Living All In

So….last week, I had the brilliant idea to take a breath, slow down, smell roses, bake bread.   Aannnddd….life blew a big, fat, juicy raspberry at me. I went straight from the library to haircuts, from haircuts to ball pictures and an extra practice, then fell into bed exhausted.   Life does that sometimes.   It takes the plans you had and upends them. In those situations, only one thing matters. Attitude. Charles Swindoll, author of The Grace Awakening, said: “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” With each situation last Tuesday, I had a choice.   I could have been aggravated that an extra practice was scheduled on the ONLY free night I had all week, and that I had to pick up special “for boys only” protective equipment without my husband or the kid in question. Instead, I took advantage of the fact that Academy Sports is right next to PetsMart and picked up live plants for my fish. Then my toddler and I bebopped over...

Today I’m taking a breath.   I’m going to go to the library with my son. Then, we’re going to make banana bread together. It’s going to take triple the time and make twice the mess. But you know what? I DON’T CARE. I’m taking a breath. My schedule has been weighing on me. My to-do list is the monster in my closet, and my writer’s block keeps popping it’s head around the corner saying “Nah nah na nah nah.” Yeah. It’s past time to take a breath. And realize… I have the power to slow my world down. It may not be pretty. Or easy. But I can. I can say “no.” I’m padlocking my closet. My to-do list is staying in there today. If I’m learning anything with age, it’s that there’s enough time for the important things if you let the unimportant things be. And I’m keeping it short this week, my peeps. Because as much as I love sharing my words with you, I love being a mom and a wife more. Present and Unplugged. Take a breath today. If it’s not alive, it can wait. Get out and e...

Welcome to "Tackle-It" Tuesday !  Yesterday, I read the most beautiful blog post.  Helpful, Encouraging, Inspiring. I cried.  Then I commented.  Then I hid, because how could I hope to write something half as meaningful with my insignificant pen. Watch out! I’ve got compare-it-itis, and I think it’s contagious. We do that to ourselves. We compare. And we let the comparison keep us from our purpose, our work and our destiny. When the truth is -  we are ‘wonderfully complex.’ (Psalm 139:14 NLT) Not one of us is like the other. Each voice is beautifully unique and special. Romans 12:6 (NLT)says “In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. ‘ It goes on to list several gifts, adding after each, the admonition to do it ‘well.’ I have been given the gift of motherhood, so I will do it well.  The gift of writing, so I will write well.  And the gift of encouragement, so I will encourage well.  In obedience to the...