Tag Archives: mom

Smile A LOT!!

Posted on by
Reply

Job-29:24~When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them.

Did you know it takes only 17 muscles to smile, but 43 to frown?

In other words, it takes a lot more energy to frown than to smile.

As busy working moms, we need all the energy we have to work inside the home AND outside the home!

I’ve found when I’m in a good mood and I have a smile on my face, my energy levels up.

When I’ve had a hard day and am frowning, I’M EXHAUSTED!!!

So I started smiling.

A LOT!!!

I smiled when I felt like it and when I didn’t .

I smiled through trials, even if it felt like I was forcing my face to cooperate!

This became a habit, and I noticed I actually felt better when I smiled.

It wasn’t that I was faking it, I was choosing it!!!

I was choosing triumph over defeat!

I was choosing to be encouraging, not discouraging!

Not only was my smile encouraging and energizing to me, but it made others around me feel the same.

I noticed when I would greet my husband with a smile, he felt welcomed and loved. This caused him to smile and his attitude toward me became more kind and affectionate.

When I greeted my daughter with a smile, she knew I was happy to see her. She in return, would smile and give me a big hug!

When I would greet my customers with a smile, they felt appreciated and became regular customers.

When I passed by a stranger, especially the ones who had a frown on their face, if I gave them a great big smile, they usually smiled back!

I saw not only my attitude change, but the people who received my smile~smile with me!!

We all have trials were going through that we could allow to control our smiles, but what if we began choosing to smile anyway?

The more trouble we experienced, the more we’d smile.

Sure, everyones entitled to a bad day, just not every day!

If you’ve formed a habit of frowning, your going to have to be purposeful; with changing it.

Even if it hurts.

Lets start today smiling….

When you begin to smile again, it may be an effort. But the more you exercise your smile, the more powerful it will become!

We are called to be a light in a dark world, so lets LET OUR SMILES SHINE!!

The more your smile shines, the bigger it will grow. Before you know it, you will not only smile, YOU WILL SMILE A LOT!!!

Father, thank you for my smile. You made it especially for me, so that I could bring encouragement to myself and others, IF I choose to use it. Help me to focus my mind on becoming a light in the middle of my darkness. I can’t do this without your help, so today I’m relinquishing all rights to my smile. Let others wonder “Why I always smile.” Let them get a glimpse of your encouragement and love. Help me to Smile…. A Lot!!

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

START EARLIER

Posted on by
Reply

There’s only so much time in a day.

Not until I became a mom, and a working mom at that, did I really understand this statement.

Before my daughter came along I had all the time in the world to do anything I wanted. I had time for myself, my husband, my mama, my friends, my church, and worked more hours! I even at times found time to lay and read an entire book in one day! I can remember even being “bored.”

How did this one little person take up so much of my time?

Not until I realized that she wasn’t “taking it” did I understand it was something I desired and freely gave her.

I tried the balancing act of doing everything faster to get it all done, but although it looked perfect, it was sloppy on the inside.

I wanted to produce the same results as a working mom that a mom who had the privlidge of staying home. For sure this could be possible!

It wasn’t.

But what it was, was exhausting to try an meet the guidelines I’d set for myself.

During the first year of working mommy-hood, I decided to change up my routine.

If I wanted to read my own Bible, and also wanted to read hers with her, I’d have to have more time.

If I wanted snuggle time that I so often missed because I was working, I’d have to find a snuggle moment!

If I wanted a wanted a play date in the park, I’d have to DO IT TIRED!!

If I wanted some time alone with my husband-without feeling guilty for not seeing or spending any time with my daughter all day either, I’d have to have MORE TIME!!

Where would this time come from?

The only time I had that wasn’t already “full” was the morning.

Now let me admit, I LOVE MY SLEEP!!! There’s nothing better then waking up on your own, with no alarm clock, and just feeling rested. Sleep is something we need!! But I found out I could go on a little less sleep, and my body would run even better, with less irritations, if I just STARTED EARLIER!!

I refused to let my job, and everything outside my home get the “best” of me!! I wouldn’t allow my co-workers and customers at work to get all my smiles, prayers, and laughter and walk in my door frowning!

There had to be a reserve for my home.

My husband would get a bigger smile than I gave someone I didn’t really know. I would get him a refill of tea at dinner. I would TAKE THE TIME to read bedtime stories even if we didn’t get the 10-12 hours of sleep doctors say kids need.

I would start earlier in the week planning meals, so my dinner preparations wouldn’t be confusing and end up eating unhealthy or eating out.

I started earlier, taking the time to get on my knees, first thing in the morning, inviting God to do all the things I had to do that day with me….. Not for me.

Giving me the ability to do everything He’d placed before me with excellence. Not rushing like a maniac!

Especially when I was tired, which was AFTER work when I arrived to my “real job” at home!

I started taking time to pray little “right before” prayers.

Right before picking my daughter up at school…. that we’d have time to talk about her day and maybe even have time to grab an ice cream.

Right before walking in the door at home….that my family time would be filled with love and laughter.

Right before seeing my husband….that I’d show him with the expression on my face how much I’d looked forward to seeing him all day.

Right before starting dinner….that our meals would give us time to stop watching television and look and listen to one another.

Right before tucking my daughter into bed….that this time wouldn’t last forever and I must absorb every second possible, not rush through it.

Right before going to bed….that my marriage bed would be blessed with excitement and energy. Creating a passion for one another that would last for all of our lifetime together.

Starting earlier gave me the time to slow down, pray, and focus on what’s important. I was able to see clearly what God had entrusted me with for “such a time as this.”

That even though I didn’t have the time that a stay at home mom and wife had, starting earlier in prayer, and inviting God to be the instructor of my time, He would multiply my efforts and my little became a lot.

Ecclesiastes 3:1~There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Esther 4:14~You were made queen for such a time as this.

 

 

 

START OVER

Posted on by
Reply

My last post was on STARTING. As soon as I posted that and made the decision to write daily, I FAILED!!

Not after a month.

Not even a week.

Just one little day.

I sat there feeling discouraged, wondering why I had such good intentions the day before and it all fell apart on me over night.  I was exhausted mentally and physically and slept in…..WAY TOO LONG, which is not the norm for me.

I had made my plan to get up earlier since it was my day off and really “get started” early.  Not at all what happened!!

Why was I immediately becoming attacked?

Satans attack is on our STARTING because if he can keep us from starting, he will never have to try and tempt us to stop.

He knows once we START stepping out and allowing God to lead us through our imperfections and bad habits, we will experience His power!!  He knows we will become empowered not in ourselves, but through His Holy Spirit. That, my friend makes us UNSTOPPABLE!!!

Remember….Satan doesn’t attack things that aren’t a threat to him!!

Your marriage is a threat!! Start honoring your wedding vows, start appreciating, start forgiving, start trusting, start “really” loving. Even if it feels like your getting nowhere.

Your children are a threat!! Start teaching them by example, start making time for them when there is none, start listening to them when they “just won’t stop talking”, start loving them enough to say “no” when necessary, start turning the television off and have quality time, start cuddling instead of playing candy crush or waisting precious time on Facebook.

Your finances are a threat!! Start tithing, start giving when you feel lead…. even if you don’t have it, start looking for ways to glorify His name and help others.

Your prayer life is a threat!! Start praying even if it feels like your not breaking through or doesn’t feel comfortable. Start covering your husband, children, friends and loved ones in a blanket of His love.

Your devotional time is a threat!! You can’t hear Gods voice if your not seeking His direction!! Start reading 15 minutes a day. Even if it feels like you don’t understand a word you’ve read. You are forming the most important thing…. A HABIT!!!

Start over.  Start over.  Start over.

And if you have to start over again tomorrow, it’s ok. Just continue starting over and over until you one day awake and its a part of who you are.

Zechariah 4:10–Do not despise these small beginnings, for The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.

JUST START

Posted on by
Reply

When we stumble, whether its our diet, our homes a wreck, our marriage is a wreck, we’ve said things out of anger we can’t take back, or just feel like life is too busy and just too much!! Our schedules overloaded and honestly, its exhausting to even think about…..

We know we need to go on a diet, but keep eating not just a cookie but the entire pack of Oreo’s!

We know we need to cuddle with our babies and read bedtime stories, but are “Just too tired tonight”, “I will tomorrow”.

We know we need to pay our husbands some attention and have all these ideas of what we will do tonight to make him feel loved, but fall asleep as soon as we get in bed.

The days, weeks, and even months go by.

We know what we need to do but are just too busy and too tired.

You think about it every day, and yet fail again. What do we do about this?

JUST START!!!

Start right where you are.

Whether its 7:30 or 9:30, take 5 minutes to stop and read one book with your child.

Whether you’ve shaved your legs or taken a shower or not, cuddle up to your man. Wrestle for one minute, just touching and laughing with one another.

Whether you’ve overeaten and feel like you may as well eat as much “crap” today as you want-“You will start Monday”. STOP!!! Start right now choosing to feel better and have more energy so you can do the things that really matter. (They usually come at the end of your day when you are almost out of fuel).

Make an action plan. Even if it doesn’t work, it will get you started and you will become encouraged. Even if tomorrow you must start again, YOU MUST START!!

Most importantly, PRAY. PRAY. PRAY.

Ask God for His help. If we could do it without Him, we would be!! He’s been waiting on you to finally ask…..

Job 8:7-And though YOU STARTED with little, you will end with much.