Are you in need of some comfort today, mama? I don’t know about you, but I woke up this morning in need of encouragement. And God sent it to me, by way of a beautiful sunrise, a pack of wild pigs, and this Bible verse…
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
In case you needed the reminder: God loves you
How has God shown you His love? For me, I see His love in my family and in nature. I get little “I love you’s” from God through Tyler every day. And I constantly am in awe of God’s love for me when I think about how much I love my kids. If I love my kids this much, and I’m a sinful human being, how much more does God love me?! (Matthew 7:11)
We recently got back from a staycation with my family. When we got home, Tyler and I took the kids to his parent’s house (AKA our next door neighbors) and I came back home to set up the kids’ rooms for bedtime. I ended up unloading the whole car and putting everything away from our week-long trip.
When Tyler came back with the kids, I told him: “I unloaded the whole car and put everything away.”
“Cool,” he said, scrolling through his phone.
I paused. His response wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, so I said, “I’m going to repeat myself in case you missed it. I unloaded the ENTIRE CAR and put EVERYTHING away.”
He put down his phone and smiled at me, “Wow, babe, that’s awesome. Thank you so much for doing that.” Then he kissed me and offered me a massage.
See, sometimes it does help to repeat yourself! Ha!
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6
This morning, I noticed this verse of the day on the YouVersion Bible app. It made me think about whose praise I’m prioritizing.
I don’t think it’s unscriptural or unholy for me to seek my husband’s recognition or praise – however, I do think that I can oftentimes feel under-appreciated or like all that I do somehow doesn’t matter if no one sees it or recognizes it.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Hebrews 4:13
However, there is one being who sees every single thing: God.
He sees the middle of the night feedings and the early morning risings when no one else is awake.
God sees us serving our families in all of the daily, humdrum ways that no one else ever notices.
He sees us cleaning up poop and vomit and who knows what else!
And it’s HIS praise that we should be seeking above all.
It’s summer time! And what a strange summer it’s been so far…
Look, we ALL need some fun, de-stressing dates with our spouse this summer. Talk to your spouse and pick a day of the week to be your “date day” and then make it happen! Even if you don’t have a sitter, some of these can all be done from the comfort of your home. The rest are social-distancing approved.
Also, if you want more stay-at-home date ideas, I’ve got a whole year’s worth of ideas right here.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
Envision your perfect day.
For me, I wake up before the kids, have my prayer time and Bible study while watching the sunrise. I exercise and make a healthy breakfast for everyone. The kids happily eat what’s prepared for them. We go for a walk and Justus goes down for his nap without a peep. Finn and I do a science experiment and read books together. He doesn’t whine or complain. The kids play independently while I make lunch and they both eat all their food without grumbling. We read a book together and get ready for nap. Finn doesn’t drag his feet, whine or procrastinate. He obeys the first time. Justus is happy and the two of them play well together. During nap time, I accomplish every single task I set out to do plus have time to relax and read a book before the kids wake up. I cook a delicious and healthy dinner that’s ready right when Tyler gets home from work. The house is spotless when he walks in and the kids greet him with smiles and big hugs. We have a joyous dinner together discussing our days. The kids go down for bed without protest and lots of hugs and kisses are exchanged. Tyler and I talk and laugh on the porch while I drink tea and he rubs my feet. We go to sleep early so we’re well-rested for the next day – the house is clean, dishes done and put away, laundry completed, and all of our clothes are laid out and prepared for the next day. It goes without saying that the kids sleep through the night and wake up the next day with big smiles on their faces.
Ah. What a dream, right?
I’m going to be really honest with you guys: I expect every day to look like this. I’m constantly striving for this sort of fantastical perfection and am disappointed when it’s not achieved.
It’s Monday morning, and perhaps the magic of Father’s Day is beginning to wane. Yesterday, we honored and praised the dads in our lives. We could name a laundry list of wonderful attributes about them. But today, all of those critical thoughts we held back yesterday are sneaking their way to the forefront of our minds, turning us slightly sour.
Why does he have to do it like that?
How many times do I have to remind him?
Is he ever going to be better at this?
When will he ever stop doing that?
I don’t do that, why does he?
These critical examinations of our husband’s shortcomings run like an ongoing commentary in the background as we go through our days.
Perfection. It’s what I so often expect from my husband.
But, as I poke and prod at my husband – whether silently or aloud – I’m forgetting one important thing: in the same way that God is working on me, molding me to become more and more like His Son, He’s doing the same work on my husband.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
By continually pointing out the ways that my husband is not perfect – perhaps in an attempt to make him grow or maybe because I’m just annoyed – I’m not entrusting my husband to the One who is actually helping him to grow.
If you’re looking for a Father’s Day craft to do with your little one, you’ve come to the right place! My sister-in-law, Amanda (our resident Arts & Crafts Guru), created this adorable craft with her daughter, Lily. This would be a nice touch for a dad or grandpa who loves fishing! For more Father’s Day inspiration, check out the results of our Father’s Day Survey: What Dads Really Want for Father’s Day. Also, don’t forget to click through the crafts & gift guide from other mama bloggers at the end of this post!
If you’re wondering what to get your husband for Father’s Day, look no further. You helped me corral your hubbies into answering a survey for me, and the results are in! Here’s what dads really want for Father’s Day…
First, how important is Father’s Day, really?
The average rating out of 5 stars was 3.5 stars – which basically means: they enjoy Father’s Day, it makes them feel appreciated, but perhaps they think about it a little less than we do about Mother’s Day.
Ah, summer time. Hot sun. Playing in the pool. Running through the sprinklers. Bare feet on the grass. Eating popsicles. It’s the best when you’re a kid. Here’s some tips for a fun AND easy summer schedule that’s actually doable!
I remember one summer we spent with a mom who these days be crowned a “Pinterest mom” – she had a different activity scheduled for every day of the week. It was awesome. We went to the beach, to the park, to museums and the library. We had a blast.
Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed or burdened to become this activity-planning, Pinterest-worthy mom. There’s a lot to live up to on the Interwebs.
However, I’ve made small, achievable decisions that have helped me to make my kids’ days fun, engaging and (sneakily) educational – that don’t make me feel overwhelmed. I hope this can help you too if you’re in the same boat!
As moms, we want so many things for our children: to love God, to be healthy and happy, to have great friends, excel academically, and so much more. So we take them to doctor’s appointments and tutoring, organize special activities and events, enroll them in sports, arrange play dates, budget for college.
All of these things are fantastic, however, the most important thing we can be doing for our children is praying for them. There is no greater being in all the Universe to impact our child’s future, so we should be petitioning Him at every turn (Luke 18:1-8).
By praying the Scriptures for our kids, we are allowing God’s Word to shape our requests to the Almighty.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:14
Sure, we can pray all we want for our kids to be billionaire tech geniuses – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s within God’s will – or that it’s all that good for our kids! But by praying the Scriptures we’re not just petitioning God on behalf of our children, we’re utilizing the power of His Word to mold our appeals.
Also, I know we all want to pray for our kids – but sometimes, we don’t know exactly what to say. Praying the Scriptures guides us with what to say and how to pray.
So, here’s a few examples of Scriptures to pray for our kids as well as how to pray through them:
