Starting tomorrow... and you don't want to miss it!

I'm so excited that October starts tomorrow, and with it... (drum roll)... 

two exciting challenges that I'm blessed to be a part of!  

First up... 

Even if you are a mom of girls, you will love this group of posts from guest bloggers, verses and prayers, that will be appearing throughout the month of October, over at The Mob Society.  Be sure to sign up to receive them in your inbox every day!  And be sure to head over there today, because I am guest posting today on a little of my journey. Here's a little snippet:

Alone.  Just the sound of the word stirs up emotion. If you are in this place now, either spiritually or physically as a parent, you probably never intended for life to be this way.  I know I didn’t. My husband and I eagerly welcomed all three of our children into the world as huge blessings from God, but I knew how proud he especially was to have two sons.  Sons…to carry on his family name, to coach in sports, camp out with, and to train to be mighty warriors for Jesus.

Then, life happened… and it was full of grief and pain. The Lord took my husband home to be with him in February of 2013.  And I was left staring at these little boys with big brown eyes and sweet, but energetic spirits, wondering the same thing I did when they were handed to me after they were born.  How am I going to raise boys?  

The rest of this post is found here.  

And then there's this, starting tomorrow too! 

I will be sharing 31 Days of Hope from the Psalms, as described in this post from last week. So be sure to subscribe here as well, so you can receive those by email too.  I'm praying they will be a source of encouragement to many!  

Here's to an exciting October, filled with encouragement and a reminder of God's amazing love for us!  

Dear Single Mom...

Dear Sweet Beloved Single Mom,

I know it feels sometimes like you are the only one out there in your current situation, but you aren’t. There are many women in similar situations as yours right now, whatever and wherever that is. They are women with similar hopes and shattered dreams, similar fears, and similar hurts. Yes, the reason for those hurts may be different, but hurt is hurt… and pain is pain. You are definitely not alone.

I know it seems like you aren’t seen, but you are. There is a Sovereign King who rules over the entire world, and yet knows how many hairs are on that beautiful head of yours. He hears each frustrated plea you pray and each tear you cry in solitude, and sees each act of love and sacrifice you show to your children when you are exhausted and would rather curl up in bed and watch some mindless TV. He longs to talk to you, this Abba Father of yours - to have you open His Word and to fully embrace the relationship that being a dearly beloved daughter of His means.  To give you hope.

I know you feel like you may not be able to make it today, but you can. You have the ability to live in the supernatural strength that your Heavenly Father offers with capabilities that will astound you. He makes you strong and able to defeat any enemy that may threaten to defeat you. He makes you brave and able to push past your fears, take risks, and dream of a brighter future.

So stand up strong today, dear sister. Reach out and embrace His love and fully bask in His promises. You aren’t alone. You are seen. And you can make it. But it’s only in your weakness that you can truly reach out to discover your strength - because when you are weak, He is strong.

Lovingly,

Your fellow sister who is right where you are & who also needs these reminders...




(Listen especially to the bridge in the middle - I can't get enough of it!) :)

Guest posting today...

So appreciate all your sweet comments of encouragement after my last post and blog restart. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle writing with all the other demands I've had on me since the school year started. Today, I'm actually over at Susan Merrill's blog sharing a little about that juggling act. Here's an excerpt...

Almost seven months ago, I entered the world and label of being a “single mom.” I had been blessed with a wonderful husband of almost nine years who shared so much of a parenting partnership with me. From the time we brought home our first child from the hospital over seven years ago, he shared in the feedings, sleepless nights, sick days, and bedtime routines. I know some might say that I was royally spoiled to have a husband who was so hands-on and involved, and I probably would have to agree. But along with the grief that comes with the suddenness of his passing away, that’s definitely made the transition to doing it all alone so much harder...

 

You can read all of this post on Susan's blog here. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!