“Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;
open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.” (Proverbs 20:13 CSB)

We all have been given the gift of time, a chance to make something great of ourselves. To impact and influence the lives of people around us. Yet many of us want to complain, “we don’t have time.”

Time is short; it does not stand still or wait for anyone. It is fluid, always moving, and quickly filled with obstacles, opportunities, and obligations. It is up to us to navigate these things and execute them without excuses.

You want to lose weight but “don’t have time” to exercise. Make the time.

You want to spend more time with the children, but your to-do list never ends. Put it down; make the time. (they are only around for a season)

You want to start a business, write a book, or return to school. Make the time.

Again, time is fluid. You can fill it with the things most important to you and say NO to the things distracting you from your purpose. The outcomes are your responsibility, so take ownership and manage your time.

I don’t have time to sit on the couch and watch TV. I have to move so I can lose 10lbs.

I don’t care how tired I am; I will watch a movie or play a game with the kids; these chores can wait until they go to bed.

I may not be able to attend school full time right now, but I can make room for one class.

Nothing happens by accident. No one achieves goals by hoping for more time and schedules to clear. So if there is something you want, and it’s driving you. If you feel it is part of your purpose or evolution of growth, you must make the time.

Wake up e little earlier, go to bed a little later, and manage the time you were given. Say no to the things that pull away from your goals and focus on what is most important.

Never use time as an excuse to stay complacent. Complacency never breeds greatness, only weakness. Complacency is the difference between settling in life or achieving excellence. We were all given the same amount of time. The question is, what are you doing with the life you were given?

Girls (moms) wanna have fun!

YES, it is ok for us to have fun, to schedule time away from the kids, house, husband, and chores once in a while. 

Time to regroup and recharge is desperately needed yet often overlooked. Getting away from the endless demands of motherhood, even for just two hours, can make us feel like a whole new person.

Here are some things I enjoy doing for a quick, inexpensive recharge.

• Walk the trails by the waterfall with a camera.
• Get a cup of coffee with a friend and look at books
• Paint Night at a friend’s house or craft place
• Pedi
• Sit somewhere quiet and read or write. (bookstore, coffee shop, or lake)

Here are things to do for a well-needed rest & recharge. (If you have coverage for kids & budget allows)

• Women retreat (recharge with Godly women)
• Book an Evening or weekend somewhere new alone or with a girlfriend and explore. Take pictures, shop, pamper yourself, and enjoy the change. (the kids will be ok)
• Concert with friends. Laughter is medicine for the soul. There is nothing like dinner and a show with good friends.

The bottom line is no matter how small the break is, take it. Give yourself the time to refocus and breathe. Your family will appreciate the renewed you. You won’t regret it.

Being a wife and a mom has its challenges, but the truth is we are our own worst enemy. We have set a “perfect mom” bar of expectation that is impossible to attain.

How many of us have ever said this at the end of a long and frustrating day?

“Ugh, I failed again… it was takeout for dinner again because I have no time to cook, I lost my temper with my kids, took my frustration out on my husband, barely had the energy to help my friends or family; why can’t I be better?”

I am so guilty of this at times. But where does the desire to be “better mothers” come from? Are we comparing our lives to someone else’s that appears better in public? Are we comparing ourselves to the pains of our past, hoping we don’t make the same mistakes our parents had that caused us pain? Either way, we need to remember we are not perfect. We will fall short, but what we do in those moments matters. If we want to fall short less, we need to remember that love is kind. 

This week’s challenge is to love ourselves as much as we love others. Take the time to rejuvenate and refresh. Go to the gym, out for coffee, paint night, or read in peace. Whatever recharges your battery, carve out the time to do it consistently. This way, you are a little less short because you have filled your cup. Now you will have the energy and mental capacity to pour into others.

Being kind to yourself is not neglecting your children but showing them that you love them enough to give them your best, which means mommy needs to fuel herself to prevent mommy burnout.

Also, remember we are not perfect and will have days where our family gets our ugly side. Yup, you will lose your cool and fall short. But how you handle it matters. This February, remember Love is KIND. Own your shortcomings, ask for forgiveness, & let it go. Take a moment to hold them close, tell them you love them, and breathe.

Remove the “perfect mom” bar of expectation and set the bar of grace. It’s not easy to be kind to ourselves, but we can show our families the different dimensions of love with a bit of practice.

Hello, Mamas,

 Welcome to February, the month of Love.

With valentine’s day fast approaching, so many people are trying to plan something special to show their loved ones how much they mean. From a box of chocolates and stuffed animals to flowers and romantic dinner, there are many ways to show or receive this gift of Love. 

Although Valentine’s day is a beautiful sentiment, it has never been one of my favorite holidays. When my husband and I were dating, we discussed marriage often. One evening we saw a show where a man had proposed to a woman on Valentine’s Day. I looked at Matt and said, “Don’t ever do that to me.”

He looked at me surprised and said, “why not? I thought it was romantic.”

In disbelief, I said, “proposing on a holiday is a cop-out. A man shouldn’t need a holiday to ask a woman to be his wife. If you ever purpose to me, it should be because you gave it a good amount of thought without a holiday attached.”

Matt proposed a week later, February 13th. Honestly, I was shocked, and after I accepted the proposal, he said, “it was not on Valentine’s Day.“

Even though that was so long ago, I still feel the same. I don’t think there is anything wrong with celebrating our loved ones and showing love for them. However, I do feel like we give this holiday too much weight. We should be taking time for each other regularly throughout the year, not just on a particular day.

This month, as we continue to give love to others, I challenge you to take the time to love yourself. Yup, I said it. It’s time to learn to love ourselves and all our imperfections. When we fill our cup, it’s easier to pour our love into those around us.