To the Mom who Feels like She's Never Enough.

Being a mother is like being in a whole different kind of culture. And you don't really understand motherhood exactly until you become one yourself. Within that beautiful thing we call motherhood comes joy, happiness, struggle, and lots of other feelings that I could go on and on about. Just like anything in life motherhood has its highs and lows.

One thing I have noticed since I became a mother is that moms (me, you) we all need a little encouragement. We want to know that we're doing a good job, making a difference and that the little things we do for our children and families mean something big to them and matter.

There's so many differences and opinions these days on how to "mother" what you're supposed to do or not do it can really have your head spinning and you may feel like every other mom in the room is about to judge you for your choices and decisions.

I have felt these too.

I have felt the sting of opinions.

The ever flowing guilt that motherhood can bring.

There are days when I don't feel confident at all in my mothering skills, and other days when I feel like I'm super MOM and totally on top of the world!

To the mom who breast feeds, you're enough.

To the mom who formula feeds, you're enough.

To the mom who works outside of her home to help provide for her family, you're enough.

To the mom who stays at home, what you do is enough.

To the mom who just yelled at her kids five minutes ago and feels guilty because it came out all wrong, you're enough.

To the mom who is tired and feels like you will never find rest, you're enough.

Today I'm shouting from the rooftops this, and hoping that as mothers we all take a few moments to realize that you are enough. That you'd take a few moments to encourage that mom you see in the grocery store struggling with her kids.

Today, I'm saying this to myself over and over again.

And on days when I feel like I haven't an ounce left to give I pour myself a big cup of coffee, and ask Jesus for a lot of help along the way.

Though my heart and flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:23

This post is apart of a series #31daysofRestinginHim . Visit this link for more posts on this topic and follow along in this journey. Use the hashtag #31daysofRestinginHim on social media to follow along.

Resting in Him When You Feel Rejection

Feelings of rejection aren't just reserved for our teenage years, as long as you have a heart beat I'm sure at some point in your life you will feel the sting of rejection. It doesn't matter if you're an adult, sometimes you still feel rejection from time to time.

Resting in Christ means being secure with who he made you to be. Knowing that he made you for a purpose, and that purpose is good and God divined.

In my experience feelings of rejection are simply a manifestation of our own insecurities and fears about ourselves. Last year my husband and I felt this rejecting feeling when we applied for a ministry position that we interviewed for and didn't end up going past the first initial interview.

There was disappointment, sadness and ultimately feelings of rejection that followed. Those were our initial feelings during this time, and that's OK. We're allowed to have a feeling and a response to what happens to us in our lives.

I think a lot of times as Christians and believers we think that we have to be above all these feelings. We tend to think that since God has given us his grace and that we shouldn't feel this way or that we feel like we should be "above" all this if we believe Jesus saved and redeemed us. The problem with that is that our feelings then can become a real struggle. But the reality is that we're allowed to feel things, we're allowed to have a reaction God created us this way as humans to feel things.

But it's what we do with our reaction that is most important in these times. The following are some ways that I deal with these feelings in my own life. In all things I've realized that we have to keep our perspective. When you look through the lens of Godly perspective on our lives, everything changes.

PRAY without ceasing......
We pray because it's our way to communicate our feelings to Christ, and it brings us closer to Him. As I said you're allowed to feel, this is a natural process that all people have. God created us with feelings, he created us to feel life. But it's a fine line between letting those feelings take over your heart and emotions and GIVING those feelings to Christ and let him work them out. How do we do this? WE PRAY. We pray without ceasing and bring these feelings to Christ.

Read the word, be in the WORD......
When you're praying and in the word daily (read your Bible) and consistently we're armed and ready to deal with whatever feelings that come our way. We're better prepared to take those feelings to God.

SEPARATE the feelings from the REALITY.....
In our case we felt feelings of rejection over being passed up for a job. I had to remind myself that even though I felt rejection that the reality is I wasn't rejected, we were not rejected. We just weren't a good fit for this job.

We have to be careful with our feelings and not let them over run our reality or the truth in situations.

The enemy would love to lie to us, play off our feelings and make us think things are bigger than they are.

He would love nothing more than for us to go down a rabbit hole of emotions. In those cases we have to remember who Christ made us to be.

The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Listen, you can not apologize for who you are. You can't apologize for just being yourself. Sometimes you just aren't a good fit for something and that's OK.

I'm confident in who I am in Christ, I am confident in my husband and myself. I need to remind myself of these things when I start to feel this way, and want to have a pity party for myself. A pity party only brings you down and magnifies your feelings. Instead I want to be confident in who I am in Christ and bring those things to the surface.

This post is apart of a series #31daysofRestinginHim . Visit this link for more posts on this topic and follow along in this journey. Use the hashtag #31daysofRestinginHim on social media to follow along.

Taking Care of Our Physical Selves.

I posted this picture a couple days ago on Instagram (@andreamworley) where I talked about the my physical health transformation and how I took back my health a year and a half ago. You can read more about my journey here.

While we've been talking about spiritual rest I think it's also equally important to talk about physical rest. 

Rest for your body is just as needed and necessary for our spirits too.

I think it's also important for us to take care of ourselves physically too. God tells us that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 3:16)

Because of this we take care of our bodies as a way of honoring Christ. He made us in His image. (1 Cor. 6:19)

This could mean to many things, and it may be different for each of us. 

Maybe it's getting back into a work out routine, or starting one.

Maybe it's taking a nap during the day when you're kids are napping and not feeling guilty about it. 

Whatever it is I encourage you to pray and seek God's wisdom in how you can be resting your physical body and taking care of yourself physically.

This post is apart of a series #31daysofRestinginHim . Visit this link for more posts on this topic and follow along in this journey. Use the hashtag #31daysofRestinginHim on social media to follow along.

When My Day Starts with Jesus.

Last Friday night my husband came home from work and decided that we needed to head out for dinner that night. I'm pretty sure it was the text about having pork chops for dinner that did him in. Let's just say he's not a fan of pork chop night. 

We decided to go to a place that's just down the street from our house, we packed the kids in the car and headed to dinner. As we were driving we were discussing the "run down" of each our days a standard conversation we have when he comes home. I knew he was especially asking me because it had been a rough week for me and the weekend was upon us and I couldn't have been more excited. 

As I recounted the day I something stood out to me about that day more than any other days of the week. Then I realized it simply started with Jesus. 

And that made the difference in my day. 

I know it sounds simple doesn't it? And it really is, when it starts with Jesus everything is better. 

Normally I get in my quiet time sometime during the day, usually at nap time when my kids are asleep I finally have time to sit down and listen to what the Lord would have for me that day.

This particular morning my kids slept later, I remember waking up and being kinda shocked they weren't already awake. A sat there for a minute and contemplated waking them up but decided it was best to let them sleep. Instead I pulled my Bible and journal from my night stand and started reading. 

This simple act made such a difference in my day.

I'm not a morning person at all, I'd rather stay up late than get up early. I tell myself I'm not a morning person so therefore I can not get up early and spend time with the Lord. I think I've been lying to myself all these years. Telling myself I can not possibly do that, when the reality is that's exactly what I should be doing.

I realized that getting up in the morning and spending time with God, having time to pray before I start my day made such a difference in my attitude and how I approached my day. 

God is showing me that if I want my day to be focused on Him, it needs to start with Him. 

My challenge for myself is to continue on this discipline. 

My challenge for you is that if you aren't already getting up early to spend time with the Lord make a change, put it in your schedule to start your day resting in Him and see what difference it makes in your day. What difference it makes in your outlook, how you speak to people, how you treat your kids, and how your overall day. 

I think you'll see a difference just like I did.

This post is apart of a series #31daysofRestinginHim . Visit this link for more posts on this topic and follow along in this journey. Use the hashtag #31daysofRestinginHim on social media to follow along.

Stand in the Light.

We have a powder room right off our kitchen. It has a small 24 inch by 24 inch window, at high noon the light just pours in and it brightens up the whole side of the house.  I usually leave the door closed because I have a certain toddler that loves to destroy that bathroom. 

Last week Ava ventured into the bathroom and I heard her saying; 

"Mom, mom come in here."

I turned the corner to see her standing in the bathroom watching the sequins that were reflected in the light dance on the walls. 

"Mom, look at my sparkles" she said. 

I sat on the toilet for a few minutes while she twisted back an forth admiring the sparkles. She stepped back for a minute and the sparkles disappeared off the wall. Stunned she was bummed when her sparkles weren't on the wall anymore.

I told her that in order for her to see her sparkles she needed to stand in the light. I told her step back into the light and you'll see them. She promptly did and was delighted to see them show back up on the wall. 

As I sat there and watched her some more I felt God just speak so clearly to me and he said;

The answers you need are in my word. Let it be your guide. Rest in me, spend some time in my word and seek my face, there you will find it.

I've been going through a time in my life where I've been seeking Christ for some answers. Some answers to tough questions. God says in his word;

Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

All the answers I need are right there in His word. When situations arise I need the council of my Savior more than I need the words or advice of others. 

Tweet: I need the council of my Savior more than I need the council of others.

When we stand in God's light and use his word they are our best defense against what the enemy throws us. God's word is full of wisdom for our walk. I've been digging into His word more than ever in my life right now, and it's been such an encouragement for me during this season of life. 

I encourage you today to stand in His light, let God's word guide you and be a refuge for your soul. A defense for your spirit, and a light in your world. 

Stand in His light. 

This post is apart of a series #31daysofRestinginHim . Visit this link for more posts on this topic and follow along in this journey. Use the hashtag #31daysofRestinginHim on social media to follow along.