My morning formula. 📜 my Bible + me 💁♀️ = my POTENTIAL me! •
•
•
My Instagram highlights share how and why I read my Bible each morning. It’s not because I’m Holy or super religious but it’s because I really like God and I found our relationship to be the safest and most close (intimate) and He always has my best at hand. He has yours too!! •
•
I need Him to change my “current state”.... I need that “trade transaction” to take place each morning.
Yesterday and today was all about being “weary” and “tired” and His Word says, actually it PROMISES us, that we can HOPE in Him and He will give us strength, power, we can run, walk, and learn from Him. That’s some good stuff! •
•
We don’t have to FEEL it to believe it. We read the promise, trade it with our limiting belief and we stand on His Word and on His promises and watch Him show up in our day. •
One day at a time, right?! Matthew 11:28-30
Isaiah 40:28-31
Beach days are a complete sacrifice for me. I know. Weird. Right?! I’m being 1,000% serious here. With three kids, I have LEARNED to love the beach. With the sand, sun, and endless waves, you’d think it’s total freedom for me. Ummm. No. To me I see drowning, insecurity in bathing suits, skin cancer, sand in every nook and cranny ... and .... well.... I’ll stop there. My goodness! I sound like a basket case! 😂 well, Jesus... and Dr. Sack (thank you “thinking tools”), have helped me immensely with walking through my fears to get to a place of freedom. Oh. And the car ride there. NOT a fan of cliffs or windy roads. Haha haha! Man oh man. Good thing I havent stopped learning and growing. All that said. We had such an amazing time today at the beach. So so beautiful! Three dolphins. Sand. The beauty of waves. Blue skies. And giggles that echoed the waves. So beautiful. I’m so glad God sees us in our fears and asks us to walk with Him and trust Him... right?! At least my kiddos thank me. P.s. i was still in a sweatshirt (bc it was freezing to me AND I’m a skin cancer magnet) but I was there!! 👏🙌👏🙌🥰🦋☀️🌊
Today was a beautiful day with my kiddos. Ronald Reagan Library and then the Pompeii exhibit (well, we paid to go but only could handle a little bit of it...😬... the “sounds” were a little more real than I had anticipated. Whoops!😏) Regardless.... we’ll chalk this day up as a win. Now.... yesterday’s day???? Ummmm .... we’ll chalk that one up as.... ummm...... I survived and kept the kids alive. 😂🤪🤷♀️ anyone get me??! ‘Nuff said... Lol Needless to say.... yesterday was not photographed. 😋 so a BIG YAAAY for today!!! 🥰🥰🥰
What’s a little chocolate on the face...🤫🤗😋 #thirdchild #booksreadbetterwithchocolate
When my 2.5 year old helps me complete my “One Story” Bible reading plan for the day. 🥰💕❤️ I illustrate in my binder and he illustrates in my Bible. 😂😩😂
Overlooked. Unseen. Neglected. Avoided. Not paid attention to.... Ever felt that way too? Those thoughts hurt. Deeply. Maybe it’s just “not your time” or you’re in a season of “wait” or you just don’t know what to do next. Guess what?! The good news is that we don’t have TO DO anything to be loved by God! In fact, the CEO, Creator, Inventor and COO of the universe knows you by name. He knows what brings you joy. He knows how to make you smile. In fact, He knows how many hairs are on your head... He knows the highlights, the split ends, the breakage and the gray cover ups. He knows it all and I’m thinking He wants to remind You (okay, .... ME!) that WE are not only not forgotten but that we are incredibly redeemed. Appointed. Welcomed. Cherished. And loved. If we do nothing else today then we’ve already passed all requirements for being worthy. You are LOVED. We are loved. So so so loved. Let’s take a deep breath and just let God be God and let’s rest in His goodness that we can simply be. That’s it. Just simply BE. Smile if you are ready to take the pressure off today and this week and just BE. Be His daughter. Smile. Take a breath.... for me, growing up as an achiever and a recovering perfectionist, this is an anxiety provoking message for me. But unless i sit in the anxiety and discomfort of this message, I’ll never grow. I want to grow in this message of love... self-love. How can we “love our neighbor as ourself” if we can’t love ourself?! Can i get an amen here?! Tag a friend to tell her you love her and that she’s SO not forgotten! Give her an insta-squeeze! I’m feeling it... insta group hug here! Happy and blessed Monday friends! 🥰 #selfesteem #confidence #worth #value #Truth #Godsdaughter #itsokaytobeloved #itsokaytoloveYOU
😂💖💖💙 ....what’s it like having two older sisters! Spa times! 🤷♀️🤣🤦🏼♀️😍
Shyloh- “Mom, look at my outfit!” I LOVE this 6 year olds confidence. She came out with this striped shirt, a neon dress and jean shorts underneath. Seriously so cute. But it’s that confidence of not caring about the possible judgements of others that gives her this freedom, and the freedom I so eagerly strive to get back to!
After publishing my first bible study last year, I felt like this confident little 6 (okay, maybe three year old). I was just trying to help, encourage and be a cheerleader for other women! •
While most everyone loved it and gave great feedback. Not everyone. It was one comment that had me doubled over in the garage hysterically sobbing and hiding out. I didnt know how to handle it. Robert came in and found my sloppy sobbing mess. What did the woman say to me? Well, that’s between me and the Lord (for now anyways). They were lies from the enemy but they hurt me so so so bad. In fact, so much so that I thought it be best to never write anything or share anything again.
6 years later and I’m finally peeking my head and heart out again. And the worst part was that when I asked her if she read the whole study she responded “well, no.” Ugh. And I still took her words to heart. My heart was ripped into a million pieces and so was my confidence. I just wanted to help. I just came out looking like Shyloh, in something I thought was beautiful! I guess my skin was a little too thin. I’ve grown so so much in the Lord. Moses in the Bible did the same thing. He tried to help and ended up making a bad decision and running from it. It didn’t work out so well. It took Moses 40 years so get back to his call.
Have you ever been hurt? Did it make you step back from who God made you to be? Were there doubts? Shadows that haunted you?
First of all, I am SO SO sorry!! What I do know is that what the enemy uses for evil, God can turn to good.
I don't think the woman’s heart was to hurt me. But it did. And as a result, I got to grow. And I’ve learned SO much! I know I’ll get hurt again but hopefully I wont run and hide this time. 🤪
Let’s press forward to do what He is asking us to do, right?! So thanks Shyloh for wearing it well. You inspire me.
You.are.welcome. I know this pic is a photographers dream! 😬 But in all seriousness, this is what my mornings look like every single morning..... I squeeze my Bible... i hug it until something falls out! 🤣 well, kinda but not exactly.... I read my Bible because I spend time with Jesus because I want to be “religious and holy.” NO!! Not AT ALL!! I read my Bible and spend time with God bc I soooo NEED Him!
When I wake up, I have a gazillion and one thoughts and mindsets for the day. (Not exactly the healthiest thoughts about me and life.) It’s not until I start dumping and trading my thoughts for Gods that I start seeing and feeling peace... Him.
Bottom line, I learned 12 years ago (when I encountered God) to seek Him to change ME and love who He made-ME. That’s never been easy for me.
So i seek God to “change my state”.... does that make sense? Sometimes it’s about 5 min and sometimes an hour. God and I just need time to become One. I take my mind off of me and focus on Him. (Ps. I know He is way more than Feelings but that’s a part of my soul that He made so I’m inviting all the peace I can get!) Am I making any sense here?! 😂🤗🤣💖🤦🏼♀️🤷♀️ I like God, a lot. I guess it’s because I felt religion for so long that I felt too much shame. And shame is no good! I could never get one top of it. So when I realized God loves....a LOT, then I felt safe to approach Him. And guess what???!!! He LIKED me!!!! And He was okay that I didnt have everything figured out. And He still chose to bless and love me anyways. 😭💖🙌 Hes just so good. So if you have a Bible-squeeze it. That’s it. Start small. Squeeze and go. I think it might make God, and me, laugh! 🤣😂👏👏👏👏
These pics are priceless to me. Not because they’re of my adorable kids but because of the story behind them. •
When Robert and I planned our #xomarriage2019 San Diego trip away (yes, only three hours away), I struggled with leaving my kids. It’s like I’m addicted to them. •
A few months back robert voiced concern that they might be becoming too close to me in an unhealthy way.... like..... I coulsnt leave them. So to prove him wrong, I planned this trip. •
And he was right. Spending 24/7 with my kiddos had me anxious to leave them. Would they be loved? Would they get hurt? What if we die? Where would they go? What if Benjamin doesn’t sleep through the night?....etc...
•
Needless to say, the time away from each other was everything I needed, and we (Robert and I needed).... it was not easy at all but my goodness! Benjamins almost 2.5!!! •
Parenting is hard for me! Not the physical part so much but these emotional strings that come bundled with all my unmanaged fears. Man oh man. God has sure done a good work in me but He’s still got a long ways to go.
•
These kids had SO much fun with grandparents, cousins, and new friends. I’m so glad robert challenges me and I said “YES, challenge accepted!” •double tap-high five me if you get me!
#parenting #marriage #anxiety
XoMarriage conference 2019 was INCREDIBLE last weekend. In san Diego. San Diego was our first time hanging out.... over 14 years ago! And 13 years of marriage later... we renewed our vows and laughed laughed and giggled and laughed.... good times.... 3 days away from the kiddos to be just US.... was.... amazing.... 💖💖💖🙌🙌🙌
Date night with my two favorite boys last night!! Deeeeelightful!! ...eating out with only one kid (vs 3) crawling under the table is a breeze!!! 💙💙😍🍕
