Welcome back friends and thank you for joining me for another day, another cup of coffee and another chance to fellowship!
Today I want to talk about our "circle"! Our "circle" is our group of people whether it be family or friends that we allow to be a part of our every day.
If you are a wife or a mother, your circle consists of your husband and your children, but did you know that your circle reaches far beyond the four walls of your home. You have a strong influence on not only your marriage and your home but also on the legacy you are leaving behind.
I think about my grandmother, who thankfully is still with us. Growing up she always welcomed us into her home, provided us with comfort and love. She is a bible believing Christian woman who took us to church and shared Jesus with us. Even after my parent's divorce, she still came to visit us states away and communicated through letters, gifts, and phone calls. Her legacy will be one of a godly woman.
I think about my aunt who also lives states away. If you have the privilege of knowing her, you are in great company. She has had an amazing impact on my life and for that I am grateful. Whenever she is faced with a problem or difficulties, she always handles it with so much ease and positivity. One of the greatest things I have heard her say is, "I will have no regrets." What a life led, being able to look back and know that you did everything you wanted to do and you have no regrets!
You have been set in your position as a wife and mother to affect more than you know. If you allow your issues, daily struggles, and trials to steal your joy over and over again, what kind of impact will you make? If you don't allow yourself to accept the grace of our Heavenly Father when you fail, how will you extend grace to others?
I have a picture hanging in our school room that says "Your attitude determines your direction". This is a profound statement when you really stop and think about it! If your attitude is one that projects negativity and gloom every time a struggle comes your way, you will feel defeated most all of the time. If your attitude is one of joy and happiness, you will be able to face the day to day disappointments that life is undoubtedly packed with.
Now, this is not to say that we as wives and mothers are not allowed a negative day or that we must walk around like Mary Sunshine all the time, that would not be reality. We are commanded however, in God's Word to overcome!
In John 16:33, God's Word says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." You see, my friend, Jesus has already been where we are, He has already faced everything we are facing and He overcame all of it!
In Him, we can find peace, comfort and joy. We can demonstrate the hope that our people need through the grace that Jesus has given us to overcome obstacles and difficulties in our life. You have a choice how you respond to the things that are placed in your path, and your choice of how you will react is much more important that what you are actually facing!
So, will you impact your circle with grace, joy and love or will they see a spiral of negativity, despair and doubt?
I challenge you today to think about your circle of impact and the legacy you will leave behind....what will they remember about you?
these four walls and beyond
ministering inside the home and out
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
Welcome back friends and happy Monday!
Are you a blue Monday kind of mom? Or a TGIF kind of mom? I want to talk to you today about working diligently at what the Lord has given us as a special and precious responsibility. I want to remind you that the mood you set in your home about your work is what your children are seeing and what they will soon follow and imitate.
As I was going to bed last night my husband said "how is it Monday already?" to which I replied, "I don't really ever look at Monday or the weekend anymore, all of my days just run together." Of course, I meant that in a non-restful busy way.
However, this morning during my Bible study I was listening to a story by Elisabeth Elliott on "The Peaceful Home", to which she shared some insightful knowledge on how we as mother's should approach the beginning and end of the week.
You see, everywhere we go, everything do, and everything we say, there are little eyes and ears watching and listening. So, if we are grumpy about our work, they will learn to be grumpy about theirs. Have your children ever complained about their chores? Thrown a fit after being asked to do something? Do you ever wonder where they saw or heard that? (Certain not us, right?!) Colossians 3:23 says "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" Here is a command from God to do our work until Him and not the world. Now, think about it this way: God has written out your to-do list, your chores and your duties for each and every day! Are you going to grumble and complain to our Heavenly Father? "But Lord, I don't want to make my bed, I don't want to scrub the toilets again, I don't want to wash that fifth load of laundry." I seriously doubt it! We need to embrace our homemaking with a happy heart!
It's time we take back the happiness of being at home and the happiness of Mondays and beginning a new week. Don't just be a "live for the weekend" kind of person. Embrace the work God has given you everyday! Do it cheerfully, do it quickly, do it with love in your heart! The monotony of everyday chores and responsibilities can easily get us down as mother's, but if we take a different approach to what God has given us to do inside the home, we can better equip our children to be happy, healthy, hardworking adults!
So, don't be a blue Monday or TGIF kind of mom....be a happy, cheerful, God-fearing, God-loving, every day of the week is a blessing kind of mom!
Are you a blue Monday kind of mom? Or a TGIF kind of mom? I want to talk to you today about working diligently at what the Lord has given us as a special and precious responsibility. I want to remind you that the mood you set in your home about your work is what your children are seeing and what they will soon follow and imitate.
As I was going to bed last night my husband said "how is it Monday already?" to which I replied, "I don't really ever look at Monday or the weekend anymore, all of my days just run together." Of course, I meant that in a non-restful busy way.
However, this morning during my Bible study I was listening to a story by Elisabeth Elliott on "The Peaceful Home", to which she shared some insightful knowledge on how we as mother's should approach the beginning and end of the week.
You see, everywhere we go, everything do, and everything we say, there are little eyes and ears watching and listening. So, if we are grumpy about our work, they will learn to be grumpy about theirs. Have your children ever complained about their chores? Thrown a fit after being asked to do something? Do you ever wonder where they saw or heard that? (Certain not us, right?!) Colossians 3:23 says "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" Here is a command from God to do our work until Him and not the world. Now, think about it this way: God has written out your to-do list, your chores and your duties for each and every day! Are you going to grumble and complain to our Heavenly Father? "But Lord, I don't want to make my bed, I don't want to scrub the toilets again, I don't want to wash that fifth load of laundry." I seriously doubt it! We need to embrace our homemaking with a happy heart!
It's time we take back the happiness of being at home and the happiness of Mondays and beginning a new week. Don't just be a "live for the weekend" kind of person. Embrace the work God has given you everyday! Do it cheerfully, do it quickly, do it with love in your heart! The monotony of everyday chores and responsibilities can easily get us down as mother's, but if we take a different approach to what God has given us to do inside the home, we can better equip our children to be happy, healthy, hardworking adults!
So, don't be a blue Monday or TGIF kind of mom....be a happy, cheerful, God-fearing, God-loving, every day of the week is a blessing kind of mom!
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Rinse, Lather, Repeat
Do you ever feel like your life should be on the back side of a shampoo bottle?
Lather, Rinse, Repeat....the same old, same old routine, day in and day out. Sometimes I think that these sayings get a bad rap but today I want to change that.
As I was sitting with my heavenly Father this morning over coffee, He spoke to me in a profound way about my life and my responsibility as a mother. "Jessica, you are a mother! You are their mother. You are to here to lead them, guide them, and direct them to me. I see you and I see the routine even on the hard days and I am with you!"
Every day, we as mothers have the amazing opportunity to love our children with a love that the Lord has instilled in us from the day they were born. Regardless of how mundane the days are, the Lord gives us a chance at the end of each day to do 3 things:
1.RINSE off any sins, clear the board and wipe the daily slate clean by coming to Him and asking for forgiveness.
2. LATHER or mix things up from the day before, do things differently and make the day better for both you and your children. This can be as simple as the way you speak and the things you do. Be spontaneous, creative and silly even.
3. REPEAT - Start each day over with a new perspective and a newfound love for your children. When you find that something is working, repeat it and keep it going.
The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
If we rely on Him and pray to receive His mercy, we will not be consumed by the enemy's tactics to wear us out and take the joy of our motherhood! He is faithful dear friend and He will not fail you! He is with you every step of the way.
Til' next time friends...
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Spinning Our Wheels
Have you ever seen a car that has gotten its wheels stuck in the mud? The passenger or onlooker usually gets out to help navigate the driver on what is actually going on back there. The driver works as hard as they can to pull him or herself out of the mud when all it feels like is that they are just spinning their wheels.
I have had those days even when I am not in my car, how about you?
Some days I wake up ready to face the world head on, leaping piles of laundry like a superhero, vacuuming at lightning speeds and whipping up dinner in a snap! But can I be honest, some days this is not the case. I try to be superwoman everyday! The operative word here being TRY! But trying to be super wife, super mom, super friend, super at everything....is super tiring. I seriously believe even superheros get tired! I, just once, want to see a movie where Superwoman, walks in the door, takes off her cape, plops onto the couch, opens a pint of Ben & Jerry's and just chills out! HA, yeah right!
Here is the thing though friend and fellow super woman, we cannot do this alone. When we try to be "super" all the time without the help of our Heavenly Father, we are going to tire, we are going to feel like the mundane of everyday life is causing us to spin our wheels in the mud. One thing that we need to remember is that He sees us even in the mundane, even when no one else notices. God meets us right where we are and right where we need Him. He is our only hope and chance to be "super"!
The enemy wants you to believe that you can do it all by yourself without God's help but God's Word says in John 10:10, "the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:" See, my friend the devil is a liar. He wants nothing more than for you to be miserable. He wants to steal the joy that you can have in homemaking and taking care of your family because that is a gift from God. It is a biblical calling (Titus 2:4-5).
God sees you in the quiet moments when no one else is watching. The times when you are up to your eyeballs folding what seems to be mountains of laundry, doing dishes for that crowd of 5,000 that you don't remember feeding or pressing out wrinkles in the clothes that have been in a basket since last Tuesday. He sees you! He cherishes those moments when you are alone and can call on Him for rest, for peace, and for strength. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." We need to turn and rely on Him for our strength!
When we feel as though the mundane acts of our everyday lives are nothing more than chores and duties, we have lost sight of how God intended for us to live.
Right now, I pray that you, whoever you are, will stop and take a moment to turn to God and ask Him to restore the joy in your life, restore the joy in the amazing responsibility that He has bestowed upon us as keepers of the home, as women who love our families and as daughters of an Almighty King!
Til' next time friend!
Sunday, April 1, 2018
It's ok to be weak
How often do we pray, "Lord give me strength"?
Strength to face the day to day. Strength to face the adversities that come our way. Strength to face whatever it is that the enemy throws at us. Strength as a mother to handle the ins-and-outs of your household. Strength to deal with life through the birth of a child and strength to deal with death in the loss of a loved one. But what if I told you that we aren't meant to be that strong?
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
It is through our weakness that Christ's strength is made perfect for us. When we allow ourselves to be broken and exposed, vulnerable and helpless, that is when we are able to see Christ's strength. The strength we need to make it through that endless day, those daunting hours and those minute by minute situations that make us feel like we can't go on. Isaiah 40:29 says "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
When we feel that showing signs of emotion during hard times is weakness, it's like we are saying, "No, that's ok God, I got this. I can handle this situation on my own without Your strength." When in all reality, you are like a shaken soda bottle, bubbling and bubbling inside with all of this built up fear, frustration, anger, sadness, and pent up emotion. One day, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day, something or someone is going to twist your cap off and when they do, all of that uncut, pressed down and festered emotion is going to burst out like a destructive volcano causing more damage and harm to you and those around you.
No matter what you are facing, there is perfect strength waiting to wrap His arms around you, waiting to embrace your weakness and wanting to cover you with His wings! The Lord "knows the hope of the helpless", He will hear their cries and comfort them! (Psalm 10:17)
Let yourself be vulnerable, my friend, let yourself be weak because it is then that we experience the awe-inspiring strength that only comes from Jesus Christ!
Til' next time...
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Welcome back friends,
I hope you are enjoying your Christmas break and getting ready for the holidays! Here in our house we are anxiously awaiting the celebration of Jesus' birth! We are preparing for meals with family, good times with friends and loving the fact that school is done until 2018...can I get an amen?
In preparation for the Christmas season I have been following some advent studies that have really opened my eyes to some things I didn't think about before. Michelle over at Displaying Grace has done a beautiful job preparing our hearts for advent in a very real and different way this year with her advent study on the redeemed women of the Bible! While there are so many things I have pulled from this study, one main thing is that Mary gave birth to the One who still had to redeem her. Can you imagine her heart and mind as Jesus was growing up and doing miraculous things? She too had to be saved, redeemed and forgiven by the very one that she carried in her womb! WOW..that is powerful!
If you haven't had the chance to read an advent study and want something you can do even after Christmas is over, head over to her website at displayinggrace.com and check it out! She is an amazing writer and this study she has written will open your eyes to how you too can be redeemed!
Another great advent study I am reading this season is "Unwrapping the Joy" by Tonya Andrews at encourageherministry.com. Y'all this is her first book and it is incredible! I have joined Tonya every Tuesday and Thursday on both Instagram and Facebook while she goes over and discusses the scripture passages throughout the book. This is a beautiful depiction of the excitement and anticipation we should feel towards the birth of Christ the King!
One thing I have pulled from her study that has touched my heart is the simple fact that when Jesus came and was born a babe in a manger, He was so significant but yet so human. He was fed just like any other baby, played just like any other child and grew as we do now. There is so much humanity in that Jesus was relatable.
Maybe you have studied advent before or maybe you have no idea what advent really is....go pick up one or both of these studies from these precious women of God, you will not be sorry and you will grow in your walk with Him!
I pray that each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas and take the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and what this season is all about! Everlasting love, sent for us only to die in our place!
Til' next time.....
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
The Rocking Chair
Welcome back friend,
We've all heard the old saying "worry is like a rocking chair, it gets you nowhere", right? Well, I want to revamp that statement by saying "worry is like a gumball machine, it spirals out of control". When we worry, we take away the trust we have in God and it's like we are saying, "God I don't trust you, I think I can do it better." Do you really want to say that to the one who created this whole universe, the one who put the stars in their place and tells the ocean where to stop flowing? Do you really and truly think that your way is better than His?
Worry is defined as the giving way to anxiety or unease; allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Now I am not an English major or scholar by any means but get this....the dialectal British definition of this word is "choke, strangle". WHOA!! How many times have you worried over something and felt like the worry had completely taken over and you were choking? I have. Sometimes it would start by a simple little thing that I was worried about but all of a sudden...BAM, it begins to spiral out of control into nonsense worrying. The one small, tiny thing that I was worried about had now become this giant, hovering cloud of anxiety, unsureness, disappointment, sadness, and any other negative feeling that you could possibly insert here.
Worry has damaged relationships with family, friends, it has robbed me of some of the happiest times when I truly should've been feeling blessed rather than burdened. I have worried if I am a good enough daughter, a good enough wife and mother, a good enough friend and of course, I have worried if I am a good enough Christian! Raise your hand if you've been there. Once I decided to give my life to Christ, I had to trust Him with it all, even my worries! Letting God lead my life in all aspects is a burden lifter because I don't want that responsibility of worry!
What do you worry about? Is it a task that God has given you and you aren't sure whether to press forward? Is it financial? Is it if you should have another baby? Is it, is what you are doing for God good enough? I am certain that whatever you are worrying about today, HE CAN HANDLE IT! In this world, there are millions of reasons why we should worry but only one reason why we shouldn't.....because God said not to! Can you hear Him saying this audibly like a mother hen, "because I said so!"?
God's Word says in Matthew 6:25-27, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Again in Philippians 4:6, His Word says, "Do not (this is a command) be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." We need to give our worries to Him, lay them at His feet and stop picking them up!! Trust that when you give your worries to God, He will take care of them for your good, one way or another!
Whatever it is that you are worried about today my friend, I pray that you will stop right now, take a moment to pray and give it up to God. Lay your worries at His feet, let Him have it and let Him take control of these things that are causing you to choke.
Be blessed friends, til next time!
Friday, October 13, 2017
Stepping Back
Do you ever feel like the ins and outs of your day are getting lost in the proverbial sauce? Sometimes things get so overwhelming that you tend to just run through them without even thinking. This week I have felt this way about our homeschool routine.
We sit at our table with our books spread out and pencils in hand but it is always just paperwork.....where is the fun? What happened to the days of paper plate crafts, accordion folded legs on paper hearts and turkeys made from painted hands? When did school become so mundane? This is the real reason we stay at home, isn't it?
This week as I sat over coffee with a friend, she reminded me of something very important. She reminded me that I needed to step back and that it's ok to do so! I need to put down the lesson plan and step away from the routine part for a minute. I need to put things into perspective and remember what it is that I am doing. I went to school for education so I am not new to the concept of teaching. So often I think we feel the need to get everything perfect and that everything has to be just right and just as it is written down in the lesson planning book. We feel like we can't stray from what is written down. Come close because I'm gonna let you in on a little secret......it's called a pencil! See, there are no rules that say things can't be changed or erased and redone. There is no one standing over you saying, "you MUST do it this way" or "you MUST do it that way". So if this is the case, what do you do next? Well, after my coffee chat with my brilliant friend, here is what I have decided to do...
STEP BACK
I have decided to step back and rather than push my kids through without having any fun, we are incorporating an art project and craft a few times a week. On Thursday morning, they woke up to Q-tip painting and a bible lesson on Jesus and the changing leaves. Their little faces lit up all because they were getting ready to paint a picture! Y'all, it's those moments when I realize that I need to do more by doing less. Less strategic planning, more craftful planning. Less paperwork, more paper plate art. Less being stressed about where they are in their books, and more being blessed by where they are in their hearts!
So, if you are in a rut and this sounds like you, I encourage you to take a step back and look at the whole picture. Figure out what you need to change and change it. Plan some fun activities with your kids. Put the life back into your homeschool. It will be a good thing and you will be glad you did and remember......it's ok to do so!!
We sit at our table with our books spread out and pencils in hand but it is always just paperwork.....where is the fun? What happened to the days of paper plate crafts, accordion folded legs on paper hearts and turkeys made from painted hands? When did school become so mundane? This is the real reason we stay at home, isn't it?
This week as I sat over coffee with a friend, she reminded me of something very important. She reminded me that I needed to step back and that it's ok to do so! I need to put down the lesson plan and step away from the routine part for a minute. I need to put things into perspective and remember what it is that I am doing. I went to school for education so I am not new to the concept of teaching. So often I think we feel the need to get everything perfect and that everything has to be just right and just as it is written down in the lesson planning book. We feel like we can't stray from what is written down. Come close because I'm gonna let you in on a little secret......it's called a pencil! See, there are no rules that say things can't be changed or erased and redone. There is no one standing over you saying, "you MUST do it this way" or "you MUST do it that way". So if this is the case, what do you do next? Well, after my coffee chat with my brilliant friend, here is what I have decided to do...
STEP BACK
I have decided to step back and rather than push my kids through without having any fun, we are incorporating an art project and craft a few times a week. On Thursday morning, they woke up to Q-tip painting and a bible lesson on Jesus and the changing leaves. Their little faces lit up all because they were getting ready to paint a picture! Y'all, it's those moments when I realize that I need to do more by doing less. Less strategic planning, more craftful planning. Less paperwork, more paper plate art. Less being stressed about where they are in their books, and more being blessed by where they are in their hearts!
So, if you are in a rut and this sounds like you, I encourage you to take a step back and look at the whole picture. Figure out what you need to change and change it. Plan some fun activities with your kids. Put the life back into your homeschool. It will be a good thing and you will be glad you did and remember......it's ok to do so!!
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
My Top Ten Favorite Things
Welcome back friend!
As we climb into the beautiful season of Autumn and the month of October, we are getting ready for falling leaves, apple cider, hayrides and days of thankfulness! If you are anything like me, this is your favorite time of the year and the perfect weather to drink more coffee (can I get a hallelujah?)
Along with fall being my favorite season, there are several things making my list of favorites right now, so let's take a look at the top ten things that are marshing my mellow right now!
MY TOP TEN FAVORITES FOR OCTOBER
1. Bandanas - if you know anything about me yet, you know I absolutely love my bandanas! I have every color imaginable and I try to wear at least one a day! I get them at Hobby Lobby for .99, which makes it even that much better! They fancy up my regular old ponytail and give me a little extra prettiness.
2. Mulled Cider Candles (Wal-Mart) - these fall scented candles have become my all time favorite fall scent. The aroma in my home is amazing with just the right hint of apples, cinnamon and spice! They can be found at Wal-Mart for around $4 in the candle aisle.
3. Flavored Coffee - I cannot say enough about the flavored coffee I have been ordering on Amazon! I have tried every flavor under the sun....you name it, I've tried it! Blueberry cheesecake - ✔, Chocolate Cherry - ✔, Peanut butter and Jelly - ✔.........I can't get enough and it is an amazing way to start my day! My Favorite Coffee right now
4. PB2 - If you have spent any time around anyone who is on a weight loss journey or following a diet plan, you may have heard about this magic in a jar! PB2 is a powdered peanut butter and with just a little water turns into the most creamy, deliciousness that I've ever spread on toast. I have added this treat to my yogurt, toast and even english muffins with granola! Way less fat and much healthier for you than regular peanut butter! It's a win-win!
5. "Mom Set Free" by Jeannie Cunnion - This book is life changing y'all. It is slowly teaching me to slow down as a mom and enjoy my children. Life goes by way too fast to not enjoy your time with your precious gifts from God. They are only lent to us for a time and what you do with that time is totally up to you...will you spend it doing dishes? worrying about the laundry that will still be there tomorrow? or will you take the time to feed into your children and love on them daily?!
6. Granola - I don't know why I have never been a big fan of granola before because it is delicious! I have recently bought the "Back to Nature" brand in peanut butter flavor at Food Lion for around $3, which is not a bad price at all for the amount that you get. I have used this over my yogurt with strawberries or blueberries added and also on top of my english muffin with PB2! Game-changer for sure!
7. Peppermint Essential Oil - This oil has a strange effect on me because it seems to serve multiple purposes. When I need a pick me up, I love to diffuse this scent. When I have some head discomfort, rubbing this oil on my forehead and temples, gives me relief. When I want to calm down at night, it somehow reminds me of warmth, maybe because I associate the smell of peppermint with Christmas, so it makes me feel cozy! I personally use Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil!
8. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - Ok ladies, have you ever taken your makeup off at night, dried your face thinking it was good and clean, only to look down at the towel and have Tammy Faye staring back at you, from everything your makeup didn't remove? I can't be the only one! So, about a month ago, I found a sample in the far bottom of my makeup bag that my sister had given me of this little gem and I thought to myself, "self- you need to use this up" and boy am I glad I did! Ya'll this cleanser takes it all off, and I know it isn't some fancy, high dollar brand which truthfully makes it that much better, right? It leaves my face feeling clean, smooth and it smells good too! Sidenote: wouldn't it be more fun to wash your face with something that smelled like chocolate or cheeseburgers?
9. Cheeseburger Cheez-Its - So, a few weeks ago (preweight loss journey) I was at Wal-Mart and I noticed that Cheez-Its had a contest going on for three new flavors, seems like everyone is doing that these days. They had pizza, loaded nacho and cheeseburger and while all three sounded incredible, I let my children decide and cheeseburger won it! Please hear me when I say, I ate the whole box by myself. Now it didn't happen in one sitting but it very well could have.....D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! You can taste everything just like a cheeseburger...the mustard, pickle, ketchup and lettuce. So I was a little bummed when I went back to try the others and they weren't available. Have you tried them, what did you think?
10. Friends (re-runs) - I had forgotten how funny this show is. It makes me feel old watching it now because I remember when it first came out and I was in high school, that was 21 years ago. My best friend Julie and I used to get together every Thursday and watch new episodes. As years went by and seasons passed on the show, I missed a lot so now going back and watching it on Netflix or even on regular cable tv, I am seeing things I missed or didn't remember and am rolling with laughter. It is my guilty pleasure at night while I eat my snack! What are you watching right now?
So there you go, as we continue to roll through October, I pray that you will take the time to enjoy your families, go on a hayride, carve some pumpkins and try out something new that may just become your new favorite! Til' next time friends.....
Monday, September 18, 2017
Things I Had to Learn on My Own
You know in life there are certain things that people can teach you, train you and help you to learn. We go to primary school to learn the basics, we go to high school to learn in depth and then we go to college to learn about our degree and what's going to serve us for the rest of our life. However, in this life there are things that we have to learn on our own. These are things that no person can teach us by their experience. So here are a few things that I've had to learn on my own in my 36 years of life:
1. Jesus will never let you down:
I've had to learn that every single person in this world is going to let you down at some point or another. People are going to disappoint you whether they are your family, your friends, your spouse, your children, etc. But there is one person that will never let you down, never disappoint you, never leave you, never forsake you, never hurt you, never fail you...that is Your Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ! He has been there for me through ups and downs, thick and thin, good and bad, happy and sad, and although I cannot physically see Him I can feel Him. I can feel His comfort during the midst of grief. I can feel His happiness during times of rejoicing. I can feel His peace when I am in the midst of a storm. He is my comforter, my deliverer, my calm and place of rest and rescue!
2. Marriage Takes Three:
When my husband proposed to me, you couldn't have found a happier woman on the planet. My mother and I went shopping for my dress and at the dress shop there was a sweet little lady who gave me a piece of paper with a poem written on it entitled "Marriage Takes Three". At the time I didn't realize the significance of what that poem actually meant but I thought how sweet of her, a stranger who barely knows me, to give me something like this for my wedding. See I never really thought about marriage in a Godly form or even as a Heaven Sent gift. I was raised in a broken home, saw several divorces, abuse, neglect and brokenness, so God was rarely talked about, mentioned or really taught as someone to rely on through marriage. It took several years into my own marriage to realize what that poem was all about. We had some rocky times in the beginning of our marriage and it was all because we did not have that third person as part of our everyday living throughout our marriage. We didn't realize how important the third party was. But now almost 14 years into our marriage I can honestly say that we have one of the strongest, loving, God-led marriages that I know. We put him at the center of everything that we do from raising our children to me becoming a stay-at-home mother and wife to the decisions that we make as a family. That poem was probably one of the best wedding gifts I could have ever received because looking back at it now I realize that that was just the starting point of realizing what I wanted my marriage to be.
And last but not least...
3. Motherhood is Messy
Y'all can I just say that there are some days that I want to throw the towel in ( but that would make more laundry for me), ship my kids off to a military school and just be done. You know for the most part my kids are very well behaved we've raised them right, we've taught them to use their manners and be respectful, and we've taught them right from wrong. However there are those days when everybody's at each other's throats, nobody's happy with what's put on the table and Mommy can't do anything right. Those are the days that it's hard, those are the days that no one told you about, and those are the days that you have to experience for yourself. Not most of the time those days are few and far between but they will happen and they do happen. Motherhood is messy! But even in the messiness and even in the mundane events, chores and activities of everyday motherhood, I would choose this over any other job in the world. Am I the perfect mom? No! Do I try to be? No! Are my kids perfect? No! And we don't try to be. I don't want to be a Pinterest mom I want to be a Priceless mom, one that can't be replaced with things that are store bought or things that can be made. I want to be the mom who sits and reads to my children at night who loves them in their wrongs and who gives them grace each and every day to start over with a clean slate. That's what my heavenly father does for me. He gives me grace even when I make mistakes, even when I do wrong, even when I sin he extends that unmerited favor of grace to me when I don't deserve it.
His love can't be made, His love can't be bought at Hobby Lobby or Walmart and I don't have to earn His love, it's a free gift that was paid for on the cross!
If you don't know him today and have a personal relationship with him I pray that you will get down on your knees and ask him to come into your heart, let him know that you trust Him with your life and that you love him and that you believe that He died on the cross for your sins. No one can make this decision for you, and no one else can save you but Jesus Christ. My salvation is not your salvation, my salvation is not my children's salvation. You need to experience God's love and God's saving grace for yourself and I pray you will do so today!
1. Jesus will never let you down:
I've had to learn that every single person in this world is going to let you down at some point or another. People are going to disappoint you whether they are your family, your friends, your spouse, your children, etc. But there is one person that will never let you down, never disappoint you, never leave you, never forsake you, never hurt you, never fail you...that is Your Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ! He has been there for me through ups and downs, thick and thin, good and bad, happy and sad, and although I cannot physically see Him I can feel Him. I can feel His comfort during the midst of grief. I can feel His happiness during times of rejoicing. I can feel His peace when I am in the midst of a storm. He is my comforter, my deliverer, my calm and place of rest and rescue!
2. Marriage Takes Three:
When my husband proposed to me, you couldn't have found a happier woman on the planet. My mother and I went shopping for my dress and at the dress shop there was a sweet little lady who gave me a piece of paper with a poem written on it entitled "Marriage Takes Three". At the time I didn't realize the significance of what that poem actually meant but I thought how sweet of her, a stranger who barely knows me, to give me something like this for my wedding. See I never really thought about marriage in a Godly form or even as a Heaven Sent gift. I was raised in a broken home, saw several divorces, abuse, neglect and brokenness, so God was rarely talked about, mentioned or really taught as someone to rely on through marriage. It took several years into my own marriage to realize what that poem was all about. We had some rocky times in the beginning of our marriage and it was all because we did not have that third person as part of our everyday living throughout our marriage. We didn't realize how important the third party was. But now almost 14 years into our marriage I can honestly say that we have one of the strongest, loving, God-led marriages that I know. We put him at the center of everything that we do from raising our children to me becoming a stay-at-home mother and wife to the decisions that we make as a family. That poem was probably one of the best wedding gifts I could have ever received because looking back at it now I realize that that was just the starting point of realizing what I wanted my marriage to be.
And last but not least...
3. Motherhood is Messy
Y'all can I just say that there are some days that I want to throw the towel in ( but that would make more laundry for me), ship my kids off to a military school and just be done. You know for the most part my kids are very well behaved we've raised them right, we've taught them to use their manners and be respectful, and we've taught them right from wrong. However there are those days when everybody's at each other's throats, nobody's happy with what's put on the table and Mommy can't do anything right. Those are the days that it's hard, those are the days that no one told you about, and those are the days that you have to experience for yourself. Not most of the time those days are few and far between but they will happen and they do happen. Motherhood is messy! But even in the messiness and even in the mundane events, chores and activities of everyday motherhood, I would choose this over any other job in the world. Am I the perfect mom? No! Do I try to be? No! Are my kids perfect? No! And we don't try to be. I don't want to be a Pinterest mom I want to be a Priceless mom, one that can't be replaced with things that are store bought or things that can be made. I want to be the mom who sits and reads to my children at night who loves them in their wrongs and who gives them grace each and every day to start over with a clean slate. That's what my heavenly father does for me. He gives me grace even when I make mistakes, even when I do wrong, even when I sin he extends that unmerited favor of grace to me when I don't deserve it.
His love can't be made, His love can't be bought at Hobby Lobby or Walmart and I don't have to earn His love, it's a free gift that was paid for on the cross!
If you don't know him today and have a personal relationship with him I pray that you will get down on your knees and ask him to come into your heart, let him know that you trust Him with your life and that you love him and that you believe that He died on the cross for your sins. No one can make this decision for you, and no one else can save you but Jesus Christ. My salvation is not your salvation, my salvation is not my children's salvation. You need to experience God's love and God's saving grace for yourself and I pray you will do so today!
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