Category Archives: Encouragement

Hello God..Is That You?

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Do you ever feel as if the Lord is calling upon you to do something great? Do you feel the stirrings in your heart that He has laid something important before you and he is asking you to step up to the plate? When God calls us he doesn’t look us up in a directory or use the phone to give us His to do list. His magnificent plan for us begins to unfold when our hearts are profoundly moved by something.  Only when we let go and allow ourselves to fully trust in his will is when we know we’ve answered his call.

Negative thoughts can be your greatest obstacle and keep you from accomplishing the duty God has summoned you for. You respond to God by saying, “I’m not worthy enough.” or “How can I make a difference when I’m only one person?” The Lord is mighty and able!  He has gone before you and knows you are capable. He gives his boldest tasks to his bravest warriors. Silence your inner voices by saying, ” God is greater!” He is more powerful than all of the hurdles you may have to jump to achieve what it is He has in store for you.  Release all of your worries and have faith! What are you waiting on? Answer his call!

 

 

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Choosing to Stand Tall When You Feel Defeated

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What do you think of when you hear the word defeat? I think of my favorite team winning a game against our biggest rivalry. The word defeat means “to have been beaten in a battle.” However this word can take on a whole new meaning if we let it. It’s like a yard full of weeds. No matter if you pull the weeds of doubt and self pity somehow they keep growing back. Many days we give this word the power to predict the outcome of our day. We feel it weighing heavily on our lives and often give in to it before our feet even hit the floor in the mornings. We feel defeated if things don’t turn out as we were hoping. We feel as if we have been conquered when our day takes a different path than we had planned. The emotions we are left with leave us feeling like we have lost. When you allow yourself to give up and surrender to these negative thoughts, Satan is sitting in the corner and clapping because you have thrown up your red flag. You have let yourself surrender to his lies.

Don’t be tempted to lose heart! Don’t give the enemy a place in your life to grow bitterness and resentment. You are a child of the most High God! This makes you an overcomer! This means the battle for you has already been won. Often it is necessary for us to go through trials in life so that in the end we can see that the journey was worth it. So rise up! Don’t lie down and let Satan defeat you today. You are only finished if you decide to quit.

 

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Word of the Year: Choosing One Word To Commit to in 2016

Posted in Cheerful Ideas, Encouragement, The Cheerful Mom by

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      Several years ago, I came across this neat little project called “The One Word Project.” The purpose is to choose one word, instead of resolutions, to shape your entire year around. Most of us go into each brand new year with a long list of intentions we are planning to make in our lives. We view it as a golden opportunity to wipe the dust from our slate. Like so many, I have made numerous resolutions yet only to fail shortly after. The pressures of everyday life can get in the way of the new goals we have set and eventually we find ourselves falling back into our old ways. A list of resolutions can be daunting and unrealistic. That is why a majority of those big plans we have are never achieved. When I heard about “The One Word Project”, I was deeply intrigued. I wanted to know how one word could improve me and mold me into more of the person I strived to be. So, in December of last year, I chose my first word: Present.

         I didn’t have to think hard when it came to choosing my first word for 2015. I immediately chose present because it represented my hope as a new mother for the coming year. I wanted to be completely alive in every moment, capture every smile, experience every first, and slow down and pay more attention to the world around me. Often we are so busy planning the next big thing that we lose out on the joy of the moment we are in. I think this past year is the first of many years that I have actually achieved what it is that I set out to do. I became a stay at home mommy and for me it was easier to become more engaged in every aspect of my sons day. There are times when I still have to take a small break for me but for the most part I am living my dream!

    As I sat and pondered on a new word to commit myself to in 2016, I look next to me at a picture hanging on my wall. The word “Journey” is staring me boldly in the face. The quote on the plaque reads: ” Life is a journey and love is what makes that journey worthwhile.” It’s as if the Lord placed this word before me. I am excited what the coming year has in store. For me, my hope is that I will learn to fully embrace this journey of life that I’m on. That along the way, I will accomplish all of the things God has written on my heart. That I will grow ever closer to Him as I walk along this path. And even when I grow weary from the trek I will be reminded that on this journey I am not alone.

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    I pray blessings over each one of you in the coming year. May you each fulfill what it is that you set out to do and may you be reminded that God is with you today and everyday of the year!

How To Embrace Each Day As A Gift

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The giving season is in full swing and the presents are piling under the tree. You have shopped for the perfect item that is sure to surprise everyone when they open it on Christmas morn. One thing that you won’t find in a bright shiny package, wrapped up in strings is time. Each day is a gift. We are not entitled to another 24 hours and our days here are numbered. How do you choose to unwrap your day? Do you choose to start each day with a grateful heart and thank the Lord for another blessed day on Earth? Or do you go throughout your day just barely making it by?

You will never have this day again. Stop and take notice. Savor your coffee just a little longer. Enjoy your hot shower for an extra five minutes. Laugh a little harder. Eat the biggest cupcake. Get down in the floor and see the world from your child’s perspective. Today is all that you have with these little blessings. Tommorow they will be just a tad bit older. They will view things a little differently. Mamas, our time with them is fleeting. Make the most of the present by being engaged in the world around you. Pay attention today and enjoy your children. Let their sweet grins and sticky kisses cling to your heart. Let their little hands grasp your soul. Unwrap this day and appreciate all of life’s gifts because you won’t get it back again.

 

Learning To Serve God Right Where You Are

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I have always struggled with the desire to “do something” greater than myself. No matter what I have found myself doing in life, I’ve always aspired to make an impact in others lives for the better.  Don’t we all strive for this? To be remembered for something good?

The constant need to always do more can drain you of your enthusiasm and steal the joy you receive as an incentive. It’s human nature to want more-have more-and do more. Still, you can begin to feel the actual weight of it all dragging you down. God wants you to know that no matter where you are..right at this very moment reading this…you can serve Him! It doesn’t matter what you are doing, you can give God the glory..right where you are! (1 Cor 10:31)

Whether you lead a life outside of the home working a 9-5 or you are at home changing diapers all day, the impact you make on your children’s lives are the same. You are raising these littles for the glory of God. You were called upon because He knew you had the strength to do it! No job is too big or too small for Him. Praise him while changing diapers! Praise him while preparing your big presentation! God doesn’t care what it is. You are a part of his beautiful plan. He is painting his masterpiece with you in mind.  Don’t allow yourself to fall into the negative thinking trap that the world is just to big of a place. Stop listening to those lies falling upon your ears. Making a difference in the world starts with one person. God looks for faithfulness. He looks for willing hearts. No matter what you can learn to serve God right where you are.

 

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Home is Where Mommy Is

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Each Spring, I have a new mother bird move into the shabby little nest that decorates the top rafter of my porch. The nest is made of straw and other natural elements found by the first momma bird who resided there. Little did she know while preparing this delicate, cozy home for her babies that this nest would also serve as a shelter for future momma birds seeking refuge and a place to raise their wee ones.

Aren’t we similar to mother birds in a way? Our calling is to make our children’s well being one of our highest priorities. Collecting bits and pieces of our lives in order to create a safe haven built on warmth and love. Ensuring our children are being fed–physically & spiritually. Protecting our babies from the conditions of the world. Keeping them safe under our wings until they are ready to spread their own and soar to the highest of heights.

As a mother bird, we set the order of the universe into motion. We are equipping little minds to leave the nest and embark on this beautiful journey of life. Its incredibly amazing to watch a mother bird. They just know. They know what their purpose is and that they were called to fulfill it. Same as you and I. We were called to a higher duty of giving ourselves for the greater good of another being. Mother birds never worry how they will protect or provide for the life they were blessed with. Because they know that no matter what the Lord will provide all that’s necessary. Building the perfect nest takes straws of patience, strands of humility, and a warm bed of grace.  It takes a lot of determination and hard work but the end result is so worth it! Your children are always nested deep within the hollows of your heart. No matter where you make your nest, home is where mommy is!

 

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30 Things To Be Grateful For

Posted in Cheerful Holidays, Encouragement, Uncategorized by

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With the maddening rush of the holidays in full swing, it’s easy to become swept up in the frantic pace that this wonderful, but busy, season brings. If you find yourself blinded by the twinkling lights or forgetful of what this season is truly about, here is a list of thirty things to be grateful for:

 

  1. You are living and breathing.
  2. You have someone that loves you dearly.
  3. Mornings you can sleep as late as you want.
  4. Memories of past holidays.
  5. The clothes you are wearing.
  6. The warm food on your table.
  7. For lessons learned–the good and the bad.
  8. Your children.
  9. Your spouse or significant other.
  10. Books and the ability to be transported to other worlds through their pages.
  11. Your good health.
  12. The changing of leaves.
  13. A strangers kindness.
  14. Your parents.
  15. Your siblings.
  16. Modern conveniences.
  17. Traveling and experiencing new places and people.
  18. A cozy, comfy bed.
  19. Music and being able to relate to the lyrics.
  20. Great friendships.
  21. Clean water.
  22. Serendipity.
  23. Reaching a goal.
  24. The fresh new start each morning brings.
  25. Hot cocoa and a crackling fire.
  26. Old movies you love to watch again and again.
  27. A seasonal candle to set the tone in your home.
  28. Old photographs.
  29. The holiday cards that fill your mailbox this time of year.
  30. The peace of knowing Jesus Christ.

 

I would like to take a moment now to express to my readers how grateful I am for each and everyone of you. Thank you for allowing me into your homes and lives for just a few minutes a day. If I inspire or encourage just one of you, then it has all been worth it.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Cheerful Mom

 

Learning To Be Thankful For The Journey

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My husbands feet chase my son in the background, the television is blaring, and my house is a wreck. There are toys littering the floor, dirty clothes piled to the ceiling, and my son has been sick for six days now. I am thirty seconds away from losing my composure when a voice out of nowhere calls out to me saying, “Give thanks for it all!”

What?! You mean I’m supposed to be thankful for a never ending cycle of dirty dishes and sticky floors? I’m supposed to thank Him for the weeds in my yard and the fact that my son is sick the week of Thanksgiving? Just when I start to feel like there is nothing to give thanks for at this very moment, God reminds me that there is always, always something to be thankful for.

I have learned over the course of my life that being thankful is a choice you have to make. You must choose to wake up and be grateful for each thing your day will bring–the good and the bad. Savor the happy moments and cherish them. Embrace the bad ones and learn from them. Sometimes learning to be thankful takes patience and a whole lot of grace. But it is a humbling experience knowing that the very things we often take for granted are the same things most prayed for by someone else. Someone out there prays they could be in your shoes. Someone somewhere wishes they had the life that you are currently living.

Right now, at this very moment, there is a mother praying for one more day with her terminally ill child. My son has a cold and with a good round of antibiotics he will thankfully be well in a few days. There is a man out there with filthy clothes that is battling the cold, bitter wind. I am thankful for the mountain of laundry staring me in the face. There is a child out there who won’t receive a toy under a brightly lit tree this year. I am thankful for the many numerous toys I trip over. There are millions of people who will go to sleep hungry tonight, yet, I am thankful I am able to provide my family with a warm and filling meal.

I once read a quote that said, “What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” Sadly, if this were the case many of us would wake with very little. I am grateful that the Lord allows us a new chance to get it right everyday. What a loving and gracious Creator we serve! The more we learn to be thankful and content with what we have, the more he blesses us with. It is right to give our thanks and praise! Today, I will count my blessings and enjoy this journey I am on!

 

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What I Learned My First Year As Mommy

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When I think back to that new mom sitting in a hospital bed with a million questions and emotions running through her mind, I can’t help but smile and realize how far we’ve come. Even though my son would spend the next two and a half weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, I knew that I would soon have to find that magical balance of continuing life all while caring for and raising a tiny human. My first year as a mom was fairly easy. I’m not going to sit and brag but my son is a genuinely content and happy child. He doesn’t fuss much and has slept through the night since he was six weeks old. I learned many things in my first year as a mother. Things like: learning how to swaddle, using a nasal bulb, and how to clip a baby’s paper thin fingernails (after an awful experience of basically cutting the tip of my sons finger off!! Ugh!!) all went under my belt of new things I had to learn now that I was a mommy.

I learned that the good advice people gave me worked and didn’t work. Some of the same things that worked for other moms didn’t work quite the same for me. You have to find the best thing that suits you and your little one.

I learned that the ability of a woman’s body to create another life is utterly amazing. From the moment of conception, the months of caring for your baby, to the long awaited delivery each step is another chapter beautifully woven into your motherhood story.

I learned to love someone unselfishly and unconditionally. To put someone’s needs high above my own. To trust my instincts as a mother and fall madly in love with someone whom I had just met.

I learned to love my husband. I mean really love him. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always known he was the one. But theres just something about seeing your guy as a father that makes you look at him in a different light. The moment my guy became a dad definitely ranks as one of my all time favorite moments in the history of ever!

I learned that Gods love for us is unimaginable!  I know how much I love my son. And I know that I can no longer fathom the idea of my life without him in it. So, I can’t begin to comprehend the depth of love our Father must have for us. I’m so lucky he entrusted this little life to me.

I learned that motherhood is downright hard! I like to think that God chooses his bravest warriors for this task. Being a mom is rewarding but it comes with a lot of work and patience. It’s not for the faint of heart. No one can mother your child like you. God made you a mother on purpose! Always remember that you are enough. You are the one your baby looks for in a crowd. The one who picks them up when they tumble. You were called to prepare  them for His kingdom work!

Several years down the road, I know I will look back on that girl in the hospital bed. I will look back on my first year as a mom and my heart will be warmed. I will continue to grow as a mother and raise my son the best way that only I know how. He will watch closely and learn from me. And I will learn from him.

 

 

A Letter To My Son On His First Birthday

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Last Friday, my first born turned one. With all of the anticipation and planning that went into preparing for his big day, unfortunately I knew he wouldn’t be able to remember any of it. So, I wanted to sit down and write him a letter that shares bits of his mommas heart that years later he could look back and happily reflect on.

 

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Dear Son,

I knew this day would soon arrive, however, I did not realize it would come and go this quickly. Ever since I found out there was a miracle being formed inside me, I began dreaming of you. I wondered what you would look like, sound like, and what you would enjoy. I pondered what your first words and  favorite foods might be. The last year with you has been just what your dad and I always imagined it would be. It has been a beautiful journey watching you grow from a four pound, precious preemie into a healthy and happy one year old that gets into everything within crawling distance.

You are very sociable and never meet a stranger! Your zest for life is inspiring and you take on each new thing as an adventure. I sit and watch as your big, blue eyes grow in wonder and amazement as you take the whole world in. You are content with playing with something as simple as a string and never fuss about much. At night, you sleep in between your Daddy and I and it warms my heart having the two people I hold dearest in the world so near. I listen to the rhythm of your breathing and am blown away by the incredible blessing that is YOU!

On your first birthday, the world erupted into chaos. A bombing took place in Paris by a group that wanted to kill as many people as humanly possible. As you continue to grow in life, you will learn that the world isn’t the amazing place you think it is right now. It is full of anger and hate and much bitterness. But, child, please know that even when the world around you seems as if it’s falling apart, love conquers all. You can rest assured knowing that even when the whole Earth is in an uproar that your Mom and Dad will do everything in their power to keep you safe and shield you from all of the evil that’s out there. You were prayed for before you were born and will always be covered in prayers. You are a child of the most high God!

As we embark towards the second year of your life, I look back on all of the sweet memories that the first year holds. That first year with you, will be locked away in my heart forever. You have taught me so much in such a small amount of time. God certainly has a grand plan for your life and I am so thrilled knowing that I get to help your story unfold. You have touched many lives already. So, son, please remember that when things are good, praise God! And when things are bad, praise God! He has a reason for everything and his timing is always mysterious and perfect!

You are special. You are loved. You are one of a kind. You are mine!

Happy 1st Birthday, Kid! I love you!

Mama

 

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