My mission is to provide you with inspiration and encouragement to live everyday to it's fullest. I do this by sharing the simple things in life such as recipes to the most difficult of things such a life. We all know life is a struggle and many days a balancing act, but I am here to inspire you to do it well. Everything I write about is designed to inspire as well as encourage you to be a "better" you that you can be. Everything I share is raw and real. I do not cover up or sugar coat what I write about. This would benefit no one. My goal is for you to walk away feeling uplifted and encouraged after leaving my page. Lastly, I am here to remind you that you are… enough and beautiful… just the way you are.
As we close out another week, I would like to remind you before you book up your entire weekend with busy work, to think about adding some down time in there as well.
It is my prayer you will be inspired by this quote and it will be enough to cause you to stop and observe how fast your life might be traveling.
“There is more to life than increasing it’s speed.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Life has a way of getting ahead of us when we least expect it but, I want to remind you to be conscious of this and mindfully add some time to just sit down and reflect on the week.
Consider asking yourself a few questions.
Did it go well?
Did it function well?
If you struggled, where were those struggles and are they ones you can change around before the next week?
The purpose to life should not be just existing or just surviving. It should be to live life to it’s full abundance.
I know this is hard as I find myself in constant survival mode but, God didn’t create us to be in survival mode. He created us to a light unto the world.
I don’t know if you can relate to this or not but, it is hard for my light to shine brightly when I find myself exhausted and struggling to get one foot in front of the other or when life has me chasing my tail because I’m constantly trying to chase down the chaos.
I found myself desiring and craving a need to change the crazy dance I have found myself dancing. I want to enjoy life and enjoy it to it’s fullest.
Is this you as well? If so, we can work on this together. Let’s start by not adding any more speed to our weekend. Let us make a valiant effort to find or make the time in our weekend ahead to relax and enjoy those who are around us and the quiet time we created.
She Steps Forward With Grace Virtual Women’s Conference
Credit: @transformingloveministries.org
I am partnered up with Transforming Love Ministries (a women’s ministry) for the launch of this year’s 2021 Annual Women’s Conference / She Steps Forward with Grace Virtual Conference.
Mark your calendars for March 26-27, 2021, and to order your tickets, head over to her website Transforming Love Ministries (click on the link provided).
Due to the Corona Virus, she is unable to do a live conference, so she made arrangements this year to allow it to be done virtually.
We are prayerful that lives will be touched by this year’s conference.
We are seeking help in spreading the word since time is short. If you know ladies would would be interested, please share this information and the link provided above.
Lastly, please don’t forget to order your tickets today to reserve your place for this inspirational and encouraging God filled weekend.
I will try to continue to advertise on my blog for this amazing weekend so stay tuned for future updates on the speaker line up as well.
Until we meet again, God Bless and prayerfully consider attending this Virtual Women’s Conference.
Today’s Encouragement is to remind you to not get so wrapped up in the past that you forget to live in the present.
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
Will Rogers
I live in the shadows of my husband who suffers with PTSD and life stopped for us for what seemed like a long time. When life began to spiral out of control back in 2014, it was like life stopped there.
We lived through such a difficult time for so long that it was hard to see that we could start over or at least start where we left off.
It wasn’t until years later that life began to slowly recover from that horrible year and we were finally able to begin the slow process of rebuilding our lives and now we are finally back to a point where I feel like, instead of suffocating, we are able to breathe again.
Do you have a similar experience, but maybe your circumstances that sent you there are different.
Maybe yours stems from the loss of a loved one or from a tragedy? Maybe you had a difficult marriage and the loss of it has torn you up into what feels like tiny little pieces?
It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are that sent you to this difficult spot, what matters is that you have been able to move forward from it.
This is God’s desire for us. He doesn’t want for us to get stuck in our difficult situations,He wants us to use our experiences to grow from. With everything, there is always something good that comes from it. Sometimes we have to look hard for it, but as long as we find it, that is all that truly matters.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
Isaiah 9:2 ESV
Sweet friends, please know that it doesn’t matter how deep your pain is from your difficult experience, what matters is that you are able to move forward now.
Do not let the emotions of the past, hold you up in seeing the blessings of the future.
HD Benson
Allow yourself the time to heal from the open wounds of the past so that you are able to move towards the rewards God has for you in the present. For as long as you allow the past to control you, you will not be able to fully enjoy what the present is offering.
My Friend, you are important and God wants you to know He sees your pain, but doesn’t want you to live with it for the rest of your life. He wants you to begin the healing process, but, He needs for you to turn your eyes up on Him for this to happen.
Do not continue to live in the past, but instead, heal from your past so you can reap the rewards of the present.
You’ve got this Friend. If I can do it, I know you can too.
As we move into the holiday season, we can find it a stressful and exhausting season.
If you are like me and you are already exhausted, then we could be walking into this season feeling defeated and discouraged.
I am here to remind you today, in case you forget, how important you are and that everything you are doing is making a difference.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
William James
Take some time this weekend to rest, refresh, and reset yourself.
Rest is an obvious suggestion while refresh can mean anything.
What does this mean to you?
To me it means to do something that has been weighing heavy on me.
To me what will be refreshing will be to finish decorating for Christmas so I can sit back on the busy work days and relax in the beauty of my home.
It also means to sort through my everyday stuff that I took down to decorate and put it in the attic until after the holiday season.
If this is accomplished before I go back to work on Monday, then I will feel productive and accomplished which will help to make me feel refreshed.
I just have to remember to rest and reset, which if I’m not careful, could be overlooked.
How about you? What does this look like to you? What do you want to do to refresh and reset yourself?
No matter what this looks like, remember these simple words, “You are making a difference.”
All too many times when we find ourselves in a state of exhaustion, our minds begin to lie to us, telling us we are not important and what we are doing is foolish.
My friend, do not believe these lies. Instead, remember, “You are Important!”
Take the time this weekend to rest, refresh, and reset.
With the Holidays here, I wanted to share how much your continued support means to me.
I haven’t been able to write and post because my time has been spread so thin, but when I least expect it, I receive a notification that someone still wants to follow me and clicks like on something I have posted and know that I appreciate those notifications.
I am so thankful on this day of Thanksgiving that you have not given up on me or my blog.
Thank you!
Now to give you a quick update and prayerfully encourage you if your life looks like anything similar.
I believe I posted a while ago that after 22 years of being a stay at home wife and mom, I started working again. I am the afternoon receptionist at our local Christian school. The same one my sweet daughter has worked at for the last seven years. I love working at the same place both her and my sweet sister-in-law works at.
I started out by getting my feet wet at only 18 hours a week and that enabled me to still do what I have always done, but then as summer came and went and the new school year began, we found ourselves short staffed so my hours went up.
Now I find myself a mostly full time working mom facing the same struggles as everyone else. Not enough day to get everything done in.
The past couple of weeks have been especially challenging because we celebrated my daughter’s birthday as well as preparing for today and started decorating for Christmas (to save some time I don’t have).
In order to be ready for Thanksgiving, I had to do what many of you have done and worked into the night to get it all done to be ready for today.
As a result it made for an incredibly long day and what feels like and even longer week.
I am also the Social Media Manager for our local women’s ministry where I create all the images she uses on her social media platforms. This keeps me busy when I’m not at work.
Then there is my HL&E Designs home business. This has truly taken a beating though. After much prayer and consideration my daughter and I have decided to take a step back and only fill local orders for family and friends because they understand my time limitations and constraints better.
I am hoping to not dissolve my business permanently as this will enable me to continue to create special gifts for people, but until I can get back to that, I will continue to scale back my business orders.
Lastly, but by no means, is this the least important of my responsibilities and that is helping, supporting, and standing by my daughter’s side as she battles her chronic health issues.
Her constant health battles are something she battles every day of her life. Between the constant pain and fatigue, I’m reminded daily how much she battles with her body. She tries very hard to live her life as “normal” as she can, but when the pain and fatigue takes her out, then we are reminded that she isn’t healthy like you and I.
When life gets even crazier than life is, I’m quickly set back in my place and reminded I am a mom first and this happens to me on a regular basis.
So, this brings me back to here, to my blog. The thing I also love doing. I love writing, sharing, and encouraging you, my faithful followers.
If I can do this crazy busy life, I know you can too.
I love encouraging you to get through what seems so hard. I am constantly reminded from God to share my story and to share my experiences because He is using mine to encourage you.
So here is what I do best. Here is a dose of encouragement after my long life update.
God promises to never leave us or forsake us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1 ESV
He promises to give us strength when we are at our weakest.
My sweet friends, please know and be reminded today that no matter how busy you get, how discouraged you feel, or how lonely you feel, you are never alone.
Your Heavenly Father is still by your side. He is holding you up when you feel like you want to collapse. He will bring your smile back to those who have lost it. He will heal the hearts of those whose are broken.
This gentle reminder is shared with both you and me today.
So if you find yourself exhausted, lonely, or in pain (mentally, physically, or spiritually), it is my prayer that today you are able to look past it all and find all the reasons to be thankful for what you do have. Be thankful for what God has given to you.
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
As I close today, be encouraged my friend, if you find you are able to relate to what I posted today, then know you are not alone. There are those who understand where you are and ultimately know God is by your side.
Be strong, be brave, be courageous, and today; Be Thankful.
There are so many people struggling with anxiety for a variety of issues today.
There are many who are battling with issues Covid-19 has caused. Many are battling the virus, while others may be feeling the effects of having their jobs impacted, or are being forced to live in isolation. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are, if you are battling with anxiety, then this feeling is real to you.
Some may be experiencing health related issues, or the uncertainty of pending surgeries. These medical concerns may have you consumed because of the pain you are in, or the fear of the bills that may be created as a result of this experience. The anxiety it is causing is real to you.
Some of you who are in school or are going to college may be stressed over the amount of work you have to invest in each class, or the papers you need to write, the exams you need to study for and take, as well as the numerous amount of deadlines that need to be met. This struggle is real and the anxiety is insurmountable.
Some may be in difficult relationships with spouses, family members, or friends. You know the relationship is toxic, but you are not sure how to end it or if you should. What you are certain with is that the pressures and the stress it is causing is more than what you want to continue to live with, but how do you make the changes that need to be made?
It does not matter what the struggle is. What matters is, the struggle is real.
It is my desire and prayer, God will use this Sunday Reminder to give you the strength to “Be Strong and Courageous.”
“…Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Do not be dismayed because God is with you. He is guiding you. He is giving you the strength and the courage you need to battle your anxiety.
Be sure to spend some quiet time with Him today and ask Him for the guidance you need to fight this battle and know He will deliver you the peace and comfort you are in need of. He will walk you through the difficulty and you will begin to experience a peace you didn’t think you could have.
Rest in your Master’s arms and allow Him to free you from all that concerns you today.
My friend, Today’s Encouragement will be a simple reminder that no matter what you are going through, whether everything is going well, or whether everything is going badly, there is a reason for all of it.
God reminds us in Ecclesiastes,
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
If you are going through a difficult time remember this and be encouraged that with every second and every hour God is growing you and molding you for a better plan and purpose.
He never allows us to go through the muddy waters of life without allowing us to use those difficulties later and somewhere else.
I have experienced some great difficulties in my life and as I was going through them, my greatest consolidation was that there was a purpose for it. Whether the purpose was to help me conquer a trial later or if it was to help encourage someone else, I knew in my heart there was a reason for everything I was going through.
It didn’t come easily though, because there were many days I remember saying, “Lord, this is hard, this is really hard, but if you can use this hardship later to make someone else’s life a bit easier, then I will be okay and I can do this, but only with Your strength.”
I needed to know there was a reason and a purpose for the difficult season in my life and God was always there to reassure me there was.
My friend, if this is you today and you are struggling in a difficult relationship, you are struggling financially, or you are struggling with a sick family member, a close friend or even a spouse. It doesn’t matter if it is all of these or none of these. What matters if you are having a difficult time is to remember these simple, but powerful words;
“There is none like You, Lord.”
Jeremiah 10:7
Stand tall today, hold your head just a little bit higher, and know your God knows you, sees you, and above all else, loves you.
Are you struggling with a difficult situation and you just feel beat down and alone?
Do you feel like no matter where you look, you only see the darkness of your circumstance?
Well, I have an encouraging reminder to share with you today.
You are not! You are not alone, no matter how lonely you may feel and you are not surrounded by the darkness that has you consumed.
God is here to remind you, today that, “His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.” Ps 119:105
Be encouraged knowing God is with you, every second, every minute, and every hour. He is with you and will provide the light you need to see through the darkest of times.
Lean on Him and you will not feel alone. Lean on Him and you will no longer be consumed by your circumstances. He loves you and He is holding you up today.
Home Life & Encouragement 