Category: Keeping It Real

#Keepingitreal, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life

Updates From The Heart

Heidi Benson

It has been a while since I have posted anything, but I wanted you to know I am still here. 

Life has become crazy busy on this end. My job has me at work more than I am at home. 

My days are by far longer than my nights, but that is okay. 

I have been offered an opportunity to shift gears in my work environment and in the new school year I will become the new lead teacher of a two year old class at our school’s daycare.

This is exciting for me as I will have the opportunity to take 5 of the children I have been playing with for a long time now with me and will be able to teach them and play with them in my own class. 

This change makes me so very happy. 

So, as we close out one school year and just ride the summer waves until a new year, I am in the background planning and preparing for my new school year. 

How funny is it that the plans we think are ours, end up only being truly mapped out by God and His plans.

I had no idea when I started working where I do that this job would have ever lead me here to this wonderful opportunity. 

Has this happened to you in your own life? You discovered in your plans really weren’t yours in the end, but what they became was something more than you could have ever hoped for? 

With all of these changes in my life getting ready to take place, you may start to see a shift in my topic choices as I would love to share this new adventure with you, my faithful friends and followers. 

I will always tie my subject matter or topics back to the theme of this blog, but as my journey in life continues to take it’s twists and turns I would like to continue to write about them here as well. 

Maybe one day when I find the time, I will do a summary post about where I started when I began this blog and where I am today. 

It would be interesting to see how God has orchestrated every road I have wandered down and how those roads have lead me to the one I am on now. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day and are able to close out the week tomorrow on a high note. 

Until I come back, know each and everyone who is still here with me are appreciated and that I am sending out hugs to all of you.

#Keepingitreal, Believe in Yourself, Character, Encouragement Today, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Moment of Inspiration

Not Everything Has To Change

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home.Life.Encouragement

As we start a new week of a new year, do not get wrapped up in so much change that you forget the simple things in life that bring you joy.

Not everything in your life has to change.

Remember this quote:

“Some of the best things in life are the small things you take for granted.”

Roger Lee

Instead of focusing on all things to change in your life, take some time to look at what you may be taking for granted.

Challenge, Christmas, Encouragement Today, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life

Christmas Wish List

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home. Life. Encouragement

I woke up this morning and realized how much stuff I still have to do before Christmas.

Instead of continuing to feel the stress of it all, I decided to make light of it and create an encouraging image for you in case you are feeling the same stress.

No matter how much we have to do, remember… it all will get done no matter how much we stress about it or not.

Instead, stop, breathe, and rest knowing Christmas will come whether we are ready for it or not.

If the cookies are not made, it’s not a problem. No one will ever remember the year with no cookies.

If you didn’t buy the gift you wanted, it’s not a problem. No one will ever remember the year you didn’t buy that gift because they didn’t know they were getting it.

If you didn’t do an activity or go to the Christmas party, it’s not a problem. No one will ever remember you didn’t go.

What people will remember is if you were present.

Be present for the things that matter. The snuggle time, the quality time, the time where you were present and engaged.

This is what will be remembered this Christmas Season.

We’ve got this, friends!!

#Keepingitreal, Hope, Journal Journey, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Medical Journey, Parenting, Real

Rejuvenate Your Strength in Hope

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home. Life. Encouragement

I wanted to remind you there is power and strength in “hope”.

I recently realized the strength, power, and encouragement in the words grace, mercy, and faith, but hope tends to be neglected.

I recently felt God nudging me to share this story with you since He rejuvenated us with the power and strength of “hope”.

My daughter has struggled with a health condition that she was born with. It took me years to get the doctors to listen to me to get her the treatment she needed to live a relatively “normal” life, but it was not easy. It took the power of determination and perseverance to get her a treatment plan that worked for her.

Unfortunately, something changed this past January and her condition took a turn for the worse. She called me on my way home from work with fear in her voice that something was wrong and this is not something she does.

With all of her medical conditions, fear is never something she displays because she has a strength that only God created in her to gracefully deal with everything she battles.

So I took her concern seriously. I took it so seriously that I had her contact her primary care doctor who referred her to a specialist, who was not able to see her in a reasonable amount of time, so off to the emergency room we went.

The emergency room was not able to offer her any assistance and referred her back to the specialist.

This was when the waiting “game” began. As the months passed her problem did not go away, but her faith began to waver during this trial.

The pain began to overshadow her faith because no one was helping her.

She went through two appointments that were a waste of time. She was not able to get a new diagnosis or treatment plan, instead she was told she needed to wait an additional six more months. This was a very discouraging and defeated day for her.

This past October was when she finally got another appointment because I got tired of seeing her suffer in pain and began fighting for her, yet but again.

Do not underestimate the power of a mother when she fights for her children.

She was thankful, but yet nervous and apprehensive to go to it, as every appointment before now ended in great disappointment.

I wasn’t able to attend this appointment with her due to Covid 19 restrictions, so all I could do was pray for her and the doctor she would be seeing and be available for a face time call if they needed to talk to me so she went to her appointment alone and called me after it with a very upbeat voice on the other end.

God answered my agonizing prayers because she had a great appointment with a doctor who finally took her new condition seriously. He did not need her to go back to the very beginning of this problem because he had already done his homework and research.

My friends, he gave her hope. He gave her a new treatment plan and this plan will include a new diagnosis of what has changed as well as a new plan with the hope to give her a life without pain again.

Do not underestimate the strength of “hope”.

HD Benson

God truly was in control over this appointment. She has help now and for this I am excited to the point of tears.

We learned a valuable lesson in how hope is critical to our existence. When you loose hope, you begin to loose faith. This is what creates hopelessness (which we hear about more often).

Once you loose the strength of “hope” you loose a lot.

Today, I want to call attention to the strength of being hopeful brings and the weight it holds.

Are you struggling with something in your life?

Be encouraged my friend. I am sharing with you the gift of hope.

God sees your pain and your struggle. He has not left you, just like He didn’t leave my daughter. He wants you to feel hope in your situation and be encouraged this hope will replenish the faith you may have lost and may be struggling with now.

My friend, it is my prayer today that you will receive the same peace we received when the strength and power of hope was revived in my daughter’s situation.

I am offering hugs and prayers for those of you who may be experiencing the same struggles in life.

You’ve got this! Hope is being renewed for you as well!

Encouragement Today, Gratitude, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Motivation Monday, PTSD, Real

Gratitude Comes in Big and Small Ways

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home. Life. Encouragement

With Thanksgiving knocking on our door, I am inspired to be mindful of being more thankful for the little things around me.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

Robert Brault

One of the little things that comes frequently to mind is the sense of financial stability.

This came in the form of having our Military job. When my husband was deployed, we never had to question when we would get paid.

Likewise, when my husband was younger, before he began struggling with PTSD, I never had to question if he would be going to work. He just did.

This financial stability seemed so routined and normal, but now our life has changed so dramatically, life is no longer “normal”.

Our financial stability has improved, even more so since I got a job, but it is still stressful at times, as my husband has many health issues that prevents him from going to work consistently.

Although, financial stability would seem to be normal to most people, our reality is that it really isn’t.

I have learned a pay check is something you should not take for granted.

What is something you are grateful for today?

#Keepingitreal, Bible, Challenge, encouragement, Encouragement Today, Faith, Grace, Humility, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Moment of Inspiration, Motivation, Peace, Pride, Real, Strength

Wisdom Prevails While Pride Destroys

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home. Life. Encouragement

This was my daily email Bible verse for today.

“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Proverbs 13:10

Is this an area you are struggling with in your life right now?

If the answer is yes, try making a conscious effort to break this cycle.

I am going to give you a word for the day to serve as a reminder to ponder through out the day and to prepare yourself for when you encounter prideful situations.

Word of The Day

Wisdom

Instead of starting a debate or a quarrel with someone over an issue, take a step back and say, “No!”

This is not worth my effort.

I am going to refuse to be prideful right now.

I don’t need to be.

I don’t need to prove my point to this degree.

I refuse to look badly in this circumstance.

No, instead I am going to make a wise choice to just walk away.

Choose wisely what choices you make.

Seek God’s direction in how to best handle your situation.

Not every situation needs an immediate open mouth insert foot response.

Instead, remember to do this;

Stop… Pray for wisdom… and Allow God to show you how to respond.

If that does not work there is always the distraction method.

Stop… drop… and roll only because that is the one we all remember best.

They may think you are a weirdo and may need professional help, but one thing is for sure… you won’t come across as prideful in your situation. 😂

I’m sorry! I couldn’t resist.

The important key to remember is this, God looks down on those being prideful.

Instead, He wants us to choose wisdom because for every wise choice we make in our life, we will be in His favor and He will bless us for the decisions and choices we make.

I hope this helps for you to start your day with some inspiration, motivation, and just a tiny bit of humor for your day.

Let’s all make wise choices today and say, “no” to anything prideful.

#Findingyourcourage, #Keepingitreal, Anxiety, Bondage, Broken, Burn out, Depression, Discouraged, encouragement, Exhausted, Grief, Journey, Keeping It Real, Real, Storms, Stress, Trials, Weakness, Weariness

Strength Has Power Over Shaken

Heidi Benson
Credit: Home. Life. Encouragement

When life has turned you upside down and inside out, stand firm on this simple truth…

“ I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:8

No matter what has you shaken remember God still has a plan for you.

“For I know the plan I have for you.”

Jeremiah 29:11

My Friend, I promise, I know how hard this is to live by, as well as remember on many days, but this is why I’m here today.

I am here to remind us both that we can get up, start our day, and move.

We can move, despite the paralyzed feeling of pain, anxiety, grief, or fear.

God is our strength when we have none.

Be encouraged sweet friend! You are not alone. You are never alone.

Lean on your Creator because He will give you the strength to move and the direction in which to move in.

You’ve Got This!

#Keepingitreal, Broken, Burn out, Challenge, Discouraged, encouragement, Encouragement Today, Exhausted, Image, Inspiration, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Moment of Inspiration, Motivation, Real, Rest, Weakness, Weariness

Set Your Cruise Control For Slower

Heidi Benson
Credit:@homelifeandencouragement.com

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.

Happy Friday Friend!!! We can do this!!

#Findingyourcourage, #Keepingitreal, Anxiety, Bondage, Broken, Discouraged, encouragement, Exhausted, Journey, Keeping It Real, pain, PTSD, Storms, Weariness

Pasts Are Memories, While The Present Is A Gift

Heidi Benson
Credit: homelifeandencouragements.com

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.

#Keepingitreal, Breathe In The Moment, Image, Inspiration, Journal Journey, Journey, Keeping It Real, Life, Update

One Day Life Is The Same, Yet One Day So Different

Heidi Benson
Credit: Homelifeandencouragement.com

This is what sums up my 2020 this past year.

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different …”

C.S. Lewis

When I look back at how my year went, it was twisted, molded, and turned inside out. Do you ever have times like this in your life?

My year abruptly changed when one day when my daughter and I were driving down the road and she said, “Mom, what if you got a job where I work?”

I wasn’t actively looking for a job, but instead spent years praying for God to open up the opportunity and the timing for this to occur.

So, I ran with it. I pulled over in a parking lot space and texted my daughter’s job and requested an opportunity to pick up an application, which I did when I took her to work a couple of hours later. Within two weeks, I was working at the same place.

God opened up a position in the time I was waiting for my background checks to come back and when I began, I walked into a perfect job which God had created “just for me”.

This time a year ago, I had no idea my life was going to change as much as it has, but I am so thankful for the changes that have occurred.

After 21 years of being a stay at home mom, I am now a working mom. It was challenging and remains to be, as I am still adjusting to how to work and keep up with all of my other responsibilities.

My blog was an area that I let slide, with minimal posts, but it has bothered me.

I love talking about life and encouraging others to live their best life, so with this being said, it is my desire to bring this back to life. It may not look like it did before I had a job, but it is my prayer that I will be able to jot down some notes or share encouraging images with you on a regular basis.

So, with the year’s worth of twists and turns, I can now look back and see the growth I made last year, but could not see it while I was going through it.

Has this happened to you? What area of growth has taken place in your life and you didn’t see happen until you took the time to look back and you can see it now?

Leave your comments below, as well as any tricks to managing working and keeping up with your family and life. I can use any advice you have learned along the way.

As I close this out, I want to again express my greatest appreciation for those of you who have continued to follow me through my years of actively blogging and my times of silence. I do not take this for granted.

Have a wonderful day, My Friend!!