Immeasurably More

This morning God’s word spoke to me saying  “Accept your circumstances. Humble yourself.  Don’t be resentful. Rejoice in what God is doing in YOUR life. Let Him handle everything else.” “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:5 “I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ If ever I didn’t have the answers, it’s in this very moment. This moment of hurt. All I know is who I am in Christ. I know my babies need me to stand up for them and protect their hearts.  This won’t make sense to some and but to others, you’ll know exactly what I mean. There comes a point where a choice has to be made when a boundary is crossed. It doesn’t mean you love someone any less. It shows your character and that you will stand up for what you know is right and say no to what is wrong.  Tonight I cling to the truth that God can still use me. Even in the hurt. E...

Today I’m home sick with a sick son and sick stepdaughter as well. We were all up quite a bit during the night for various reasons and I’m plumb tuckered out. As I’m holding hair back for one child and rubbing the back of the other, I received a rather scathing text from my ex in regards to my daughters appearance at her concert the other day. You have no idea how much I had to fight the urge to respond negatively. I typed out and deleted several replies before deciding to ignore it all together.  My dad said some encouraging things to me. He encouraged me to guard my heart from that garbage and to think about all God has done in my life over the last few years to get me to this point. Someone else told me “Dang. Aren’t you glad that’s not you?”  I am.  I’m thankful I find my identity in Christ, not what the world thinks of me. Regardless of my past, the bottom line is I’m forgiven and free. I’m not bound by what people say I am.  This song “Worth ...

I’m snuggling my daughter in her bed with tears in my eyes. It’s almost time for her and her brother to go to their dad’s house for the week. When I married their father, never in my dreams did I imagine I’d have to say goodbye to my children every other week. It’s not something you think about when you’re walking down that aisle to pledge yourself to someone. Not something I thought about having to do when each sweet baby was born. I know there were times I thought “Oh goodness, I could use a break!” Yet, now I have to say goodbye to my children every other Sunday, and my heart feels like it’s being ripped out of my chest. These are the consequences for the choices I made. The choices that seemed worth it at the time. Yet, now the reality is I don’t get to see my children as often as most parents do. I do strive to enjoy the break. I try to be as productive as possible to keep my mind busy. I still take the kids to school everyday, so I do get to see them each morning during th...

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:14‬ ‭NLT‬ Ever hear the phrase “All you need is love!”? Songs have been written about it. Most people in any kind of relationship understand that not to be the case AT ALL, but somehow we still expect everything to magically work out, as long as we love each other.  Love is not  the answer to everything. Love does, however, create an element of security in relationships. Example: a coworker or associate who lies, cheats, and steals will probably not receive as much grace as your child who does the same. There will, of course, be consequences, but at the end of the day, that child will receive more grace and forgiveness because of your deep love for them.  “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Marriage relationships are complex. We chose to l...

Being married the first time was a shock to me. It brought a lot of new experiences. We were young and immature. We made a ton of mistakes, went through some hard times spiritually, emotionally and financially. We grew up together. Had kids together. Built a life together. It was far from perfect, but we had a lot of good times and made some good memories together. It’s easy to forget all the good and focus on the bad about a person when you’re bitter and hurt. When the life my first husband and I built together came crashing down, people were shocked. We weren’t. There had been so much heartache caused by both of us. I fully accept responsibility for my role in it ending. My ex was loyal until the very end and stood by my side faithfully while I put him through hell the last year of our marriage. I know God has a purpose. His timing and will is above ours. I am remarried. This second marriage has also been a shock and, again, far from perfect. In some ways, being married agai...

It has been a while hasn't it? Life has gotten busier with getting married and adding to my tribe! Difficulties have presented themselves pretty quickly and consistently these past two months. About 2 days after getting married, the emotional battles began. Not because of my new husband, but because of outsiders opinions about us and our marriage. God knows our hearts desires. He knows our intentions and has blessed and challenged us. The key is to not let the challenges overtake us and make us doubt God's faithfulness. My focus for this blog is going to shift a little, now that I'm a married woman. Some of what I touch on may be different than what I typically share. Maybe.... First I want to talk about.... BOUNDARIES IN MARRIAGE! Anyone call that one? Haha! Boundaries in a marriage look different than boundaries outside of a marriage relationship. I had boundaries as a single, dating woman to define myself, keep my independence and establish my character. My bas...

Hey guys! I wrote this article back in January, then felt like it needed to wait a while. I asked my friend Tyler to read through it and offer his thoughts. He's dealing with similar things right now and I really appreciate his advice and wisdom. So occasionally you'll see a note from Tyler. I hope this is enlightening and thought provoking! Every night before we go to bed, the kids and I have our special routine.  First, t hey take turns getting tucked in. Madi like s  to pray, then sing. Adam likes to sing, then pray. Madi is old enough to pray herself. We have a few things we always pray about, then depending on what the day brought us, we will add in other things. I feel it's important for the kids to develop their own thoughts and opinions about people. So we don't talk negatively about people. If you remember, that's one of my own personal standards and it's one I strive to teach my ki ds to develop as well.  “So encourage each other and bu...