My dearest, dreaming son…

My dearest, dreaming son…

How my heart is bursting for you.

To watch you chase your dream is overwhelming.

I remember the first time I heard you sing.

It caught me off guard…this beauty.

I will admit to you now that I wept.

Overtaken by the sweet sound of your voice.

A gift that God has given you that was hidden

until you were ready to grasp hold of it.

You didn’t stop there.

You knew there was more to this dream.

You wanted to learn to play the guitar.

You didn’t take lessons, but instead you immersed

yourself in listening and playing by ear.

I have watched you chase this dream

of music that fills your head and heart.

And I am in awe of you.

This past weekend you took a big step in this journey.

You performed at The Coffee Shop.

You gave me a smile and began to strum your guitar.

Then you began to sing and I was undone.

You are walking out this God-sized dream.

Step by step.

Fearless and brave you are, my son.

Daddy and I are so very proud of you.

I love you.

Always.

Mom

My friend Holley Gerth invited me to join a group of dreamers that she affectionately calls her God Sized Dream Team. What a blessing to be part of this group. 

We will be gathering each week on Tuesdays at Holley’s to encourage each other to dream those God sized dreams.

Won’t you join us?

What is your God-sized dream?

Holley had written a love letter to dreamers. Her book You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream is full of words of encouragement and will speak to your heart.

Blessings,

I Want Them To Remember

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone’s is sharing on the word REMEMBER here.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the legacy I want to leave for my sons. 
What do I want them to remember about me?

I want them to remember what my laugh sounded like and that I did it often even when things were hard…especially then.

I want them to remember the cuddles and kisses and whispered conversations when I tucked them in at night.

I want them to remember that whenever they were near I couldn’t resist the chance to hug on them.

I want them to remember that I made mistakes and it was only in those mistakes that I truly learned what grace means.

I want them to remember that I listened and really heard their hearts even when they couldn’t put it into words.

I want them to remember that I adored their daddy and that marriage isn’t always easy, but is always a gift.

I want them to remember that I believed in miracles and that they are possible even in the every day moments.

I want them to remember that I was head over heels in love with Jesus which made loving them so much more.

I want them to remember that I loved.

That most of all.

What do you want your children to remember about you?

Blessings,

What I’m Cooking – Mexican Chicken & Rice

Family dinners are my favorite and a fantastic way to connect.

I love sitting around the table joining hands in prayer, 

chatting about our day, and doing quite a bit of laughing together.

I also love trying out new recipes on my guys

and sharing them with you all.

Today’s recipe is

Mexican Chicken & Rice

Inspired by The Crockin’ Girls

Ingredients

5 – boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 – 24oz jar of picante sauce

1 – 10.5oz can of cream of mushroom soup

1 – 8oz container of sour cream

1 – package of taco seasoning

Mix picante sauce, soup, sour cream, and taco seasoning 

and pour mixture over chicken in crock pot.

Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.

I served white rice on the side and poured the sauce mixture from the chicken over it.

We also added shredded cheddar cheese on top of the rice.

My guys loved it!

Not only is this meal super easy to make, but it is also inexpensive. 

This meal costs under $15.

Enjoy!

What is an easy and inexpensive meal that you make for your family?

Blessings,

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone’s is sharing on the word HOME here.

Home is so much more than the walls that surround me and the roof above me. 
Home is more about the people that fill my life. 

It is these four men both big and little who bring the overflow of love and laughter with each day. Moments cuddling on the couch and dancing in the living room. Sitting around the dinner table, heads bowed, thanking God for all our blessings. 

It is the nearness of my mother after many years separated. Sitting across the table from her and talking about our lives. Hearing her encouragement given from one mother to another. Being able to laugh with her again. 

It is gathering with women sharing our hearts with laughter and tears. Wanting to know God more and diving into His Word together. Longing to be the women, wives, and mothers that God has created them to be. 

It is sitting in a circle with a group of girls as they giggle and sharing Jesus with them. Listening to their hopes and dreams and their prayers offered with open hands and hearts.

It is a group of sisters never met in person but hearts knit together. Loving each other through words on a screen. Feeling less alone and lifting each other up to Him.

Home is where the heart is.
My heart is full and my cup overflows.

Every time I think of you, 
I give thanks to my God.
Philippians 1:3

Blessings,

My Ordinary Became Extraordinary

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone’s is sharing on the word ORDINARY here.

It’s in the midst of the ordinary, every day moments that I live a really big life. 
You see I am a wife and mother. 
There isn’t a paycheck or a plaque on a wall that could give that justice. 

I serve my family out of a love so big. I make beds, clean house, do laundry, cook meals, and various other household duties. But that isn’t what I will be remembered for by these men both big and little. It will be the moments when I listened to their dreams and said that they can do anything. It will be the moments when I wiped their tears and told them everything would be ok. It will be the moments when I hugged them and told them how much they are loved.

They will know that I have a relationship with God that made all of it possible. They will know that the love I have for them was an overflow of His love for me. That I am able to serve them with a big love because He showed me what love like that means.
They will know that my ordinary became extraordinary because of Him.

 We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19

Blessings,

Happy Birthday Conner!

Today we are celebrating the day our Conner was born. 

He turns 15 today. 

My how the time has flown by, sweet boy. 

I say boy, but the truth is that you are growing into a wonderful young man. 

We are so thankful for the gift of you.

Happy birthday Conner!

We love you!

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. 

It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

– Elizabeth Stone 

Right There With Us

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone’s is sharing on the word AFRAID here.

I remember what fear feels like.
It has been over seven years since we experienced Hurricane Wilma, 
but it seems like yesterday.

We watched the news updates for days.
We bought all the supplies needed.
We were prepared for the storm coming. 
We had already been through a few that year,
including Katrina and several tropical storms.
We were ready.

Until we heard that Wilma had changed course 
and the eye of the storm was going to go directly over us.
So we moved the boys into the bathroom and 
we were in the hallway just outside the bathroom.

My babies all laying on the floor of the bathroom.
D sitting beside me holding my hand so tight.
The wind and rain raged around us.
The sound unlike anything I have ever heard…like a freight train. So loud. 
But not loud enough to drown out the sounds of my babies crying. 
Then the walls that D and I were leaning on began to shake.

Sweet Jesus.
Right there with us.

My hands shake just typing this out.
We were afraid.
Then came the eye of the storm.
Strange that the rain and wind stopped.
It was the calm in the midst.
We were able to breathe in peace for a moment.

Sweet Jesus.
Right there with us.

Then the tail of the storm. Worse than the start.
Windows breaking. Walls shaking. My crying babies.
D saying over and over…love you.
Six hours.
We huddled together.
We couldn’t let go for awhile after it was all over.
I kept thinking…just breathe.
Everything changed with one storm.

Sweet Jesus.
Right there with us.

I remember what fear feels like.
I remember what He feels like more.

Be sure of this: I am with you always.
Matthew 28:20

Blessings,

Are You A Desperate Mom?

When we had our first son, we were living far away from family and hadn’t made many friends. It was an exciting time but it was also very lonely and scary for me.

Our AJ was a sweet, beautiful baby and I fell in love with him immediately when they placed him in my arms at the hospital. But something happened when we brought him home. He cried all the time and barely slept longer than an hour at a time. We tried everything from the swing to driving him around in the car. Donnie was such a help, but he had to go back to work after a few days. I was alone with this crying baby and had no idea what to do. I felt like a failure.

I made many long distance calls to my mom. I remember one so well. It was the moment I completely lost it. I had been walking, rocking, and crying along with my baby for days. I said to her through sobs, “I am the worst mom ever.” She told me to give the phone to Donnie and then told him to send me to bed. She knew that I was exhausted and broken.

After two weeks (which seemed like years to me) we finally found out that AJ was lactose intolerant and was crying because his belly was upset. We changed formula and our sweet baby was back.

But for those two weeks, I was a desperate momma. Desperate for someone to help me. Desperate for someone to help my baby. Desperate for someone to tell me I wasn’t alone and I wasn’t a horrible momma.

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have written a book – 
Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe. 
A book for the desperate momma. One to speak to our momma hearts. 
I wish that I had this book sixteen years ago and am so thankful to have it today. Desperate is a book that I recommend for every momma and not just the ones expecting or ones with tinies, but mommas in every stage of parenting.




Sarah and Sally offer love, encouragement, and wisdom to moms throughout Desperate all the while pointing to God in everything. One of the things I love about this book is that there are videos for every chapter. It was like Sarah and Sally came over for a cup of coffee and a chat.

This is one of my favorite quotes from the book.

Desperate also contains a Bible study and prompts to journal as you read.

This would be a fantastic small group study to do with other mommas. You can download the Desperate small group guide on the website here.

Friends…believe me when I tell you that this book is simply a gift from these two incredible women. It is a gift you can receive and one to give away as well. Buy one for yourself and get another for your friend. Buy one for every momma in your church or a momma you might encounter through your day.

You can purchase Desperate at these places:

Christianbook.com

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Be sure to visit Sarah at SarahMae.com this week 

as there will be giveaways each day.

Blessings,

Kind Words Like Honey

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing 
for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone’s is sharing on the word OPPORTUNITY here.

I was thinking today just how powerful our words are.
They can build a person up or tear them down.
There are opportunities every day to speak a kind word.
That one word could change a person’s day.

A word shared to let someone know you see them.
To let them know they aren’t alone.
To let them know they matter.
To let them know how very much they are loved.

I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to speak that word.
To give the gift of encouragement.
To speak life into another life.
I want to be more intentional about my words.

I want to take that moment to tell my sons how proud I am
 of them and how blessed I am to be their momma.
I want to tell my husband often how much I appreciate all 
he does leading and loving our family.
I want to send a note to that friend who I know is hurting 
and make that phone call to one I haven’t talked to in way too long.
I want to encourage that sweet little one
asking who this Jesus is that I keep talking about.
I want to encourage the mom juggling 
her three children as they come into the grocery store.

I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to give the gift of encouragement.
Lord…open my eyes.

Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul.
Proverbs 16:24 

My Cup Overflows

As I sit this evening reflecting on our Christmas this year, 

I am overwhelmed at how incredibly blessed I am.

This is my 20th Christmas with my warrior.

What a gift he is.

Each day with my sons is a treasure. 

I am so very proud to be their Momma.

For the first time in seven years, we celebrated Christmas with my Mom 

who recently moved here to be closer to us.

To say that the boys are thrilled would be an understatement. It has been so wonderful to see them fall deeper in love with each other.

And I have one of my best friends only five minutes away from me.

But God didn’t stop there. 

He also brought my Aunt and Uncle here to visit.

Next to my Mom, my Aunt is one of the most influential women in my life.

Tonight I am so thankful for the gift of family.

The laughter a little louder.

The hugs a little tighter.

The love a little bigger.

Each moment shared is etched on my heart.

A gift beyond measure.

My cup overflows.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. 

Let the whole world know what he has done.

Psalm 105:1

What are you thankful for today?