire to refine you and become the woman of God wants you to be. 

Here are 10 Bible verse that helped me get through one of the toughest seasons in my life:

1. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) This is such a comforting promise that the God of the entire world has a special plan for your life and not only is it a plan but hopeful plan filled with a future. 

2."I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you." (Isaiah 46:4) If he made me, he cares for me. 

3. "Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides you, who acts for the one who waits for him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness." (Isaiah 64:4) Fear tries to creep in but I know that my God is ready to meet me as I wait for his plan for my life to unfold.

4.  "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) These moments of hardship are temporary and prepare me to be more Christlike. I focus my eyes on eternal things, not momentary afflictions.

5. "The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17) God rejoices and loves me. His love brings still quietness to my soul. 

6. "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8) I am not alone and never will be because God will never leave me and no matter who walks out of my life, God will always remain by my side. 

7. "But those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31) Something about the waiting produces a Godly strength. I want to be a strong Godly woman.

8. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) There is nothing that life can throw at me that I can't get through because the source of my strength is Christ.

9. "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) He didn't say that it was going to be easy. Life will be hard but because he lives in me, I am an overcomer too.

10. "Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." (Isaiah 43:2) I am God's daughter and he won't let anything harm me. He will be with you through the rivers and fire of life and nothing will overtake me because he holds my hand. 

I hope this encouraged you. God is so good and faithful. He will never let you go!

These are my Confessions

This might come to a shocker to anyone reading this but Christians aren't perfect. In fact, we are the same as you. Broken. Ashamed. Angry. Sad. But no one talks about it. And I would like to apologize on behalf of anyone representing Jesus that has made it seem like they have it all together. Because we all know deep down that there is no one who has a perfect life or is a perfect person. But why are we so ashamed to admit we aren't perfect? A very amazing woman, Caroline Barnett, who I have the pleasure of listening to speak occasionally at my church once said this quote which I try to live my life by now which is "When you go first, you give others the opportunity to go second." 

So here it goes. These are my confessions. 

I struggle daily. I want to punch my sister in the face sometimes. I think bad things in my head while I am driving about the person on my bumper in traffic. Sometimes I say those bad things out loud. I always wonder what people would think if they knew I was a Christian, like if I had a bumper sticker on my car how much of an embarrassment I would be to God. So that's why I don't have a bumper sticker on the back of my car. Real talk. I am very critical of others sometimes. I always hear Gods small voice reminding me to see others as he sees them. I worry a lot. I am very vain sometimes. I am also very critical of myself. I am selfish. I am abstinent now and will be till I say 'I do' (I had a huge problem before I found God and thankfully he lets me know daily that I am pure and white as snow to him) but don't think for a second I am clear in that category. I think about it and Jesus said that even if you look at someone and think about that person, it is the same thing. I have to ask God daily to control my mind and thoughts. I am lazy. I like to eat too much. I lie. I was a drug addict. And an alcoholic. And it gets way worse than that, anything you can think of, I am guilty of and the truth is I am the same as you- the drunk, the druggie, the murderer, the gay person. I am a sinner. I said I was going to be honest here so I am. Because I am not concerned with anyone who knows Jesus...

I am concerned with the person who thinks they have to be perfect so they have been waiting to come to God. Guess what? That will never ever ever happen. Because then a perfect man who died on the cross for you would have wasted his life and we wouldn't need a savior. But we all need a savior because we all have sinned and fallen short. Do you realize how much he loves you?

 He loves you more than his own sons beating heart.

 He cares for you so much he sent his son to come die on a cross. Jesus was murdered for you. So why are you sitting there doing nothing? He wants you. He wants the broken messed up version of you. Not the one who pretends to have it all together. In His Word it says he is close to the brokenhearted which might just be his way of saying that He wants us when we are broken because he is the only one who can fix us. And being broken is the best place to be. Because then he can mold you into whatever he wants. He is close because he is the glue that holds us together. Without my Jesus, I would be the mess described above. But because I admit I am not perfect, I admit I need a perfect savior. The good news is that he makes me whole and that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. He looks at me like those things never happened. We don't have to act perfect. In fact, I bet the man who died for us because he knew we weren't perfect would really appreciate it. Stop beating yourself up. He wants you to need him.

My name is Rachel Greene. I am a Christian. I am madly in love with Jesus and you just read my confessions.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you so much for dying on the cross for me and making it possible for me to be free from my sin. You carried my weight so I don't have to.. Help me to come to you when I feel the pressures of life building up and acknowledging that I need you. I need you Jesus. Come into my heart and fill me up with you. I want to be just like you. I love you. Amen. 

He is more

I am writing today because I haven't written in two months! I have so much that I want to share, though I have been having a shortage of time to write. God is so so so good. I have been through a roller coaster of emotions with God the last few months which have led me to my current state. And at this exact moment, I have never been more full of joy than right now. So here are some things that I would encourage everyone to remember as you are going through the valleys and even when you are on the mountaintop.

1. God will never ever leave you nor forsake you. He never leaves. He is always with you. If you don't feel him, don't be discouraged, press in. I have felt this way before but looking back, I realize how much he really was working things out.

2. God is for you, not against you. If something happens that makes you feel like God hates you, TRUST that his word is the truth. And he says he is for you.

3. He has good plans for you. Imagine what you think good is, then take a deeper look and look through the eyes of your Father. His good is way better than our good. Again, TRUST him.

4. He loves you. Let him love you. He understands your pain. It's okay to cry out to him. It's okay to let him know how you feel. He wants to be everything for you. Even your shoulder to cry on. Let him.

5. He is more. He is the love of your life. He is what you have been searching for, what your soul needs, the only person on earth who will always be there for you and will never ever disappoint. He is amazing. He will give you a joy that you don't even understand because your circumstances look like you should be weeping instead of jumping for joy. He is the King of all Kings. Your Abba. Daddy. The lover of your soul. He loves who you are deep deep inside. The person you hide from other people, he loves that part of you too. He loves your dirt. So much he died to cleanse you from the inside out. Let him be all that to you. And he will always be even more. Because he will continue to surprise you with more. More and more and more and more.

Okay, this was a short one but I know this is going to speak to someone's heart. Go cry in your bedroom and talk to him. Or dance with him. Or whatever your spirit is wanting tonight. Enjoy! XOXO