Tales of a Thankful Mom

           Have you ever been around someone who is in a bad mood, and their bad mood rubbed off on you? I know this happens to me sometimes.  I used to think that there was little I could do about, but now I know that I was wrong.Today, I realized that I have been praying the wrong prayer. I have been asking God to change my circumstances. I have been thinking about my situation, and I realized that instead of asking God to change my circumstances, I need to ask God to change me. I can focus on the darknesses and negativity in the world, or I can fix my eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of my faith. If my eyes are fixed on Jesus, the opinions and attitudes of others will not have such a impact on me. I want my children to know how much I love spending time with them. My children once shared with me that their Sunday school teacher told them that Jesus is the Light and we are mirrors. I want to reflect God’s light and love to those around me

           My children had the week off from school for Spring Break last week. We spent many days savoring the sunshine as my kids scootered and skated the sidewalks of our neighborhood. We also played many games of “Go Fish.” We went to a ice cream shop on one day, and enjoyed Hungry Howie’s pizza on another. I really enjoyed the quality time that  I spent with my children while they were on Spring Break. I love the opportunities to make memories with them, and I relish listening to their “remember when” stories. What moments have you been savoring lately?

           This year I have been enjoying reading books that encourage growth toward my goal of moving forward, which is #Oneword365 for the year. Luke Norsworthy’s “Befriending Your Monsters” is one such book. Luke describes a monster as something that hinders you from becoming who God created you to be. He shares hard truths, such as, “Adversity is required for growth.” ,and that there is a cost for growth. As someone who sometimes feels insecure, Luke reminded me that the opposite of insecurity is contentment. The monster of comparison causes us to forget who we are created to be.           Luke encourages his readers to be grounded in God’s love as the way to live your best life. He reminds us that gratitude in today’s world takes effort. Gratitude helps us realize that gifts are given to us by God’s grace. One of my favorite quotes in the book states, “Go where you don’t want to go, beyond the shallow symptoms, and what yo...

            I used to think that because I put so much of my heart , my energy,  my identity into making a relationship work, that God would redeem that relationship. In the past three years, I have learned that God’s ways are higher than my ways, and that God’s redemptive work looks different than I pictured it. There is a line in a song that I have been thinking about recently. “  And all the questions that I swore I would ask  Words just won't come yet.”  I have realized that part of moving forward is laying down all of my questions and what if’s and simply being thankful for the many blessings in my life. It is taking a step back and being thankful for the way God has led me through seasons of sadness, and rejoicing that sorrow may last for the night but his joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5) What brings you joy today?

            I know the title of this post may seem a little weird, but that is what I felt like for the past six years or so. For the first half of that time, I felt like I was stuck in my circumstances. For the latter half of that time, I felt like I was chained to my past by regret. I don’t have to feel that way anymore. My Pastor shared in his message last Sunday that God’s grace frees us from the regrets of the past. When I feel bogged down with regrets, I have lost sight of God’s grace. When I feel weighed down, I need to fix my eyes on the Jesus the author and finisher of my faith. I can surrender my past to God and find rest in His grace. I am free! 

           “That’s a possibility.”,is one of my Dad’s favorite phrases. Ever since I was a little girl I would run and ask my Daddy all sorts of what if questions. His answer most often has been, “That’s a possibility.” Too many possibilities often leaves me with decision fatigue. I want make the right choice. I have made bad choices before, and I want to choose what is best for me and my children. This the reason that I love Emily Freeman’s advice, “Do the next right thing in love.” Breaking decisions down to one choice at a time halts the train of “what if” thinking and makes the decision making process more manageable. I want to view possibilities positively and not as something scary or overwhelming. Do possibilities excite you or scare you? Have you ever felt decision fatigue? I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.

           Yesterday, I received news that left me feeling empty. I wondered if my feelings mattered, if I mattered. I have a playlist that I like to listen to when my emotions threaten to overwhelm me. Some of these songs remind that it normal to experience these feelings at times. Other songs remind me of truth from Gods word and to release my feelings to God. My eldest daughter encouraged me this morning. She told me that she felt emotionally safe and secure in our home. This conversation reminded me that even though sometimes many areas of my life seem broken. God can make beauty out of the brokenness if I keep on surrendering the broken pieces to hm.  “ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain” Hebrews 6:19  May I continue to look to the hope that is an anchor for my soul, and share this hope with my children.