2023 Word of the Year: map
I created a printable for you, one you can use to invite curiosity into a word of the year for yourself. When I start feeling a soul nudge to a specific word(s) for the next year, this printable is where I start. It starts like a match to a candle, a small flame to illuminate where God is leading me to confess, repent, deconstruction, reconstruct with His truth, grow, strengthen, prepare for next steps, further growth.
Susanna Wesley, a life that preached
The earliest version of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was a poem written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley(father of Methodism). I could share the glorious accomplishments of these two men, but without sharing the strength of their mother none of it would make sense.
You weren’t meant to do motherhood alone
The day I thought a shower + hair wash + shaving all on the same day was a luxury 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 have been equally eye opening & disappointing. I was a new mother of a colicky babe, the one we prayed for for years. We’d been offered help here & there, but I never accepted. Partially because…
When you’re at the bottom of your umph…
I remember pouring over parenting magazines, books, and every pamphlet I could find-bedrest during pregnancy after years of infertility treatment offered lots of reading time. And while it seemed 40 weeks would never arrive and I faithfully memorized all the reading material, 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆.
Let the light in
Did you already know the day would feel long, before you even pulled yourself up out of bed this morning? You aren’t the first to feel this way and you likely won’t be the last either. You aren’t alone. Motherhood is indeed a marathon, a long haul journey. Even in neutral, you still flux backward or forward. Without this perspective, we will end up drifting through our days instead of walking with purpose.
don’t do life alone
The day that I thought a shower plus hair wash plus shaving all on the same day was a luxury 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 have been thoroughly eye opening and disappointing.
the lie of perfectionism
I saw someone from high school...that still looked just as beautiful as she did almost three decades ago. I know looks are superficial, but I was gutted.
how mama bear was born
𝑀𝑎𝑚𝑎 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦, wind chilling to the bone, a small babe held bundled and protected from weather as we gathered to bring him home.
This week, he is officially an adult-it all happened too fast.
in my experience, fear will try to drown you
Fear would have loved to drown me that morning and fear would love to grip and drown you at the most tender places of your heart, too.
the celebrating of your life
🥞𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲? 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙚𝙨.
Make it a 🅗🅤🅖🅔 deal, because when you stop and look around, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡.
no, this is important, this matters
𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌. She walked up seemingly from out of nowhere and struck up conversation like we were long lost bffs. Before I knew it, her son had invited us to his birthday party at the park picnic shelter and his mama insisted we come, but no gifts necessary, she just wanted her boy to have friends at his party.