Happy Monday, friends! Today’s post is a big one, so grab yourself a cup of joe and settle in because we’ve got a lot to cover. So there’s no confusion, here is what I’m going to chat about in today’s post – 1) this amazing B&W tunic, 2) my wish list from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and 3) what my current struggle is right now as a young mom.
So let’s get to it! How fun is this top? It’s only $35 and so incredibly soft. I love that if you’re short like me it could double as a dress or swim suit cover-up, too! I’m currently wearing my normal size, but you could probably afford to size down one size if you wanted a tighter look. Anyway, pair it with some white denim, some heels to elongate your figure and give a nod to the vertical stripes, and it’s a super fun take on a black and white look!
Now, scroll down a bit and see my current wish list from the Nordstrom Sale!
NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE WISH LIST:
top: asos ($35) | jeans: loft | heels: similar | bag: cult gaia (similar under $100) | sunnies: karen walker | earrings: bauble bar c/o
So, as promised, I wanted to share with you guys what my biggest struggle as a mom of two toddlers has been lately. As a blogger and mother, I feel a constant tug to share with you guys a big portion of my life and at the same time keep some things private. However, lately you guys have been so open with me about your joys and struggles in motherhood that it has inspired me to be more open and honest with you all about my journey as a mom. As much as I would like you to think my life looks exactly how social media would portray it, it’s not so. I’m human. 🙂
So what is it already? What is my biggest struggle right now? Well, my current struggle right now is finding joy in every aspect of motherhood – the fun and the mundane. Does anyone else find it difficult to find joy in your 5th load of laundry? In the moments where you’re fishing toys out of the toilet? When you’re putting your child in timeout for the 3rd time that morning? When you watch one child hit the other? When you realize you haven’t had an adult conversation all day and it’s already 3 o’clock? When you come home from errands to find your dog has destroyed multiple diapers and strewn them all over the house? When your youngest scream cries for 20 solid minutes in a grocery store? I don’t know about you, but I can think of many a motherhood moment where I have struggled to find joy.
After a parenting class I attended at Watermark a couple of weeks ago, the book Choose Joy was mentioned and I immediately ordered it from Amazon. I am not finished yet, but am fully immersed and forever grateful for the wisdom I’ve gleaned from this book. Let me start with this – nothing is possible without Christ. I know full well that trying to run my own show does not work. I know that apart from Christ I can do nothing. One of the first verses that’s sited in Choose Joy is Job 8:21 and it says this “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” And that’s about when I realized that I will never be enough for myself or for my girls, but Christ will.
There are mornings I wake up and I’m tired, I have work on my mind, and it seems like all the girls are doing is whining for pancakes. That’s where Job 8:21 comes into play. It’s okay that I can’t do it alone because God can. I’ve started praying this verse every single morning when I wake up. I want my girls to know what kind of environment they will live in – one that’s full of joy whether our circumstances are happy or full of sorrow.
A wise woman once said that the mother should be the thermostat of the house. How neat of an analogy is that? The mom should set the tone for the home and your kids should know exactly what kind of mom they will have every day no matter the circumstances. That’s the kind of mom I want to be, so that’s been my daily prayer! Praying that verse doesn’t mean I won’t ever mess up or that I’ll be joyful in every single moment. What it does mean though is that with God’s help I can be as joyful as possible no matter what my day may bring. I don’t have to do motherhood alone; God is with me.
This conviction was only further solidified this past Sunday at church. Our pastor was talking about what it means to be a leader and he referenced Proverbs 21:19 – “Better to live in a desert than with a contentious and vexing woman.” Is that not powerful or what? Mommas, think of the impact you can and are having on your family and your kids. It’s way bigger than you/we think. Let’s choose joy today!
photography: fort lion studio
