I’m learning to adjust to life after. Life after college, after babies, after a deaf ear. This happens to all of us, in some ways.
Joy and sorrow intermingle in our days … and God is working in both.
It’s in our deepest valleys we learn to trust Him best. It’s in the disappointments – amidst the suffering – that we see God is working.
Just as we have over the past warm nine months, we’ll creatively adjust to the next colder three. In this post, I’ll share why I’m choosing hope we’ll turn this pandemic winter, this Plan B, into something truly beautiful.
For my girls. For their future. For all the “oh, girls can’t do that,” to be burned to the ground with a passion as soon as possible…
Are you having a hard time connecting with your kids? In this post, I’ll share why using your strengths may be the most natural place to connect.
Are your dreams on hold? I think 2020 has us all feeling that way. In this post, I’ll share six reasons why pausing your dreams is OK.
Regardless of who you vote for, what faith you hold dear, or how you choose to raise your kids, people are people are people.
There’s a hope—a peace in the storm—we find by looking at how God’s carried us through dark seasons, allowing us to trust no matter how bad things are right now, joy is on the way.
Whether it’s quarantine barriers, not fully trusting He can help, being overwhelmed by distractions, crippled by fear, or unwilling to release control, why do we wait to take our fears, doubts, worries, and control to Him?
Our God is longing to hear our voice, for us to trust him with our fears and with our hearts…
If you’re half considering joining the, “let’s up and go” game because you’ve been trapped at home for the past 4 months :/, here’s a few things that helped minimize the crazy on our spontaneous road trip with kids.
As I sip my beverage and watch my girls play with neighbor friends from my lawn chair, I think to myself, “What a wonderful corona world.”
Stepping outside ourselves – lifting each other up, offering a helping hand, a virtual shoulder to cry on – reminds us we’re all in this together.
I think about people on the front lines and parents both working full-time jobs on top of this homeschooling saga and feel guilty even bringing my hard to the table. But you guys, this is hard for everyone. And everyone else’s hard doesn’t make yours any less hard.
What was your favorite thing about me today, mommy?
This has become our new routine, one she won’t let me forget. Every night, as I tuck her in, I tell her. Every night, she asks.
What if we met people where they’re at rather than where we want them to be?
What if we used this time of being home with our family, this time of putting schedules and pickups and activities on hold, to really learn each other better?
When you wake up tomorrow, you can try to be kinder and love harder. You can try to not watch TV (or eat chocolate or scroll Facebook) even if you slipped today.
What if we teach our kids to be confident in who they are by the way we live our lives?
In God’s eyes, there is only love and nothing you’ve ever done, do, or will do can change that.
How much more purposeful would life be if we silenced the distractions getting in the way of what matters most?
What if we celebrated each drawer we organized, closet we rearranged, and tote we took to Goodwill? I don’t expect my toddlers to learn to tie their shoes the first time they try. Why don’t I approach my goals with the same forgiving standards?
After we put our kids to bed, we used to watch House Hunters while mindlessly scrolling our phones. And it drove me crazy.
Saying, “No” usually frees up the family for a greater, “Yes” – family board game nights, time to host friends, kids actually enjoying their presents, etc. – you’ll never regret.
I’m proud I didn’t wait until my hair was longer or facial nerves more recovered. I’m proud because when I show our girls pictures from our wedding day, I remind them that you don’t have to wait until you’re perfect to show up.
I expected to talk about what brought me to Nebraska from Tennessee, playing soccer at the University of Nebraska, and why I started my ministry. I was pleasantly surprised when he took the podcast a different direction.
I decided a long time ago to not let the fear of imperfection stop me from trying.
By leaning in and getting to know the person before the difference, we find we have way more in common than we think.
Looking for the best parenting book of the year? Here are my favorite three on discipline, love languages, and building confidence.
Today, it struck me how important it is for our generation to get off our phones and show our kids how to love well.
God, you put this desire on my heart. You gave me a powerful story to share. I have spent so much time and money trying to make this happen. Was I wrong about this dream?” But then, you guys. There’s always a but then
Maybe the Girl Scouts had it right. Sometimes you need to find a new tribe. “Make new friends and keep
I think it’s because I know how fortunate we are I feel guilty even saying I want to go back to work, as if having that desire makes me an awful mom.
I began to see that every part of my story – even and especially that part – could be used for good if I let it.
There is no part of your story that He cannot redefine. There is nothing – absolutely NOTHING – too broken for God to redeem and reweave into something beautiful.
Maybe it’s how we remember summer when we grew up, what we see friends doing, or what worked last year, but there so many lies telling us our summer isn’t measuring up.
Don’t let the fear of not fitting in keep you from showing up. Own your story, reach out to the edge of the room and find common ground.
If faith is simply something kids hear about in second period and CCD, they will never understand the beauty, depth and gift of knowing Jesus.
Let’s not let the fear of doing all the things keep us from doing the next thing.
Picture of Bible and coffee for ‘What Does the Bible Say About Trusting God During Hard Seasons?’ post via Ashley Stevens at http://www.mountainsunmoved.com
