Have you ever wanted to do something
so badly but instead put it off until the end of eternity? Hi, welcome to my
life. Just call me the queen of procrastination. My husband can attest. On a
regular basis, I hear from him, “I’m still waiting for you to write that
book, babe.” Writing is exactly what I have time to do all day. Because
that’s what all stay-at-home moms have time to do, right? No pun intended.
(Note: I am very good at lame jokes.) But in all honesty, the only thing
stopping me has been fear.
so badly but instead put it off until the end of eternity? Hi, welcome to my
life. Just call me the queen of procrastination. My husband can attest. On a
regular basis, I hear from him, “I’m still waiting for you to write that
book, babe.” Writing is exactly what I have time to do all day. Because
that’s what all stay-at-home moms have time to do, right? No pun intended.
(Note: I am very good at lame jokes.) But in all honesty, the only thing
stopping me has been fear.
I’ve been wanting to start a blog since the land before time, also known as the
time before I brought my precious Charlotte Grace into the world (not that cute
animated dinosaur movie that graced my childhood). In the beginning, I wanted
to be a fashion blogger, but have you seen what they do? God love ’em. I really
couldn’t afford to look that great five times a week. Quite frankly, it would
have been a stretch to look that great five times a month. But in that land
before time, I did have high hopes. I had a plan to make it happen. I even had hired
a publicist, or was that Instagram? Anyway, have you ever heard that
saying, “Make plans and God laughs”? That’s what happened. Instead of
becoming the next Olivia Palermo, I found out that I was pregnant. With that news, I
realized I was indeed NOT about to start a fashion blog. And I for sure wasn’t
going to start a maternity fashion blog, even if those are far and few between.
So I let my fashion blogger dreams fizzle.
time before I brought my precious Charlotte Grace into the world (not that cute
animated dinosaur movie that graced my childhood). In the beginning, I wanted
to be a fashion blogger, but have you seen what they do? God love ’em. I really
couldn’t afford to look that great five times a week. Quite frankly, it would
have been a stretch to look that great five times a month. But in that land
before time, I did have high hopes. I had a plan to make it happen. I even had hired
a publicist, or was that Instagram? Anyway, have you ever heard that
saying, “Make plans and God laughs”? That’s what happened. Instead of
becoming the next Olivia Palermo, I found out that I was pregnant. With that news, I
realized I was indeed NOT about to start a fashion blog. And I for sure wasn’t
going to start a maternity fashion blog, even if those are far and few between.
So I let my fashion blogger dreams fizzle.
Even though so much time had passed without any of my thoughts or ideas about
blogging coming to life, I still kept hearing a quiet whisper in the back of my
head telling me not to lose hope and to keep just a little bit of faith. But
just like anyone scared of a new venture, doubt set in and procrastination,
too. I thought to myself, oh sure, just what the world needs, another mom
blogger. As soon as I began to doubt myself, inexplicable things started
happening. I kept getting subtle hints (that can only be attributed to God)
that I needed to start writing, and those subtle hints quickly turned into loud
and clear signs. Maybe that idea of creating that blog I always wanted
wasn’t completely lost.
blogging coming to life, I still kept hearing a quiet whisper in the back of my
head telling me not to lose hope and to keep just a little bit of faith. But
just like anyone scared of a new venture, doubt set in and procrastination,
too. I thought to myself, oh sure, just what the world needs, another mom
blogger. As soon as I began to doubt myself, inexplicable things started
happening. I kept getting subtle hints (that can only be attributed to God)
that I needed to start writing, and those subtle hints quickly turned into loud
and clear signs. Maybe that idea of creating that blog I always wanted
wasn’t completely lost.
 |
| A picture of my notes from the first night of this year’s Bible study. The conclusion really hit home. |
Even though my fashion blogger
days were long gone, I still had an itch to create a blog. I just didn’t know
what I wanted it to be about. When Charlotte was born, I leaned on blogs,
e-books, and online articles like they were my family and best friends. Let me
tell you, the Internet is God’s way of saying, “I told you that you would
never be alone.”Granted, some people totally abuse the Internet, but that is neither
here nor there. (I also have a mild case of ADD…moving on.) I quickly became a blog hoarder, much like I used
to hoard my old fashion magazines, like Vogue, InStyle, and Glamour. These new
mom blogs comforted me. When Charlotte was sleeping or when I was nursing, I
would read and digest blog after blog (most often about infant sleeping or nursing),
preparing myself for both the expected and unexpected. I found myself living in
survival mode. One of my coping mechanisms with my newfound motherhood was
talking about said survival via texts and social media. And then I realized
instead of hoarding all the information I had come across, I wanted to share
what worked for me, because we’re in it together, sisters! I then had a new,
bright idea. I would make a blog about the blogs I had read, compiling all the
information and opinions I had gathered over the months, and I would place it in one sweet, little space for all to enjoy. I was so excited. But then life happened, time passed,
and before I knew it, Charlotte had turned one.
days were long gone, I still had an itch to create a blog. I just didn’t know
what I wanted it to be about. When Charlotte was born, I leaned on blogs,
e-books, and online articles like they were my family and best friends. Let me
tell you, the Internet is God’s way of saying, “I told you that you would
never be alone.”
here nor there. (I also have a mild case of ADD…moving on.)
to hoard my old fashion magazines, like Vogue, InStyle, and Glamour. These new
mom blogs comforted me. When Charlotte was sleeping or when I was nursing, I
would read and digest blog after blog (most often about infant sleeping or nursing),
preparing myself for both the expected and unexpected. I found myself living in
survival mode. One of my coping mechanisms with my newfound motherhood was
talking about said survival via texts and social media. And then I realized
instead of hoarding all the information I had come across, I wanted to share
what worked for me, because we’re in it together, sisters! I then had a new,
bright idea. I would make a blog about the blogs I had read, compiling all the
information and opinions I had gathered over the months, and I would place it in one sweet, little space for all to enjoy. I was so excited. But then life happened, time passed,
and before I knew it, Charlotte had turned one.
***
My dear friend Alison first
introduced me to the acclaimed Beth Moore’s Tuesday night Bible studies a few
years ago. After my first night of Bible study with Beth, I fell in love with
her passion for Christ and was so enthralled by her teachings of the Bible. As
a former English teacher, I recall being so impressed with the extensive amount
of research and thought that she perfectly wove into each one of her lessons.
Needless to say, I was hooked on wanting to learn more about the Bible. I
missed last year’s study because Charlotte was an infant, but this past January
I decided that I needed to go. Alison couldn’t go with me like we had done
before, but I didn’t let that stop me. I decided I would go alone if I had to,
and I even mustered up the courage to invite my sweet neighbor. This was
brave for me, people, a big deal. Here I was just a shy, small-town Catholic
girl going to a big city Bible study at a big Baptist church, without the one
friend who had first invited me, sometimes going with my newfound neighbor
friend. Big. Deal. All the while I knew God had a message waiting there for me,
and I knew I couldn’t miss it. The title of this year’s Bible study was
“Breath: The Life of God in Us.” Our first lesson was absolutely
phenomenal, and at that exact point in time I knew writing was exactly what God
was calling me to do. I have never been more certain. It was one of those
messages that you hear in church (or wherever you hear your messages) that you
just KNOW God is talking directly to you.
introduced me to the acclaimed Beth Moore’s Tuesday night Bible studies a few
years ago. After my first night of Bible study with Beth, I fell in love with
her passion for Christ and was so enthralled by her teachings of the Bible. As
a former English teacher, I recall being so impressed with the extensive amount
of research and thought that she perfectly wove into each one of her lessons.
Needless to say, I was hooked on wanting to learn more about the Bible. I
missed last year’s study because Charlotte was an infant, but this past January
I decided that I needed to go. Alison couldn’t go with me like we had done
before, but I didn’t let that stop me. I decided I would go alone if I had to,
and I even mustered up the courage to invite my sweet neighbor. This was
brave for me, people, a big deal. Here I was just a shy, small-town Catholic
girl going to a big city Bible study at a big Baptist church, without the one
friend who had first invited me, sometimes going with my newfound neighbor
friend. Big. Deal. All the while I knew God had a message waiting there for me,
and I knew I couldn’t miss it. The title of this year’s Bible study was
“Breath: The Life of God in Us.” Our first lesson was absolutely
phenomenal, and at that exact point in time I knew writing was exactly what God
was calling me to do. I have never been more certain. It was one of those
messages that you hear in church (or wherever you hear your messages) that you
just KNOW God is talking directly to you.
Over the course of our study
though, just like good ol’ doubting Thomas, I still questioned His
purpose. Again, I thought, “Why me, God? I don’t have much to say. I
have opinions like everyone else, but I’ve told my story before. That was good
enough, wasn’t it? Remember that retreat when I gave my talk, or my
testimony, about grace? Yeah, that’s the one. I said all I needed to say then,
right? I’m just a stay-at-home mom now. You don’t really need me to write
anything else, do you?” You will be happy to know that He answered
me! It was unmistakable divine intervention. In Beth’s last lesson, she
addressed this very thing that was troubling me. The answer to my fear and
worry was this: your story isn’t done yet; I’m not done with you yet. She
referenced Luke 11: 9-13 and shared this quote form Francis Chan’s book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect
of the Holy Spirit, “Ask God to have His Spirit work so mightily in you
that it would make for an amazing biography. A biography that speaks of a life
so supernatural that no one would even consider giving you the glory. A
biography that displays the power of the Spirit and lifts up the name of Jesus
to the glory of God the Father” (159). Sure, it would be so much easier to keep
all my thoughts inside my head and live nice and neatly in my little box. But
that’s the thing about living in Christ. He wants us to do what we think
is the impossible, because quite frankly, He wants us to depend on Him. He
wants to show us what He can do for us when we have even a little bit of faith.
Sitting in that Bible study, I had an epiphany—It was time to let go of my fear
and to step out into faith and to let the real author of my life lead.
though, just like good ol’ doubting Thomas, I still questioned His
purpose. Again, I thought, “Why me, God? I don’t have much to say. I
have opinions like everyone else, but I’ve told my story before. That was good
enough, wasn’t it? Remember that retreat when I gave my talk, or my
testimony, about grace? Yeah, that’s the one. I said all I needed to say then,
right? I’m just a stay-at-home mom now. You don’t really need me to write
anything else, do you?” You will be happy to know that He answered
me! It was unmistakable divine intervention. In Beth’s last lesson, she
addressed this very thing that was troubling me. The answer to my fear and
worry was this: your story isn’t done yet; I’m not done with you yet. She
referenced Luke 11: 9-13 and shared this quote form Francis Chan’s book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect
of the Holy Spirit, “Ask God to have His Spirit work so mightily in you
that it would make for an amazing biography. A biography that speaks of a life
so supernatural that no one would even consider giving you the glory. A
biography that displays the power of the Spirit and lifts up the name of Jesus
to the glory of God the Father” (159). Sure, it would be so much easier to keep
all my thoughts inside my head and live nice and neatly in my little box. But
that’s the thing about living in Christ. He wants us to do what we think
is the impossible, because quite frankly, He wants us to depend on Him. He
wants to show us what He can do for us when we have even a little bit of faith.
Sitting in that Bible study, I had an epiphany—It was time to let go of my fear
and to step out into faith and to let the real author of my life lead.
“Now faith is
being sure of what we hope of and certain of what we do not see” (
being sure of what we hope of and certain of what we do not see” (
After that last Bible study, I
said, “Okay, Lord. I hear you.”
said, “Okay, Lord. I hear you.”
When people used to ask me,
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would answer very simply
with, “I don’t know. I just know I want to help people.” That
sentiment was definitely fulfilled when I began teaching high schoolers 10
years ago. But just as life goes, things change. After being married three
years, having our baby girl, and resigning from teaching after nine years to
become a stay-at-home-mom, life has definitely changed into a new kind of
wonderful. However, my desire to help people never went
anywhere. Receiving God’s message that night in Beth’s Bible study only
reaffirmed it. Because of that message during that grace-filled Tuesday
night, Seven Graces was born. I came to realize that this blog isn’t just for
me. It’s for all of us. If I can add just a glimmer of hope, a smile to
someone’s face, or get an “Amen, sister,” then this tiny piece of the
Internet has served its purpose.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would answer very simply
with, “I don’t know. I just know I want to help people.” That
sentiment was definitely fulfilled when I began teaching high schoolers 10
years ago. But just as life goes, things change. After being married three
years, having our baby girl, and resigning from teaching after nine years to
become a stay-at-home-mom, life has definitely changed into a new kind of
wonderful. However, my desire to help people never went
anywhere. Receiving God’s message that night in Beth’s Bible study only
reaffirmed it. Because of that message during that grace-filled Tuesday
night, Seven Graces was born. I came to realize that this blog isn’t just for
me. It’s for all of us. If I can add just a glimmer of hope, a smile to
someone’s face, or get an “Amen, sister,” then this tiny piece of the
Internet has served its purpose.
What are you scared of? God’s not
done using you yet. Take that leap of faith.
done using you yet. Take that leap of faith.
Awww…absolutely loved it and so proud of you my precious niece! God has truly blessed you with the gift of writing and I'm so happy that you decided to share it with us. I'm quite certain your words will touch the lives of many. It is truly amazing when we are silent, that we can then hear God's voice and His plan for us. Continue to let Him lead you baby and He will take you on an amazing journey. Love you
I love Beth's Tuesday night bible study. I miss them from when I lived in Houston
I’m so glad you started this adventure :) You’re a beautiful writer and an even more beautiful soul! So glad I’ve met you! XO
Beautiful! I love that you let God move you, speak to you, and now through you. I love it when I get those… “it can only be God moments”.
Thank you for sharing… and…
AMEN SISTER!
xoxo
I'm so glad you started this adventure :) You're a beautiful writer and an even more beautiful soul! So glad I've met you! XO
Beautiful! I love that you let God move you, speak to you, and now through you. I love it when I get those… "it can only be God moments".
Thank you for sharing… and…
AMEN SISTER!
xoxo