Making it through Survivalville

Here are a couple of tips if you are wading through the waters of sleepless nights, sickness, trials or another difficultly that is placing you in the city of survivallville. I feel like our family just got out of this season and then sometimes I think we have other weeks where we are visiting there again, so these are just practically things that helped me along the way.

1) Set goals for each day. Even if it is only 3 little goals and one of them is getting out of bed and getting dressed, it will help you to have something to work towards in the day and will make you feel productive even if you just accomplished one little thing.

2) Let things go that don't matter.  If you were up 6 times last night and feel like you are barely awake and need to nurture and take care of you little one , then its ok that your house doesn't look perfect and you don't have gourmet meals. I remember my husband telling me that he would much rather me get a nap and be rested then have the house looking great. Let your pride and perfectionist go and love on your baby and take a nap WITHOUT guilt. The house will always be there, and will always need something but right now you just need to make it through the day without too many breakdowns ;)

3) Receive help.  If you are anything like me and you struggle with pride then this one is a toughy. When you are exhausted and can barely function and a family member or a close friend offer to help in some way, its ok to take them up on it. People want to bless you and want to help you get through this season. During our 8 months of very difficult sleepless nights, my mother called me one morning and suggested that I bring my sweet baby over to her house and just take a nap there. I took her up on it and she took care and loved on my little mister and I got a wonderful and MUCH needed nap which in turned helped me be a better and more rested mother. Its ok to admit you don't have everything together and that sometimes you need help.

4) Be honest of your struggle. As believers I feel like we can pretend that we always have it together, and then we crowd out the room with yourself and leave no room for the Holy Spirit and other believers to encourage us. As you are honest of your difficult time you will be amazed that you are not the only person going through it. There is comfort and encouragement knowing you are not alone. During our difficult eating and sleeping trial I had a sweet friend who was also having sleepless nights and we were able to pray for each other and send texts of encouragement along the way.

5) Don't numb it with media. Yes you are tired. Yes its easier to scroll through facebook then read your bible or just sit and hear from the Lord or just rock your baby without the phone in your hand. But too much social media can cause you to have a much more difficult time as it can sometimes breed jealousy, discontentment and suck your precious time where you could rest. Be cautious and seek accountability from your husband or close friend if this is something that you struggle with.

6) Cry out to the Lord and lean on HIM for everything! He is our source of strength. Scripture even says the youth grow tired and weary but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength...... (Read Isaiah 40:30-31.) So ask the Lord for strength and make sure during this difficult time that you are asking the Lord to teach you and learn to depend on Him. During our MANY sleepless months I felt like the Lord would speak so clearly to show me my sin and my desperate need for Him.

Hope this is an encouragement to everyone in survivallville! Your not alone and this soon will pass but don't grudge through it with contempt wade through with hope.

Challenge to Mothers

In whatever you do, whether changing diapers, cleaning up spit up or vomit, cleaning up messes for the 50th time that day, feeding your children once again, responding to your husband, cooking and cleaning the kitchen another time....... DO IT ALL heartily as for the Lord rather than man, knowing that it is Christ you are serving. (My adaptation of Colossians 3:23)

And let your words, your responses to crying and fights and whining and complaining and other difficulties of daily life be seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
(My adaptation of Colossians 4:6)

I don't know about you but I am SO grateful for the Word of God that speaks directly into my heart, no matter what I am going through. Recently as I was reading through the book of Colossians, I thought about what an incredible truth and challenge these principals are to everyone, especially to mothers. Hope you are encouraged and challenged too!

Mommy Guilt or Pride?

People using the phrase “mommy guilt” are ever present in this culture as a feeling of guilt when they perceive they aren't being the best they can be, or are doing life differently than other moms. I was having a conversation the other day with my husband about this; he simply said, “that’s not guilt, that’s pride.”  Ouch! That was painful and convicting for me to say the least. There is SO much pressure on mothers today, to be a domestic goddess, to be gorgeous and fit, to have an incredible social life, to volunteer for community or church events, and not to mention just to be an overall creative and sensational wife and mother. The problem that lies with our mentality is the comparison and pride. We desire our life to look perfect and when we have illness, financial difficulty, a hard pregnancy, or other difficulty we feel guilty about not having it all together. It stems from one thing--PRIDE. We want to have it all together. 

Where are the women of today who will be honest enough to say, "I don’t have my life together but I am trying each day to be the best I can be with the Lord’s strength and direction"? Stop feeling guilty over the pressure of “requirements” from other people, and start savoring in the goodness the Lord has given you today and not wallowing in the guilt of expectations from others. When we expect too much of ourselves or of others we get caught in this “mommy guilt” nightmare and can’t enjoy the wonderful things we do have. 

Remember that each family has their own unique convictions and direction they are going in. Instead of comparing yours and feeling guilty that you aren't doing the same, take pleasure in the way God is leading your particular family and bask in His blessings as you walk in obedience.

Perfecting Motherhood

Perfectly manicured hands, pre-baby body back and feeling good as I finish up my hour-long workout before my baby wakes up. I’m so glad that my husband and I have trained our baby to sleep through the night so I can have time to work out, take a shower, and do my hair and makeup all before the baby wakes up. With a clean house, laundry done, stocked fridge with all organic and healthy food, and meal prep done for the new recipe I’m trying off of Pinterest, I have time to play with my baby. While he takes his nap I have time to sit down for a cup of coffee, have my quiet time, catch up on blogs, and read some of my book. After a three-hour nap he happily wakes up and then contentedly plays with toys while I put dinner in the oven. My husband walks in at 5:00pm (like he does every day) and pulls out flowers from behind his back and says “So glad to be home, babe, you’re looking so beautiful today! Dinner smells great!” and picks up our baby and plays with him. Then it’s bath and bed time and finally time to spend with my husband before we go to an early bedtime so we will be refreshed in the morning.

 This is a perfect life, or at least our mental image of a perfect life. THIS HOWEVER IS NOT MY REALITY. Our life could look this way on the outside but in our hearts we could be self righteous, sinful, prideful and judgmental. The Lord is teaching me that A PERFECT LIFE DOES NOT MEAN A PERFECT HEART. It’s in my weakness that He can perfect HIS mighty strength in me.

Through the sleepless nights, no-nap days, blow-out diapers, spit up on my clothes, messy house, simple meals, husband working late, empty fridge, hungry teething baby, and sweatpants the LORD IS PERFECTING MY HEART. He has been patiently teaching me that it doesn't matter what my life looks like on the outside if my heart is not yielded to the sanctification of sweet Jesus. In the days of crying out to the Lord for strength, fighting constantly against flesh, and choosing joy, these are the days that Christ is working in me. This display of dependency on the Lord is more fruitful then having my life together and having no need for my Savior. The 4am prayer/nursing sessions, responding with kindness to a screaming and teething child, confessing the sin of self pity, not comparing my life to my friend’s perfect Facebook status, worshiping through washing the toilets, looking at my body as a tool the Lord has blessed to bring about a baby and not as a stretch-marked milk producer, stopping to pray for patience and control of my tongue; these are moments in my imperfect life that the Lord is perfecting HIS grace and humility in my heart. I have learned more than I have ever imagined through this journey and it’s just the beginning. I am so grateful that God is daily cleaning out the selfishness in my heart and ridding me of my pride through His daily work of sanctification. THIS IS MY PERFECT LIFE IN CHRIST!

The gift of new life

From the onset of the Lord making our family of two we have asked the Lord to guide us and make it known when it was His timing for us to start expanding it. Early in January we discovered we were given a precious gift of life, I was pregnant. When we saw the results we looked at each other in disbelief and shock then continued to cry and pray together thanking the Lord for this new life. The Lord's timing could not have been more perfect. We were in the heat of a difficult trial and the Lord breathed a new life. We were amazed at God's timing and the sweet healing and joyful anticipation it brought. His timing is truly perfect. We are not out of our storm the Lord has us waiting in, but we are joyfully walking through it holding His hand and resting in the fact we know He is at work. Our little boy is a treasure, and when I think about the timing that the Lord chose to place him in my womb I cry and think every good and perfect gift is from above. The Lord knows what we need and how He can refresh our hearts in ways we couldn't imagine. We are so grateful for Lord willing, the privilege to raise a warrior for Christ. As the Lord is forming our little baby we pray that his whole body would be used to bring God glory. Our prayer is that the great Counselor the Holy Spirit will guide us and teach us how to be parents and lead our children in Jesus. Once again another season of waiting and preparing. Grateful that we have the Lord who has blessed us with His word and Spirit.

Life is blowing by fast

Haven't updated this in forever! My life has changed drastically in the last 7 months. Every day is still a journey of waiting on the Lord. This season has been so sweet but difficult too with many trails the Lord has been using to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our lives (Hebrews 12:11.) I feel like I have been learning in a very real way what trusting, depending and waiting on the Lord looks like in this season. No matter where you are in life we are called to have faith in the Lord and trust that He knows what is best.

Here is a summary of the last several months.

Uniting in Covenant Marriage




Honeymoon



Then learning how to be a wife, helpmate and homemaker, its a constant learning experience :-)

Been a sweet season of the Lord sifting out selfishness and using marriage to sanctify our lives. More to come..... stay tuned.

Waiting on the Lord in Engagement

Wow! I can’t believe this is the season of life I am in. It is fun, stressful, busy, sweet, challenging and filled with growth. During this season of waiting I have been learning about myself, serving and learning what scripture teaches on being a wife. My love for the Lord and for my future husband is growing deeper each day, I just long to be his helpmate in life.

This is QUITE the season of waiting on the Lord while experiencing the desire for marriage that is so deep. I think the Lord allows engagement to make me appreciate marriage even more, and the gift and treasure it is. Just like any other season of waiting I am trying to not give into the flesh and instead ask the Lord what I am suppose to learn in the here and now, which most days is very difficult.

I need to remind myself that no matter what season, God is kind in all His deeds and He is near to all those who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 145:17-18.) No matter if you are single, engaged, or married, life is full of seasons of waiting on the Lord and trusting in His character that He knows best. Rest in the truth that God is kind in everything He does and He is near to us as we are in His Word in truth.

I just want to be real and genuine in all of life’s joys, hurts and difficulties. We are all in different seasons and are called to be real with each other and encourage. Remember that no matter what your circumstance and how overwhelmed you may feel the Lord can use you to be an encouragement if you give Him the opportunity.

Hebrews 3:13 ”But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”