His Grace for the Chaos

Have you ever been having a conversation with someone and suddenly, something comes out of your mouth and your think "What? Did that just come out of me? I don't think I knew that until I said it!" That happens to me from time to time and I always credit Holy Spirit for giving me divine wisdom and a supernatural download in those moments. Many times I am in the middle of encouraging another brother or sister in Christ and the nugget He gives me touches me as much as it touches the person I'm ministering to. That happened to me recently in a conversation I was having.   A dear friend of mine was sharing with me that she was feeling far away and disconnected from God. She was struggling with feelings of failure because she hadn't been able to get into the Word, she hadn't been able to set aside that solid time to dig in and read. And it was affecting her mentally, physically, and emotionally. The feeling of distance, coupled with the lie that she was failing was...

Over the past few days our timelines and social media accounts have been completely saturated with some of the most disturbing information I can recall. From videos being hacked in order to give "suicide tips" to our preschoolers, to our children's favorite cartoons being distorted in to vile, disgusting themes and, even to the "Momo" challenge it's been difficult to digest. In the past we've dealt with Slender Man and several other horrific challenge type situations that have hurt so many. If it wasn't clear before, with everything else we've seen, heard, read, and experienced, it is most definitely clear as day now: our children, and our very young children at that, are specifically being targeted. I don't know if there's ever been a time, at least in the years I've interacted with children and the years I've been a parent, when it has been more vital and a literal matter of life and death to have an open and honest line of co...

I am so excited about this post! I have debated over and over again about the content of the blog I desired to write but I never saw recipes in my future! But this one is a must-share! Our finished Almond Joy Coconut Oil Fat Bombs ! I was sitting at my mom's dining room table with her a week or so ago. She and I hadn't been able to spend much time together for quite a while (which is very strange for us!) because she'd been under the weather. As we sat and chatted she started telling me about all of the crazy symptoms she'd been dealing with. Fatigue, memory loss, inability to focus, an itchy rash spreading from her belly button down her thighs, and a full blown yeast infection to boot! I'd had no idea she was dealing with so much. Mom had gone to a local gynecologist for an explanation but was brushed off and told to go see her primary care physician. This was even though she had a severe feminine yeast infection! A few days after this doctor barely...

OK, maybe its only me that these particular things happen to, but I know I'm not the only mom who has used a shower to get a little alone time. Time by yourself isn't something you come across very often as a parent! So, when I was presented with the opportunity this evening to get a long, hot, relaxing shower by myself, WITH the door closed... Well, I jumped! My big girls were tucked up in bed and just about snoozing. The baby was hanging out with Daddy in our room. I had the bathroom all to myself... I started the water and got the temperature perfect. I turned off the lights and lit a candle. I closed the door. I closed it all the way. It actually clicked closed. That, in itself, was a WONDEROUS feeling! I got in and pulled the curtain shut and began to relish the warmth of the water. It was glorious! For about 2 minutes. And, well: My 5-year-old comes to tell me that her sister was breathing on her. And she flips the light switch on. Because apparently, she didn't t...

     I've decided that I've got to come clean about a few things... Now, I didn't come into marriage and motherhood thinking everything would be roses and romance. I didn't think it would be easy breezy or that I would never struggle. I have always been taught that marriage and parenthood are the hardest jobs I will ever have. And that both are worth every ounce of hardship and are also the most rewarding jobs in the world. But, I think that I have written so many Facebook posts, and posted so many Instagram photos putting on a front that I have started believing it. I have shown my life to the world through rose colored glasses and in the process completely dis-alluded myself. I've become so ungrateful for so many things in my life lately because I don't feel like its going exactly the way I think it should or the way that I've planned for it to go... Or the way I present it to others...      I can almost guarantee that I spend the equivalent of one full ...

     Grocery shopping... I know there are many people who abhor grocery shopping. Me, personally? It is, by far, one of my absolute favorite things to do, even with my two small children in tow. There is something about roaming the aisles with my well made list and my calculator knowing that what I am doing is going to feed my family. Today I got to add to the joy I already get from grocery shopping by including one of my very best friends, my sister-in-love, Danielle, in the mix. We rarely get to spend time together so we were definitely looking forward to this outing. Off to Aldi we went.      Every day you can read stories all over social media about the various injustices that people encounter when they are out in public. Human beings have a bad habit of abusing each other and taking each other for granted in atrocious ways. I am never one to post those kinds of stories though. I sometimes feel like I walk around in a bubble of happiness beca...