Encouraging thoughts for Moms

    We made it! Sitting here in the early morning hours of the final day of the year 2020, I'm just reflecting back on the past 365 days. What a year it's been...if I were to find the right word to describe it, it still wouldn't do it justice. Maybe you're like me and can't wait for the clock to strike midnight and we can finally kick this year out to the curb and deadbolt the locks behind it! Maybe there's also a little part of you that's wondering if this year is simply the prelude of things to come in the next year?   As I reflect, this year did not exactly bring us blessings (at least the forms of blessings one would expect). Actually if I were to categorize 2020, I would say it will go down as one of the worst ones for our family in history...and maybe yours too. We've been forced to face situations that we never thought were possible. The unexpected quickly became the normal around here. Fear has surrounded us and the devil has looked us in the eye...

    Here we are, Christmas is 10 days away! As unbelievable as it may be, it is coming faster than we expected. I know I say it every year, but it really does pass so quickly. We've been in the midst of celebrating all things Christmas here at our house - the tree, holiday movies and specials, cookies, seeing the lights, etc. It can be easy, especially as a mom, to try and plan out the perfect Christmas. We see other's social media and we try to top theirs. "Making a magical and memorable Christmas" has overtaken "Enjoying Christmas". This morning as I was doing devotions with my toddlers, we talked about our favorite Christmas-time hymn - Joy to the World. The words are intriguing, exciting, and bring about a sense of hope and happiness every season. But what if things don't look very hopeful or happy this year? In a year unlike any before, it can be easy to focus on all the wrong in the world today. We've felt like prisoners in our own house for th...