Taking Action: Reclaiming Ground in Motherhood.

By nature, I love order, structure, cleanliness, a plan, details, goals and steps for reaching those goals. All these things create a perfect environment for me to thrive in. My heart smiles! The opposite--chaos, disarray, lack of vision, messiness, clutter, no direction, poor structure really overwhelm me. Overwhelming to the point that if I’m not careful I have a tendency to pull back and just idol/coast through. Personally, I don’t want to coast through life. I want to live!

I love how the Lord begins to stir something in my heart spiritually and the natural starts lining up as well. Recently, I’ve been trying to take back my ground. I came to a point a few weeks ago where I decided I wanted more out of my days instead of just making it through them. I want to enjoy my life, my kids, my family and my marriage daily. I want to live in joy and not exhaustion and complacency. Now, I’m not neglecting that there are hard days and bad days, but I really want to be engaged and present no matter what the day holds.

I love being a mom. I can’t put into words what this experience means to me. I’m so grateful and blessed. With that said, I’ll be very honest and say that the transition from a mother of one to a mommy of two has been really challenging for me…and at times very overwhelming. Trying to find balance in this new season hasn’t come as easy as it normally does…and that in and of itself has thrown me for a loop. For some time now, I’ve realized I’ve been in this funk, but just not real sure what to make of it or how to climb out of it. I’m okay. Not depressed or anything. Just a mommy trying to make since of life.

I really needed something to change. I needed insight to the cloud of chaos and confusion that has been hovering over me. As I’ve spent time praying, I’m beginning to see with news eyes! (The Lord is so faithful not only to hear, but to respond to the cries of our heart, to provide a way for us.)

The Lord has been speaking to me about taking back my ground. Some of which has been stolen from me other which I’ve let slide passively. Its time to RETURN. Return to the basic. What that means for me is to simplify life, to practice discipline and set and accomplish goals. It’s time to REFOCUS, to REORDER, and to RECAPTURE. These are the words for this season.

These three words are awakening my heart. I feel alive, excited, and ready for this new challenge. I’m ready to run this new race. All I know is that I want to be purposeful with my days and time. I want to be a mom with a mission. I want to sow whole heartedly into the lives of my children, to serve my husband well, make my home a place of joy and rest and to keep investing in myself. I’m ready to take action!

I feel very focused and motivated, so I wanted to make the most of this determination. This week, I jumped into action. I began by doing what I do best. I made a list! When in doubt, make a list! I started by making a list of items and areas that cause me to feel overwhelmed or unsatisfied. Then, I tried to identify their contributing factors. Once I had named the chaos, I started to work on solutions for each of them. I love problem solving. No need for grumbling and complain. It just steals your joy and squelches your vision real quick. Identify the problem and tackle it! I can’t tell you what peace this little exercise brought me. I feel like I have a game plan, a starting point, a road map to victory!

Interestingly enough, as I reviewed my list, three areas of focus began to pop at me. The first being my home. It’s time to get my house in order. I’ve been sorting, cleaning and re-organizing all week. Feels amazing! There is just something said about a clean and orderly house. It really does bring peace, not only to me, but to my family, to those that visit too. Love it!

Secondly, to establish some goals for the kids. I’m so thankful to be a stay-at-home-mom. My desire is to make the most of gift. I really want to invest in my kids in a new way. I want to be more intentional with our days and this special time I have with them. I want to equip them, train them, prepare them to be people of influence and great character. I want to have fun and make memories along the way.

The final area that was highlighted to me was me. I also, need to come up with some personal goals and action steps to get myself back on track. I want to make sure I’m taking care of myself, investing in myself also. As a mom I think it’s almost natural to put everyone before yourself. Although this is okay at times, its important that we don’t lose site of who we are and our own needs and desires.

I’ve got my worked cut our for me. Although it might seem like a lot, I feel really envisioned and focused right now. Plus, I’m excited!I’ll try to keep you posted along the way. Watch out-- this momma is on a mission! A mission to reclaim her ground.

Thanks for sticking around. I know that was a bit long. But just wanted to share some of my thoughts on life and motherhood. So, I’ll leave you with a resource that has been very inspiring to me, not to mention resourceful. I ran upon this blog just before Shelby was born. It’s a blog written by a mom geared towards inspiring other moms in their journey of motherhood. (And of all places, she’s from Waco, Texas.) I’ve been popping in to read this blog once or twice a week since I discovered it. Its the one blog on motherhood that I read consistently. Its loaded with tons of particles, stories, and tools. One of the main topics is Maximizing Your Mornings. I downloaded the e-book Maximize Your Mornings a few weeks ago and I’m getting ready to implement it. Great stepping stone and will help me accomplish a lot of what I mentioned above. So check it out. It’s called “Inspired To Action”.

Lastly, I’ve been camped out in Psalm 34 for the past few weeks. It’s loaded! I can not tell you how much I’ve been encouraged and challenged by this passage. I feel fueled. The amplified and The Message bible versions are my favorite.