I sit to write this as a 34-year old wife and mother of 3. My heart is with the single mommas on the eve of this 2020 Mother’s Day because I know it’s not easy. I’ve lived it and it’s only by the grace of God that I made it through. Now, I want to encourage you. A Note to Single Mommas: First off all, I need you to know that you can do it. Stop saying you can’t do it by yourself. Stop begging for support, crying that you can’t raise these kids by yourself. You can do it. I know it’s not ideal and prayerfully it won’t be…
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Design Your Days: 5 Tips
Due to the coronavirus, all of our lives changed in various ways. Our schedules and routines have definitely been interrupted. A blessing is that we are now in a position to really assess our schedule and design our days. What are your priorities in this season? How are you using your days? I encourage you to take some time today to really look at your life and intentionally design your days. Design Your Days: 5 Tips 1. Look at your life. Take some time to really look at your life. Observe your home, your space, your family. Take some time to look at your life to really understand the current…
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Trusting When You Don’t Understand
We all have things that we don’t understand about life. Why did that happen? Why do I feel the way I do? Who am I? As we grow in our relationship with God, He will grant us the ability to understand many things, but we will not understand all things. We must learn to trust Him even when we don’t understand. Trusting When You Don’t Understand We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have areas in our life that typically seem to go well, while other areas always seem to suffer. What areas in your life seem to be troubled without you fully understanding why? It’s natural to try…
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How to Maintain Your Joy: 5 Tips
A lesson that the Lord has been teaching me lately is how to maintain my joy. He’s really allowing me to see that I can’t control situations around me, but I can control my response. When we allow situations to take us ‘there’ and affect our mood, we are giving outside situations more control over us than they should have. How to Maintain Your Joy: 5 Tips 1. Keep Composure. One way to maintain your joy is to focus on keeping composure. Even when you feel yourself going ‘there’, begin to focus your energy on staying composed. Don’t lose your cool. As you grow in your ability to keep composure,…
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Another Life-Changing Day: New Levels of Freedom
Today has been another life-changing day for me. God continually allows me to experience new levels of freedom in Him. Yesterday, by the grace of God, my husband and I reached the 5-year marriage mark. This evening, I watched the Cyntoia Brown documentary on Netflix with our oldest daughter and I’m humbled, yet hopeful at the same time. God continues to show me that all that I am today is only a result of His grace. So often, we tend to attribute our successes to self and our failures to others. We are quick to say we are self-made, yet blame any and everyone else for our shortcomings. What I…
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MARRIAGE: 5 Years In. 5 Years Strong. A Forever Friend.
Yesterday, 5.1.20, we celebrated 5 years of marriage. We are 5 years in. 5 years strong. I don’t say that in vain, but I can say it to be true. At 5 years, we are stronger in our marriage than we’ve ever been before. 5 Years In. 5 Years Strong. How did we get here? God. I take not the glory for myself. Nor, will I discuss what we’ve done. Truly, to God alone be all the glory. He chose us for one another, He reigns in our hearts and in our marriage, and His power has kept us together through it all. Our role is simply to submit. We…
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A Full-Time Mommy
Due to coronavirus, most of us have found ourselves being more of a full-time mommy than we’ve ever been. There have been no drop-offs at school, daycare, or anywhere. We’ve all been at home. How have you been handling it? How are you handling being a full-time mommy? Mommyhood can be a struggle for us all at times. It seems our job is never-ending, and we’re torn between caring for them and for ourselves. It’s a constant balancing act. Just last week, I hesitated before waking up the girls because I realized that once they were awake my job began. We can all relate to this, and some may struggle…
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Competition Causes Strife
You know something that causes much strife within our relationships? Competition. Competition causes strife. Often, without us even realizing it. We live in a competitive culture. Though no one explicitly says it, competition is always in the mix. Think of our emphasis on sports and winning. Does this competitive mindset reign only on the field? Absolutely not. Competition makes it’s way into our homes, our families, our churches, even our marriages. Competition works under the surface, only being detected as the Lord opens your eyes to the root of the matter. It’s very easy to operate from a competitive mindset your entire life, without realizing that competition is the reason…
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When the Days are Hard: 10 Tips for Rough Days
What do you do when the days are hard? Some days we wake up motivated with a clear plan for the day, while others seem hard from the very start. How do you respond to rough days? 10 Tips for Rough Days: 1. Slow down. Due to coronavirus, our lives have completely slowed down, but we must be intentional to really slow down. Even at home, keep a healthy pace. When your day is rough, slow the pace down even more. 2. Deal with it. When you’re seeming to have a rough day, take the time to deal with it. What is causing you frustration? Take some time to determine…
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The Importance of Family Structure
During these times of coronavirus and quarantine, we’re forced to be at home. Some dread their time at home, while others are enjoying the closeness of their family. Now, more than ever, we must see the importance of family structure. Our typical way of life is constant, on the go, highly commercialized. We work, commute, eat, shop, and fill our schedules to the brim. Our current way of life is slow, we’re immobile, unable to purchase the things we once considered necessities. We’re now forced to be at home with family. How is your family life? Do you see the importance of family structure? As we’re in this stay at…