Category Archives: Encouraging

The Unexpected

10 Monday Aug 2015

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I love the ocean! It’s overwhelming to look at let alone be in. When we went to Florida we couldn’t wait to get to the ocean and put our feet in the sand. That day, as we were driving, it started to rain. Seriously?! We came this far and it rains!! I had determined that no matter what we are going in the water rain or shine! The water was so warm {a welcomed surprise} before we knew it the rain was not even an issue. I’m glad I didn’t let it get me down and ruin our day. Lord no matter what the day looks like I ask you give us a fresh perspective. You know what lies ahead of us. Kids. Work. Deadlines. Grocery shopping. You see it all. Help us to focus on the positive and the good you are doing. Open our eyes to see you in the most unexpected of places and things today. Energize us. Empower us. Protect us. Bless us. Lord we trust you and your amazing plan for our lives even if the day has started with a little unexpected rain. In Jesus name…Amen!! 

Brave and Courageous

07 Friday Aug 2015

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It’s Friday y’all; another week almost over. I’m not sure what you’ve be waiting and hoping for, but if you’re like me there are a few promises and dreams that have yet to come to pass. There is no easy way to wait after you’ve done all you could do. Waiting has to be the hardest thing to do when all hell seems to be breaking loose all around you. How do you hope when there is no shred of evidence that anything good is coming around the corner? The bible says to TAKE courage {Psalm 31:24}. Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. When we take courage we become courageous. You are convinced that what God tells you is true. You obey his word. You count on it. This takes courage!! To believe! To trust! To go forward! To pursue! The Lord calls us out when he gives a word that has yet to happen. He dares us to believe him. He draws us out beyond our borders of trust. We only intend to go as far as we can see but God intends to take us deeper where we can’t see. Walking out on his promise is our faith in action. Can we believe a little longer? Do we have enough hope for one more day? Are we courageous enough? Lord, I pray that courage would overtake us as we take another step closer towards you. You promised to never leaver or forsake us. You said that you are for us. You said that victory is ours. You said that your hope doesn’t disappoint. Lord, I stand with my brothers and sisters and believe with them that you will do what you’ve said. That you are our way maker. We believe! We trust! We are your courageous people!! In Jeus name…Amen!

Ask, Seek, Knock

06 Thursday Aug 2015

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  Matthew 7:7 (AMP)

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

There is no way around it, we have to ask. Whether it’s for a need or want {physically, emotionally, mentally} we can’t assume they, spouse, friend or anyone else knows. Even though God knows our thoughts and needs before we bring them to him he still tells us to ask. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of this method because asking for me means I’m vulnerable in some way and that’s no bueno! Our verse today says…ask…seek…knock. Clearly, there is a point we need to take away from this and it’s “don’t stop pursuing!” It’s easy to give up the first time we ask and nothing but to seek and then knock requires persistence {continuing beyond the usual, expected, or normal time : not stopping or going away}. I have found that if I speak up and make my request known my chances of getting what I’ve requested are higher. Don’t stop, shrink back, or go away today. Speak up. Make your request known. Put it out there. Be persistent and push!! I pray a spirit of boldness overtake us as we speak up, ask, seek and knock. God I pray you meet us right where we are. Meet every need. Give us the desires of our heart as we seek you. Give us courage to go knowing that we are not alone. In Jesus name…Amen!

Love Letters <3

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

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I can remember dating my hubby who would write me love letters {now I get a list of to do’s lol}. I loved them! I would read them over and over again to the point of memory. They were an expression of how he loved and felt about me. He convinced me and won me over with every word. Gods word is the greatest love letter ever written. The miracles we’ve experienced are grand displays of affection. Our peace and confidence is our glow. His provision is proof he takes care of us. His favor screams we are his favorite. His protection shouts “They’re mine!” How we live, breathe, walk, talk, and love are all sentences in the love letter he continues to write. The world needs to see and know how much Jesus loves them and he is using us. We are his pencils. Are we writing his heart or ours?

Em 🙂

The Good Ole Days

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

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Well, today wasn’t so bad after all. I managed to make it out of Walmart alive. Yahoo! Honestly, it really is never that bad unless I get a bad cart and then it’s game on! LOL! So, the summer is coming to a close and for our family that means…football season! We love football and all of my 4 boys have played and 3 currently are. I look back and some of my fondest memories are of watching and cheering my boys on. I miss the days of my oldest playing. Time seems to fly by so fast, you blink, and it’s over. Watching the crowd. Seeing my boy score a touchdown. Crying with joy. Chasing all the littles one around as I am trying to concentrate on the game. Those were the good ole days. But as I was attending my second sons freshman football orientation today I was reminded of all that is to come. More memories. More cheering. More joy. The times that have past are to be cherished but the present must be lived in. If we’re not careful we can look back so far, so long and loose sight of where we are today. As much as I loved my yesterdays I need to fall in love with today. Make new memories. New traditions. There is never going to be another today. Why don’t we stop right now and take a mental note of what today brought us. You may have had a terrible day but, it is not over yet. Don’t linger in the negative. Go make a memory. Hug your babies. Whisper in your hubby’s ear a sweet nothing. Take a picture. Soon enough today will be a “good ole day” you’re looking back on.

Em 🙂

Morning Prayer!

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

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  Today, I choose to believe that it will be, a good one. This is the day the Lord has made and I will take full advantage of all that he has for me today. No chaos, no daunting task {grocery shopping} will steal my joy. I will walk today with head held high {tiara might fall if I don’t} in confidence that you are for me. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death {Walmart} you are gonna be with me!! Goodness and mercy are following me {Lord that be all} and I will be safe and secure. In Jesus name…AMEN!!

Pray!

31 Thursday Jul 2014

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Philippians 4:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([a]definite request) with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

What do I do? It seems like everything I say or do either pushes him away, makes it worse or offends somebody. How can I possibly know how to go about solving this one? Seems like this is the theme of my life these days, I am so not the superwoman everyone needs. So now what?

As a mom, a wife, friend, prayer partner and countless other titles I could give myself I easily find myself overwhelmed. With all the pressures of life that creep in, the ones that all of a sudden show up and lets not forget the ones that I allow to visit for an undetermined amount of time, I want to crawl in a hole and forget my own name. The older I get I realize just how little control I have over most things, how much self-control is needed in some things and how much faith is needed in all things. Reminding myself daily that I am in the hands of an all-sufficient God who has me in the palm of his hands is my saving grace. When I am in that moment of “Lord what do I do now?” I am reminded of this verse…in every circumstance and in everything…pray! I don’t always have the answer that eases the stress of my husbands cares, I can’t always predict the future for my very nosey children or heal the wounds of all the hurting who come my way but I can pray. I can take time to give all of these to the Lord, to release my cares of all their cares on the One who cares for us all. Choosing not to fret or have anxiety takes some self-control as does taking it to the Lord in prayer but I have faith that in time my first reaction will be to pray…first!!! 

Blessings,

Em

Me Time 

31 Thursday Jul 2014

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Trying to manage a household is a huge undertaking at times; with 3 boys at home and one away in the Marines, a husband, a dog and lets not forget to mention…me. There are days where the pressures of life have swallowed me whole. Taking a moment to stop and breathe can be the most inconvenient task of all. 

I have noticed that my peace of mind and well being always seems to come last. Why? I’m not sure really. As a mom I feel the need to make sure all is well with everyone else first. I want to be guilt free before enjoying a coffee or my favorite show. I want to be a great mommy. I want my kids to know how much I love them. No sacrifice seems to be too much. My motives are great but I do feel at times my methods are not. 

Killing myself will not prove anything other than I’m not able to manage myself wisely. I was put here to be many things, to many people, but, I was not meant to be over worked and miserable. There is no way I can be my best self if I am last on my own list. Giving the best that I got comes with a lot of practice and being intentional. Taking time for myself has got to be a priority not for selfish desires but for my own preservation. 

How do I do this? I have to keep promises to myself.  Situations will come up and that will take priority but if I’m tired I still need to take a moment to read or make a cup of coffee and relax. I can’t be so quick to dismiss the moments I have to do something for me. Yes, go shopping ALONE! My household will be fine without me for an hour. They will survive! 

We as moms need to be free to be women with desires and interest that are not centered around our homes. It’s ok. Those deep desires will lead to fulfillment that regenerates our heart and spirit. There will come a time when the kids go and it’s just you and the hubby, then what? Start now. I am. I’m writing. I’m reading. I’m enjoying the things that make me full. I am discovering who I am alone. I hope you can learn to do the same without the guilt and maybe discover some hidden secrets about yourself. You’re worth the discovery so go exploring and enjoy the journey!! 

Blessings, 

Em 

Princess Unaware

20 Sunday Apr 2014

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I, along with every little girl ever born, longs to be a princess; to be rescued by a prince on a white horse and carried away to a beautiful castle to live happily ever after. I also know all to well the older I get the more that desire becomes simply a childhood fantasy that will always remain just that, a fantasy. As I sit here on Easter Sunday pondering on the overwhelming love Jesus has for me I am soberly reminded of how I have been rescued. Like the day I had my first child I was rescued by the love of a baby who changed my life forever as I became a mom. How about the day I became a wife to the most handsomest man ever, he rescued me from a life of loneliness and chaos oh we didn’t ride away on a white horse it was more like a grey Toyota but he was my prince and this was the start of my happily ever after. Today, this day over 2000 years ago I was also rescued by the love a man who would forever change my life. He didn’t live a life of a prince in a castle nor did He ride on a white horse but rather He died a death of a common sinner and was buried in a borrowed grave. His most loving act of self-sacrifice transcends my idea of the greatest love story ever told. You see my longing of being a princess had already became a reality before I was ever born. The Prince of Peace had a plan to rescue me from sin and death long before I ever was. He looked down into eternity and couldn’t imagine being separated from me and so He came and died so that we would never be separated again. He lived a life as a commoner, a regular person, an average man just like us. He left His castle and His throne, His Father, all of His majesty to come and rescue me, to make me His heir, His bride, to make me His. All along the desire to be a princess had already been fulfilled I just didn’t know it. Today I acknowledge the price paid and accept the gift of eternal life, the price that bought my right to be seated with my Prince in Heavenly places. I am a Princess because my daddy is the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords…and I will live happily ever after.

Aside

Choices

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

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I read something the other day that really got me thinking. Someone was thanking their parents for all the things they did for her when she was little. She acknowledged that because of them realizing her gifts as a child it made her into the woman she is today. It really hit me hard for all sorts of reasons. It made me think back to my childhood and my parents and the role they played in who I am today. I thought of all the things they didn’t do and didn’t say, all the things they did wrong and how it could have been so different. Thinking of all the moments they had a chance to change me for the better and it broke my heart. I don’t even think they realized what they were doing at the time but they were shaping me for better and for worse.  I so wanted to have a pity party and complain but something deeper in me wouldn’t allow myself to go there. I am trying to see the good because there were brief moments where I saw a glimpse of who I could be in their eyes, things they said that still echo in my mind. As time goes on I realize we all have choices and those choices make a difference whether we see the results now or years from now. My parents may not have been all I wanted or made all the right choices but I can learn from them. I want to be better, a better mom, teacher and cheerleader for my sons.

As a mother of four beautiful and amazing boys I choose to see all the things that make them so unique, what makes them tick and what their strengths are.  I am far from perfect but I am choosing to go in another direction. I want to go in the direction that allows me to point my children in the way they should go. It took me so long to figure out who I am and to be honest I’m still on that journey. I pray with the wisdom of God I can be the parent that acknowledges who they are and helps them along their way. My biggest prayer as a mom is to have my children know how special they are, to realize they have been given a purpose, gifts, talents and abilities. I want to celebrate them in all they do and build a confidence in them that will be a solid foundation to fall back on if ever they forget who they are. I can not change yesterday but today I can and so I will.

Blessings,

Em