I’ve always loved to write, but there are seasons when writing has been more challenging for me. Such as when I am feeling completely exhausted from lack of sleep. I want to write to encourage others and to share fun tips and ideas; but also just to share this journey and process what the Lord is walking me through (which hopefully can also be encouraging for others at times). And right now, has been a season of trying to soak it all in. Which really was a big part of the purpose of starting this blog.

Embracing this journey of motherhood and purposefully living; not taking those little moments for granted.

There are so many in times in motherhood where, unlike in (most) other careers, you don’t see tangible goals being met. Yes, things like dishes and laundry might be tangible goals, but they are also ongoing and never ending :D. Many days I feel like I can say “Wow, I didn’t get anything done today.” Yet, our days are SO full. The reality is…a lot was done, just not very much that can be measured by your typical to do list.

Right now, my days are full of snuggles and nursing, hysterical giggles and book after book being read and poured over. Page after page being colored, spatulas being licked, diapers being changed, and load after load of ongoing dishes and laundry being done. Worship songs being sung, Bible verses being learned, and sunshine warming our faces, and bundling up in warm coats and hats to go out and play in the flurries or search for pinecones and shiny rocks on our walks.

I won’t look back in 20 years and think “Man I wish I had gotten done more on my to-do list”, but I might look back and say, “Wow. I wish I had been more present, I wish I had been so focused on getting to the next season.” And I don’t want that.

Raising little ones is full of little moments that can easily be overlooked. Or they can be savored.

And these moments aren’t just separate little moments, but a collage of moments that make up our days, weeks, months and years-our life. I don’t want my life just to pass me by, I want to savor it. And I understand that there are things like sickness or hormones (or lack of sleep) that can affect our ability to be present, but there are also many factors within my control that can allow me to focus on the little moments.

-Limiting time on my phone/eliminating mindless scrolling.

-Not spending as much time on a perfectly picked up house (setting timers for myself to clean and when the time is up moving on to something together).

-Limiting screen time (as a family) to allow more space for crafting, reading, and imaginative play.

-Having a to-do list, but actively choosing to not base “my success” of the day on how many boxes got checked off.

-Choosing to savor the snuggles, the sunshine, and the little seemingly unimportant details.

-Allowing worship and scripture to be a part of our daily rhythms and conversations.

It is so easy to let our culture of productivity and independence to permeate into our motherhood. But motherhood, raising children isn’t something God created us to rush through. It’s not meant to be something where we check off all the boxes.

I think of Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” It is such a reminder to me that all of these moments matter.

It’s not just about the big “life-changing events”, but our daily rhythms and actions that are used to point our children to the Lord. It’s about savoring the moments.