Hustle

“Hustle for JOY. Work just as hard for fun moments, vacation moments, and pee-your-pants laughing moments as you do for all the other things.” Rachel Hollis

This was our 4th Annual Valentine’s Weekend Couples Retreat (next year we’re getting shirts 😜). And this quote is exactly WHY we do it. We have eleven kids between us, husbands with full-time jobs, mamas with a side-biz, yet we WORK for this weekend. We set the time aside, we hire the childcare, we make it a priority.

Because our marriages need it. Our weary mama (and daddy) hearts need it. Our souls need it. We need to laugh and cry and talk and hug it out. We need to rest and play and eat chips and guac all day (like seriously, ALL.DAY.LONG.).

So hustle, yes. But make sure you hustle for the sweet stuff too.

Again

I talk a lot about keeping your priorities first and grace and work/life/family balance and self-love and rest hoping to encourage you. But I need you to know I am still in the trenches. 

This month has been full of worry over silly things, battling hard to keep those priorities #1, struggling to find rest and grace in the arms of Jesus, and I'm tired. Tired of striving.

The song, "Here Again", by Elevation Worship, speaks to my weary heart...

"I'm not enough unless you come
Will you meet me here again
'Cause all I want is who you are
Will you meet me here again"

I'm not enough. Unless you come. Will you meet me here AGAIN?

I love the AGAIN. Because how many times have I been here? How many times do I think I have it figured out, only to find myself a few months, weeks, days, even hours later, right back here...striving, trying, pushing?

So my prayer for ME today is (and maybe you need it too) is that I would pause and rest and remain in Him. That my eyes would be fixed on Him alone. That the joy of the Lord would be my strength.

Love you all. 

Still Learning

Them: I don’t know how you do it all.
Me: I don’t.

This is a conversation I have at least a few times a week. And I always tell the truth. I don’t do it all. I don’t think there has been one day since I had twins and started this business that I have done it all. Not one day has gone by that I thought, “Yep, I really NAILED it today.” 😂

And I am totally okay with that. I have learned to adjust (ahem, LOWER) my expectations for what I intend to get done on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis.

I have learned that a good weekly brain dump (writing down every single thing that I think I need to do) helps immensely with clearing my head space, but that each item on that list will NOT get done (at least for that week) and will just be transferred to next week’s list, and maybe even the next week’s list after that.

And every morning I say a few of the exact same positive affirmations and prayers. Some are very positive and empowering. But my favorite ones go like this…

“I will not get everything done today, and that’s okay.”
“Lord, show me where to direct my energy. Show me who and what needs my attention today.”
“Let me be available and interruptible.”

I manage a lot, but I don’t do it all. I have days when I feel really satisfied and proud of myself and days when I know I totally blew it (in one area of life or another).

And either way, at the end of everyday, I’ve learned to be okay. I’ve learned to accept that I’m going to fail and fail a lot. I’ve learned that it’s okay to lower your expectations, but still dream big.