God uses the least likely to make much of His great name. Today we are talking about calling and excuses and why the gospel trumps our inadequacies. 

Some days I wake up discouraged and with a spirit of defeat clouded my vision before I even finish my first cup of coffee. Today was one of those days where the enemy immediately starting feeding me lie after lie the moment my eyes opened. He whispered into my soul that I’m not good enough and a failure. He pounded my heart with discouragement and lack of confidence. He almost convinced me to just throw in the towel today.

Almost.

Four years ago I sat down with a pen and my journal and wrote out a list of big dreams I believed the Lord had placed in my heart. I remember writing them down feeling the weight of their impossibilities on my shoulders. Even with these impossibilities running through my head, I wrote with passion […]

It is no surprise that post birth our bodies change drastically. Along with that physical change comes an added spiritual change. Raising children is no small task. It has been argued that motherhood is by far one of the most important tasks on earth, because we as mothers are shaping the future leaders of the next generation! In my own heart I carry a deep conviction that these days with my little boy are meant for greater purposes— for kingdom purposes. But in order to truly grasp that and live it out, I have to put my “mom pants” on. Let me explain.

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching us and each year when this day comes around my heart becomes tender for the women who are hurting. Mother’s Day is not only a day we celebrate our mamas, but it is also a day we love those who are mourning a loss, desiring a baby, or feeling left out. There are women who have suffered miscarriages, women who have wayward children, women who are orphans, women who are grieving losing their mamas, and women who are mourning the loss of a child. You may be reading this and immediately identify with one of those descriptions, or you may be thinking about a woman who needs encouragement to her weary soul.

Your pant size won’t always be the same. Your skin won’t always be firm. Your hair won’t always be the color it is. Your height won’t even stay the same as you age! However, one thing will stay with you throughout all of life’s transitions and trials: your heart.

Every day you pick up your paint brush and create through the world around you. You decorate your home with minute attention to detail. You cook your favorite meals (or throw together a pb&j for the kiddos). You take a picture and share an Instagram post. You write papers, create spreadsheets, make a cup of coffee, and dream dreams. Life is art. And it is beautiful!

Each day we wake up to face a plethora of choices. Do I get out of bed when my alarm goes off or do I press snooze? (Repeat the snooze scenario a few more times.) Do I choose to spend time with the Lord or catch up on social media? What should I eat for breakfast? What do I need to get done today? And then we get to the choice that usually gets all of us stuck: What do I wear? (insert hands thrown into the air in total desperation…okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you know what I’m talking about.) We have all gone to our closet and been faced with that awful thought that usually makes us late to work: “I have nothing to wear.” Our morning routine can be halted and thrown off in an instant by hair that just doesn’t seem to curl the right way, clothing that looks out-dated and a body we wish looked different than the mirror tells us.  The decision of what we wear paralyzes us, monopolizes our feelings, and often affects the way we feel the rest of the day. 

Another five pounds. The numbers on the scale told me a story of loss, but my heart felt a surge of confidence. I glanced up at the mirror and saw a tall, lanky body standing there, wasting away in many ways. I turned around and examined my spine protruding from my back and shuddered. Why did this make me feel so beautiful? In many ways I felt like I was disappearing. Each week I was losing more and more weight. And yet, every reflection I whispered to me that if I just kept going I would finally enough. I wanted to be noticed, but I still felt invisible. 

If you were to travel around the world, one thing would be the exact same among every tribe, nation, and country: clothing. While styles of clothing vary from culture to culture where beliefs, climate, and custom influence style of dress, every human being wears some form of covering. We learned on Monday that clothing originated in the Garden after Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They covered themselves in fig leaves, trying to mask their shame and brokenness, but God came, and in His mercy, killed an innocent animal to make for them better, more durable garments. Clothing is a picture of His amazing grace. Adam and Eve put their design skills to use when they sewed together fig leaves for covering, but God, the ultimate Designer created garments that were more useful and lasting. God is able to take our brokenness and make it beautiful because of His grace.