Featured Article: Get Ready to Flourish!

By Jessi C. 

Sometimes, I feel stuck in the everyday motions of life.  Wake, play, cook, and clean.  Corral Kids.  Drive to activities.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Some days, I long for something to shake up my routine when what I really need is a fresh perspective.  Being a mom is beautiful and hard and exhausting and wonderful.  I need to tune my heart to what God is telling me and listen wholeheartedly.  For it is then that a fierce flourishing will happen. 

This year, I challenge you to:

Celebrate Lavishly—Life is too short to not have fun!  Dance in the kitchen, sing in the car, wear sparkly nail polish.  Enjoy your friends and family without thinking about your worries.  Psalm 150:1-6 says, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!”  This is the type of noisy, amazing, fun celebration that I want!  

Embrace Rest—As moms, it is easy for our “to do” lists to grow longer and longer.  Instead of racing around during nap time, take a few moments to relax.  Your laundry isn’t going anywhere.  The dishes will keep.  Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 says, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”  So sit down and enjoy a tea party with your kiddos or grab a good book for a few minutes while the kids sleep. 

Notice Goodness—Take time to slow down and enjoy the small things.   As you’re stuck in traffic, savor these moments with your sweet kiddos, even though it’s frustrating.  Instead of staying cooped up on rainy days, get outside and play in the rain.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  I’m not saying it always easy, but it’s always worth it.

This year, get ready to be stronger, braver, kinder, and unstoppable.  This year, we will be fierce! 

Featured Article: Thankful

Thankful 
by Carrie M.

As we are quickly approaching Thanksgiving, I find myself thinking about

everything I am thankful for in my life. Of course there all the obvious things such as

my kids, my parents, my home, my family. But I have recently learned to be thankful for

so much more in my life.


God has taught me to be thankful for everything from the good, bad, ugly and

gorgeous! It has not only helped my attitude and outlook on life, but I am a much better

mother. Don’t get me wrong, there are many times each day when I get frustrated but

when I stop and think about the positive things in this moment, I feel a sense of peace.

Our children test us daily in our job as Mom, not to mention all of the other

pressures that go under our job description. When I first became a stay at home mom

the pressures of role pushed me into a very dark place where the happy moments were

few and far between. It seemed like the only thing I was thankful for was making it

through the day. Today is a very different story. God has taught me to take a deep

breath and be thankful for the positives in all situations. Of course I still have rough

days but now I can see light in the darkness.


A few nights ago I was awaken by the cries of my two year old in his room. My

initial thought was “Ugh, I am so tired. What is wrong with him and how can I fix it

immediately.” I stumbled down the hall, opened his door and he said in a whimpering

voice “Mommy, I need you.” My annoyance quickly turned to compassion as I walked

over, kneeled down next to his bed and started rubbing his back. I looked at his sweet

face and immediately thanked God for waking me up for this moment. Because even

though I am exhausted, I was so grateful to be able to comfort my sweet boy and I knew

that these moments were not going to happen forever. Soon he won’t need me to

cuddle him but I am thankful that I have the memory of this time when he does.

The next time you are feeling annoyed, anxious, frustrated or all of the above,

take a deep breath and close your eyes and look to God for guidance. He will show you

the positives in the situation. Thank Him for the precious gift to be able to stay at home

with your children and watch them grow. Thank Him for their health. Thank Him for

their smiles, cuddles, innocence and love. Thank Him for you and giving you this

opportunity to make amazing people and priceless memories.


Originally published in the November 2013 Indian Creek MOPS newsletter.

My Favorite Things: About MOPS

Want to try a new restaurant but not sure where to go?

Are you pregnant and not sure what baby products you really need?

Are you unsure of what to cook on a busy weeknight?

What better place to turn than your fellow MOPS moms for ideas?

Our new feature My Favorite Things - will give you some ideas of where to start.

Each month we will feature a different question and recommendations will be listed by other MOPS moms in the group.

At the start of a new MOPS year, this month's feature is:

What is your favorite thing about MOPS?

• Sharing stories and gaining advice from my Pink Peonies group - Melony S.
• Talking with other moms and learning from them - Alicia D.
• talking with other moms - Ashley C.
• Friendly moms - Jessica F.
• Mom comradarie - Stephanie H.
• Mommytime - Heather J.
• Encouragement and time apart form my kids - Stephanie L.
• Getting out, meeting new moms, and worshiping - Alicia P.
• Meeting the new moms - Lindsay R.
• Adult conversations - Amy S.
• Relationships for me and my daughter - Raychel V.
• Meetin gother moms an dletting my kiddo play with peers - Laura W.
• All the wonderful ladies - Kelly R.
• How kind and giving all the amazing moms are - Erin B.
• Getting out of the house - Karla T.
• Adult time - Julie K.
• Friendship - adult conversation with other women - Jennifer P.
• Meeting new moms, getting out of the house - Angela A.
• Connecting with other moms - Sara B.
• Getting to know other moms - Emily H.
• The connections - Sara K.
• Fun, friends, and faith - Carrie M.
• All the awesome friends I have met! And 2 hours of "mommy time"! - Nicki F.
• Being able to talk to moms in the same season of life as me - Jessi C.
• All the friends I have met over the years, the great speakers, and lots and lots of laughs. - Sarah L.
• Support, help, and "girl time" from the other fabulous mamas! - Nicole P.
• Support from other moms - Lou Ann C.
• Having a time when my head can relax and focus on having a friendly conversation with other adults. - Rachael K.

Want to contribute your ideas for our blog or newsletter? Check your MOPS folder for the My Favorite Things feature!