Faith Like a Child

Faith Like a Child

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~ Luke 18:17

This is my first post in 6 weeks, and I’ll tell you why: I gave birth to that beautiful baby you see above! Staring into such a peaceful face will occupy a lot of your time, but even more, it will cause you to think, ponder, consider – meditate on, and be in awe of God. One of the things that the Holy Spirit has brought to me these past weeks is how much my Heavenly Father loves me – even more than I love my children! He’s also shown me that I can trust in that love. I can trust God’s character and His heart toward me.

If you’re like me – or any human being for that matter – there are times that you allow the cares of this world to weigh you down. There are times that you allow thoughts of doubt and fear to rob you of God’s blessings, and there are times that you are so focused on your tomorrows that you can’t enjoy your today. Sound familiar?

As a child of God you might think to yourself, “Of course I trust God’s heart toward me and His love for me!” Yet, when it comes to LIVING in that truth, many of us demonstrate through our actions that we trust in ourselves more. Tell me this, has God ever asked you to do something that didn’t seem to make sense? Has He ever asked you to take a step of faith, not knowing all of the details or how it would all work out? Did you jump out of the proverbial boat and walk on the water, fully persuaded that God would do what He said? In our finer moments we immediately obey God’s directives; however, most, if they are honest, will hesitate, drag their feet, or not take that leap of faith at all because of fear and doubt.

As human beings we reason and are rational. We want to see how A+B=C, yet many times God will only give you enough light to take that first step and He won’t show you more until you’ve ACTED on what He has already said! I believe that those who are reading this are doing so by divine appointment! God is waiting on you. You are not waiting on Him. As soon as you get settled in your heart that God wouldn’t lead you into poverty, lack, confusion or loss, you can take His hand like a little child and walk in His path, knowing that it leads to abundance, blessing, peace and life!

A few weeks ago I wanted to do something fun with my son before the baby was born. William is almost two, and he loves to run, climb and play! I thought I would take him to the park so we could have some fun. When I picked him up to put him in the car seat he started to resist, cry, arch his back (moms, you know what I’m talking about). I said to him, “If you just trust me I am trying to get you to a place that is going to bless you!” Well, if that word wasn’t Holy Spirit inspired I don’t know what is! Isn’t this what God is saying to us!? We resist, and cry and dig in our heels that we don’t want to do it, BUT GOD is calmly saying, “Just trust Me. It’s gonna be good!”

Trust is letting go. It is believing in and relying on something or someone. Trusting God and having faith like a child is very liberating! When you cast your cares on Him and simply hold His hand as He leads you, knowing it is going to be good, you can get happy! Dare I say, you might even get EXCITED for what is to come!

I am excited for you! Do you know why? You are reading this because God loves you so much that He wants you to get the answers to your questions about the next step! TRUST HIM! Trust His character, His integrity, His word, His faithfulness. I assure you, as soon as you trust and obey, He’ll take you the rest of the way!

DIY Baby Projects

DIY Baby Projects

DIY baby projects are a great way to put your creativity to work, create memories, and personalize gifts for your friends and loved ones!

Diaper Cakes

I am two weeks away from D-Day and getting ready to welcome my 1st baby girl into the world so I am taking advantage of my moment for frills, ribbons and bows! Someone made a diaper cake for me at my baby shower and I thought the idea was so cute! Once I searched YouTube and Pinterest I was ready to take on this DIY baby project for myself!

This weekend I get the opportunity to host a baby shower for a friend. I knew this was my chance to get the creative juices flowing with a pink and grey masterpiece – not to mention a last chance to do anything creative for at least a few weeks since I will have a newborn in the house again – so I made a diaper cake! What fun!

 Diaper cakes are a great DIY baby project to give away at baby showers!

Mixed Media Art

My mom is a master craftswoman! In fact, it has been her business for over 20 years. She has always inspired me with her creativity, and recently she made some adorable wall decor for the baby. She used mixed media on canvas and created a trio of owls.

Mixed media art is a great DIY baby project to help bring a nursery to life!

Decorative Letters

When my sister-in-law was visiting last year she introduced me to the world of Modge Podge! Once I saw what you could create with some scrapbook paper, Modge Podge and a few embellishments I knew I had to try it! We went shopping and got the goods we needed to create some letters to hang over William’s crib.

Modge Podge letters are a DIY baby project that will add a personal touch to baby’s room!

Baby Clothes

If you enjoy sewing at all then you will really enjoy creating unique apparel, accessories, blankets, etc. for baby! When I was pregnant with William we were sure that we were having a baby girl! I got right to work looking at some of the cute things I could make with ruffles, bows, and frills, of course! My first project was a diaper cover with pink polka dots!

Needless to say, I have been waiting a few years to put that diaper cover to use since our baby girl turned out to be a boy! Soon I can actually use it and even create some new ones (if I ever have the time again!)

Clothes & accessories are DIY baby projects that can explore baby fashion fun!

Whether you like to create beautiful things for friends or you’re looking to make your own personalized baby “stuff,” I hope you get some good ideas and inspiration from this post! Have fun putting your own talents into these projects!

Do you have any good ideas to share? I’d love to hear them! Post in the comments section below or come tell me on Facebook!

Grace for Mommy

Grace for Mommy

“I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:10

It doesn’t matter who you are – old, young, rich, poor, famous, obscure – when you receive God’s grace, it is a game changer! It changes a man like Paul from a murderous persecutor to a life-giving minister, a boy like David from a shepherd to a warrior king! A girl like Esther is transformed into a heroic and noble queen. God’s grace has continuously worked in ordinary people to enable them to do things beyond their own natural ability.

What does this have to do with motherhood? Everything! While some of the pictures I just painted may sound like a lofty ideal found only in storybooks, it is absolute truth that ministers, kings, queens – MOMS – are what they are by the grace of God! Fellow mommies – never forget this!

Hebrews 4:16 tells us to come boldly to God’s throne of grace. Why? So we can receive mercy and find grace to help in a time of need (well-timed help that comes just when we need it). Have you ever felt like you needed divine help to make it through certain moments of motherhood!? Me too! I am so glad to know that I am not alone!

I need grace when:

  • I’m pregnant, the house isn’t clean, the laundry isn’t done and my toddler is having one of those days when crying seems to be the only way he’s choosing to communicate!
  • I have deadlines to meet, and work to get done, and work just isn’t what I feel like doing today!
  • I have the desire to eat healthy, but cooking something from scratch just didn’t work out (again) and I find myself desiring the drive-thru window because at least it’s food and it will get the job done tonight!
  • I have a wedding shower or baby shower or birthday party to attend and I am at the store trying to buy a gift and get the kid(s) fed 20 minutes before said event begins!
  • I set out to accomplish a lot in a day and it’s looking like one of my greatest accomplishments is going to be taking a shower!

It is in the moments when we NEED God’s grace the most that we must remember that it is available to us if we just ask! 

Sometimes we forget what is available to us! Sometimes we forget to simply pray and ask God for the strength, the patience, the wisdom to walk through certain parts of our motherhood journey – BUT GOD tells us to come boldly before Him and ASK HIM for what we need! The best part is that He will give it to us and it will be perfectly timed! How awesome is that!?

I know some amazing, beautiful, godly mommies! Moms that have 7, 8 kids in the home; moms of children with special needs; moms that find time for homeschooling, part time work, serving at church AND genuine friendship! Every day I am inspired by what I see moms doing! Again and again I see the grace of God operating in the lives of these women, helping them in the season that they are in, carrying them through their daily routines and enabling them to have peace even in a day that feels like a hurricane!

“How does she do it!?” we might ask ourselves. The answer is: God’s Grace! God’s grace IS favor, and it IS freely given (not earned); however, my favorite definition of God’s grace is, “God’s divine, enabling power getting the job done when we can’t do it ourselves.”

Is there something you are going through right now, and it just seems impossible to do it in your own strength? Ask God for help. Do you find yourself in certain moments of the day when it seems like your patience just CAN’T be extended for one more second? Pause. Breathe. Pray. Come boldly to your Father and ask for the grace that He is so ready to give you! Do you just need to get over the mommy guilt and embrace the mommy grace? Do it! Even mommies that “seem” perfect will tell you they are what they are by the grace of God! 

I, for one, needed A LOT of grace today, and I am so thankful that my God was happy to give me some well-timed help! What He does for me, He’ll do for you my friend!

Overcoming Multiple Miscarriages

Overcoming Multiple Miscarriages

There is courage beyond the fear, hope beyond the hurt and joy beyond the pain – just don’t give up!

I have a confession to make. When God started to deal with me about writing this article I was reluctant and not prompt to do it. Why? I believe when we share our own places of pain we make ourselves vulnerable, and it’s not necessarily comfortable; however, I also believe with great conviction that the Holy Spirit helps us to glean purpose from pain, and the treasure we can unearth from our own adversity is often the ability to help others walk through what we have overcome ourselves. 

If you are reading this from a place of brokenness over a pregnancy that ended too early, over a little one that went to heaven before you had the chance to meet; I want to offer you hope, encouragement and peace. I want to glorify God’s goodness and His ability to heal, restore and bring us into victory in the midst of every circumstance. 

After two textbook, healthy pregnancies I expected the same the next time I saw those two blue lines indicating that a new life was growing inside of me. My husband and I were both excited and looking forward to another blessing. When I began to show signs of a miscarriage, we came together and agreed in faith that this baby would live and not die. Quite honestly, I was not afraid! I had every reason to believe that everything would be fine, and no reason to fear. When I miscarried, I was shocked to say the least.

I didn’t have the answer to the question, “Why?” This is where a lot of people get stuck. You might be there now, and if you are, let me help you. When something in your life doesn’t go the way that you thought it would, DO NOT expend all of your energy trying to understand why it happened; instead, focus your heart and mind on trusting God even when you don’t understand, even when you don’t have the answer to the question, “Why?” You must choose to move forward, and be very intentional about transitioning from a place of grief to a place of peace.

As we moved forward, we soon found out that we had quickly conceived again! This was an exciting and rapid recovery from what we had just gone through! We almost had to laugh at how quickly God had turned our sorrow into joy. About 5 weeks into the pregnancy I found myself in excruciating pain that landed me in the ER. I soon found out that I was bleeding internally. I was rushed into emergency surgery so quickly there was hardly time to think. The pregnancy was ectopic, and was removed during surgery to save my life.

I spoke just a moment ago about being intentional in transitioning from a place of grief & mourning to a place of joy and peace. As soon as I got home from the hospital I began to journal, to listen to God’s word, and to meditate on what I was thankful for. I watched a teaching series, Victory Over Death, which helped me tremendously, but I want to share with you a pivotal moment that took place in my living room.

The Battlefield of the Mind

I had thoughts come to me like a flood: sad thoughts, fearful thoughts, angry thoughts – all aimed at unraveling my faith and trust in the only One who could heal me, restore me and give me the victory in this situation. I stood to my feet and began to declare God’s goodness, His faithfulness, His power, His love and His ability to give me the grace to trust when I didn’t and couldn’t understand.

YOU, if you are in that place where wrong thoughts are beginning to eat away at the foundation of your faith and trust, STAND right now and declare that you will choose to trust in God’s grace to empower you to overcome! 

Here’s the deal, when we go through the “hard stuff” in life, we have an opportunity to choose faith or fear, hope or hopelessness, bitterness or thankfulness, resilience or self-pity. We choose to cling to our pain or let go and be free. Some people want their pain more than they want their freedom. Don’t be that person. Choose faith. Choose hope. Choose to be thankful for every good thing in your life, and choose to trust God when you don’t have all of the answers.

When you are intentional about the victory, there is great reward! Three months after these back to back trials, we were pregnant with our beautiful daughter. In about 10 weeks we will hold her in our arms and see her face to face. The period of pain I experienced will be a distant memory and will not even compare to the joy that will flood my heart when I look into her eyes! Her lovely name, Grace, is one that God gave us three years ago. How fitting that she will be a constant reminder of God’s grace and His faithfulness!

I don’t for a moment belittle the reality of the pain that comes with miscarriage, but I DO magnify the reality that God is bigger than that pain. Don’t blame Him, believe in Him to heal and restore. Don’t doubt Him, trust Him to bring you to victory. Don’t remain stuck in sorrow or paralyzed by fear – choose to hope again for God’s best. He will never disappoint!

I love you and I believe in you! I pray that sharing this testimony is a blessing to you and that you will find strength to move forward as a result!

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