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.
Today’s motivation is to encourage you to be strong, determined, and motivated to make the best of what this week is to hold for you.
Monday’s To-Do List
Make my bed
Be determined
Be grateful
If we start our week with the mind set of these three simple principles, then we have mentally prepared ourselves for a more positive outcome.
Now, to briefly examine this list.
Make my bed
Who makes their bed everyday?
I for one, believe by getting up and making my bed I have already accomplished a simple task for the day. Every time I go to my bedroom, I am reminded this is done and it makes me feel better about myself.
If you do not make your bed every day, I challenge you to try it for just a week and see if it helps to change your perspective to starting your day.
Be determined
If I was not determined to do what is often times hard, I would not have the motivation to push through what is difficult.
Think about the areas in your life you struggle with.
Do you have the strength and determination to push through what is difficult to accomplish what is important to you?
Be encouraged knowing God will give you the strength to fight for what is important. He will give you the determination you need to accomplish this task, just be sure to ask.
Do not rely on your own strength, or you will fall short of completion.
Remember these words…
“He who has prepared us for this very thing is God…”
2 Corinthians 5:5
Be grateful
Lastly, be grateful for everything you accomplish and do not take it for granted.
For where our gratitude is, there will be a sense of accomplishment.
Remember this verse God gave us.
“… Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Gratitude is as powerful as determination in accomplishing tasks.
If you’re not thankful for what you have and what you have accomplished, then why bother working towards accomplishing the goal?
If your week looks like it will be long and difficult, then be encouraged by these inspirational words…
“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”
Oscar Wilde
Today may be the day that you need to try changing your perspective at how you look at your trial or difficulty.
Instead, look at it as a blessing in disguise. What is it trying to teach you? What are you meant to learn from it.
Maybe the blessing is found by trying to accomplish it a different way. All too many times we get tunnel vision and do not see there is a better way.
My friend, now you have been equipped with some motivation, here is to a happy and accomplished week.
Your Monday morning motivation is to remind you to be the best you, God created you to be.
Life isn’t meant to be about competition with others because when we live a life such as this, we are met with discouragement at every corner.
Think about the meaning behind this quote.
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms,”
Zen Shin
Take a moment and think about the deeper meaning here.
Think about how God created us and how He created us to be “uniquely us.”
Besides, if we were honest with ourselves and allowed this to be true, how freeing would that be. How freeing would it be to just be “me”.
Well, today I challenge you to follow God’s words and follow the design He had for you, for when He created you, He didn’t create you to be a competitor with others, instead, He created you to be “uniquely you”.
“… for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
Psalm 139:14a NKJV
So instead of competing with others around you today, take the time to just be “you” and just bloom.
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.
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.
Home Life & Encouragement 