My 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket

 

A few years ago, I shared all about, “My Mom’s Morning Basket”. Today, I thought it would be fun to share an updated blog post all about what is currently in my Mom’s morning basket, because somethings are the same and some are new!!

I bought my Mom’s morning basket on sale at Hobby Lobby!! It has sat in the corner of my for almost 2 years!! Depending on the season of my life, my basket will be more full than other times. Every month or so, I try to go through my basket to purge it of unnecessary things, which can easily accumulate in my basket if I’m not careful. Thankfully, I just went through my basket as we kicked off the New Year, so it’s the perfect time to share all about my 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket!!

Below, is a list of what’s in my morning basket. I will go through each item and tell you how I use it. If I can find it, I will include a link for each item, so if you’re interested you can learn more about that specific item or buy one for yourself.

 What’s in My 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket?

1. My ESV Thinline Bible 

I love this Bible!! I bought it on sale at Lifeway in Texas back in April 2013. Thankfully, it fits in my purse perfectly and not too bulky to bring when I’m traveling. Even though, many of my girls have drawn in my Bible, I can’t bring myself to use anything else!! My good friend taught me to label those precious scribbles, which I have done and they’re too important to use something else. 

2. 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets 

Every year, I purchase the Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets. They’re a goal planner which help me focus on the things that truly matter to me. Each month, I fill out a tending list of things I want to work on that month. My Powersheets live in my Mom’s basket, which make it easier for me to check off tasks as I complete them!!

Click here for more details about My 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets.

3. Give Me Jesus Journal

For more in depth Bible study, I use the beautiful Give Me Jesus Journal from Well-Watered Women Co. In the Bible study section, there is space to write out your gratitude, scripture, what you’re learning about God, how this changes the way you live, and prayers. There are two additional sections: Jot it Down and Prayers and Praises. If you don’t need the extra sections, they also have a simplified Give Me Jesus Journal that’s just has the Bible study pages. 

4. Spiral Lined Journal

I’m currently using a pretty journal I got last year for my birthday!! I use this lined journal to write my sermon notes in each week at church. If I have a chance, I also use it to write out prayers to Jesus about what we did on a specific day. Just more of a generic journal.

5. Cultivate What Matters: Write the Word Cultivate Forgiveness

Being a Mom of 5 kids, means I don’t always have a lot of time for in depth Bible study. For this reason, I love the Write the Word journals from Cultivate What Matters. I’ve used these for years, because they let me spend as much time with Jesus as I have to give on a specific day. It’s just two pages which includes space to write what I’m grateful for, the Bible verse for that day, what’s on my heart, and my word for the day. I’m currently working through the Cultivate Forgiveness, which has been good!

6. Val Marie Paper 2022 Rhythms Prayer Journal 

For years, I always wanted something to use to keep track of all the things I want to pray about each day. I was so excited to discover the Val Marie Paper Rhythms Prayer Journal!! God has used this tool to help grow my prayer life so much!! Each month I can write out my prayer requests and easily remember for whom I need to pray.

7. Cultivate What Matters: Intentional Action Card Deck Wellness

This is a new product from Cultivate What Matters!! It’s full of beautiful cards, which prompt me to work on my wellness one small step at a time. So far, I’ve really enjoyed them!!

8. Lots of fun pens, pencils, and goal setting sticker book!!

I have a pink Yoobi Pencil Organizer filled with highlights, pens, pencils, and the Cultivate What Matters: Goal Sticker Book. Personally, it’s more fun to use pretty pens and stickers while I work through my Bible study and other journals. 

Now it’s your turn, do you have a Mom’s morning basket? If so, what’s in it?

2022 Word of the Year

“Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19) because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.” - RC Sproul

Last month, I wrote a blog post all about, “My 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets” and I told you my word of the year: HOPE!! Honestly, I’m so excited to share more about this with you all today.

Every year, I pray about my word of the year and ask God to show me which word I should focus on in the coming year. God uses lots of different ways to speak to me such as; sermons, His Word, worship songs, and other books I’m reading. This year was no different!!! At the beginning of the process, I had lots of different options for my word of the year. However, over several weeks the Lord kept speaking one main word to me HOPE!!

Webster’s definition of hope says, “to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment”.

One of the first verses God used to reveal the idea of hope to me are 1 Timothy 1:12-17, a few of the verses say…

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 

- 1 Timothy‬ ‭1:15-16‬

The reason Jesus came to the world was to give hope!! Paul was the “chief sinner” and so am I!! However, God wants to work through my brokenness and redeem the trials in my life. Life is challenging, but Jesus is my HOPE.

Simply put…

Our struggles + Jesus = HOPE

Additionally, I’ve learned, the biblical Hebrew word for hope, yachal, means “to wait”, wait, hope, patient waiting, longing, so far disappointing but still hoping and waiting. Some of the verses, use this word are Psalm 69:3 and Lamentations 3:24. 

“I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” 

- Psalm 69:3

“The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 

- Lamentations 3:24

During each of my pregnancies, I spent time praying over my precious baby asking God to give me a verse for the new life inside me!! The Lord was faithful to answer my prayers and give me a “life verse” for each of my children. As it turns out, Evelyn’s life verse is Lamentations 3:22-24!!

Seriously!! The same verse God showed me regarding hope, is the exact verse God had given to me almost 4 years ago when I was pregnant with the twins!! It’s incredible to watch the Lord continue to confirm my word of the year, with another powerful word He has given me in the past. 

This gives me goosebumps!! I’m so thankful to the Lord for answering my prayers. 

Now it’s your turn, what’s your word of the year?

Book Recommendations:

“Unshakable Hope” by, Max Lucado

“Hope in the Dark” by, Greg Groeschel

“Notice the word ‘hope” (in Psalm 62:5). The Hebrew term literally means “a cord, as an attachment.’ Every one of us is hanging on to something or someone for security. ... if it’s someone or something other than God alone, you’re hanging on by a thread – the wrong thread.” - Beth Moore

Leaning into Jesus

 

One of the deepest desires of my heart, is to spend my entire life, testifying about all the ways God has brought me from death to life. Recently, I’ve had this overwhelming desire to lean into Jesus and dig deeper into the Lord through prayer, scripture, and other spiritual disciplines. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been spending time reading my Bible and in prayer. However, I want to take our relationship deeper.

As a result, I’ve been praying through all of the tools I use to foster spiritual growth in my life. Trying to decide if I should replace these items with something else or continue to use what I have in a different way. I also made a list of the disciplines I want to cultivate such as, intentional goal planning, in depth Bible study, prayer, personal journaling, gratitude, and sermon notes.

Do you long to learn more about the Lord?

If so, please look below to check out, “7 Tools to Help  You Grow in Christ”, which have helped me to get back into the groove of spending time with Jesus. These tools are helpful to get you started and guaranteed to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. These items are not “required”, so please add them to your religious to do list. Like I said, this is what works for me, so take time to pray and ask the Lord was He wants to cultivate in your life right now.

7 Tools to Help You Grow in Christ

1. ESV Bible 

(for Bible reading)

I think it’s hard to learn about Jesus without reading His word. As a result, I have several tools to help me read my Bible throughout the year. My traditional, paper copy is a pink ESV Bible. I got this Bible many years ago. At different points in time, it’s even been written on by my girls. While I study the Bible and take sermon notes, I underline Bible verses which stand out to me. I also write insights in the margins and date it, so I can remember what God taught me through my own study or from a teacher. Slowly but surely, my Bible is being filled up with incredible truths about God. If I ever get another Bible, I’lol probably get a journaling Bible, which will give me even more room to take notes!!

2. The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble Bible Reading Plan 

(for Bible reading)

A new tool I’ve been using this year is, “The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble Bible Reading Plan” on the YouVersion Bible App on my phone. The Bible Recap follows The Chronological Bible, which has been nice to listen to throughout this year. For further enrichment, I listen to The Bible Recap podcast for more insight and encouragement into the assigned daily Bible reading. I highly recommend this tool, if you’ve always wanted to read through the Bible in one year.

3. Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets 

(for intentional goal planning)

For years, I’ve been using the Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner and I get so excited to dive into the prep work to see  what God has in store for me for the upcoming year. The first 50 pages of the book is the prep work where you work through what’s important to you. They help you nail down goals and brainstorm ways to work on them little by little each year. The rest of the book is broken up into months, so each month you can work through your individual to-do lists and action steps you want to take to get you closer to achieving your goal. This year, I’m thankful the Lord helped me to simplify my goals, because the goal pandemic has wrecked all sense of “normal” right now.

4. “Write the Word Journal” 

(to cultivate gratitude, prayer, in depth Bible study)

Back in 2018, when we moved to Hong Kong I wanted to get something which would help me get back into my daily Bible reading after our big move, having twins, and being a new Mom of 5 girls!! Honestly, I just needed something to help to keep me accountable. Thankfully, I already used the PowerSheets, because I follow Lara Casey (founder of Cultivate What Matters) on social media and she introduced me to their “Write the Word Journals”. During this season of life, these journals were the perfect solution for me. They weren’t daunting Bible studies, but a guided journal which would give me space to write out God’s word, spending time in prayer, writing what I was thankful for each day, and a word for the day to summarize what I had learned. To this day, I still use my Write the Word journal and I’ve even incorporated the kids version into our homeschool curriculum.

5. Give Me Jesus Journal 

(to cultivate gratitude, prayer, in depth Bible study)

Based on a friend’s recommendation, I started following Phylicia Masonheimer on Instagram. Phylicia’s love for God and His word is contagious. She offering Bible hacks, book recommendations, Biblical teaching on lots of topics, and so much more!! She also talks about the tools she uses while she studies the Bible and one of her favorites is the “Give Me Jesus Journal” from Well Watered Women Co. It’s a journal with a variety of prompts to help you dive deeper into your specific passage. Honestly, I haven’t used this journal myself, but I plan to buy one when they restock. Even though I don’t have this journal, I’m excited to apply these principles in my personal study of God’s word. 

6. My Personal Journal 

(for journaling and sermon notes)

Ever since I was little, I’ve also had a diary or journal which I would take time to write in each day. To this day, I still use a journal for writing and pouring out my heart to the Lord in written prayers. Also, I use my journal for sermon notes. I used to have a separate journal, but I’ve found it’s easier to just keep everything in the same place. Inevitably, I’m going to wondering what the pastor talked about and it’s easier to have everything all together instead of trying to keep track of even more notebooks. 

7. Val Marie Paper Rhythms (Yearly) Prayer Journal 

(for fostering prayer, written prayers, journaling, and gratitude)

I have used the Val Marie Paper Yearly Prayer Journal, recent renamed the “Rhythms” Prayer Journal, for several years. In 2018, the first year I used the prayer journal, I was inconsistent, because I would skip a month here and there. It felt wasteful!! As a result, in 2019, I didn’t order a prayer journal and just tried to use the months which were still blank in my 2018 prayer journal. Honestly, it was hard to navigate 2019 without a yearly prayer journal. I missed having this tool to help me nourish a healthy prayer life. When it came time to pre-order the 2020 yearly prayer journals, I made it a priority to invest in one again and have some extra encouragement. You all know how crazy 2020 has been and I’m so thankful I had this prayer journal to help me to continue to pray even when as chaos raged around us. All that to say, I’ve already pre-ordered my 2021 Rhythms (yearly) Prayer Journal, because I know things are harder without it.

.....

Now it’s your turn... 

Please leave me a comment and let me know what are your favorite tools, 

which help you grow in Christ?

My Mom’s Morning Basket

I’m so excited to share my Mom’s Morning Basket with you!!

Several years ago, as apart of our homeschool, I decided to try something new. I got the idea from Ashlee at ‘Grace and Grit’ on YouTube. Ashlee is a homeschool Mom and she uses ‘The Morning Basket‘ technique, by Brave Writer aka Julie Bogart, with her homeschool curriculum. I really liked this idea and couldn’t wait to try it out during our 2017-18 school year. Honestly, in our family, it’s been a huge hit and to this day, we still use a morning basket.

Additionally, back in 2018, I even put a Christmas spin on our typical morning basket. To learn more about it, click the link to read, “Blogmas Series: Our Christmas Book Basket” now.

This year, I wanted to try something completely new for myself. You see, I always have my Bible, journals, books I’m reading, devotionals, and more floating around the house. There hasn’t been a central location for these items, which means I can’t always find them when I need them. It’s frustrating and takes away from my time with the Lord when I have to search all over the house for my Bible or a pen.

As a result, I thought it would be nice to buy a basket for myself where I would keep these important items in one central location. I did a quick Google search of “Mom’s Morning Basket” to see if this was even a thing and I was inspired by lots of other articles, which helped me narrow down what books to put into my Mom’s Morning basket. I’ll share more about those details below.

Immediately, I drove to Hobby Lobby, where I found the perfect basket on sale!! Seriously, it was less than $5.00. Thank you Jesus!! I was excited to bring and discover it was the perfect fit for all the books I have right now. Thank you Lord for providing just what I needed during this season.

......

What’s In My Mom’s Morning Basket?? 

1.) Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets 2020 

2.) Val Marie Paper: 2020 Yearly Prayer Journal 

3.) Non—fiction book (Currently “Sacred Marriage” by, Gary Thomas) 

4.) My personal journal

5.) My ESV Bible 

6.) Devotional (Currently, “My Utmost for His Highest” by, Oswald Chambers) 

7.) Write the Word journal (Currently, “The Garden”) 

8.) My pouch for pens, pencils, and Cultivate Faith Sticker Book

.....

In case you’re wondering, I’ve used PowerSheets for years!! They help me break down my big goals into small baby steps, so I can work on a little each month. I keep this book in my morning basket, so I can easily access my monthly tending list and record my progress on action items. Click the link to read all about, “My 2020 Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets”.

Currently, these are the books I reach for most often and it’s nice to have them all in the same spot. Once, I finish reading my non-fiction book, I will replace it with something else. The same goes for my Write the Word journal. I’m not a huge fan of devotionals, but it’s nice to have one in my basket on busy days when I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and study the word. It’s always an encouragement of my weary soul.

One more things, during my research about Mom’s morning baskets, many of the ladies said they have a book of poetry in their basket for themselves. I don’t have one yet, but I thought it was a cool idea.

Now it’s your turn, what’s in your Mom’s Morning basket?

God’s Faithfulness in Isolation

“ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34:18

For the past 14 days, we’ve been in a self imposed quarantine.

That’s right.

There was a possibility my family was exposed to Covid-19, so we decided it would be wise to quarantine ourselves for 14 days. Which included staying in our house and not going to the store or anywhere else where we could possibly pass this on to more vulnerable people. The days were so long and began to run together unlike anything else since the social distancing and initial lockdown began in mid-March.

We’re praising God, because none of got sick and we’re all healthy!! What an answer to prayer!!

For months, I’ve been nervous and worrying about this global pandemic. However, knowing this threat had reached my house was almost more than I could bare. It was hard for me to sleep, just waiting for the inevitable to take place. Even when I was overwhelmed, God was with us. I’m here to testify to His goodness as He gave me strength for each and every day.

My poor girls have been stir crazy. For the first ten days, we didn’t do anything except homeschool and other activities inside our home. In the finals days of our self-quarantine, we let the kids ride bikes and play in the driveway while we watched to make sure they stayed at our house. Yesterday, my girls couldn’t wait to ride their bikes all over the neighborhood and burn off all of their pent up energy over the past two weeks!!

As a result of our isolation, we’ve already finished 7 puzzles in just 6 weeks. Don’t judge us, but some 1,000 piece puzzles we finished in just one day. It’s a nice distraction when there isn’t much else to do.

This extra time also gave me a chance to plan out upcoming 2020-21 Homeschool Year. Jon even ordered all of our curriculum for next year, which was a huge thing off my To-Do List! Additionally, I’ve been organizing like crazy and trying to make room for all of our new books. I’m so excited about our new school year!!

As a result, we’ve received tons of packages.

One day we got excited for the boxes to arrive, we left goodies for the delivery man who has been working hard during this time of crisis. We all yelled, “Thank you” through the screen door. Truly any amount of human interaction was life giving to our weary souls.

In the final days, I had to go to the store, so I put on my mask and gloves to run to the store. Honestly, I felt silly wearing everything, but I didn’t want to spread germs to anyone else if I could help it. I felt ridiculous in my white mask and black gloves trying my best to not touch my face until I got back in the car and could sanitize my hands first. Life is so strange right now.

Off and on throughout our self-quarantine, I’ve been scared. However, God was with us. The Bible says, the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It was our theme verse over these long days at home. I’m thankful God will continue to be with us until all the worldwide lockdowns come to an end. Life might be crazy right now, but He is still God. He has not changed.

Praying this encourages you while we all continue to wait for this crisis to pass.

Our Thankful Jar

Three weeks ago, our lives changed in some very drastic ways. I lost my Grandma, a global pandemic was issued for Covid-19, I celebrated my birthday at home while social distancing, our vacation was cancelled, we lost power, we missed our friends wedding, church was cancelled, and so much more. I understand it could have been worse and I kept telling myself it wasn’t that bad.

However, I was devestated!

In reality, I was sad and grieving over all the losses I experienced in just a matter of days. I felt overwhelmed with anxiety and despair, not knowing how to properly cope with everything going on in the world around me.

On top of everything else, I started to worry about my husband (who is a commercial pilot) like never have before. Each day, I looked online to check the number of Coronavirus cases are in the states he was scheduled to be in. Long ago, the Lord taught me to trust Him with Jon's life as he works as a pilot. Unfortunately, I had a momentary relapse as I tried to regain control of my life in any way possible.

I continued to read my Bible and found comfort in God’s word and a willingness to pour out everything before the Lord. On Beth Moore’s twitter account on March 24, 2020, she said,

“Something I’ve done when my mind is bombarded with unknowns in a specific crisis. I make 2 columns with these headings: What I don’t know / What I do know. And I start listing. Though the list of what I don’t may get long, it shrinks beside the sheer divine power of what I DO.” 

 - Beth Moore 

I loved this idea!!

Quickly, I opened my journal and started writing two lists, “What I don’t know” and “What I do know”. It was hard to write down all my worries and questions. However, as I listed out what I know about God, it far out weighed my worries and concerns. This practice also helped to comfort my grieving soul. If you’re struggling with overwhelming circumstances right now, I encourage you to try this, because remembering who God is will give you the strength You need for each and every day in this new normal.

Honestly, when I am moody, my family’s mood shifts as well. In an effort to get us all back on track, I wanted my family to practice thankfulness again. So, I created a Thankful Jar. It’s nothing fancy!! I found an extra clear vase in the garage, then wrote “thankful on a piece of printer paper, and taped it inside the vase. Then I cut up pieces of white printer paper and put them in a snack bag labeled, “I’m thankful for…”. Our thankful jar lives on our kitchen counter. We’re using this jar, until we’re out of lockdown as a way to show our love and appreciation for those around us. The girls immediately jumped onboard and starting writing things they are thankful for on different pieces of paper. I had to ration out their paper, because I was afraid they would use it all in one fell swoop. I’ve been trying to do the same and write down things I’m grateful for each week.

As you all know, life hasn’t been anything like we planned this year. However, I can’t wait until this pandemic is over and we have a chance to remember everything God has been doing in our lives throughout these long and isolated months in quarantine practicing social distancing. Don't forget, God is always with you!!

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" 

- Psalm 118:29

10 Self Care Ideas

Recently, I've been overwhelmed by the Coronavirus chaos taking place all around the world. Can anyone else relate? While so many of us are practicing social distancing, I thought it would be a great time to share with you how you can take care of yourself during this difficult time.

During times of stress and suffering, I put myself on the back burner in order to care for my immediate family. I wear so many different hats throughout the day, it's hard to make time to take care of myself, because it feels selfish and Christians aren't supposed to be selfish. Isn't it more loving, if I just focus on my family?

Thankfully, over the years God has shown me, the only real way I can love my family is to take care of myself. Sometimes I do this better than others! I hope these ideas will encourage you to begin to take care of yourself.

10 Self Care Ideas 

1. Reading my Bible 
Each and everyday, I make an effort to come into God's presence, because it is essential in my effort to daily take care of myself. I read my Bible, pray, worship, and memorize scripture. I'm a Mom of five little girls, so I never do this "perfectly". Most of the time, I'm squeezing in my Bible reading before breakfast while my twins watch Cocomelon on YouTube. I step away for a few minutes to be strengthened by God for the day ahead. Then, I listen to  The Bible Recap Bible Reading plan and podcast, while I work on unloading the dishwasher and making breakfast. The Bible Recap has been such an encouragement to me as I work to read/listen to the whole Bible this year.


2. Journaling 
I am a writer, who loves journaling. I've enjoyed journaling since I was a little girl. There are two ways I journal. First, I journal my prayers to the Lord starting with "Dear Jesus" and then pouring out my heart. Next, I journal what happened throughout the day and how I'm feeling. Trying to give myself space to process my feelings on paper. It helps me to be able to process my feelings when I see them on paper. It also helps me to unload my worries and fears before the Lord and physically leaving them with Him in my journal.


3. Listening to Podcasts 
I didn't grow up listening to a lot of audiobooks. Honestly, it took me awhile to be able to really like podcasts. However, now I have found some of my favorite podcasts, I just love them. They've become part of my daily routine. It's nice to be able to listen to podcasts as I walk around the house doing laundry, cooking, or cleaning. It helps me to be able to take a break from my kids and join in on some adult conversation about anything and everything!! Some of my favorite podcasts are...The Popcast with Knox and Jamie, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, The Next Right Thing, Business Wars, American Elections: Wicked Game, The Bible Binge, The Bible Recap, and so many more!!


4. Date Night with Jon 
For a season, going on dates with my husband was rare, because my twins were young and we were living in Hong Kong. We went back to our roots, when we were newly married without any extra money and focused on some at home dates. Now we've settled into our new home, we've been trying to have a date night at least once a month and it's been wonderful! So nice to get out and have a break with my favorite person on the planet. It won't always look the same, but it's important to make date night a priority!


5. Eating Healthy 
If I'm not making healthy food choices, how will I ever have the energy to care for my family? Eating healthy feels selfish. However, during times of crisis, quarantine, and social distancing, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself. With food shortages throughout the country, you may not be able to only eat healthy foods depending on what’s available at your store, but try your best!!


6. Going for Walks/Moving Your Body
It’s important for me to get out of the house and let me kids walk around the neighborhood for at least 30 minutes each day. It’s critical for my sanity and theirs. Maybe you don’t have a neighborhood
to walk around, if so try to make time to move your body for at least 30 minutes a day. There are tons of free workout videos on YouTube, so there’s no excuse for not getting up and moving your body.


7. Drinking Water 
This is also a struggle for me. I live up at altitude and need more water than the average person. So, I have a water bottle, which is just mine and I refill it throughout the day to make sure I’m drinking as much water as I can. I also have an app on my phone, which lets me log how much water I have consumed throughout the day. This is so helpful, because I can easily forget how much water I’ve had it I don’t write it down or keep track of it.


8. Reading or Listening to Books 
I love books. However, being a busy Mom of 5, I don’t always have time to sit down and read books like I want to each day. On top of that, I wasn’t very good art listening to books either. Over the past few years, I’ve learned to listen to books from the library. I’ve listened to all kinds of audiobooks and I love it, because I can work on dishes or cleaning while I listen to a good book. It took time to get used to listening to books, but it’s so worth it now! You should give it a try.


9. Watching shows on Netflix 
Honestly, not many of us can be out and about right now. As a result, I'm so thankful for Netflix and other streaming services which let me relax and watch good shows or movies after my girls have gone to sleep. I try not to do this all day long, but it helps to relax and unwind at the end of each day by watching a good show. What are some of your favorite shows or movies right now?


10. Choose a Fun Hobby
My final self care idea is to choose a fun hobby such as coloring, building puzzles, knitting, cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, baking,  or anything else which you find fulfilling. In our family, I we work on puzzles together. I also have a bunch of adult coloring books, which I enjoy coloring in when I'm feeling stressed or anxious.

Now it's your turn. What self care ideas work best for you?

Overcoming My Fears

I hate blood. It makes me queasy and sick to my stomach. In the past, I’ve even passed out at the sight of blood. I’m not kidding!

Back in September 2008, Jon and I were living in East Texas, while my husband attended college at LeTourneau University. Unfortunately, he needed to have his wisdom teeth removed and I was the person there to care for him following his oral surgery. Thankfully, the surgery was very successful. Following the procedure, the nurse explained to me I needed to have Jon’s prescriptions filled at the pharmacy. She also stressed the importance of changing the gauze in Jon’s mouth every hour, so they didn’t get infected. I loaded my very groggy husband into our silver Chevy Nova car and drove to Walmart to fill all of his prescriptions.

It was a hot day, so I left Jon in the car and quickly ran inside to have the prescriptions filled. They told me it would be a little while, so I headed back to the car to check on Jon, because it was almost time to change out the gauze.

I got back into the driver’s seat and looked at Jon trying to figure out the best way to reach the gauze in his mouth. I decided to get out of the car and walked around to the passenger seat where I could have a better angle to see inside Jon’s mouth. I sat down next to Jon and was immediately overwhelmed by the sight of blood in his mouth. I turned white as a sheet.

Even in Jon’s haziness, he knew something was wrong. My sweet husband, tried his best to communicate with me and urge me to get into the backseat of the car. I shut the passenger door and got into the backseat of the car. As soon as I sat down, I passed out.

Jon rubbed my leg to let me know he loved me and assure me, I wasn’t alone. When I came to, I was so confused and couldn’t figure out why we were in the Walmart parking lot.

I called my precious friend, Janet, and she came to our rescue! She drove down to meet us at Walmart, helped change Jon’s gauze, and make sure I had all the prescriptions we needed. I’m so thankful for her willingness to love on us in this amazing way.

My aversion to blood is still very strong today.

I know it might sound silly, but I’ve been nervous for the day when our girls start to lose their teeth. I just get queasy thinking about pulling out their teeth. As a result, for the past year or so, I have refused to pull any teeth out of my daughter, Olivia’s mouth.

Last Thursday morning, Olivia’s fourth tooth was ready to come out. Unfortunately, my husband was gone and I was the only one home to help pull out her tooth. GREAT!! Honestly, I was nervous and starting to freak out just a little. I needed moral support and someone to coach me through this, so after getting Jon’s voicemail, I called my Mom.

My Mom told me how to pull out Olivia’s tooth, then reassured me I could do this and everything would be okay. Olivia held the phone while I got ready to pull out her tooth. She was so brave. Her tooth came out and I immediately began to cry and hug Olivia, because I had done it. I was so thankful for my Mom’s unending love and support.

I’m so thankful for these women God has put in my life to love on my in weakness!! These were truly humbling experiences, but constant reminders, God’s power is made perfect in my weakness!!

God's Comfort in Tragedy

I’m a pilot’s wife. Honestly, this week's helicopter crash is one of my worst nightmares and what I fear each time my husband leaves for work. As a result, the news of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death has left me more shaken than I expected. In the days following any type of airplane crash, I get nervous and filled with worry about what might happen to my own husband. I realize this is a very unhealthy default mode, but sometimes I can't help myself. As a result, I would like to take some time to remind all of us about the comfort God offers to all people during times of affliction.

Yesterday, I was holding back tears as my husband left for work and secretly scared he may never come home. Silently, I prayed and begged God to protect the love of my life and allow him to safely return to us.  

While Jon’s gone, I try my best to cling to Jesus. This is just a proper Christian Sunday school response, but the only thing that has worked for me while my love is gone. I spend time with Jesus in a variety of ways. Usually, I make time to read or listen to my Bible, recite scripture, and continue to pray for my husband. I must rely on God, because otherwise I drive myself crazy with worry, anxiety, fear, “what ifs” and unfortunately I can even become very angry.

As a busy Mom of five, I've been participating in "The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble" plan on the Bible app. Everyday I listen to the particular scripture and then finish by listening to a corresponding podcast, put out by "The Bible Recap". This is one of the first Bible reading plans I've been able to stick to, because I'm listening to it as I was dishes or make lunch. It's made such a difference in the few weeks, I've been listening to my Bible.

Also, one of my favorite Bible verses to recite during hard times is Psalm 34:18. Just for some context, let's start in verse 17.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”
- Psalm 34:17-20 [NIV] 

What an incredible picture of God’s goodness to us, even when our lives are broken and shattered God is with us. Even when it feels like it's all too much and we might die under the weight of it all, we must remember these truths. The Lord will deliver us and not one of our bones will be broken under the weight of our crushing circumstances. I’m so thankful for this reminder!!

Thank you God for never leaving us alone and that we don’t need to have it all together before we can come to You. No matter what’s going on in your life, don’t forget to run to Jesus.

Finally, my heart is just broken for the loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant; John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser; Ara Zobayan; and Payton and Sarah Chester. I will continue to pray for their families and friends as they mourn the loss of their most precious loved ones. Click here to learn more about all the helicopter accident victims. 

For anyone in need of a little more help as you process the loss of a loved one. Click the link to check out Emily P Freeman podcast called, “85: Hold Space When Someone Dies”.

Come Into His Presence

“And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"” 

- Mark‬ ‭2:12‬

At the beginning of 2019, I decided one of my goals should be to read through my Bible in one year. What God-fearing Christian doesn’t make this type of New Years Resolution? I subscribed to a plan on my YouVersion app and started reading. In the first few weeks, I did a great job. However, gradually the excitement of starting something new fizzled out and I stopped reading my Bible.

In addition to reading my Bible, I’m working through a Bible study called, “Breaking Free: The Journey, The Stories” by, Beth Moore. As often as I could, I made time to work on my Bible study. Unfortunately, with each passing day, I completely forgot about my desire to read through the Bible in one year. Oops!!

Has this ever happened to you? 

Even though, I haven't been able to stick to my Bible reading plan, God has used my Breaking Free Bible study to speak truth into my life. I am so thankful. Even when I fail, God is faithful!! Just the other day, I came across a verse in Isaiah, which I found very meaningful. I just have to share it with you.

 “Return to me, for I have redeemed you..” 

 - Isaiah 44:23b 

Return. To. Me.

Short and simple, but filled with such powerful truths!! God has been using this verse as a gentle reminder for me to return to Him and His word. Daily, I need to whatever it takes to get in God’s word.

Like I said before, I had been trying to read through the Bible  in one year. I tried a plan on my phone, but it wasn’t my favorite. I prefer to use pen and paper. Thankfully, I was able to find a free printable on Pinterest called,  “2019 5-Day Bible Reading Program”. I printed it out and put it in my Bible, so that I will remember to read God's word everyday.

That's right, I’m going to try again.

Yes, I’m starting my Bible reading plan in May. I realize it is almost half way through the year. Honestly, I don't think it matters when I start my Bible reading plan as long as I’m spending time with God in His word.

Today, I read Mark 2 and the verse below resonated with me the most!!

“And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"” 

- Mark‬ ‭2:12‬‬‬ 

The paralytic did everything he could to be with Jesus and be in His presence. He know it was the only place where he would find true healing!!

Sin separates us from God.

Genesis 3 describes the fall of Adam and Eve. Along with the introduction of sin into the world. 

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” 

- Genesis‬ ‭3:8‬‬‬ 

Sin caused Adam and Eve to hide from God’s presence. Seriously, like He didn’t know where they were!? Going into the light of God’s presence means exposing our sins and being honest about the state of our heart.

Don’t let sin keep you from being in God’s presence. I hope we will be like the paralytic man, who did whatever was necessary to be with Jesus. We must be brave enough to walk in the light, because it is only through Jesus where true healing can be found.

Today, make every effort to come into God’s presence.

Hope For A Mommysaurus

In the past few weeks, I’ve been in a hard place. I have been irritable, ungrateful, impatient, grumpy, angry, resentful, and more. If I had to use one word to describe myself the past few weeks, it you be Mommysaurus. There have been slivers of joy and happiness, but they have been few and far between. To make matters worse, I haven’t been making time to pray and read my Bible!

This is truly a recipe for disaster.

I don’t know about you, but I have 5 kids, two of whom are 9 month old babies. I live in a foreign country. I homeschool my children and I’m a pilot’s wife. Even just one of these things would be enough to overwhelm any normal human being. All that being said, I NEED to spend time with God everyday. Not out of obligation, but necessity.

That’s right. I require more to sustain me than just the Instagram Bible verse of the day.

Every time I get mad or lose my cool, I ask Jon and the girls to pray for me and that God can help me get out of this funk. Today, when I was feeling down, God used my “Breaking Free: The Journey The Stories” by Beth Moore Bible study to bring me some wonderful encouragement.

One of the passages of scriptures I studied was Psalm 63:1-8.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; 

my soul thirsts for you; 

my flesh faints for you, 

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love is better than life, 

my lips will praise you. 

So I will bless you as long as I live; 

in your name I will lift up my hands. 

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, 

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 

when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

 for you have been my help, 

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me.” 

- Psalms‬ ‭63:1-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 

Throughout these verses, the Lord showed me that my soul is hungry for the Him. I believe that only time with God will quench my spiritual thirst. As I spend time in the presence of the Lord, I will be changed. My soul will be satisfied. It says so, right here in God’s word!!

Why am I telling you this?

We all have hard things going on in our life. So, if you're feeling a bit like you’ve wandered off into the wilderness and can’t remember your way out. I want you to know, you’re not alone. God is with you. He’s waiting for you to come to Him (just as you are) and confess your great need for Him. Only through our confession and repentance that can we be brought back into a right relationship with God again.

I pray that this encourages you.

A Reflection of 2018 - God is Faithful

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”" 

- Lamentations 3:22-24

Greetings from Hong Kong!!

What an incredible year it has been. As a look back over this year, it has truly been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. This year, we were on a roller coaster, that just never seemed to end.

Being surprised by a twin pregnancy. Spending 7 weeks on bedrest to ensure that I was healthy enough to have the twins at home. Twin girls, Evelyn and Zoey born at home. Jon's dream job offer in Hong Kong. My Mom receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, just a month or so before we were set to move across the world. Saying Goodbye to family and friends as we prepared to leave on our new adventure. Arriving in Hong Kong. Setting up our new home. Culture shock. Excitement over years of answered prayers. Super Typhoon Mangkhut. Homesickness. Anxiety. Postpartum depression. Jon traveling. Loneliness.

At the beginning of 2018, I picked my word for the year. Do you want to know what I chose?

Faithful.

At the time, I thought it was more about me being faithful in every area of my life. I thought I needed to be faithful to be a good Christian, a good wife, a good mother, a good daughter, a good sister, and faithfully do all things that good Christian woman is supposed to do. Like read my Bible, go to church, homeschool my kids, meal plan, make healthy meals for my family, clean my house, and stay on budget.

 However, throughout this year God has showed me that my 2018 word of the year had nothing at all to do with me! This year, was never about me being faithful in my own strength. It was about sitting back and watching God display His faithfulness in every single area of my life. The good, the bad, and the ugly!!

I am here to testify that I have been struggling, overwhelmed, resentful, angry, joyful, happy, and sad. Above it all, regardless of how I am feeling on any given day, God has been faithful!! And He will continue to be faithful, because that's who He is.

I am so thankful for God's goodness to us this year!! And always.

No matter what you faced this year or what's coming up in 2019, don't forget that the Lord is with you and He will NEVER leave you.

.....

Reckless Love
By, Cory Asbury

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah