Better Things

I used to actually take pride in being "The Queen of Excuses." I mean I didn't think of it as prideful but I found myself saying it more and more. I'd tell my hubby, my Mom or commiserate with a friend, "Hahahaha!! I hear ya, I'm The Queen of Excuses" I wore that label like it was some sort of badge. I can't _______ I don't have time! - I got 3 kids under 5. - We don't have extra $$ - I'm too tired. - I don't know where to start. - I'm an ALL or NOTHING person. So if I can't do all I can't do any. Maybe that's why it hit me so hard when I heard our dear friend Amy G's challenge. "EXCUSES are LIES in pretty packages."  -- OUCH!!! I mean as long as I was calling them excuses they didn't seem so bad, so ugly, so downright sinful. Excuses are just that excuses, right? But LIES. . . : / That's clearly a sin & believing a lie. . . That cannot be a good thing! - Especially for this "Rul...

Being a mommy has been quite the journey for me.  We didn't get married intending to have a big family. . .(I'm realizing 7 is a big number when it comes to family size.;)) In fact after having my first at 25, my world was turned so upside down that I really didn't want to have anymore. I had read all the books and made sure I was going to do everything just right so my son would have every opportunity and be nurtured into supreme intelligence, hitting every developmental milestone perfectly and learning perfect obedience so that he would be the finest specimen of manhood ever and the greatest gift to society. (Not that I thought it out in those words. . .) But oh I tried. I tried so hard. And I was exhausted and stressed and so overwhelmed. I felt so insecure and uncertain. I questioned every decision I made wondering if it was right. . . But the worst thing about those early years were that I did not enjoy my child. I didn't even know how. Caring for h...

I've started this post a hundred different ways. I've typed and erased more beginning sentences than I can even count. My crazies are starting to stir and I don't have time to adequately express all that I want to and still get this post up today. So let me just share some recipes and get on with it. And know this: all you veteran moms, all you new moms, all you who ache to be moms, all those who are struggling because you're a mom, all of you who are overwhelmed and tired, all you who have your hands full and your hearts so noisy, all you who's arms are empty and hearts are hurting - ALL OF YOU, we write for you! We think of you.  We pray you find encouragement here and we pray you can go another round because we're in this together. We're two mommas who try to squeeze time into our crazy to blog every now and then, and so from our crazy to yours, we just want to say: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! And now, here are 5 easy, delicio...

Hey Friends!  I want to share a bit of a DURING, AFTER and NOW WHAT God is teaching me through this 80 Day Obsession journey and beyond.  DURING: Excerpt from a Facebook post on Day 78 of 80  . . . I know that might be harsh but its true.You CAN CHOOSE to be STRONG. Your definition of strong doesn't have to be my definition. Its whats strong for you. Giving up, quitting that's a choice. Don't make it! Show yourself how strong you are." - Autumn Calabres in Day 78 Total Body Core workout this morning. I don't know about Autumn but I am discovering I'm strong enough to do this crazy hard program ONLY because I have come to the END OF MYSELF and instead of giving into the excuses & believing the lies like I would have in the past I tapped into the strength of my Lord an Savior Jesus and HIS STRENGTH is made PERFECT in my weakness. But ONLY WHEN I give it ALL TO HIM. If I'm honest I was doing the first 60 something days in "my own ...