When do you pause?

Pause and look around you at all God's blessings
Pause to take a good, full, deep breath
Pause to enjoy life - music, food, or whatever it might be
Pause from social media

Life is busy and many changes are coming for us in the next few months. I might have mentioned that a time or two! The last few months have been a blur of activities and the next few are going to remain the same way. And so, I've made the decision to purposely pause.

I'm pausing Facebook and have removed it from my cell phone home screen and turned off notifications. It really makes you aware of how many times you try to look at it throughout the day when it isn't there! Plus, it can really affect one's mood without even realizing it!! 

I'm going to pause this blog, at least unless something is really laid on my heart to share. I'll try to get writing back up and going later in the fall or winter. And I have one special blog post that is on hold that I plan to post yet.

While pausing, I want to purposely pray, study and prepare. I want to love on those around me and beyond. And I want to fully enjoy the activities in the next few months! I don't want to miss that this is an incredibly special time of transition and preparation. 

I'm full of thankfulness to God who is so good! 

I've been reflecting on how things "work out" in our lives. Like when we face an event and we just do not understand why that is the best answer at the time, yet days...months or even years later we gain understanding. Here are some of those moments in my life...

In the summer of 2020, we made the decision to move the youngest into a virtual school. It was a hard decision to take her out of the school she had attended from Kindergarten.
Fast forward to 2023, this change allowed her freedom to do school from wherever and she was able to move closer to her sister, be more employable (flexible hours), and adjust to a new town.

In 2021, I was ready for a new work adventure. I applied and was being considered for two jobs. Both jobs would have been a "good fit", but one had advantages I couldn't overlook.
Fast forward to 2023, that job allowed me to move without issues to a new town. And those teammates helped me move not once, but twice in a year!!

In 2022, I moved into the first home that I would own myself. I wanted to rent and find something temporary. Options were limited, especially with a pet. 
We ended up in a wonderful place that was HOME for almost a year. A place that we put money into and ended up making money and beat the odds of selling that quickly after buying.

In 2023 as we planned our move to our new town, we looked and looked...and looked for a house to buy. We looked in multiple towns within a 30-45 minute radius. We made multiple offers on houses and even had one accepted that we had to pull out of. This time I didn't want to rent!
God provided a rental in the perfect timing and there isn't a house to sell as we look to move.
Living in this town put us within 15 minutes of the oldest and my best friend. Living near both has been the biggest blessing!

Where I am today is a cumulation of all those moments - good and bad. Each decision and move (literally) has placed me where God had designed to carry out His plan. 

I continue to be amazed, stumped, mystified, and humbled with the writing process. It is both hard and easy at times. I've had words begging to get typed out and words that I have struggled to find. Writing is always humbling as you push the post button and the words are available for anyone and everyone to read, critique, and ponder. 

Writing does pull back the privacy curtain! I have for most of my life enjoyed a thick privacy curtain that keeps much to myself. I might peek around it off and on, but to truly pull it back...no thanks. There is a sense of unnecessary exposure when you pull that curtain too far open!

It's one thing to "expose" your truths to yourself, but also to the world?! It's hard enough to allow yourself to face those truths, but then to allow the vulnerability with publishing is another level. Writing this blog has reminded me of that vulnerability and opportunity. Writing is a combination of both. 

Thank you to all of you who have been reading along! The next couple months may be a little slower paced for publishing with life's new adventures quickly approaching. However, I want to keep writing, hitting that publish button and allowing the words to flow as they come. 

My last assignment for Warriors Writing was to write a letter to each of my girls. I was to pour out my heart, let them know why I am proud of them and how much I will always need them in my life. To treat it as a type of therapy to share what I feel deep inside about everything (hopes, concerns, assurances) that I love about my relationship as mother-daughter and what I want them to know as my future unfolds beginning in October.

As soon as I received this assignment, I knew this was a God-inspired assignment! Life is changing a lot around here. My goal was to get these written and to the girls before the oldest moved out this last Tuesday. I ended up handing them off the week prior. 

​My guess is that I will not fully know the impact of my words. I prayed, wrote, reviewed, and adjusted many times until it seemed as right as I could get it. Talk about putting your heart on pages! 

I've learned over the last few years that I can express my thoughts and feelings with written words much easier. Somehow the words develop and flow much easier. 

I challenge you to write the words on your heart! Writing those words could be a simple text or verbal words. Examine the best method to convey your words. This assignment reminded me how important it is to share your love with those around you through words. 

Position yourself - your heart, mind and mouth for letters of love.

This is going to be one of those really open and honest posts...the last couple weeks have been a little tougher emotionally. Reality of my oldest moving out and onto her adulthood, big life changes coming in just a few months and all the transitions, etc. 

It's all good stuff. But even good stuff can wear. 

And when emotions are higher, it's the perfect time for doubts and fears to try to insert themselves. ..
Have I done a good enough job raising my girls so that they can be successful as they move out and on? Can I mother a teenage boy in a few months? Am I doing a good enough job at work during slower times? Did I miss something I needed to do with all my thoughts going 100 directions lately? 
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The "what-if's" can start to run wild...and need to be corralled! Because if I'm not careful I'll try to find my "safe", surface-level, mundane area to retreat to.

I don't want to leave moments that I could have spend time with or called a friend or family member. Moments that I could encourage someone in need. Moments that I could provide wisdom by sharing my struggles or story. Moments to meet someone new - shake a hand and have small talk. Moments to try something new or go somewhere new. Moments to learn....to grow...to change.

Moments to move my oldest to live under her own rent paid house. Moments to trust that God will provide for my needs. Moments to rest, breathe, give myself grace in less busy times. Moments to not have all the details and be okay with that. Moments to still my busy mind. 

What moments do you need to get positioned for? How do you need to get positioned for the moment you are facing?

Life has been full lately...a good full. With the oldest's graduation, moving back in and planning for her next steps. With the youngest starting her last year of high school and starting to look into colleges. With my work and future planning. 

But as I've gone outside the last few mornings, the sky has reminded me to slow down and to be thankful. Beautiful sunrises and puffy clouds. 

I've been filled with thankfulness for all that God has done and continues to do. He is the great provider and I'm amazed at His provision. 

Position yourself -- Slow down - be thankful - see how the heavens and the earth proclaim His glory.