I’m in Nunnelly, TN this weekend at a retreat with another girls from our church. We’re going via a 9-month intensive discipleship program collectively. That is my fifth time via this program and annually I’m going via it, it continues to deeply influence my life!
Right here’s a peek into the final week at our home…
Kierstyn was engaged on her homework this morning and the boys came visiting to watch. Watching David intently take note of the whole lot she was doing and the way affected person she was in telling her brothers about what she was engaged on was simply so lovely!
David brings such a peaceful to our house and to Micah and Kierstyn’s life. I frightened after we mentioned sure the way it would possibly influence their lives. And it has undoubtedly impacted them — however in the perfect of how I couldn’t have dreamed or imagined.
Micah is SOO excited as a result of he’s now taller than David and, in line with him, he’s now formally “David’s Large Brother.” He was so pumped up about this as a result of it means he can shield David. He got here up with this all on his personal.
Earlier this week, they went to drop-in daycare whereas Jesse and I had a gathering. The entire time main as much as dropoff, he saved saying issues like, “I’ll shield David. If anybody tries to harm him, I’ll inform them no and cease them.”
He additionally instructed me this week that he has to eat plenty of meals so he can develop huge and robust to be David’s protector.
I feel again to once I came upon I used to be pregnant with him and the way overwhelmed I felt at having a brand-new child whereas additionally caring for a tiny boy who had such vital wants. However God knew higher.
God knew precisely what I wanted within the present of Micah (he’s such a treasured mama’s boy who’s all the time taking good care of me) and that David would even be getting a fierce advocate and protector in Micah.
After faculty on Wednesday Kierstyn and I went to Goodwill! We discovered a bunch of nice stuff for less than $28 – click on right here to see the complete procuring journey! Pictured right here is her Twinkle Toes sneakers that she has been wanting and she or he LOVES them!
We went to Sam’s Membership collectively for enjoyable this morning as a part of our Friday morning Sabbath time collectively. (Does that make us bizarre that we love grocery procuring collectively and 100% qualify it as a date??)
Found their Chobani yogurts that David loves (and are one of many few issues he loves being fed) are round $0.25 cheaper per cup!!
For those who’ve been contemplating a Sam’s Membership membership, you may get a one-year membership proper now for simply $25!
That is one thing I did for years within the identify of productiveness. Listening to a podcast whereas driving. Turning on an audiobook whereas I fold laundry. Scrolling on Instagram whereas I eat lunch. At all times consuming, by no means simply… being.
After which questioning why I felt drained and scattered.
This yr, I’m training the misplaced artwork of stillness. Of driving with out listening to something. Of sitting and consuming lunch with out scrolling on my cellphone. Of ready in quietness with no need to fill the house with doing one thing.
It’s uncomfortable at first. However I’m realizing how a lot I really discover my environment extra and breathe extra deeply once I don’t attempt to fill each second with noise and consuming and doing.
There’s nothing mistaken with consuming — it may possibly deliver plenty of inspiration, enjoyable, conviction, and encouragement to our lives. However after we are utilizing it to keep away from stillness or after we can’t simply sit in quiet, that’s doubtless a sign we could have to problem ourselves to follow extra stillness and being current proper the place we’re.
In any case, it’s not simply our our bodies that want common relaxation; our brains do, too. I share extra about it on this Instagram put up right here.
My #1 parenting tip as a 44-year-old mother of 6: cease attempting to repair your children and begin loving them and strolling with them proper the place they’re.
I get it. We wish to elevate children of character who love Jesus and exit on this planet and make a distinction. However the greatest technique to construct a wedge in your relationship is to challenge all of your expectations on them and continually level out what they’re doing mistaken.
There’s a time and place for correction, however let it’s constructed on a stable basis of connection.
Give it some thought, if somebody in your life is simply continually nit-picking the whole lot you do and telling you the place you had been falling brief, would you wish to grasp round that particular person and spend time with them? In all probability not. The truth is, there’s a great probability you would possibly exit of your technique to keep away from them — lest you be reminded, but once more, of the whole lot you’re doing mistaken and the way you don’t measure as much as their requirements and are disappointing them.
Each day — via our phrases and expressions and angle — we’ve got a chance to construct a little bit bit extra of a bridge or burn a little bit bit extra of a bridge. It’s our alternative.
Let’s select to ask the Holy Spirit to flood us with love and kindness for our youngsters.
Let’s catch them doing issues proper and name it out.
Let’s reward 10 instances greater than we right.
Let’s discuss nicely of them to others.
Let’s get pleasure from our youngsters and have enjoyable with them.
Let’s lean in and love.
Let’s ask curious questions as a substitute of leaping to conclusions or criticism.
Let’s lay down our pleasure over our fame and our worry over the longer term, and let’s simply deal with lavishly loving these items that God has entrusted to us — as He has so liked us! 
If you would like extra concepts and sensible encouragement to construct a stronger relationship along with your children and love motherhood extra, I’ve a free 10-day course I’d like to ship you! It shares my very own journey to studying to let go and fall in love with motherhood in a complete new approach! Enroll right here!
I made one in every of our favourite dinners this week — Hen Broccoli Rice Casserole. It’s really easy to make and I doubled it so we may have it for 2 dinners (plus, we used the leftovers for lunches at some point!)
Q&A’s From This Week
I posted a query field on Instagram tales a number of days in the past and acquired plenty of questions. I needed to share a number of of my responses right here…
Query: Do you do well being sharing or medical health insurance? Which firm, we’re dealing with job loss
Reply: We now have personal insurance coverage that we pay out of pocket for. We’ve chosen this for a wide range of causes (one in every of which is that the majority don’t cowl these with disabilities and I really feel like it’s hypocritical to be all about being prolife in identify, however not in precise enterprise follow), however it’s undoubtedly extra $$. I do know a number of associates who’ve well being sharing plans and love them. We select a excessive deductible plan with full protection after you hit the deductible and put aside the deductible quantity in a separate financial savings class. We get our quotes via Zander.
Query: Who’s dealing with the enterprise facet of issues? You appear so much less confused.
Reply: Oh! I like this query! The largest factor is that I’m not launching something or beginning something or constructing something new this yr (aside from my e book launch within the fall). I normally launch/begin/construct a number of issues in a yr so it feels actually calm and quiet and bizarre. I’m additionally saying no to nearly all ongoing alternatives and enterprise commitments outdoors of the fundamental issues required to run the enterprise. This has additionally made an enormous distinction.
As well as, final yr we introduced on 8 new staff members and so we’ve got a very incredible staff and nice methods and nobody is stretched too skinny or having to juggle an excessive amount of directly. We additionally labored onerous to arrange good methods due to having some clever enterprise mentors who helped communicate into this and my unimaginable enterprise coach Alli Worthington! And better of all, I employed an unimaginable government assistant via Belay and she or he has taken SO a lot off of my plate so I can deal with the issues solely I can do and people issues I like doing! Thanks, Jessica!
Query: How are you current with one child/ Jesse at a time? I all the time really feel like one other child wants one thing from me.
Reply: My aim – irrespective of the place I’m – is to be the place my ft are planted. So I attempt to deal with precisely proper the place I’m and be totally current there as a substitute of considering of all the opposite locations I could possibly be or “ought to” be. I give every day to God and ask Him to assist me be current and obtainable the place He has positioned me. After which I attempt to profit from the alternatives and moments I gave with Jesse and every of our youngsters. I’ve discovered that even 5 or quarter-hour will be tremendous significant whenever you give your full consideration to the dialog or to being totally current.
Response from Follower: Simply needed to say thanks for sharing Nourish. I began utilizing it yesterday!
Reply: This makes me SO thrilled for you!!! Hiring a dietitian via Nourish has actually modified my life – and I nonetheless can’t consider it’s lined via insurance coverage!
It’s like half remedy, half accountability to prioritize my well being and diet in a very liberating method, and half cheerleading to assist me keep in mind to handle myself as a complete particular person! (See in case your insurance coverage covers it right here!)
In Case You Missed It — Posts From This Week
My Do-it-yourself Vanilla Extract Experiment — I by no means realized how ridiculously EASY it’s to make do-it-yourself vanilla extract; an official recipe isn’t even actually wanted! I adopted some very fundamental instructions, and I’m so enthusiastic about how they turned out! The consequence was scrumptious and frugal — however much-loved — Christmas items!
Baked Hen Chimichangas and Cilantro Rice — For those who love Mexican meals, however don’t love the value of consuming out, this week’s $10 Household Dinner put up is for you! You may have this complete meal on the desk in round half-hour (in case your rooster is already cooked — this can be a smart way to make use of up leftover rooster!) –– and your complete household will love these baked rooster chimichangas!
From Instagram — a narrative about my follow-up name from the nurse after my colonoscopy. I hope it encourages you. On a special observe, should you want amusing in the present day, watch this.
Brigette’s $55 Grocery Purchasing Journey & Weekly Menu Plan for 4 – Try what my sister is feeding her household this week!
This Week’s Podcast Episode
Simply as a forewarning, this week’s episode is perhaps a little bit bit TMI — it’s all about my latest colonoscopy! Whereas I don’t get into the particularly gritty particulars, I discuss overtly with Jesse about my expertise as a result of I actually needed to share the complete story. I saved listening to from individuals who had been terrified of the process or prevented it due to what they’d heard concerning the prep, and I used to be nervous too, particularly after studying all of the horror tales on-line, however I discovered that preparation and good steerage made a much bigger distinction than I had anticipated!
Pay attention in as I stroll you thru why I had the procedures within the first place, together with my lengthy historical past with continual anemia and the way my docs needed to search for doable root causes moderately than simply deal with signs. A giant a part of the episode is the prep expertise as a result of truthfully, that’s what individuals are likely to dread essentially the most. Nevertheless, I discuss beginning a low-residue weight loss plan days early, sticking to very bland meals, and what it really felt like to maneuver into the clear-liquids part. I share how starvation, mind fog, and low power confirmed up for me and the way surprisingly manageable the laxative course of was in comparison with what I feared. I additionally point out small sensible issues that helped similar to selecting sure drinks and realizing that some flavors rapidly grew to become unappealing as soon as prep began.
I then stroll you thru the process day itself – checking in, getting an IV, anesthesia, and what it felt like waking up after sedation. The sedation was so robust and peaceable that I can perceive why individuals describe it as a very good nap. The truth is, I form of didn’t wish to get up! I additionally mirror on how disorienting that it felt attempting to speak afterward when my mind wasn’t placing phrases collectively appropriately.
We additionally contact on restoration, what my outcomes seemed like thus far, and why I actually consider that these screenings are price it, so if in case you have been afraid of getting a colonoscopy, I actually hope that this episode with Jesse makes it really feel much more approachable!
Hearken to the episode right here.
