Blog : encouragement

•”In life we can dread the sacrifice or we can anticipate the reward.”• Ya know when you hear something that seems to bust through your chest and grab ahold of your heart? Those little truths are the stepping stones through seasons of my life. They’re the pefect bite sized but profound truths that shift my perspective just enough to keep me moving forward & my heart in check. That quote from @christybwright got me!! How many times are we so focused on the sacrifices we have to make that the reward is hardly visible? Dang girl, if there’s anything I’ve learned through starting a business it is that the reward MUST stay front and center, when it gets cloudy there’s suddenly all this space for doubt and fear to completely hinder momentum. Of course there are areas where certain sacrifices must be balanced with wisdom – for me, my kids top the charts. Sacrificing the year I have left before West starts school is front and center, I won’t sacrifice that time with him… but I WILL balance it because both he & my growing business hold reward! I can’t get that year with him back but it also doesn’t become my excuse not to DO what is in my heart to do. When I choose to work away from home it doesn’t mean that I’m a bad mom or that I’m sacrificing all my mama responsibilities; it mean that I’m equally valuing myself as a woman and business owner and making money to help support my family is good both for them and for me! And can I just say mamas, I’ve heard the ‘shoulds’ about being a full time stay at home mom… it’s hard to ignore them and stay confident that what you’re doing is right for you & your family. For those of you called to the full time at home role, BLESS YOU! Flourish there, your sacrifice will be honored! And for those of you like me, don’t let anyone squelch your fire for being mama and boss, you are graced to do it! Find your balance, weigh your sacrifices, be mama when your babes need you & boss when there’s peace in your home! I believe in you, sincerely. Keep doing what you are called to do and be fierce at it! ? @kaleighdsimmonsphoto

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What happens in the quiet moments in your life? When you press pause on social media, when the tv goes dark and the only sound is your breathe, the only movement is your body in your cozy bed. I find myself in my most vulnerable form in those moments. When I reflect on my life – what I’ve suffered and accomplished, the areas in me I see growth and the areas I ache for freedom. When I let my heart wander through the opportunities I’ve been given to leave a simple reminder of Jesus’ love for someone who needed it & if I’ve been faithful in my calling to be His hands & His feet in this world. I know the quiet moments can be hard for so many people, anxieties sneak up so easy in the dark & quiet – A.W. Tozer said, ‘we need never to shout across the open spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thought.’ Even further, God doesn’t run when we have a dark thought, struggle or emotion…He simply remains. I crave the quiet, maybe because I’m a mother of 3 and quiet is so rare around here but maybe because instead of fearing the quiet, I’ve learned to embrace the chance to sit & be present with a God who challenges me to grow beyond the limits I’ve set for myself and embrace who He created me to be. (((Be still & know that I am God. Psalm 46:10.)))
? @kelseyhettinga

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This little quote just keeps circling around my heart. Isn’t it so (unfortunately) normal for us to consider ourselves a mess instead of a work in progress or a story worth writing? Life can most definitely be messy & for some the messy chapters feel like the end of their story. My story has been full of love, pain & beauty. It has bursted with adventure and challenge & it’s a story of loss, hope and healing! My story is about a girl discovering the depth, width & constant love of Jesus! For the refugees that are rebuilding their life in a foreign place, the mothers who are raising babies on their own, or babies who have grown without a mother, the people who have suffered the loss of a loved one or have dealt with depression and heaviness – YOU ARE A STORY WORTH WRITING! •“If here is hope in the future, there is power in the present!”-Zig Ziglar •“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
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Self reflection has become a regular activity around here as of late. I want to live in a constant position of gratitude & awareness – for my life journey so far and the things I have yet to discover in my story.
I feel full of eager anticipation for the things ahead! But today I also feel aware of the process, the steps I’ve walked that have lead me here. They’ve written a lovely little story and today is a valuable part just like the rest, a page that holds a new paragraph in my story. Like with the unfolding of spring, everyday is significant; the rainy days that soften the earth, the sunny days that feed the soil, all with the anticipation for new life to emerge.
But the process couldn’t begin without a seed – like a vision for the flower from the hand of the planter, my God anticipates the moment my life emerges into something new and beautiful and I come alive! The way I did when I got married or became a mom, the way I did when I overcame anxiety and grew in confidence! The way I will so many more times in this life! So, I’m aware of the process and grateful for the days and moments that push me closer to another season of refreshing and newness! .
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