Autumn is in full swing, trees dance in Artistic glory. They unabashedly show us their beauty, a hard gruesome transformational work in the beating heat of summer. They welcome us to join.

It’s harvest and they dance in breezes under a sky illuminating their ability to shine. That they were always created to shine, a glistening on dry land, sharing a touch of glory.

Motherhood is individual. It has more nuances than social media squares. As a Christian mother, you’ll need to filter your choices, postures, and approaches through the lens of the Gospel. You’ll need to make prayerful choices with wisdom and discernment-it may not be popular. It likely won’t receive an earthly trophy.

But.

Your goal isn’t popularity.

Your goal is…

If the mountain feels steep, take one strong step followed by another. It isn’t speed that matters as much as the strength of the step.

Some early morning writings seem more like feelings than offerings-I never considered that sharing thoughts and wonderings could usher negative reactions from others. When I see it, I balk, wanting to hide from naysayers. I know what it really means, though. Experience says this is where I should lean in, listen closer.

Charlotte Mason created a dopamine hit for her students way back in Victorian England.

There may not have been a scientific name, but she observed and saw her students were beginning to crave knowledge enough to work for it.

And when you want something bad enough, work doesn’t feel like work-it feels good.

I think you should keep going just to see what happens-

you may be surprised-

it’s likely better than you even imagined.

A living education should move us-out of our own places and spaces-and make us feel like we are living within the pages of the story with the characters. To understand the full story, we must feel like we are part of it. That allows us to form deeper thoughts on the story itself.

I’m not sure if we fully appreciate at a deep conscious level that what we daily surround ourselves with deeply forms the direction we face, the way we daily walk…

We were asked years ago what the 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗋𝖾𝗍 to our “𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴” was: with marriage, work, homeschooling, parenting, navigating special needs for children. And while I’d like to say that there was some super top secret method that I could share with you, it boiled down to a shift in mindset. We started treating every day as a miracle.

Laundry represents a whole lot of things to a whole lot of people-it’s easy to bug our eyes out a bit when the piles of laundry are taller than a toddler.

𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

These piles? They represent the blessings in your life.

It’s hard to “trust the process” when we are in the middle of hard growth seasons…𝙗𝙪𝙩, if ever there was a time to hold strong and trust, the hard seasons are it! I think that’s part of why I’ve been drawn to autumn so long-we get to see the beautiful harvest. Motherhood isn’t much different, we daily cultivate the hearts of the precious blessings bestowed to us with every ounce of courage and every brave step.

Motherculture doesn’t need to destroy your budget or your schedule-it just needs a plan. Decide what aspects of beauty would most feed your mother heart, start small yet consistent.

For me, writing and artistic pursuits are calming. The seasons that I let those go assuming it’s wasn’t possible, my heart felt it. I falsely listened to the ideas that some seasons don’t allow those. I was wrong. Some seasons need those more than others.

In the seasons that feel like exhausted hamster wheel running, you need them even more…

When we first started homeschooling, I remember reading a thread in a homeschool group. One woman kept responding to every comment “𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨”…

I don’t think I’m the most patient person. Maybe it looks so from the outside, but my heart craves to jump in with both feet and get things done, to push at unhuman levels to get tasks completed. But here’s what patience has faithfully taught: you can’t rush good things, the things you crave. Don’t get stuck where you are, but don’t rush so quickly to the finish line that you miss the lessons and views along the way.

In our day to day, especially when we feel the busyness of the day, it’s easy to feel the pressure. 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…

Through the years, I don’t think patients realized how much they taught me. How their life experiences shaped me more than a textbook ever would or could.

I remember one such lady, how she squeeze my hand deep while…

Is smiling part of your daily life? Your approach to living and breathing?

Is laughter embedded into your expression of who you are?

How about you try this, just this for the next 60 seconds? Just 60 seconds, right here, right now. Your body will thank you!!

See caption for why-smile while you read the caption and your 60 second smile is done and your endorphins are dancing a bit, too!

Here’s what a mere 60 seconds of intentional smiling offers:

Smiling acts as a tiny precursor, a catalyst if you will in our brains. It triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, happiness endorphin chemicals bringing a happiness effect.

Feeling stressed? Smile. Just 60 seconds. That’s it!

It won’t remove stress, it won’t bring world peace; BUT, it starts a peaceful effect in your mind. Meaning, a peaceful you can share peace with others. And a piece of peace does a soul good.