I am attending a retreat with other women from my church this weekend in Nunnelly, Tennessee. We are undergoing a nine-month intensive discipleship training program together. This is my fifth time taking this program, and each year it continues to have a profound impact on my life.
I’d like to introduce you to what happened in my house last week…
This morning, Kirsten was working on her homework when the boys came over to check on her. It was truly beautiful to see David paying such keen attention to everything he was doing and patiently communicating with his brothers what he was working on.
David has brought such peace to our home and to Micah and Kirsten’s lives. When we said yes, we were worried about how it would affect their lives. And it definitely influenced them — but in the best sense, in a way I could never have dreamed or imagined.
Micah is very excited because he is now taller than David, and according to Micah, he is now officially “David’s older brother.” He was so excited that he could now protect David. He figured this all out himself.
Earlier this week, they went to a drop-in daycare while Jesse and I had a meeting. Leading up to his exit, he kept saying things like, “I’m going to protect David. If someone tries to hurt him, I’ll say no and stop them.”
This week he also told me that I have to eat a lot of food to get bigger and stronger to be David’s protector.
I remember when I found out I was pregnant with him and how overwhelmed I felt having a brand new baby while caring for a little boy with very important needs. But God knew better.
God knew exactly what I needed from the gift of Micah (he is such a precious mother-son who always takes care of me) and that David would also have a fierce advocate and protector in Micah.
After school on Wednesday, Kierstin and I went to Goodwill! We found lots of great stuff for just $28 – Click here to see the entire shopping trip! Pictured here are the twinkle toe sneakers she’s always wanted. she likes it very much.
We went to Sam’s Club together this morning as part of our Friday morning Sabbath time. (Do you think it’s weird that we love doing grocery shopping together and would 100% qualify it as a date??)
I discovered that Chobani yogurt, which David loves (and is one of the few things he loves being fed), costs about $0.25 less per cup.
Considering a Sam’s Club membership?Get a 1-year membership now for just $25!
This is what I’ve been doing for years in the name of productivity. Listen to podcasts while driving. Turn on an audiobook while folding laundry. Scroll through Instagram while eating lunch. Always consuming, never just existing.
And I wondered why I felt so tired and scattered.
This year I am practicing the lost art of stillness. Driving without asking anything. Sit down and eat lunch without scrolling through your phone. Waiting quietly without having to do anything to fill the space.
It’s uncomfortable at first. But I realized how much more I was actually aware of my surroundings and was able to breathe more deeply if I didn’t try to fill every moment with noise, consumption, and action.
There’s nothing wrong with consuming. It brings a lot of inspiration, fun, confidence, and encouragement into our lives. But if we’re using it to avoid stillness, or just can’t sit still, it’s a sign that perhaps we need to challenge ourselves to practice more stillness and being where we are.
After all, it’s not just our bodies that need regular rest. The same goes for our brains. I will share more details In this Instagram post.
My top parenting tips as a 44-year-old mother of six: Stop trying to fix your kids and start loving them and walking with them where they are.
Understood. We want to raise children of character who love Jesus and go out into the world and make a difference. But the biggest way to drive a wedge in your relationship is to project all your expectations onto them and constantly point out what they’re doing wrong.
There is a time and a place for revision, but build it on a foundation of strong connections.
Think about it. If someone in your life was always picking on everything you do and pointing out to you where you’re lacking, would you want to be around that person and spend time with them? Probably not. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll go to the trouble of doing something like this:avoidDon’t let them remind you once again that you’re doing something wrong, that you’re not up to their standards, and that you’re letting them down.
Every day, we have the opportunity to build bridges or burn bridges little by little through our words, expressions, and attitudes. It’s our choice.
Ask the Holy Spirit to pour out love and kindness toward your children.
Find them doing the right thing and criticize them.
Praise them 10 times more than correct them.
Talk about them to others.
Let’s have fun together with the children.
Lean in and love.
Instead of jumping to conclusions or criticism, ask interesting questions.
Let’s put aside pride in our reputation and fear about our future and focus on loving the gifts God has entrusted to us as much as God has loved us. 
If you want more ideas and practical encouragement to build stronger relationships with your children and love motherhood more, we’d love to send you our free 10-day course. This book shares my own journey of letting go of motherhood and learning to fall in love in a whole new way. Please register here!
I made one of my favorite dinners this week, Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole. It’s so easy to make that I doubled it so I could use it for two dinners (plus, I used the leftovers for lunch one day!)
This week’s Q&A
PostedInstagram story question boxI received a lot of questions a few days ago. I would like to share some of my answers here…
Question: Do you have health sharing or health insurance? Which companies are facing job losses?
answer: We have private insurance that we pay out of pocket. We chose this for a variety of reasons (one of which is that most don’t cover people with disabilities, and it feels hypocritical to be pro-life in name rather than actual business practice), but it’s definitely more expensive than that. I know several friends who have health share plans and love them. We choose high deductible plans that provide full coverage once you reach your deductible and set aside your deductible in a separate savings category. Get a quote via Zander.
Question: Who handles the business side of things? Sounds like it’s a lot less stressful.
answer: oh! I love this question! The biggest thing is that I won’t be launching anything, starting anything, or building anything new this year (apart from my fall book launch). I usually launch/start/build multiple things a year so it feels really calm and quiet and weird. I also say no to almost every opportunity or business commitment I have going on, outside of the basics needed to run a business. This also made a big difference.
Additionally, we brought in eight new team members last year, so we have a really great team and a great system that doesn’t push anyone too hard or have to juggle too many things at once. We also worked hard to set up a good system, thanks to a wise business mentor who talked to us about this issue, and my amazing business coach, Ali Worthington. Best of all, I hired an amazing executive assistant through Belay. She took a lot of work off my plate so I could focus on what only I could do and what I wanted to do. Thank you, Jessica!
Question: One child at a time/How do I deal with Jesse?I always feel like the other child needs something from me.
answer: My goal is to be where my feet land, no matter where I am. So instead of thinking about other places I could be or “should” be, I try to focus on exactly where I am and be fully present there. I dedicate each day to God and ask Him to help me be present and available where He has placed me. And I try to make the most of every opportunity and moment I have with Jesse and each of my kids. I’ve found that even 5 or 15 minutes can be very meaningful if you focus all your attention on the conversation and being fully present.
Follower response: I just wanted to say thank you for sharing Nourish. I started using it yesterday!
answer: I’m so excited about this! Hiring a nutritionist through Nourish truly changed my life. I still can’t believe it was covered by insurance.
It’s like therapy, it’s part of the responsibility of prioritizing your health and nutrition in a truly freeing way, and it’s like cheerleading to remember to take care of yourself as a whole human being. (Check here to see if your insurance covers it!)
In case you missed it — this week’s post
My Homemade Vanilla Extract Experiment — I never thought it would be so easy to make homemade vanilla extract. No official recipe is required. I followed some very basic instructions and I’m really excited to see how it turned out. The result is a delicious, frugal, and much-loved Christmas present.
Baked chicken chimichanga and cilantro rice — If you love Mexican food but don’t like the cost of eating out, this week’s $10 Family Dinners article is for you. Ready to eat on the table in about 30 minutes (If the chicken is already cooked, this is a great way to use up leftover chicken!) –– The whole family will love these grilled chicken chimichangas!
From Instagram — A story about a follow-up call from a nurse after a colonoscopy.. I hope it will encourage you. On a different note, if you want to laugh today, Look at this.
Brigette’s $55 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4 People – See what my sister is feeding her family this week!
This week’s podcast episode
As a preview, This week’s episode might be a little TMI — It’s all about my recent colonoscopy! Without going into particularly nitty-gritty details, I wanted to share the whole story, so I spoke candidly to Jesse about my experience. I kept hearing stories from people who were afraid of surgery or who had avoided it because of what they had heard about the preparations. I was nervous too, especially after reading all the scary stories online. But I found that preparation and proper guidance made a bigger difference than I expected.
Listen as I explain why I underwent this procedure in the first place. This included my long history of chronic anemia and the fact that my doctors were trying to look for possible root causes rather than just treating the symptoms. A big part of this episode is a preparatory experience. Because, let’s be honest, that’s what people tend to fear the most. But I’m going to talk about what it was actually like to start a low-residue diet a few days in advance, stick to very bland foods, and move into the clear liquid phase. I’ll share how hunger, brain fog, and low energy manifested themselves for me, and how the laxative process was surprisingly manageable compared to what I had feared. We’ll also mention small practical things that can help, such as choosing a particular drink or realizing that some flavors become less appealing as soon as you start preparing them.
Next, we’ll walk you through the steps on the day of your test: checking in, administering IV fluids, receiving anesthesia, and what it’s like to wake up after sedation. The sedation was so strong and peaceful that I can understand why people describe it as a really good nap. In fact, I didn’t want to wake up! I also reflect on how disorientated I felt later when I tried to speak when my brain wasn’t assembling the words correctly.
I also talk about my recovery, what my test results have been so far, and why I truly believe it’s worth taking these tests. So if you’ve been afraid to get a colonoscopy, we hope this episode with Jesse makes it more accessible.
Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
