Each day we have choices to make.
Where will I go?
What will I do?
Some days we have planned ahead but often even those plans don’t always play out as we imagined.
We may be determined to go in a certain direction, but ultimately that may not be the best route to take.
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You’ve heard of work-life balance, right?
What about trying to find balance within yourself?
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I just returned from a conference that gave me so much more knowledge and action items to take back with me when I return to the office. That being said, my future remains on my mind. While I am trying to remain open minded and open handed, I often drift off into what I think will be the best choices for the years ahead. I wrote this piece after having multiple people I highly respect bring an alternative dream to my attention. I can sometimes get caught up and don’t truly pause to process. So this is my attempt…
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What a blessing it is:
To be a mother
To hold this precious child in your arms as they doze off into dreamland.
To be so tired but unable to sleep because you are still in so much awe that you have the honor and privilege to nurture and love this child for the rest of your days!
Oh yes those are the easy to remember blessings but also…what a blessing it is:
To have a messy home
To have a child who is able to throw fits and food and toys since they can’t quite yet explain what they need or want but are at least communicating the best they know how.
To have a child who cries and screams because they feel safe enough to know you will be their rock and find a way to solve their problem and comfort them like only you know how.
To have a child finally settle down enough to cuddle with you and end up drooling all over your chest.
To be so sleep deprived because you’ve had to become Super Woman too many nights to count, yet you keep pushing past the exhaustion because deep down you know what you do matters.
So many blessings even when they don’t always feel like it.
Yes, what a blessing it is:
To be living in the reality that you dreamed of as a little girl. To watch in amazement how your little one grows up too fast and learns new things each and everyday.
To know that you once prayed to be able to wrap your arms around this soft yet strong little gift that means the whole world to you.
To have living proof that you are stronger than you ever imagined, all because God called you to Motherhood and he will never leave your side.
So when you feel like you’re drowning in laundry and like you’re about to lose your mind over yet another sleepless night, remember that you are living out answered prayers and that these hard times are only a season but oh what a precious season it is, so don’t miss out on soaking in how much of a blessing each moment has been and will continue to be for the rest of your life as you will forever hold the title of “Mom”
And that is a beautiful blessing from our Heavenly Father up above!
As of the day I am wrapping up writing this post, I officially have a 13 month old who is not only walking but RUNNING around my house trying to tell me all sorts of stories that I’m still trying to decode. I’ve been battling sleep deprivation and as a full time working first time mom, it’s A LOT to juggle to say the least. I’m extremely grateful for our village! I’m so glad I’ve been able to encourage and be encouraged by other mothers during this season of being a “new” mom but also over a year postpartum. So when exactly does the newness wear off? I feel like each day is something new. Whatever label we add in front of our role ultimately “Mom” is your name once you have/become pregnant with/adopt that first child.
My goal in this season is to honestly and confidently say that I feel blessed even when my house is a mess!
I know what will last is my son’s feelings of safety and love. May the laughter outnumber the tears and may my heart continue to grow bigger with gratitude each day!
This is my prayer for every Mom who reads this post:
Heavenly Father,
You are the Master Creator. You have blessed us with a child of our own and we are beyond grateful! Please give us strength to be the best mothers we can be! You are so kind to us and we praise you! May we not forget that we are your daughters and you have placed a wonderful calling on each of us!
In Jesus’ Mighty Name, AMEN!
Advent is defined as:
So we celebrate the Birth of Jesus during the Christmas season, but we also wait expectantly for his return. When Christ returns, all will be made right in this world because it will be completely made new. In order for this to happen, the final judgement must take place. Those who follow Jesus and believe in their heart that he is the Son of God who died for our sins because we need a Savior do not have to fear his return. For we will live for eternity in God’s presence with no pain, sadness, or evil of any kind. We will be blessed to live the lives God originally intended at Creation before sin entered the world.
With the recent rapture predictions from September and October of this year, this topic became more front and center for me to write about…
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Writing has been a love of mine since I was very young! I’ve always had a wild imagination and loved to make up stories.
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We cannot stay quiet! We cannot shy away from the uncomfortable conversation! We cannot let the negativity and darkness of this world silence us.
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My grandmother used to sew EVERY day. She had a whole room dedicated to sewing machines, fabrics, thread on spools covering 2 of the 4 walls. I spent a lot of time as a child in her sewing room. There wasn’t much I didn’t watch her make over the years! All the planning, measuring, cutting, piecing together, threading machines, actually sewing, surging, and depending on the creation, stuffing! She made me many outfits over the years! I have photos of me wearing vests with my name and a design embroidered on them with matching pants at an early age.
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When you see a heart-shaped locket, there’s a photo or two inside. The idea is that you place pictures of people you love dearly close to your heart, wearing it around your neck as a reminder that those you love are always near—even when they seem far away.
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People pleasing sucks your energy right out of you… with no energy, worship can be a struggle. Constantly apologizing sometimes for just existing. Having to say, “I’m sorry” for saying “I’m sorry” because true friends aren’t going to allow you to apologize for being yourself, for needing to take care of you, for wanting to bond.
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Letting go, emptying yourself, surrendering all…
These are not natural responses but with a God so good, when you act on the convictions of the Holy Spirit, you will be blessed, filled with hope, and fueled by faith to press on.
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A message to my almost 2 month old son…
I sit in this old rocking chair with you, my son, bundled up in a blanket on my lap with my arm wrapped around you.
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I would like to share examples of God’s faithfulness and provision to women throughout Holy Scripture before sharing my own testimony. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth are some women in The Bible who were considered barren. In ancient times, barrenness was often seen as a punishment from God for disobedience, but he had other plans for them. God used one other woman’s story of motherhood to change everything….the Virgin Mary. See Scriptures in the images below:
God showed up for these women and their families which impacted generations upon generations. With the exception of Mary, the mother of Jesus, these women had lost all hope for them to grow their family, but God knew his plan and was faithful in providing the gift of children. Mary is THE one and only unique example of God using the Holy Spirit to conceive a child, the Son of God and Son of Man, who in turn became the Savior of the world. God is the ultimate miracle worker! God blessed each of them and in turn, blessed so many others, including me. Now that you have a better understanding about the hope I was able to hold onto through the Living Word when it came to God’s plan for my family, it is time for my story:
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I used to write poetry on a regular basis. It has been a while since poetry has flowed naturally. I was at a work conference this past weekend. The last night, before I headed home, I went to God to reflect on the blessings from the weekend that were a result from blessings over the past year. In my hotel room, there was an interesting wall decoration of multiple mirrors. While I was praying, I looked at the mirrors hanging on the wall. The thought came to me how we look in the mirror, and often don’t think positive things about ourselves. I have often asked God to help me see myself the way he sees me and have prayed that over my loved ones as well. I felt the overwhelming urge to write. So, I did.
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Marriage has been the intention for man and woman from the beginning. God created Adam, and for the first time, said that something was NOT good.
“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”(more…)
-Genesis 2:18-24 NLT
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