11/1/2023
Don't play dumb to make someone else feel smart-that's manipulation. Love doesn't manipulate, love doesn't shame, love doesn't even have to be reciprocated to be kind. Love isn't a doormat to walk on others or to be walked upon. Love is kind,exceedingly kind.
If you get that right, many other areas of your life will-
9/25/2023
In our day to day, especially when we feel the busyness of daily life, itโs easy to feel pressured. Pressures of to do lists, meals to prepare, sippy cups to fill, and spills to wipe.
We pour over our people until our own cups feel dry.
And in those moments of tired, we can revert to feelings of empty. And this is where it happens, weary digs deep and our feelings try to get the final say.
Yes, we love our people, but our mouths stop speaking life to them. Yes, we adore our wild blessings, but we start parenting from our feelings instead.
Love, if given the chance to sit at your table, would say thisโฆ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ. You get that right and many other things will unfold unforced into place.
8/7/2023
I find myself spending time with lists lately, small ways to remember and double check all the things. Like, maybe these lists will keep time and prevent the losing of time or that maybe theyโll help me not miss these not to be missed moments. And what Iโve found is the best way to not miss moments is often to lay the lists down and look up.
Go ahead & ask
Itโs the questions that propel us forward, not the answers themselves, this purpose-filled space where we shift from one point to another.
When I was in nursing school, we did a required rotation in the operating room. At the time, I was interested in working in this specialty areaโฆ
6/1/2023
I find it ironic how we try to measure sin for God. We think we understand the gravity of sin more than our omniscient God does. Our human minds try to give sins levels of shame, piling guilt higher than we believe Jesus Christ has already covered.
We question if God can โ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆโ our humanity, our wrongs. When we do this-whether we realize it, whether we intend to-we are trying to minimize God, to limit His presence, power, perfection. In essence, we are trying to push God away, hold Him past arms length, even trying to avoid facing how genuinely incomplete we are without His Holy Spirit in our soul. We are avoiding repentance, confession, communion, holy wholeness.
Maybe itโs guilt. Maybe itโs shame.
Maybe itโs just our human brains just cannot wrap our head around the fullness of holy, how weโll never be able to earn the limitless grace weโve been gifted.
๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ง ๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ, ๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ด; ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ. -๐ฑ๐๐๐บ๐๐โฌ โญ๐ฃ๐ฃโฌ:โญ๐จโฌ โญ
5/18/2023
We live in a world that low base teaches us that the loudest, most aggressive woman wins. Paired with church messages of a Proverbs 31 wife standard of perfectionism, you end up with a world of women feeling weary, worn, less than, defeated.
Iโve wondered if the โrealโ Proverbs 31 wife would shake her head-
4/23/2023
I read a quote once that said (๐๐บ๐๐บ๐๐๐๐บ๐๐พ๐ฝ), ๐ป๐ผ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ. The quote is a play on words from a translated Confucius quote, a thought provocation on how you view yourself, the nuts and bolts and worth you believe you hold in the core of who you are.
I counter it with this: ๐ถ๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ค๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ธ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ด ๐ ๐ฑ๐ค? Deep down, what message do you speak over yourself about your identity in Christ?
3/21/2023
Getting to know myself has been one of the most eye opening experiences.
It looked like courage and grit, and it was; but, how it felt was more like being lost, then found. It looked nothing like I thought and managed to offer everything I needed.
Courage comes first, then grit. Daily sitting withโฆ
3/6/2023
Your soul wants to grow-and soul growth sets shivers to demons. Make no mistake, satan relishes the idea of making your earthly life an earthly hell.
Breathe this in-your daily soul growth may be a fight, but this story will end good.
Seeds want to grow. Put nourishment to them, theyโll thrive. Feed the seed of hopeful courage daily. Nourish your soul in scripture consistently, clear entertaining distractions, clarity on your next right step will come.
2/21/2023
Iโm cooking dinner and hear an upstairs crashing followed by scrambling scurrying of mancub feet. Thereโs a collective pause-that space where a mama of wild blessings listens for broken glass and tears. Maybe the pause is from me, or the boys; likely, from both. We wait in suspended time and weigh the impact of our choices.
No glass.
No tears.
I climb the steps, unsure of circumstances Iโm climbing toward. Seems there was a heated debate on whether itโs best to brush first or floss. One kiddo had confirmed with the dental hygienist that morning: floss first. The conversation between these mancubs of mine escalated from intention of sharing this floss first truth to the reality grabbing dental floss picks and trying to floss his big brotherโs teeth. Escalation continued.
Intention and impact both matter, people matter.
There had been a moment of choice from both: conversation and conviction both available, yet chaos was chosen. Intention barreled and the impact was hurt hearts. So, what next? Apology given; yet, apology without heart change is mere words.
Itโs after dinner, close to bedtime. I send them to brush teeth and hold my breath. Will they collide over dental floss again? Will they even speak? Did we learn anything at all-that this world does not revolve around us?
Growing mancubs get out their toothbrushes, the youngest quietly hands his big brother the dental floss first. They floss, then brush, quietly together with peace.
2/13/2023
Iโm guessing itโs because my mind is in garden mode. My soul reminds me over again to stay sensitive to pruning that needs to surrender quick before spring arrives. Are there weeds that were missed, begging confession? Removing weeds offers energy to roots. Are there dead branches, weighing heavy? Harsh prune, eradicate them-opening space for healing. Even in the hibernation, healing is happening. Winter sun, short days, notice the warmth and offer thanks. Look around the garden, what is around you, what is missing? Not people, not plants-just your soul. What do you surround yourself with? What deep down in your roots is missing? You may need to pluck some weeds, prune some branches. Preparing for spring growth starts now, here.