What's Your Mother's Day Style?

The following post was written by, Pentené Woolen a Style Blogger for Style Me Fancy by Pentené and Founder of Beauty Within Image Consulting, a bridal fashion and special occasion styling service firm based in Los Angeles, CA. Beauty Within Image provides expertise in style and fashion helping each client make a love match with wardrobe that ultimately defines her. On Style Me Fancy, Pentenè gives inspiration on everything style and being fancy for any occasion. 

Pentené is wife to Brandon and mother to Jayden. She enjoys spending her spare time creating memories with those near to her heart. Pentené loves to travel, eat different cultures of food, sing, dance, films, music, shop, style and fashion, read self-improvement books and meet new people. She’s originally from San Diego, CA and graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge. You can find out more about Pentene on her blog, facebook, instagram, or twitter.

A Mother's Style

Hi Beautiful! I'm excited to write this post on Mother's Day style inspiration and hope it inspires your personal style.

As a mother, it's easy to put more into our children than we put into ourselves. It's important that we prioritize our needs and not get caught up in just raising the most precious beings on earth. What we don’t do for ourselves is a personal choice. We have a personal choice as to whether or not we take care of our mind, body and style. There’s not a good enough reason to neglect being “the stylish mother on the block” because, we still got it and will always have it. If you haven't been working on your personal style, then Mother's Day is the perfect time to start. The happier we feel, the happier our little people and spouses are.

Being that Mother’s Day is a day that we are acknowledged by loved ones for our extraordinary work as mom’s, let’s focus on what we need by being fabulous and celebrate the special occasion in style. Many of us celebrate this day at church and/or out having a Mother’s Day feast, I put together a style inspiration look for you to keep in mind when choosing your wardrobe for Mother's Day no matter your plans.

I love anything with versatility and functionality. It serves more than one purpose no matter the occasion. Clothing that offers this is truly a wardrobe essential in any closet, especially for busy moms. Anything that you can dress up or down is a winner in my book. The wardrobe that I have on provides that and more. I chose a look that is universally flattering to most body shapes and proportions. I’m wearing a neutral multi-color print v neck shift dress, straw hat with an added black bow and open toe lace up ballerina high heels. Wedge heels and cute flats would look great with this wardrobe look as well. I wore a gold belt to accessorize and hug what curves I do have on my petite frame.

Look for wardrobe that will help you look and feel fabulous like a shift dress that is comfortable, flattering, versatile and fun. Former First Lady Jackie O. and First Lady Michelle Obama are great examples on how possible it is to captivate crowds with your style while holding the title of Mom. Remember that as a mother being a mom is not what we’re supposed to do, but what we do. Happy Mother's day with style and love!

What type of wardrobe is in your closet that helps you look like a fabulous mom? How do you style on most occasions?

I hope you enjoyed and were inspired by my post on Mother's Day style! It was great visiting with you. XO

Written by Pentené Woolen for Style Me Fancy by Pentené

Photography by Brandon Kyle // Make-up by Ife Kerri

Wardrobe Details:

Shift Dress – Similar Dress Style

Straw Hat – H&M

Heels – Carlos by Carlos Santana

Rings - H&M

Bracelets – Stella & Dot

Gold Belt - Similar at H&M

Nude Clutch - Similar

How To Have a Guilt-less Vacation with Your Spouse

The burning question that I got from several people when my husband and I returned from our 8 day anniversary getaway was, if I felt guilty leaving my kids for such a long period of time. My answer is NO. I love my children with all that I have, but if mom and dad aren’t connecting, home life for all will be less than stellar!

Here are my tips for planning for successful time away with your honey!

1. Pray and ask God to Send Help You Can Trust: If the thought, I would love to get away but have no one I can trust comes immediately to your mind then it’s time to pray and network! We mamas should always have a back up plan for childcare. One of the first missions I went on after I became a new mom was to find help that I could trust so that I would be able to have some me time. If this is an issue for you check out my post on Self Care.
2. Cut out the Excuses: This will go back to number 1. Many times we say we can’t afford to get away and have help. There are so many options available. Maybe you can exchange sitting with another family, have a family member watch the kids, or exchange one thing in your budget for the time spent with your husband and childcare. The key here is to get creative. Trust me. Your marriage needs it!! Don’t wait until you are completely disconnected to try and fix your marriage. We have to nurture things in our life we want to grow!
3. You Have to Give up Some Control: Your kids are going to be okay without you! As moms we don’t want to leave our kids because we think they won’t be okay without us. The same dramatics they put on when we leave the house for date night, work, or to run errands are the same dramatics they will throw your way when you are trying to get some quality time with your hubby. Be strong sister! Be strong.
4. Enjoy the Time Away: Maybe your first trip is not 8 days. Maybe you start with a weekend getaway. The key is to do something and to get rid of the guilt. Whomever you left the kids with is going to take great care of them. I enjoy my time with my husband so much when we getaway and often wonder what took us so long to schedule it! Don’t make excuses. Date your husband, hear his heart, communicate with him, and rekindle that intimacy! When you come back refreshed and rejuvenated your whole family will be better for it.
5. Come back with New Energy: My husband and I came back feeling like teenagers! Our kids were happy to see us too! We all had a new appreciation for each other. They enjoyed grandma’s house and we enjoyed our time away. They also had some new good habits after spending a week with their grandparents!

Need help with having better connection in your marriage? Click here for a FREE discovery coaching call. We will discuss tips and strategies for strengthening your marriage.

Let’s chat! Tell me in the comments below the best getaway you’ve ever had with your spouse? Never been on a getaway? Tell me your dream location and on your next date night start dreaming and planning.

Let's Talk Marriage

My husband and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this Saturday and we still enjoy each other's company.  Here are my 6 tips for sustaining a healthy marriage.

1. Communicate Often: We have to learn how to work together. What works for one season in your marriage will not always get you through the next. Discern and recognize when it's time to make a shift and reevaluate how things are going. For example, it may beneficial when first starting out for one person to be primarily responsible for taking care of the household budget, however you may find as your family grows and time commitments change the other person may need to take this on.
2. Fight Fair: Learn how to fight fair. Early in our relationship before we got married we created ground rules for dealing with conflict. We don't raise our voice at each other, we don't call each other out of name, and we don't hit below the belt. Because we are on the same team, we choose daily to respect each other.
3. Compliment each other: There is nothing worse than hearing your spouse gives everyone but you compliments. That should not be the case. Sometimes when things get busy or we are under stress we can forget to nurture those closest to us. It's so important to speak life into the one you became one with. We have to be intentional about saying kind things to our spouse. If this is an area of strength for you, but your spouse falls short, be sure to express your need for encouragement and kind words.
4. Pray together and for each other: This right here I can't emphasize enough! I distinctly remember a tough season where I needed my husband to hear my heart and make a decision based on my needs. At the time he couldn't see what I "needed" him to see. I was in the process of demanding an answer from him when God stopped me in my tracks and told me, you can't change his heart. So my question to God was, what am I supposed to do? God reminded me that I was to make my request known to Him, I now go to the Father before addressing situations with my husband. God gives me insight and discernment and helps me to approach my husband in a way that honors Him. We are still working on getting more prayer time together, but I can tell you I know how to petition heaven on behalf of my husband!
5. Serve each other: We typically do this well in the dating phase. I read a book once called Life Long Love Affair by Jimmy Evans. In it he talked about serving your spouse in the good and the bad. I can honestly say it works. Even when we have our disagreements I still continue to serve my husband. It's my way of showing him that despite the way I feel, I still choose to do the right thing and honor him. When we do the right thing for the right reasons God is pleased!
6. Have fun together: This is another thing we do well while dating and the early years of marriage.  My husband and I actually have decided going forward we are recommitting to this area and are choosing to have more fun in our marriage. We laugh a lot together. My husband is one of the funniest people I know, however, with the busyness of work and 4 kids sometimes we are just down right exhausted. Men need to have fun, so make sure that you are finding ways to keep it light whether it is…going to the movies, rock climbing, taking on a new hobby that you both enjoy. We are actually honoring our comment to more fun by taking our 10 year wedding anniversary trip kid free! Can’t wait to share our adventure with you when we get back

I want to hear from you! How do you keep your marriage alive and healthy? Please share in the comments. If you found this article helpful please pass it along! Sharing is caring!

How to Get Focused and Push Past Overwhelm

Do you wake up feeing overwhelmed or at peace? Do you have a solid plan in place for getting things accomplished in your day to day? Are your days a reflection of chaos going in whichever direction the wind takes you, or do you have order and a rhythm for getting things done? In today’s society there are so many options and choices. So, how do we decide what we should be focused on in our everyday? Here are my 5 tips for keeping the overwhelm out and the focus in!

1. Be Intentional About Your Time: Sometimes we have to guard our time like our lives depend on it! If we don’t respect our time then nobody else will. I like to start by slowing down. For some reason we equate full life with having a full calendar and that’s just not the case. Each season of your life should give you life (tweet this). The moment that anxiousness and overwhelm start to creep in, we have to evaluate what we are doing and figure out what can stay and what can go. Sit down and map out what a productive day looks life for you and stick to it (more about this soon).
2. Silence Your Distractions: One of the biggest time killers these days is technology. There is an app for everything! Don’t get me wrong many of these are useful, but they can also be huge time suckers. Decide that you are going to put limits on the distractions. You many need to write out what your distractions are. If you know you like to watch t.v. and it keeps you from being productive, set a limit on your screen time. Silencing our distractions takes discipline. We have to make a conscious decision that we desire to have more order and !peace in our life over our distractions.
3. Write Out What You Need to get Done: If it’s all in your head and not on paper it’s not going to get done! Productive people always have a game plan and stick to it. I like to say, don’t just talk about it be about it. What do you need to write down? Where can you keep it so that you can actually reference it regularly? This may also be a good time to create a Vision Board or do some goal setting.
4. Find Accountability Friends : Have you told anybody your plans to get things done? I know that if I’m having a hard time getting started on a project, I may need to enlist the help from my spouse or a trusted friend or family member that I know will encourage me in my process.  Enlisting the help of an accountability friend is a great way to feel supported in our endeavors. I always say that life is lived better in community! Don’t be afraid to ask for help in your time of need. We all need spiritual, emotional, and physical help at some point.
5. Push through complacency: Sometimes we get overwhelmed because we try and accomplish too much at once. Ever wake up in the morning and think about all the things you need to get done and then not want to get out of bed? It’s not a good feeling to feel defeated before you have even started. Start with the first step. Do that small thing that you need to do whether it’s making your bed, returning a phone call, or organizing a bookshelf. Be disciplined enough to tackle it no matter how you feel. Our feelings have a way of trying to dictate what we are going to do. Choose productivity over I don’t feel like it. We always feel so much better on the other side.

Interested in having me walk out the process with you? Need someone to help you stay accountable? Sign up for a Free 30 minute Discovery Call today!

How do you stay focused in your day to day? Comment below and share this article with a friend for an opportunity to win the “Make it Happen” calendar from my Get focused video.  Winner of the give away will be announced and notified by, Friday March 25, 2016.

Taking Self Care from a Dream to Reality

Typically we think about time to ourselves as a luxury. Rarely do we have it consistently on our calendars. Any one else ever feel like they just have too much to do, to take time to hit the pause button on life? Working from this state of mind will leave you feeling burnt out and extremely overwhelmed! Although it's great to have a life that is full, we still need to make sure that we know how to STOP and REST. A lot of times when I am approached by potential clients they want to know how they can create order and peace in their lives. I have learned that there are many things that I could do with my time, but I also know myself enough to know, that each season of my life has to offer time for me to recharge. Sure, you have those busy seasons in life when you feel like you can barely catch your breath but, that's not how every day life is supposed to be. If you are maxed to capacity in your every day, every year then it's time for some introspection and maybe a life coach!

What does Self Care look like? Self care looks like valuing yourself enough to know that you should have a date with yourself on your calendar regularly. When I say regularly I mean you should have a date daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Before you get discouraged let me explain how you will go from setting aside daily time for yourself to incorporating self care as a part of your life style. This is not the time to run errands for yourself,  family members, volunteer in the community, or to dispense advice to friends and family. This is time spent pouring into yourself so that you can be the best version of you for those you are in relationship with.

How often are you taking time to invest in doing things that recharge your mind, body, and spirit?  When you make time for yourself it is so much easier to care for and help others.  I am so passionate about helping women in this area because I meet so many women who are just exhausted from the every day pressures and challenges that we all face. Taking care of yourself will allow for you to live a grace filled life and will also help you to make clear and well informed decisions.

Setting a Date With your Self: Let's clear the air by first naming all of the reasons why we don't take time for ourselves: family obligations, time, money, energy, guilt etc. Now that we've gotten those out in the open are you ready to do something about it? Some of us don't know there is a problem with how we've been operating our everyday lives until we are exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. Hopefully as you are reading this you are not at this point. If you are that's okay.  There is hope! Hope comes in the form of thinking about something you can do for yourself for a minimum of 20 minutes today. That's all it will take each day to get you started. Set aside this time to do something that makes you feel energetic  and brings you joy.

Want to Learn More? I will be hosting a FREE Webinar on Saturday, March 12th at 1pm est where I will walk you through the importance of valuing yourself and setting aside time for yourself on a consistent basis, I will also lead you in an activity where you can determine what type of activities work best for you during your self care time. There will also be a fun self care challenge and giveaway! You don't want to miss it! Are you ready to get started? Click on the image below to save your spot!! Looking forward to meeting you this Saturday!

When Worry Wants to Steal Your Joy

Did you know that the root of worry comes from a lack of trust in God?

Do you ever find yourself worrying?

What are some of the things that you worry about?

Do you know what God's word says about worrying?

The root of worrying comes from a lack of trusting that God has enough for us all. Enough provision, time, love, you name it! If there is something you are worrying about you are trusting in your own ability instead of God's ability and timing.

I tend to be a bit of a worrier. Surprise Surprise! You would have never guessed, right? Well, sometimes overwhelm has a way of getting the best of me when I look at all I need to get done.  With four kids it seems like the list never ends. Between making my husband a priority, keeping my house in order, feeding my kids (yes they must eat three times a day), and all of the other tasks that come with being a woman, wife, and mother life can get a bit stressful.

Just last week as my husband and I were getting the kids ready for school, my middle daughter handed me an additional assignment that needed to be completed for school. So immediately my brain went into worry mode. I started complaining a bit about not having time to fit the assignment in my already hectic schedule when my husband looked at me and said "today I want you to really focus on not worrying, we will get it done."

Before I even had the opportunity to get defensive, the Holy Spirit flooded my mind with scriptures where He reminded me to trust Him. Too often we worry about things we have limited to no control over anyways. I was reminded by God that the things He gives us to do, are not meant to stress us out and make us crazy. But, if we don't seek Him for direction and strategy, then we will go crazy trying to accomplish things in our own strength. God is well aware of the amount of time we have to get things done. He created time, as well as the work He wants us to do! In His word it says that he created great works for us to do in advance! You can trust that He takes great pleasure in us completing the tasks He has set before us. We must trust, in His ways in getting things done. Which will bring us peace and joy not overwhelm and anxiety.

Trust that whatever He has put under your stewardship He will help you complete.  If you are wondering how to get your joy back and strengthen your trust in the Lord, here are a couple of ways I kick worry to the curb. I hope they help you too!

1. SLOW DOWN: When anxiety kicks up, this is a clear indicator to me that I need to slow down. I have learned in every season there is a rhythm that the Holy Spirit would like us to follow. In order to find that rhythm we must slow down and get before God so that we can hear his voice. I use this quiet time to meditate and pray.
2.  THINK POSITIVE: Another thing that God challenges us to do when worry wants to rear it's ugly head is to think positive! He tells us to think of things of good report. I'm often reminded during my time of worry that things have always worked out for my good. Not always exactly when I've wanted them, but nevertheless they have worked out in my favor. Learning how to not let you mind spiral into the dark abyss of "what if" serves us well as adults! This is such a valuable lesson we can learn. Once we've mastered it we can pass it on to the next person who struggles with worry.

At the end of the day make sure you don't allow your thoughts to control you! We are in control of our thoughts and emotions and it's up to us to make the choice not to allow worry to rule in our lives.

Would you like to restore order and peace and leave the season of worry behind in your life? Sign up for a free Discovery Coaching call let's see how I can help you?

How do you eliminate worry from your every day? Share in the comments below your strategy or your go to verse! I would love to hear from you.

New Year Fresh Vision

Why You Need A Plan:

I must admit, the first time the idea of creating a Vision Board was brought to my attention I was a bit skeptical.  I am a planner, so at the beginning of each year I do take the time to sit down and write out my 5 SMART goals. But sitting down and cutting out things to place on a board, I was not sold.  There was something different about this year though. I have journals for days, that I love to go back and look at and see what things I have done. I enjoy seeing what has materialized through setting out action steps to reach my goals.  This year I decided I wanted to do something a bit different.  I wanted to create a Vision Board and have my Vision for the year, dreams, and goals right at my finger tips. I also wanted to surround myself with like minded women, who I know are go getters, who see the potential in other women, and who help motivate and speak life into each other. With all of this in mind a decided to host a Vision Board Party.

There is power in numbers. There is also power in calling out your vision/dreams. When we are able to get to a place where are ideas are no longer in our head but on paper we are moving from the idea, to mapping out an actual plan.  It also helps to have people that will hold you accountable and cheer you on!

Hosting a Vision Board Party is so much fun. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider creating a Vision Board and hosting a party in 2016:

1. Clarity: Have you ever had an idea that kept resurfacing in your mind? Most of us have ideas and things that we say we would love to do "if time ever permitted." One sure way to never have time to set your plan into action is by not writing it down. Writing your vision down helps you get clear on what steps you need to take in order to meet your goal. Some can see their goals through images others need to put pen to paper, setting aside time to get it out of your head provides mental clarity. It also helps you to focus on your next steps.
2. Visual Reminder: Journaling is great! I do it every year, but this new element of actually seeing my goals everyday instead of having to go find my journal and filter through has been amazing! I've already walked past my board at least 20 times since I created it. I now have a visual reminder to do the things I've said I'm going to do.
3. Accountability: You can certainly create your vision board on your own. However if you choose to do one in the company of family or friends you now have accountability partners. You also have people who may have already done some of things you are hoping to do that may be able to provide insight in helping you move along a bit faster.  Often times we are afraid to put our ideas out there for fear of people judging our thoughts and ideas.  This is definitely a project that you will want to work with like minded people on. Be sure to surround yourself with people who will speak life into you and encourage you in building your dreams.
4. Fellowship: With society moving as fast as it is these days it's nice to take time out to fellowship and strengthen relationships. We were made for relationships.  Having a Vision Board Party gives you an opportunity to see what your friends are up to and its a great reason to have some time to dream and have some fun!
5. Visualization: This here is very powerful! The reason I was skeptical about Vision Boards to begin with was because I always thought you just put a bunch of things on the board that you wanted. But, as I researched a bit more, I discovered that you actually put things on the board that you want to "attract" into your life. So there is some thought involved in looking at how you want your year to look. What things would you like to accomplish? How would you like to feel this year? So go ahead and put those things that motivate and inspire you on your Vision Board.

Don't be afraid to make 2016 your best year yet! It's never too late to start dreaming and envisioning a purpose filled life!

Have you created a Vision Board? What are some of the steps you take to gather inspiration for your board?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Are you interested in hosting a Vision Board Party/Workshop? Contact me here for details.

What it Means to Set your Eyes on Things Above

Those that know me well know that I talk a lot about the birth of my twins changing me. Prior to having the twins I lived a life that was quite comfortable. I was in a place where I knew that I could manage my marriage, my two kids, and my household. But as life would have it, it's not about what I could do. Because we are created for God's glory its through our life circumstances that we discover who He is. Through times of transition, difficulties, and struggles we come to know a God who is faithful.

So, back to the character shaping God took me through. People often ask me how I took the news when we found out we were having twins. If I can be honest I was fearful! Yes they are a blessing. Yes there are many people who would love to be in my position, but hearing the news just made me want to run.

I had a hard time enjoying the pregnancy because I feared so many things that in hindsight were just traps and schemes of the enemy. I feared they might come early, I feared I would have no help, I feared that I was not cut out to be the mother of four, and the biggest fear I had was that I would be giving up my life to have these babies. When in reality I would come to learn that life for me was just getting started.

Being the person that I am, I know how to push through when things get difficult. So, after their birth and over the course of the next few years I pushed through all that felt challenging in this new season.

I had lots of moments of joy, but it was not consistent and I often felt overwhelmed -and felt like I couldn't see the end- but then I realized God does not want us to live a life where we are just pushing through.

From that realization I also realized I was not relying on Him enough. I had allowed fear to come in and paralyze me in ways I didn't recognize.

That's the funny thing about the enemy, he never parades himself in a way that would cause alarm. He feeds us lies that tear down our resolve in a crafty way, typically in a way that causes us to become self focused.

So as I was focusing on myself, I felt one day - the gentle correction of the Holy Spirit reminding me of His best for me. In God's word He tells us "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline." 2 Tim 1:7 there is nothing that He has not equipped us for!

With that in mind I knew I needed to take back my power. My focus needed to move from my day to day to the bigger picture. Well, you might be thinking, how do you shift your focus when everything around you feels so heavy?

Here is what I did to get me started. Instead of looking at my situation as burdensome I decided to shift my perspective. No it didn't happen over night, but through prayer, and the support system God placed in my life I've been able to - be encouraged and see the blessings and fullness that the addition of two little ones-- brought me.

We have to be willing to do the hard work, which means we take a look at our situation and the role we play in it. Are we spiritually full? Do we only go to God when we are overwhelmed? Are we aware of how the enemy works? We have to remember that he is always looking for places of weakness so we can't let our guard down not even for a moment.

When we set our eyes and hearts on things above we are keeping kingdom things at the center of our focus. Circumstances are just that, and they are not meant to take us out. When we keep in step with the Holy Spirit through prayer and reading God's word we get clarity for the days ahead.

Anytime you are going through a season of struggle I encourage you to stop and shift your perspective and invite God in to help you gain heavenly insight and wisdom. Because He is a gracious God He works all things for the good of those who love Him!

-Selah

5 Steps for a Smooth Transition

Every season of life comes with transition. From school graduations, to getting that first job, from single to married, or becoming a parent.  The types of transitions that take place in a life time go on and on. How we navigate our life transitions, will either have positive or negative impacts on our lives. Whether the transition is something that you are looking forward to, or it is something that you need to get use to, we must all learn how to cross into our next season of life still standing. Below you will find 5 steps that I use in my own life when navigating times of transition.  God's word promises us that "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deut 31:8 With that awesome promise we can hold our heads up high and trust that even during the times of stretching in our lives we will be victorious!

5 Steps for a Smooth Transition

1. Acknowledge the Change: This is so important, often times we find ourselves in the midst of transition and we don't know what to do. I have found in those times that I actively acknowledge that change is coming my way, I do better. The reason being, when I acknowledge what is before me - I begin to prepare what I can do on my end to walk through my transition with grace.
2. Don't be Afraid: Remember that bible verse you read a few moments ago? God always sends provision for the vision. Even if it feels scary or difficult rest in Him and trust that he will see you through!
3. Create a Plan: You know that saying "He who fails to plan is planning to fail." -Winston Churchill, it's true. You must have a plan when you are going through a transition. Having a plan will help on those days where you feel alone, discouraged, and frustrated. During those times, doing the next thing whether big or small will build your confidence and help you get to your next step.
4. Learn as much as you can: Typically times of transition are times for learning. What is God trying to teach you? What is He showing you during this time? If you don't journal, this would be a good time to start!
5. Keep Moving Forward: Sometimes when we are in a season of transition we can get stuck because it all seems so overwhelming. Trust me I know (remember I've got 4 kids 8 and under), but you still have to keep moving. Get help if you need it. Pray. Surround yourself with a community of family and friends that can hold you accountable and help propel you forward. Most important know and believe that you can do it!

Do you have different steps than the ones I use? Leave them in the comments below after all sharing is caring!

Grace in a Season of Transition: Why You Need It.

 

Have you ever waited for a long time for something to happen that you just knew would propel you into a better position? Just recently I went from spending four years home full time with my bunch, to having my littlest two (3 year old twins) start preschool. This is a moment that I have been dreaming of since I found out I was having twins.  I was on the fence about adding a third child to our family which consisted of a 2 year old and 4 year old. But I thought okay, I'm going to bite the bullet and get on board with my husbands dream for expanding our family. As life would have it at that very first doctor's appointment we found out we were having twins. That's right we got the bogo baby! From that moment I had to get my mind right because I was getting ready to have 4 kids under the age of 5.

Fast forward a few years, and I now have a 8 year old, a 6 year old, and 3 year old twins (whew!) and it's now time for mama to be released from what I affectionately call baby jail! You know, the season where all they want is mommy... I am sending my babies off to school part time. I finally get time back, and will get to focus on the things that I would like to do. It is finally time to focus on my calling.

Well, what I had been dreaming of for all of those years has not been the reality of what I am walking out this season. But, not in a bad way! You see it is so important to make sure that we manage our expectations no matter what season of life we are in. In this new season of not having the little ones under foot all day, I now have time to get my house in order. I have more time to get laundry done and meal plan for the family. I've had to shift my perspective as well as my expectations, because for sure I originally thought I was going to have all this time to focus on my calling. However, the reality is I am walking in my calling for this season.

With new seasons come new lessons to learn. In my case better systems to create for my family so the majority of the work around our home does not solely fall on me. So in this season of transition I'm learning to take each day and see what God has in store. In His word He reminds us Phil 4:6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." This is a word that I will be meditating on in this season. God knows the desires of my heart and He also knows how to get me to where I need to be. I've already learned in life that nothing is wasted and at each stage of the game there are things to be learned that prepare you for the next. Keeping all that in mind, I'm going to get my mind and heart in sync with God. I will be grateful for this time to get my house in order. The opportunity to pick my kids up from school and hear about their day which is a blessing. Learning how to get your “will” in line is so crucial to any successful transition. Once we’ve mastered this, our emotions will follow. When the next transition comes I will be ready how about you?

Are you in a season of transition? How are you handling your day to day? Do you have a scripture that you keep close to your heart to remind you of God's faithfulness? Feel free to share in the comments below!