Joy in the Journey

First, I want to say thank you to those who have been praying for me! This past week has been a better one, and I know it’s because of all the prayers and I really appreciate it. I have had fewer low times, and I’m so thankful. I love this verse. I first came it across it when I was looking for scriptures to print to have while in labor with my 6th. It was a verse that comforted me during the week before childbirth, too, when I had to be separated from my other children and doctors were concerned about my baby. And I’ve used it many times since to remind myself that God is taking care of me. And lately, the next verse has been a comfort, too. God is always here to comfort us when we need it. He has the great power to calm our souls. His love is so deep for us. That is what we have to remember when we are going through hard times. When I was at a prayer meeting with some friends over a week ago, a member of the group, who didn’t know that I was struggling against depression, encouraged ...

Hey, Mamas. I'm about to get really real with you: I have been battling depression. That's why I have been so distant. everydayhealth.com I'm not intentionally being distant and I don't want to stop writing the blog...I just can't get the words out right now. Or at least haven't been able to. Maybe I will start to feel inspired again soon, I don't know. I really don't know much about anything, except what has always been true will always be true: God is good and He loves us so much. It's really strange to feel so numb and down, and yet have hope and faith that everything really is going to work out alright in the end. But I do believe it. I'm not even claiming to be depressed, I'm just openly admitting that I am fighting it. And fighting it as hard as I can. Depression is no stranger to mothers, I know. Probably you have dealt with it a time or two yourself, postpartum or otherwise. Personally, I have battled it off and on since the age of 9...

 Hey Mamas. I’m sorry for the month full of silence. I’m not really sure why it happened. I just haven’t had the drive to write and am still trying to work it out.  I will say that I have been praying for you all. And praying for God to give me the right words to say to you. And praying that He would send you inspiration in other ways if not through me. I just have not felt very inspiring lately. When I find out why, I’ll try to let you know, if I think it will be helpful to you. I will share one thing that has been on my mind lately, though: taking the time. I don’t know about you but I feel like this summer is just flying bye. We’ve been super busy and doing a lot of fun things, but I really feel the need to slow down a bit and savor where we are right now. We got sick last week and, though it’s always sad to see little ones not feeling well, I will say it was kind of nice to just be stuck at home together.  Time moves so quickly. Kids grow so fast. We never know how lo...

 Hey mamas! Sorry for not getting a blog to you yesterday. A lot has been going on, and I hope to write something new soon, but for now we are going to throw back to last year. So click the link below to see something that may help you today. Bless you, mamas!  https://www.joyhereinthejourney.com/2021/09/just-what-i-needed-to-hear.html

 Hey Mamas, happy Fourth! Well, you may have been too busy on Independence Day to read this when it was published, but whether you are reading this on July 4th or not, I want to talk about freedom today. It may not be the kind of freedom you are thinking of, though. Today I want to talk about having freedom from yourself.  Well, not yourself so much as the negative thoughts that you think about yourself. You know you do. I look terrible in this swimsuit. I’m an awful mother, my kids will never forget that blow up. Why can’t I throw a party as nice as she does? I have terrible self control. I’m not good enough. I’m so stupid!… Ugh! STOP IT, MAMA!!!! You know what would make you a better mama? Being kind to yourself. Because we all know that kindness is contagious. If you have good thoughts bouncing around in your head, that is what will overflow from your mouth. So here are a few true things to think about yourself.  Mama, YOU ARE … God’s daughter. (1 John 3:1) Chosen...

 “Breast-fed babies are such a blessing.” I posted on my Facebook Wednesday afternoon, “Because it takes longer than bottle feeding, they make you take the time to stop and rest and drink your water and focus on them. I know bottle-fed babies are a blessing, too, all babies are a blessing! But today I am especially thankful, because I am a workaholic and would probably have someone else feed the baby while I worked in the yard and miss out on this sweet time if I wasn’t breastfeeding. ❤️” And I posted this picture: My heart was so full and thankful. As I’ve shared before, my breastfeeding journeys have always had struggles, but I have always toughed them out and the result was well worth it.  I have been working hard this week uncovering my poor, neglected flower beds. They have spent the last nine years of my chronic pain when taking care of babies and basic housework was all my body could handle most of the time fighting their battles with the weeds. It has been thrilling to...

 When I was 21 years old, I was walking down the road in the little community I grew up in, which is where I’ve always lived, and someone hollered out their window as he was driving by, “Go to college!”. I knew who it was. I had went to school with him since kindergarten. Apparently he didn’t think I should still be in this small town. Apparently he thought I should be pursuing a career. It’s not the first time I had heard that, and certainly not the last. He didn’t know that I was newly married and living the life I was called to. Out to breakfast a few years back, I ran into a former school teacher. He looked at me and my four kids and said, “You know, I always thought you’d be teaching other children.” As if to indicate that I was wasting my teaching ability by just homeschooling my kids. Someone at my church once told me, “You are an incredibly intelligent woman. Don’t waste that.” I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that one. I think I said that I wouldn’t. He came back late...