changes

Gratitude

God never gives you a season without a reason.

What season of life are you in right now?

Sometimes raising children isn’t easy (at least for me anyway). We try and try and never seem to measure up to what we think we should be as a parent. Comparing, relating, trying, failing, succeeding. Or maybe you are rocking it and feeling beyond confident that your kids are and will be the best. 

 Or maybe our marriage doesn’t quite look like we thought it would when we dreamt of it long ago. Or maybe it is the life you have worked so hard at and are sharing it with your best friend by your side. 

Or maybe we don’t see our life measuring up to what we had hoped it should be.  Or we are accomplishing our dreams and aspirations and yearning for much much morez 

Or maybe our friendships and relationships aren’t as strong a deeply connected as we want.  Or possibly they are just as perfect as you had hoped and you have the best of friends that you share life with. 

Whatever the case is for you on your life journey, it is so important to find Grace in the moments we have and share with others. It may not be perfect or look the way we dreamed, but it’s what our life is made of.

Parenting isn’t easy and every new day presents challenges that we must face and overcome. It also has so many joys that we also need to slow down and breath in before its too late. When your first kid is on the way EVERYONE tells you- time goes by so fast enjoy it. And to be honest you kind of roll your eyes at it... until one day you wake up and see your 5 year old dressed and ready for school and think (silently and in awe) all those people were right.

Marriage takes work EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. God didn’t intend for married life to be easy and happy and no work at all. He gave us every tool possible to search for Him and develop our marital bond into the strongest relationship we can possibly have with someone because of His love. Find a way to make your high seasons higher and your low seasons less frequent. Take the time to say I love you. Take the time to share, truly share, your life with your spouse— not just the every day hustle stuff. Remember every day why you chose them to spend forever with. 

Make your life goals a priority. So many moms (myself included) have gotten lost in being a mom or a wife or student or whatever title you have and we don’t know how to move forward into what our heart desires. This is sad for us! Take time in every day to discover who you are, what you enjoy, and what you desire from life. It WILL make you more patient, loving, caring, and present when younallow yourself a mental break from the grime and feed your soul. 

friendships.. oh y’all do i struggle with this one. It’s sad truthfully. We all of course live life and we are “busy”... but won’t we always be busy unless we MAKE the time for them? Isn’t it important to carve out time for ourselves, spouses, children, & our friends? These are the people we look to for guidance, comfort, laughter, and so much more. As I get older and I discover more about myself, I know just how much having a true friend that you can always call on means. Seek out friendships that challenge you to grow, be the best version of yourself, and are willing to catch you when you stumble (ya know, cuz you had too much wine!)

If we stop comparing our life to others or to a fairy tale, I am certain, we would all find our life is amazing and fulfilling in the ways that make our heart happy. Some of us love the beach, while others the mountains, and still others somewhere in between. 

Be grateful for every moment.

Give thanks to the good

Enjoy the little moments

Think of all the people you are grateful for, have you thanked them? Do they know how much they impact your life? What’s stopping you from telling them right now?

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Mysterious

Life is a mystery, as in an unknown abyss of information given to us daily to process and sort and we never know what is next. There are opportunities for us to choose our daily path and the choices we make help to define who we are and what life we will lead. At any moment we can change our path and venture down a new one--a freedom we have been given by God. The curious adventurers and strong willed will thrive in the changing situations of our growing world. What about the meek and frail? Should the stronger be left to gather the weak and bring them along our journey or do we say "forget you"? 

Taking chances and being confident in the decisions we make is not always an easy task, but I believe I have lead myself out of what may not always be normal and easy. I succeeded with being happy, humble, energetic, adventurous, independent, and successful with each endeavor I have chosen. It was not ever supposed to be easy, but when I made the decision to live, and truly live, I was all in. Do you feel like you can conquer the world one day and then relax on the couch the next? Staying constant in our efforts to make little changes every day in our life and in the lives of others can be the "make or break" of exceeding normal. We absolutely try to bring those of less fortune and virtue into their own light. Because God made each of us, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." 

Sometimes God has strange ways of telling us to go for it, but that is exactly what we have to do. There are moments we want to give up and be done with everything life throws our way. It is not that simple, life is not that simple. I have earned so much through my hard work and healthy attitude. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have in this life. I thank God every day that I wake up and get to spend another day with the people I love, doing the things I love. I am happy, I have all I need, and I know no one thing can take this from me. I wont allow it. The fighter in me will fight for what I deserve because I know it is mine to have. I proudly built the life I live. I worked to keep myself up and alive and out of the troubles of the world.

Will you fight for what you deserve?