Devotionals

Three Word Wednesday: Cherish the Noise

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Cherish the Noise

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This statement stood out to me so boldly as I read through Alexandra Kuykendall’s new book. As most of you know, if you’ve been around for a little while, I’m really trying to get up on weekdays before the rest of the house so I can take some time when it’s relatively quiet (I have VERY, VERY, VERY early risers) and spend some time with God. I usually get the coffee going, or pour it if I’m on my game and set the timer the night before, and sit down to read through a devotion and a chapter in the plan I’m working through. It’s really nice to start my day slow and with Him. 

Three Word Wednesday: Choosing my attitude

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Have you ever noticed that attitudes can be infectious? One person with a bad attitude can affect a whole room just as a person exuding joy can spread that attitude as well. The times I find hardest to find joy and spread joy are when my children misbehave and I have to go into “discipline” mode. Ugh, never fun. 

I’ve often let my children’s bad choice or bad mood influence my attitude and then we all end up miserable. I use a harsh tone and the bad attitudes escalate on all sides. But God doesn’t do this with us. He uses grace and mercy in his correction. He lets us feel the natural consequences to our actions and while they are times we feel we are being punished or that God is acting unfairly, we know it’s not really the truth. 

How I found joy in a real moment of life

Leave a Comment / Devotionals, Family Life, Finding Joy

I share constantly about seeing joy around me and usually the pictures I share are moments when my kids are being adorable and things look great. Don’t think that my life is so super awesome all the time. Every week I wonder if I’ll actually have anything to share because the kids are crazy, I’m crazy, and the house is crazy. Seriously. This house is insane. Just ask our parents when they try to Skype with us. 

Yesterday I was trying to put away the clean dishes after dinner so that I could get the dirty dishes loaded before bedtime. Remember those monthly goals that I have? Yeah, gotta keep the dishes rotating. But anyway, I’m unloading the dishwasher, one handed for some reason (mom-ing) and as I was trying to slide some large plates into the bottom of the pile when the smaller plates on top started sliding out.

I felt myself panicking because one hand had other items in it (probably other dishes) and the other hand had the large plates in it. I tried using my elbows and upper arms to catch the falling plates (why I thought that would work is beyond me) but all four small plates fell down. Two landed on the counter, one fell gracefully to the floor (like how I fall) and the other crashed and shattered into thousands of pieces. 

Three Word Wednesday: Finding my balance

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I’m new at this blog thing… kind of. I had a family blog that I used for keeping relatives updated on the kiddos. I was really good at posting weekly updates of each of the kids during their first year… until the twins arrived.

Adjusting to life with two newborns, a kindergartner, and two others at home meant lots fell to the side. We still managed to take weekly pictures of the twins, but writing a post about their newest milestones and other things we were up to each week? Nope. Didn’t happen. But at least I have pictures. 

So when the idea to start a new blog, a real blog, about real things and not just baby updates came about I wondered if I’d be able to manage everything. I’ve now got two toddlers, a preschooler, a kindergartner, and a first grader. I’m very active in my local MOPS group. I’m part of a babywearing group. I stay at home but there are lots of things that need to happen at home to keep it running even semi-smoothly for seven people. I needed a plan.

I get out what I put in: A reminder about sowing and reaping

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We all know how it works. You can only reap what you choose to sow. We can only achieve the dreams that we put forth the effort to work towards.  And so many other wordings of the same idea.

Sometimes I need this truth to knock me upside the head. 

Back in 2010 I put in major effort to lose the baby weight I had put on after back to back pregnancies with my two oldest boys. I was hanging on to about seventy extra pounds and hated the way all my clothes fit. I knew we weren’t planning on another baby for a while so I put my mind to it and worked hard. I watched my portions, I worked out four to five days per week, I said no to extra treats, and basically worked harder than I had in quite a long time.

Being His Hands and Feet

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It was a completely normal pregnancy up until about 35 weeks. Well, other than being a twin pregnancy it was a normal pregnancy. My doctor was amazed at how well my body was handling the stress of carrying two babies, especially with how much trouble I had with Mercedes. 

At my 35 week check up my blood pressure had spiked. I got sent immediately to Labor & Delivery. I didn’t even get to pack a bag, I was told I would be there for a couple hours to do a non-stress test and some lab work. A couple hours passed and I was now being admitted for at least the weekend, if not until they decided the boys needed to come out. 

Three Word Wednesday: Follow His Path

2 Comments / Devotionals, Faith

I’m linking this up over at 152 Insights to My Soul.

From Kristin: #ThreeWordWednesday is simple, really. I know we’re all busy with life and kids and jobs and parents and friends and church and whatever else it is that occupies our time. Some weeks I’m not sure what my post will be about, but knowing people will show up here on Wednesdays is good motivation to write something.#ThreeWordWednesday is a chance to pause and hear God. Sum up what you’re hearing in three words. Those three words are enough. But stories are good too.