Weekly email encouraging Christian moms to grow their faith and find MORE JOY in the mess and magic of motherhood. π Every week I share my authentic take on motherhood (the good, the bad, an the ugly), a short Scripture-based devotional, and a few of my favorite things.
Markers, strawberries and toddlers ποΈποΈ
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Hey Reader! Sunday morningβ¦the year of our Lord 2016...the sun waking up. Quietness wraps around the little gray house we lived in. I prepped my coffee and then got our baby, Barrett up for a bottle. I was surprised I hadn't heard my intrepid firstborn toddler yet, but decided to simply savor the cup of coffee with just me and my son before the controlled chaos of getting ready for church. Just as he finished his breakfast I heard my daughter chattering and moving around here room. So I set him down on his play mat to kick and wiggle and went to greet my daughter. I opened the door, expecting to see her smiling face and have some special mommy and Layla cuddles before we rejoined her brother. Instead, her bright as the morning sun smile is surrounded by marker--bright teal, permanent marker. βI coloring!!β she exclaimed. Upon closer examination, the marker is everywhere. Her face and hands are covered. So is her little white rocking chair, an heirloom gift from her grandparents; now forever marked by her generous scribbles. Her American Girl (*more expensive than a baby doll should ever be*) has bright teal, marker tattoos all over her face, arms, eyes, legs, belly. My friends, I lost my mama-mind a bit over this tragedy in the moment. I was so mad, sad, and frustrated. Thankfully, time has softened the memory and now it just makes me chuckle and sigh with compassion for that "doing her exhausted best" version of myself. 8 years later, I thought of this incident again as I was reading in Psalms. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. βI do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me. -Psalm 40:10-11
When I look behind me at my past, I see God's faithfulness written all over my life, just like Layla's toddler scribbles were all over her room. It's the golden thread running throughout my story--God sustaining, God leading, God comforting. When I stand still in the present moment, it stands beside me. Through the busyness, bills, permission slips, dishes, questions, and quiet--God's faithfulness guards. When I look forward into the future, I'm more than confident He will keep pouring out His mercy, love, and faithfulness. Into the unknown, my known God leads me. So here's a question for us this weekend... What story is God writing over your life right now? So many times we can ruminate on the past or worry about the future, but for me it's most helpful to stop and try to identify how God is working, speaking, and being faithful in my ordinary present. Maybe you're meeting Him as a Sustainer? Maybe as a Healer? Maybe as a Friend you're celebrating with? Whatever He's up to in your life right now, I know He's being faithful. That's just who He is. Father, we acknowledge Your faithfulness written over our lives in big, bold marker. Open our eyes to the story You are writing through this current season of our lives. Whether we look back, ahead, or right beside us--Your love and grace are our constant companions. Be Thou our vision. Amen. Feel free to forward this to a friend who you think would love the weekly encouragement and resources! And, if you are the new friend, Hey there! π We are so thrilled to have you. Click here to never miss out on the fun!
π FRIDAY LOVES π π Poop, Markers, and Glorious Grace -- If you want to read my reflections on the toddler marker drama (and the poop drama that followed) give this blog post a read! So thankful for how God keeps working in our lives! π Dancing Shoes -- My brothers wedding is coming up and I got these sparkly, neutral shoes to wear! They're adorable and I foresee getting plenty of use out of them! π Backyard Fun -- We've been having some glorious spring weather and here are some of the things we love having in our backyard to make play and outdoor adventures ready and fun so our kids enjoy spending time outside! We tend to put all our outdoor toys in a bin together so the kids can easily get them out and (hopefully) clean them up on their own! π Strawberry Short Cake -- Strawberries have been on sale at Meijer the past week, and this delicious short cake recipe is perfect to make over the weekend! π Dealing with Mother's Day Expectations -- Pop over to this post and read the section about Mother's Day expectations! Remember, "clear is kind" and it's not too late to have a conversation about your desires, expectations and boundaries!
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Hey Christian mama!
Weekly email encouraging Christian moms to grow their faith and find MORE JOY in the mess and magic of motherhood. π Every week I share my authentic take on motherhood (the good, the bad, an the ugly), a short Scripture-based devotional, and a few of my favorite things.