Create a Life You Love

“Nothing about having a baby was more shocking to me than how much my marriage struggled afterwards. When my eldest was born I felt like I went from my husband being my whole world to my daughter being my whole world — and he could tell the difference too. I didn’t want to touch or kiss or even hug. I didn’t care about his work stories or whatever news he had read on the internet. I wasn’t interes...

“Today I yelled at my toddler in the middle of the grocery store and snapped at my husband for what feels like the hundredth time this week. I knew I wasn’t treating them right but I was so angry in the moment that I didn’t even care. It wasn’t until I was alone later on in the day, nursing my newborn to sleep in a dimly lit room with nothing to hear but my own thoughts that I began to feel regret...

"I have a confession to make. I’m a habitual Netflix bingewatcher. It started when I was working my way through college and felt completely overwhelmed by everything on my plate, then it continued when I graduated and was both a newlywed and pregnant with no job. And then when I had my first daughter, not only did things not change, but they actually got worse! I was spending so much time breastfe...

"I used to be able to sit down and have my quiet time with God for hours. Devotionals, Bible study books, journaling, a hot cup of coffee. I absolutely loved my mornings with the Lord, and I couldn’t imagine not having them. But then I had a baby, and then another one, and now I’m in this crazy season of two under two and that picture perfect "quiet time" feels like the furthest thing from attaina...

“I just didn’t understand why the labor was the way it was. At the time I honestly believed that because things didn’t go my way, God must not have been on my side. But now, three months later, I see things differently and I realize that not only was he on my side, but he was by my side every step of the way. And mama, today I want you to know that he was by your side every step of the way through...

It’s the end of another season, both for this podcast and for our family. With our second baby’s due date fast approaching, I felt like this would be the perfect time to wrap up Season Two. But don’t worry — my goal is to take some time away to focus on family and get my bearings and then to come back with some fresh, new material for you mamas sometime this summer! Get my FREE 10 Declarations for...

"I think it’s safe to say we all feel the temptation to compare. With social media constantly in our faces, we're taking in countless messages about what motherhood could look like or ought to look like and sometimes this has a way of highlighting our own failures, differences, and inadequacies. We see skinny, active, healthy moms and well-balanced, organized, have-it-all together moms and vulnera...

"I think there was a past naive version of many of us that liked to believe that we would be accepting of our postpartum bodies, that we would simply marvel at how it carried our sweet babies and nourished them both in the womb and beyond. We told ourselves that there would be no pressure to get the weight off, that we would give ourselves grace for the changes our bodies would endure. But if you'...

"Last week I sent out a message to many of my Instagram followers with the question, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in this season as a mom? And hands down the most popular response was about the mom guilt that comes from not knowing how to balance it all — motherhood, marriage, housework, pursuing a career, or chasing after a dream or passion. And I completely resonated with this answ...

"When I think about the uncertainty of the future, several things come to mind. Our sweet friends who have just begun fostering and have already experienced the ups and downs of taking in kids and then watching them go. The moms I've reached out to on Instagram who have asked for prayer for their financial situation because money is tight. My friend with a two year old who has daily seizures and h...

"As moms, it's so easy to dismiss or neglect the things on our hearts. We hold back from pursuing certain dreams or passions and we keep ourselves from walking in our talents and gifts. Sometimes this really is what we ought to be doing for certain seasons in our lives, at least until there is more margin and we feel a peace from God in our Spirit to move forward and pursue these things. But then...

"This has been a rough season for a lot of us. It seems like every household has been getting hit with illness after illness, such as the nasty cold or some kind of bug or the crazy flu that's been spreading like wildfire. My own house has dealt with its fair share of sicknesses this winter, the worst of it being the week that my husband had the flu. If you keep up with the blog, then you probably...

"I realized that even though last night was hard, and I’m sure to have more hard nights ahead, I have the power to cling to a better, more eternity-minded perspective. I know that when I get to the end of my life, I will not regret the nights spent rocking my crying child to sleep. But what I may regret is knowing that I hindered the Lord's work being done in me because I couldn’t see past the tem...

This episode is a reading aloud of the most recent blog post on Soul Care for the New Mom. I chose to share it as this week's podcast episode because of just how well it expresses all that I hope to communicate through Soul Care for the New Mom -- what "soul care" is all about, why it even matters, how my own wrestling in my faith as a new mom led me to discover new ways to connect with the Lord,...

"Have you ever had a morning where every fiber of your being begged you to stay in bed? No matter how much you knew you needed to start your day, you just couldn't bear the thought of putting your feet on the ground. If you're in the thick of motherhood, then odds are you haven't just had one morning like this, but have had many. Because sometimes being a mom feels like signing up to be in a war z...

"I don’t know about you, but sometimes when the nights are rough and I’m up way longer than I had hoped to be, I find myself crying out to the Lord for help and strength. But honestly, what I’m longing for most isn’t necessarily for more sleep (although, of course that would be VERY much appreciated), but rather that I would just feel his presence beside me so I could know that I’m not alone in th...

"We are invited in the midst of our trials to seek wisdom and clarity from the Lord. This honestly isn't always my first thought or action when I'm facing difficulty in my life. Sometimes I wonder if God just wants me to figure it all out on my own. But this passage says otherwise. We are promised that we will receive wisdom when we ask for it in faith. And after giving some thought to how this ha...

"If I'm being honest, I think I do have a hard time believing that God loves me enough to talk to me. And when I dive a little further into my thought processes and beliefs about this, I realize that I carry a lot of fear in my heart when it comes to my relationship with the Lord. Like if he's not revealing something big to me or showing up in my life in some grand way, then I fear that I'm doing...

"If you’re like me, you kicked off 2018 with a list of goals and dreams for the coming year, things you hoped to accomplish or get better at, things that you didn’t quite manage to succeed with in 2017. The beauty of a new year is that it gives us hope. Hope that change will come. But if you’re like me, you also quickly realized that change takes time. You’ve already messed up in several areas. Th...

This first episode of season two contains a message for listeners with a recap of season one, information on how to help spread the word about Soul Care for the New Mom, and an excerpt from the latest Soul Care blog post, "When Being a Mom Is Just Not Enough." Press play to hear more. Get my FREE 10 Declarations for the Anxious Mama , your go-to guide for taking your anxious thoughts captive and r...

This is the final podcast episode until 2018 and also the first episode featuring a special guest: my sweet, amazing (and sometimes goofy) husband, Grant! To end season one of the podcast on a fun note, him and I took turns interviewing each other about parenthood and how it has changed us, challenged us, and brought us closer together. I had a blast recording this episode with him and I'm excited...

"Last week, yesterday, or maybe just an hour ago, you may have felt some sorrow or guilt over mistakes you had made. Maybe you meant to spend more time with your family, but the day got away from you. Maybe you wanted to be fully present, but social media and Netflix were just too tempting. Maybe you wanted to create a pleasant evening for your husband, but your focus on the baby somehow spoiled i...

"We had a rough week recently. A stomach bug traveled through our home, affecting me, my sweet baby, and then my husband. This sickness on top of first trimester tiredness and aching legs was almost enough to send me over the edge. I somehow found the strength to get through each day and care for my family, yet it seemed as though exhaustion was always threatening to overwhelm me. During this time...

"If you're in those early, early stages of figuring out breastfeeding, I feel for you. I remember those days so, so well. I remember it took a few painful weeks, multiple visits to the lactation consultation, a case of mastitis and a lot of tears to even begin to get the hang of it. And even after a few months, I was still navigating confusion about my supply, a fussy baby not wanting to be still...

"My baby just turned one and I'll admit that I was a little caught off guard by how many emotions I felt about it at the time. I especially had this strange sorrow that I couldn't quite put my finger on at first. Eventually I realized that my heart was heavy with longing. A longing for my daughter to grasp just how deeply I love her and how much I have treasured every day I have spent with her. I...