This past Saturday I woke up to breakfast in bed followed by a day to myself. Mamahood was hard this week, so a day to myself was much needed. For me nature is the place where I recharge. So off to nature I went. In the Bible, time & time again we see Jesus going up to the mount of olives to pray. Getting away from the hustle & bustle of the world & refueling.
I found myself in La Jolla at a beach trail I had always wanted to hike but never been able to do as it is not kid friendly. So being child free I decided to seize the day & go for it. Boy am I glad I went! It was absolutely gorgeous. The ocean off in the distance, surrounded by wildflowers everywhere was just breath taking. The hike took about twenty minutes & ended on the beach. There is something about being in nature surrounded by so much beauty that just rocks me to the core. With every breath, I just feel embraced by my Heavenly Father & stand in complete awe at the beauty which surrounds me.
The beach was perfect. No crowds, just some surfers, a tiki hut, sand & sunshine. My kind of beach. So I climbed up to the tiki hut took in the view, & found a spot to set up camp. It was so relaxing to just lay out & take in the scenery without having to worry about any littles being swept out to sea. I was so relaxed in fact, that I took a nap on the beach. I can’t remember the last time I napped on the beach, Definitely pre children.
So I want to encourage you to take time for yourself no matter the season you’re in. Taking time to refuel & recharge is so good. Trust me you will come back to reality ready to conquer the world! I soaked up the sun, read my bible, prayed & came back home feeling refreshed. Now I’m ready to take on this new week & pour into my family & love them better. On another note I am planning on posting some of my favorite free things to do in San Diego, who would love to here about our favorite spots? Enjoy your week & take some time for yourself…you know you want to š
What if? So not too long ago my friend & I hosted an IF local at my house, a women’s conference that you stream live at home. One thing that really hit me was a women sharing the story of The Good Shepherd. The lady shared the Bible story with her young 6 year old daughter & her daughter said something along the lines of “I don’t know the shepherds voice yet Mommy, but I know you do so I’ll follow you. ” And something about those words shook me to the core & I had to ask myself some hard questions.
Is the way I live my life leading my sons to hear the GOOD SHEPHERD’S voice? We talk about God everyday but am I displaying it for my kids in a tangible way!? Ouch!!!! When I rise first thing in the morning does my son see my pick up my phone or my bible?! If I’m being honest most days it’s my phone. I eventually get to my Bible, But what if it was the first think my little Mason saw me pick up! So those simple words from a six year old, challenged me to a total Paradigm shift. “Where are my priorities & what am I doing to lead my kids to hear The Good Shepherd on their own?” It has changed the way I do life. I’m not gonna stand here & say every day since then I haven’t missed a day starting with my bible. Every day is a challenge, sleepless nights, busy morning, but I’m reaching for Him first. I challenge you to start the day in scripture, it changes the pattern of your day & cultivates love, grace, & peace. Seriously my heart is singing this morning because I am free in Christ. Happy Monday y’all, the struggles are real but God is Real so rest in that. š
Not too long ago I read somewhere about sunset moments from one of the many mama books I’m in the process of reading. The idea of a sunset moment was so precious, & left me seeking out more SUNSET moments. What are sunset moments you ask? They’re those moments that are absolute perfection that last only a short time then are gone in the blink of an eye. It’s those moments when no one else is watching & my son comes to give me a kiss & whispers I love you. But it’s also those moments where my son is trying to tell me something he is excited about & I am caught up scrolling through my instagram feed. GUILTY! In the blink of an eye that precious moment is gone, I missed it. If I’m being honest I’ve missed out on a few SUNSET MOMENTS, trying to capture the perfect moment with my phone rather than just living in the moment. My son is not going to remember the perfectly curated picture on my instagram, which he reminded me of last week, when he said “get off your phone mom” it hit me like a slap to the face.. he is going to remember the moments I poured all my love into making him feel special & love. So out of the mouth of babes comes wisdom. Im taking my sons words to heart & I’m gonna soak up the most sunset moments I can, to live in the now, with the ones I love most.
What are some of your sunset moments? I’d love to hear them!