Happy Friday, friends!

I cannot believe we are in our second week of July.

This week has been full of getting back to normal after a couple of weeks of travel: laundry, checking things off the house list, restocking the pantry, and trying to get back in the habit of eating meals at home.

And I’ve noticed something.

Summer has a way of turning the volume up on everything: the noise, the mess, the neediness, the laundry that somehow multiplies when school isn’t in session. And if I’m being honest, “serving with joy” doesn’t always come naturally when I’m picking up the same monster truck for the fifth time before noon.

But that is exactly what God calls us to do in Scripture:

“Serve one another humbly in love.” — Galatians 5:13

As moms, service is at the core of what we do. From the moment we wake up to the moment we lie down, we are in some capacity serving our families. So if you need a little summer reminder that serving is part of your calling and that there really is beauty to be found in it, you are in the right place.

This came to me while I was cleaning up dinner the other night. I had fixed a meal that, once again, didn’t please everyone at my table. I was grumbling in my mind and had begun my spiral into all the things I attempt to do for my family that go unnoticed or unappreciated.

And I felt God redirect me.

I remembered the little framed verse of Colossians 3:23 sitting on my desk. I have it there for a purpose, reminders in moments just like this.

I turned off the sink, walked to my desk, and picked up the little frame. I closed my eyes and said a little prayer. I gave thanks for the privilege of cooking my family dinner, for having food in our pantry, and for having time in our busy lives to sit down and eat together.

I also asked God to forgive me for forgetting that when I serve my family, I am ultimately serving Him.

And when I looked around my house, here is what I noticed: the monster trucks, the blanket forts, the Nerf bullets, the snacks, they are all signs of a life well lived.

This mess is not something to survive. The exhaustion isn’t something to grumble over. It’s all something to receive.

When I remember that I’m not just tidying up a house or boiling water for dinner but crafting a childhood and connecting with my family, something shifts. The service stops feeling like a burden and starts feeling like a privilege.

Not every day. But some days. And I think that’s what Colossians is asking for… not perfection, just a willing heart.

As you fold away the day’s hustle tonight, breathe it in. You are doing the best thing you will ever do.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday, ya’ll!

Sorry, I missed last week! We were at the beach, which is truly where this week’s lesson came from. Right from the middle of the mess, sandy hands and all.

We’re back home now for a quick turnaround before we head out again for the Fourth of July, and the only way I could carve out a few minutes to write this week was to stick screens in front of my children’s faces so they’d quit bickering for 30 minutes. But I wanted to get this to you.

So let’s talk about learning to let it all be His…

"The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land." — Psalm 95:5

I was sitting in front of the ocean last week, watching my boys run straight at the waves like they had no fear, and something about this verse just kept coming back to me.

He made this. All of it.

The part that feels endless and a little terrifying, and also somehow the most peaceful place on earth. He spoke it into existence and called it good.

And I'm learning to let it be His: the ocean, yes, but also the week I can't control, the things I'm still carrying, the mess of home in the dead of Summer.

I don't know what you're carrying into this second half of Summer, but I hope you find one moment where you look at something and remember it belongs to Him:

~ their future

~ the sunsets

~ the laughter with friends or family

~ even the messy feelings attached to a certain situation

It’s His. He is in the middle of it.

That tends to make the carrying a little lighter.

Until next week, with maybe a touch more energy and a few more words ;) Blair

Let me be clear: I am not a homeschool mom. We don’t have a curriculum. We have a crazy schedule, a packed sports calendar, and we show up to church on Sundays doing our best.

But I also know how important it is to fill my boys’ hearts with truth… even when they’d rather be doing literally anything else.

That’s why I built this list. Because most faith resources for kids are either too cheesy to survive contact with an actual boy, or so program-heavy they make me tired just looking at them. These aren’t those. Everything on this list is something my boys have actually engaged with… books they read past bedtime, devotionals that didn’t get eye rolls, activities that came out on road trips without me asking twice. And if we haven’t actually tried them… I have been eyeing them for a while and have scoured the reviews for you!

If you’re a normal mom with normal kids and a full life, and you still want your boys to know God deeply... this is where I’d start.

Tried and True (Start Here!)

The Exact Bible We Use:

NIV Boys' Bible, Leathersoft, Brown Camo, Comfort Print — Zondervan. I gave each of my boys this exact bible a couple of Christmases ago. While my youngest is still growing into it, my oldest keeps it on his bedside table, and we reference it often. I wanted a bible that could grow with them! This is where I highlight things I want them to remember and scribble in the margins. This bible is sturdy and lovingly made for boys ages 8-12 to dig into scripture with!

Our Other Must-Haves:

🌌 The Indescribable Series — Louie Giglio This whole series lives in our house, and I genuinely recommend all of it. Start with the devotional, add the activity book, and watch your kid ask questions about God and black holes in the same breath.

• Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God and Science ~ 100 devotions that help kids discover the incredible creation of God. I have been reaching for this one since Jones was 5 and just started it with Steele. These are so wonderful to pull out at bedtime and read one section at a time!

• How Great Is Our God ~ 100 more devotions covering everything from a pink lake in Senegal to the water-holding frog that can survive five years without a drink. Same format as Indescribable, just as good. If your little buddy burns through the first one, hand him this one next.

• Indescribable Atlas Adventures ~ A self-guided tour through all seven continents and over 50 countries; more than 1,500 facts woven together with God’s Word, helping kids think globally through the heart of Jesus. Big, beautiful, and a great coffee table book, they’ll actually pick up on their own.

• Indescribable Activity Book ~ 150+ activities, including STEM experiments, puzzles, and crosswords, all combining biblical truth with scientific facts. This is the one that comes out on road trips without being asked.

❓ If I Could Ask God Anything by Kathryn Slattery ~ I’m currently reading this one with Jones at night, and it’s one of my favorites on this list. It tackles the hard questions kids actually ask about God, faith, prayer, and Christianity in language they can understand. If your boy has questions (and they all do), this gives him a real place to bring them.

🏈 The One Year Sports Devotions for Kids by Florea, Jones & Cooley ~ For the boy who will read anything if sports are involved. 365 devotions packed with fun facts, trivia about sports heroes, and stories about athletes who overcame the odds: each one connecting to Scripture through a “What’s the Score” section and a closing Bible verse. This a Jones approved favorite!

Finding the right Bible for your little guy matters more than people talk about. Too hard to read, and they check out. Too babyish, and they feel talked down to. I already shared with you the one we actually use, but here are some other great finds!

NIrV Tiny Theologians Bible ~ Zondervan This one is for your younger reader who’s just starting to navigate Scripture on his own. Written at a third-grade reading level based on the NIV, it teaches kids how the Bible is organized, why different books sound different, and how all 66 books come together to tell one story. It’s not a storybook Bible; it’s a real Bible with training wheels built in.

NLT Go Bible for Kids ~ Glow in the Dark Edition I won’t pretend the glow-in-the-dark feature isn’t a huge win! It comes with a glow-in-the-dark bookmark ribbon, and the pages are packed with over 600 features, including mini devotions, scripture memory challenges, fascinating Bible-times facts, and full-color illustrations, all in an easy-to-read NLT translation for ages 7 and up.

The Action Bible ~ Sergio Cariello. If your boy will read anything that looks like a comic book, start here. The #1 bestselling Christian book of 2025, the illustrated stories make Scripture feel fast-paced, visual, and impossible to put down. They are presented in chronological order, so kids actually understand how the Bible flows as one complete story. Graphic novel fans? This ones for them!

The Bible Recap for Kids ~ Tara-Leigh Cobble This one walks kids through the entire Bible with simple one-page recaps explaining each day's passage, plus "God Shots" that point out what Scripture says about God's character. It's not a replacement for their Bible; it's a companion that helps them actually understand what they just read.

The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible by Rivard & Penner ~ An illustrated kids’ Bible designed for ages 3 to 8. Full transparency: this one skews a little younger, but it’s still what we reach for with Steele at night. The illustrations are warm and comforting, and they tell the stories of Scripture in a way that actually makes sense to little minds. Perfect if you’ve got a range of ages, as I do. They also have one based on Psalms and Proverbs, Tiny Wisdom.

At this age, we still read devotionals together at night. It’s part of our bedtime routine, nothing fancy, just a few minutes before lights out. Some nights it sparks a real conversation. Some nights, they’re half asleep before we finish. But we show up for it, and I genuinely believe it’s sinking in even when it doesn’t look like it.

Rooted in Faith: 5-Minute Devotions for Preteen Boys ~ Kingdom Press 52 devotions that help boys grow stronger in faith and character, with short, relatable stories that connect God’s truth to real-life moments: peer pressure, self-image, friendship, purpose.

Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, Boys Edition ~ Sarah Young Written as if Jesus is speaking directly to your child’s heart, each devotion is based on Scripture and designed to help kids develop an intimate relationship with God through daily time in His Word. The boys’ edition has the same great content with a blue cover that doesn’t feel like it belongs to his sister. Families who read the adult version can use this one right alongside it, same themes, same Scripture.

Strong in Spirit: 5-Minute Devotions for Preteen Boys ~ David & Niki Winston Devotions that don’t follow a specific order, so your boy can pick a topic that feels right for the moment, covering real issues like anxiety, bullying, forgiveness, and being a good friend, with space to journal right in the book.

The One Year Devotions for Boys ~ Tyndale Every day includes a short story, a Bible verse to memorize, a “How about You?” section to help boys think about their own lives, and a key to help them remember what they’ve learned.

The Christian Young Athlete’s Playbook ~ Kingdom Youth For the boy who lives and breathes sports. 101 devotions that cover the anxiety before the big game, the pressure to be flawless, and the weight of not wanting to disappoint teammates or God… in just 3 minutes a day.

Tiny Truths Devotional ~ This one is packed with 60 short, vibrant devotions that answer the big questions our boys are always asking: who God is, who they are, and why they matter. The difference between this one and some of the others on the list? It’s perfect for our littlest guys who aren’t ready to dig super deep. It’s simple, honest, and the illustrations are beautiful. A gentle way to introduce them to what a devotional is!

Faith doesn’t have to look like sitting still… not when there are boys around! These are the resources that show God’s truth through puzzles, games, and workbooks; the kind of thing your boy reaches for on a rainy day or a road trip without being asked.

Indescribable Activity Book for Kids ~ Louie Giglio I already talked about this one up top, but it deserves another mention here because it truly is one of my all-time favorites on this list.

Big Book of Amazing Bible Activities ~ David C. Cook Same energy as the Indescribable Activity Book, just with more of a straight Bible story focus. Over 200 puzzles, dot-to-dots, hidden pictures, word searches, and mazes, all based on God’s Word and perfect for quiet time, travel time, or anytime. It’s a big, jumbo book that keeps little hands busy while planting Scripture in their minds.

I Am Capable Workbook ~ Sissy Goff & David Thomas Okay, I have to talk about this one because I am genuinely first in line for it. Sissy Goff and David Thomas are two of the most trusted voices in children’s mental health and faith-based counseling. I’ve read multiple of their books and seen them speak, and they are the real deal. This kids’ workbook for ages 6-12 draws on their decades of clinical experience and biblical truth to help kids see the ways they are already strong, practice skills that build resilience, and learn strategies to cope with life’s challenges. It is clinically sound, faith-informed, and written for real kids navigating a real world.

Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience — Sissy Goff & David Thomas *For Parents* This is the parent companion to the workbook above. If you are a boy mom trying to raise a kid who doesn’t crumble under pressure, this is the book.

Closer Together: Family Conversation Cards ~ Truth + Light Co. We love asking Would You Rather questions in our family, and these give that same energy with prompts that point back to God. Keep them on the table. Pull one out at dinner. Let it start a conversation that surprises you.

Use code WECARRYYOURHEART for 10% off your order!

Would You Rather? Bible Edition ~ You know the Would You Rather book that lives in your car for road trips? This is that, but make it faith-based and read out loud as a family. Kids are placed right inside the Old Testament’s most defining moments, not just reading the stories, but deciding what they would do if they were part of them. Would you rather trust God like Daniel in the lions’ den or face a giant like David?

Bible Infographics for Kids (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) ~ These are some of my absolute favorite books on this entire list, and I genuinely mean that. Big, bold, visually stunning books that boys will pick up on their own just because they look cool. Vol. 1 covers giants, ninja skills, a talking donkey, and what’s the deal with the Tabernacle. Vol. 2 goes full epic: Angels vs. Demons, Light vs. Darkness, Feats of God vs. Failures of Men, Heaven vs. Hell. They flip through them, stop on something wild, and ask you questions you didn’t even know you’d be answering at 8 pm on a Tuesday.

Bible Infographics for Kids: Epic Guide to Jesus ~ The third book in the series and just as good as the first two. Readers investigate the historical evidence of Jesus’s life, examine His miracles and teachings, explore His culture, and follow His death, resurrection, and beyond all, through the same bold, engaging infographic format that makes the whole series irresistible. Once your boys have the first two, they’ll want this one. It’s the natural next step and, honestly, the most important one in the series.

Some kids open up more on paper than they ever will out loud. These are the journals worth keeping on the nightstand, in the book bag, or passing back and forth across the kitchen table.

Prayer Journal for Kids ~ Truth + Light Co. Simple, beautiful, and exactly what it needs to be. Designed for kids ages 6-12, this journal guides kids through five prompts on every page: “I praise You for...” / “Please help me to...” / “I’m sorry for...” / “Please watch over...” / “Thank You for...” — covering worship, confession, intercession, and gratitude all in one sitting. Perfect to keep by their beds and build a prayer habit that sticks.

Use code WECARRYYOURHEART for 10% off your order!

Just Mom & Me Keepsake Journal ~ Casey Wiegand / Paper Peony Press A mother-son guided journal you pass back and forth, conversation-starting prompts, tear-out message cards you can hide for your son to find, interactive activities, and keepsake photo spaces. Some kids will never sit down and tell you what’s going on with them, but they’ll write it down. This gives them the format to do that and gives you a window in. I love this one.

Between Dad and Me — Katie Clemons The dad-and-son version of the above, and just as good. Thoughtful prompts, coloring pages, challenges, and free creative space for fathers and sons to record memories, swap stories, compare perspectives, and just... connect. We gave this to Rob for his birthday, and the boys have had so much fun with it!

Christian Baseball Notebook ~ A blank, baseball-themed Christian journal perfect for the older kid who isn’t looking for guided prompts but might actually write something down if it looks cool enough to carry. Stash it in the book bag, leave it on the nightstand, or tuck it in a sports bag. Sometimes the best journal is the one they’ll actually pick up.

Daily Prayer & Gratitude Journal for Kids, Ages 6–13 (The Christian Journal Co.) ~ This is the one for the kid who needs structure to sit still for five minutes with God. It walks kids through the same simple rhythm every day: a prayer request, a few things they’re grateful for, a Bible verse or story to chew on, and space to name what they’re actually feeling. What stands out is that it doesn’t ask kids to perform gratitude. It asks them to notice it. That’s a different skill, and it’s the one that actually sticks.

The Devotional Doodle Journal (DaySpring) ~ This is the one I’d hand to the kid who’d rather draw a feeling than talk about it. The Devotional Doodle Journal pairs 90 short devotions with a daily verse and an actual reason to pick up a pencil: drawing emojis, sea creatures, patterns, whatever the prompt calls for that day. If your kid processes better with a marker in their hand than a journal prompt staring them down, this is built for exactly that kid.

The following are just really good books, the kind your boys will actually want to read, that happen to be grounded in Scripture and point back to God without making a big deal about it.

Tales That Tell the Truth Series ~ Various Authors: This is one of those series every Christian family should own. 14 beautifully illustrated hardback storybooks, each one telling a true story from Scripture with stunning illustrations by Catalina Echeverri and language that is faithful to the text without being stuffy about it. The books I’d specifically call out for boys: The Storm That Stopped, The Man in the Tree and the Brand New Start, and The Big Wide Welcome… but honestly, many of the 14 work beautifully for little boys. Start with one. You’ll end up collecting all of them.

Young David Series ~ Andy McGuire Five highly illustrated early-reader chapter books adapted from the Minno Young David animated series and inspired by the feature-length David film. Each book follows a young shepherd as he develops the courage, compassion, and faith that would one day make him God’s chosen king of Israel. If your boys have seen the animated series or the film, they will devour these. If they haven’t, start here and then watch together. The box set has all five. Another Jones-approved option!

Redemption Tales Series ~ Marty Machowski Four books for ages 8-12, and one of the most creatively fun series I’ve come across. The entire biblical narrative, from Genesis and Exodus all the way through the death and resurrection of Jesus and the early church, is told from the perspective of the animals who could have been there to witness it. Badgers in the Garden of Eden, oxen at the Red Sea, sheep in the life of Joseph, a wolf pack present at the crucifixion. It sounds wild, and it is, in the best possible way.

The Ology, WonderFull, and The Treasure ~ Marty Machowski Three standalone books from the same author, and each one is exactly the kind of thing I’d describe as sneaky-deep. The Ology is a beautifully illustrated storybook of systematic theology: kids discover it as an adventure, adults recognize it as one of the best introductions to Christian doctrine they’ve ever read. WonderFull does the same thing with the Psalms, following a boy and his grandfather reading through them together. The Treasure takes kids on a biblical adventure through Luke and Acts via two siblings hunting for a sea captain’s hidden treasure, and discovering that the treasure is Christ. Read any of these aloud, and you will find yourself as caught up in them as your kids are.

The Dead Sea Squirrels ~ Mike Nawrocki From the co-creator of VeggieTales comes a 13-book chapter book series that Kirkus Reviews said will make kids “undoubtedly laugh out loud.” A boy sneaks two 2,000-year-old squirrels home from an archaeological dig at the Dead Sea, and it turns out they lived during the time of Jesus and love sharing what they learned from His teaching. Funny, fast-paced, full of biblical values woven in naturally. I have my eye on this one for Jones. Recommended for fans of Big Nate and Dog Man… but make it faith-based.

Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God by Shirley Ray Redmond ~ Let’s be real… our boys need to know that faith has been an integral part of some real ‘heroes’ stories! This book gives them 50 real-life men who were bold, brave, and totally invested in God, from C.S. Lewis to a Japanese diplomat who risked everything to save kids.

Case for a Creator for Kids by Lee Strobel
Got a son who asks, “But how do we know God is real?” every time you try to pray? This is your answer. Written like a detective story, it walks kids through the science of the universe and shows them that believing in God is actually the most logical thing in the world. Faith meets facts, and it’s pretty awesome. If you haven’t picked up the adult version of this, I also highly recommend it! I am in the middle of reading it for the second time!

The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung ~ This takes the whole Bible (from Genesis to Jesus) and turns it into one epic adventure. The art is moody and powerful, and it finally helps our kids see that every story in Scripture is actually one big story about God saving His people. Perfect for read-aloud snuggle time.

Build by Emily Lex ~This sweet story follows a creative little guy named Brady who loves to build, and along the way, he discovers something pretty amazing: that God made him as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece on purpose. It gently reminds our boys that their unique ideas, talents, and even their messes are part of God’s good design. Perfect for ages 4 to 8, especially if you have a son who lives with Legos in his pockets and is always building something!

Have you or your boys picked up any of these? Or do you have any ideas I need to add to the list? Drop it in the comments!

Share

Happy Friday Friends,

Do you ever get so caught up in planning your future that you forget you can’t always control it? Do you ever struggle to just completely settle into the day you are living without wanting to jump ahead to what’s next (the upcoming beach trip, the start of the school year, fall sports)?

If there is a resounding yes bouncing around your heart when you read those questions, you are in the right place.

This week, I have felt this consistent tug to loosen my grip on what’s ahead and just be present in the day I’m actually living. To trust that whatever is coming is already held, instead of feeling like it’s mine to manage.

And I stumbled across some scripture that, though I have heard and read many times, jumped off the page to me this week in a new way… I hope it will seep into your heart the way it has mine.

Let’s dig in!

The verse that wouldn't let me go

This week, I was reading my morning devotional, and the scripture you read above (Proverbs 31:25) was attached to it.

I couldn’t stop reading it.

And this little nugget of scripture felt like a whisper in my ear, the same whisper I need on repeat, because this isn't a desire I get to relinquish once and be done with. It just keeps coming back.

This particular verse starts with what we should clothe ourselves in: strength and dignity.

The Hebrew word used here for strength is oz, and it equates to boldness and power. The Hebrew word used here for dignity is hadar, and it means magnificence, excellency, and honor.

Both of these descriptive words should bolster our confidence as women in our own homes and remind us that we are valued. While I loved that little reminder, that isn’t what made me keep reading this verse over and over.

It was the second part that kept me coming back…

“…She can laugh at all the days to come.”

The questions I couldn't dodge…

The first thoughts that popped into my head were:

Can I laugh at all the days to come?

Do I find joy when I look towards the future?

Do I trust God to take care of what’s ahead?

If I'm honest, the answer to all three is "not really." Not the way Proverbs 31 describes it, anyway. I'm too busy trying to map out what's next to actually find joy in it.

As I struggle with the desire to know what’s coming and to wrangle the days and weeks ahead into what I see for my future, for my family’s future… I am losing sight of the beautiful cornerstone of what God offers me: the security that my future is held by the same hands that created the very foundations of this earth.

Before I get to where that realization led me, I want to back up for a second.

A little background on this verse

If you have been a believer for long, you have most likely read through the words of Proverbs 31 or heard a sermon preached on it. If not, welcome to one of the most famous lists to describe what a virtuous woman should look like from a biblical standpoint.

This list, while beloved by many, has had a controversial view in modern days, with people describing it as controlling, putting pressure on women, and offering an idealized picture of womanhood.

Most of the time, those who view it that way have taken it out of the context of an ancient culture, and I get why. Stripped of context, it can read that way. But in my very humble opinion, there’s a different point being made.

So, two thoughts to take with you if you decide to read through the scripture (Proverbs 31:10-31) completely:

• First, you may have thought this list was written out for women… It is actually written from the point of view of a mother speaking to her son. (Boy moms, I am looking at you!) Before this woman even addresses what kind of woman her son should seek to find and come to treasure, she also has ideas about how he should act as well.

• Second, this is a mother’s picture of a woman worth treasuring, not a checklist handed down to control anyone. The two get confused pretty easily, but they are not the same thing.

I have written before about our tendency to push back against the guardrails God sets in place for us. We want to live life the way we want to live life. But the Bible is God-breathed, living, and active… So my suggestion is that when you have the time, you dig into this scripture and get lost in the picture created here of a woman whose worth is far above rubies, instead of falling into a negative narrative about what you think you are getting wrong…

What I'm carrying with me

All of that context matters, but it's what came after I sat with the verse itself that really stuck with me.

It brought an incredible realization to the front of my mind: He doesn’t want us to have a death grip on our plans for the future; He wants us to be able to rejoice in what He already has planned for us.

He wants us to walk, with strength and dignity, down the path that He has already walked ahead of us.

I won’t pretend that confidence is something I’ve fully stepped into. Most days, I’m still somewhere between gripping too tight and letting go. But my confidence isn’t really about knowing what’s ahead, it’s about knowing He’s already walked the path and prepared the way. And I’d rather find joy in that than keep trying to control what was never mine to control in the first place.

So that is what I am carrying with me this week: that I can have so much confidence in what lies ahead of me that I can find that same joy written about here: the kind of joy that lets you laugh at the days to come, instead of trying to control them.

I want to hear your biggest struggle with the days ahead! Are you able to laugh at the goodness? Or do you struggle to let that control go, too?

Until next week, Blair

Share Messy Mercies

Happy Friday, friends!

We are deep in the thick of summer over here, and I am feeling every bit of it. The boys are home, the days are full, and if I am being honest, my quiet times have looked more like quiet attempts.

But God has a funny way of meeting us right in the middle of the mess… and this week He met me in the margin of my Bible.

I think He might have something for you there, too!

The other morning I was reading Philippians 1 when I landed on verse 21. And I did what I always do, I scribbled something in the margin:

For me, to live is ____.

Paul’s whole purpose for living was Christ: encouraging others, spreading the Gospel, and pointing everything back to Him. And sitting there with my pen, I had this strong sense that I needed to declare what living was to me, too.

I want the blank to say the same thing as Paul. I really do. But when I look at what I actually reach for, what makes the top of my priority list most days, what I find myself busy doing… I wouldn’t fill that blank with “Christ.”

Maybe parts of my days. Maybe moments of my week. But not the whole of my life.

If I’m being really honest, my blank would probably say “comfort.” Doing what I need to do to keep things moving. Keeping everyone happy and things running smoothly.

And summer puts a spotlight on all of it. The schedule disappears, which means my time with God becomes infrequent and rushed. When plans change, drinks spill, and messes pile up… my reactions are not exactly fueled by anything Christ-like.

Reading Paul’s words leaves no doubt where his focus was. No matter what he did, I think his first question in every moment was probably, “Would this honor God?”

And I am longing for that same pull. That same leading.

I don’t want to live trapped inside my comfort zone when I could be actively honoring Him by stepping out of it. I don’t want to live reactively when I know that Christ calls us to gentleness and self-control.

Paul had a different center of gravity. And I am still trying to find mine.

This week, I’m not writing from a place of breakthrough. I’m still staring at what I wrote in the margin, pen in hand. I know what I want to write there. I also know I’m not there yet. So I’m bringing that tension right to the Source, because I know I will never be able to fill in that blank on my own.

Let me know in the comment section how you would fill in the blank: “To live is ____.”

Until next week, Blair

Hey friends, welcome to Summer!!

I hope you are surviving hearing your name being called through the house 17 times an hour and have officially accepted your new job as a short-order cook.

I am excited to introduce you to what our Faithful Fridays will look like this summer. Just like summer relaxes a little bit, I want our weekly newsletters to do the same.

So I am slowing the pace, taking a breath, and lessening the load for both of us. While I love getting into the nitty gritty with you each week, schedules are crazy, I never know who is going to be with me, and I just don’t have the bandwidth for a full deep dive every week with my boys home.

So instead, I thought I would just write to you from the messy middle. Think of these as my weekly letters home from the Summer Camp of Motherhood.

Each week, you’ll get a postcard carrying the lesson I am learning that week, a weekly scripture, and the song that’s been carrying me through it. Then there will be a short little blurb from me, digging into the current lesson God is teaching me that week.

Turns out summer has a lot to say. I’m just finally slowing down enough to listen.

Keep reading for our first postcard… and our first lesson of the Summer!

Summer makes me panic. There, I said it out loud.

I hear so many different moms talk about loving the slow mornings and unstructured days, but for me, I see long stretches of needing to entertain, refereeing fights between siblings, and schedule changes every week that give me heart palpitations.

If you have been around here for any length of time, you know that if there is anything God is working on in my life, it’s the need for control, the inability to surrender, and the desire to see what’s coming.

Summer takes all of these shortcomings of mine and throws them into a tailspin.

So I did what I always do when the wheels start coming off. I opened my Bible and found myself back in Psalm 16, only this week, I found hope two verses earlier:

David does it again. He shifts my perspective exactly when I need it most.

I was letting the blank week in front of me decide my mood before I even got out of bed. But I won’t find the peace and steadiness I am reaching for in my inability to surrender the white spaces of summer to Him.

The boundary lines God has drawn for me, no matter how shapeless they feel, will fall in pleasant places when I remember that He is my portion and my cup of blessing.

So this morning, when my boys and I were taking our dog for a walk, and they asked to stop and play in the creek for a little bit, I said yes. Even though every part of me wanted to say no. We needed to get back. I needed to fold clothes and water the plants.

I stopped and reminded myself that these are the moments I can be thankful for: unstructured days with the space to say yes.

This week, that’s what He’s teaching me. To let summer be unscripted.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Do you ever feel the need to clean up before you come to God? Or do you ever stop yourself from praying because you are ashamed of the way you have acted?

I used to feel the same way. I would snap at my kids and feel the need to make it right before I brought it to God. I would stop myself from asking Him for healing or mercy because I was ashamed at how I handled a situation.

Just like I felt the need to tidy my house before I invited a friend in, I felt the need to tidy my heart before inviting God in.

It was exhausting.

But then I spent a whole year in David’s head while reading the Psalms. Over and over again, I watched as he brought every ounce of his heart to God… and many times it was when his heart was full of shame, doubt, sadness, and anger.

And do you know what I saw as he allowed his shadowed heart to be seen in God’s light? I saw him be transformed again and again by the God who knew him and loved him.

And that is where we are landing today, because I believe that right in the middle of the mess that is motherhood, we can be transformed by that same God.

Lead Me On by Chandler Moore

I’m not perfect

I don’t always get it right

But I’d rather walk by faith

And not by my foolish sight

So lead me on

Lead me on

This feels like the perfect prayer to pull out when we are having one of those moments I just talked about. We are not, nor will we ever be, perfect spouses, perfect friends, or perfect mothers.

And, hate to break it to you, but we can’t hide that from God.

What we can do is admit our failures before him, keep our faith steady in him, and ask for his guidance in how to move forward.

The enemy wants us to stay in that place of shame and fear. He doesn’t want us to believe the truth that nothing can separate us from our Father.

But each time we return to Him, with our humbled and messy hearts in our hands, God can and will restore us.

David is described as a man after God’s own heart. Throughout the Psalms, he comes to God from every setting imaginable. He comes to Him singing and dancing as well as mourning and depressed. He comes to Him from within palace walls as well as hiding in damp, dark caves. He comes to Him in victory after battles as well as in complete failures as a follower of God.

The common thread throughout it all? He continues to come and to trust God to use every misstep as well as every success in shaping him to be the man God knew he could be.

And I think that’s exactly what we see him doing in Psalm 16:7-8 (CSB):

He doesn’t say he felt God beside him and then decided to pray. He says he let the Lord guide him. It’s a choice, and it’s deliberate and active. He’s not cleaning up the mess before he comes; he’s letting God guide him through even the messiest moments.

And then there’s this line: even at night when my thoughts trouble me. I think that’s a sentiment every mom can feel to her core. It’s the replaying, the mom guilt at 11 pm, the “why can’t I get it together” spiral you’re having instead of sleeping.

David brings it to God right in that moment, not when he felt better, not when he was able to apologize to those he hurt, not when the sun came up.

He comes to God in the dark, in the mess, and lets God lead him out.

And here’s the kicker: on top of all of that, he praises God for His counsel. He’s not scared of where God might lead him. Instead, he lets God’s presence steady him.

How often do we actually do this? How often do we truly bring God into the storms of our own making… the ones that are the result of our own sinful nature?

We have a God who sent His Son to die for us, and we're letting the enemy convince us He doesn't want to hear from us when we're a mess.

Let’s not be moms who hide from God in shame. Let’s be moms who come directly to Him, blessing Him for His counsel and trusting Him to lead us through.

There have been so many moments in motherhood that have made me want to hide from God instead of coming before Him.

When I lose my cool after one of my boys has been disrespectful, or raise my voice over a spilled drink, I find myself feeling the need to clean it up before I bring it to Him.

The funny thing is, these are the moments I need Him the most — and instead I push Him away. I have this notion that I need to do it on my own, make myself presentable for Him to love me. But this is the opposite of what God offers us.

He offers us grace upon grace. We just have to step into it.

I think of it this way: my boys constantly come to me messy, both figuratively and literally. They are still learning how to behave and interact in this world, which means, as their mom, I have to be the one to correct things like disobedience and disrespect. But when they come to me dirty, in any respect, I don’t tell them to go clean up, and then I’ll love them.

I pull them into my lap, no matter how sweaty or dirty they are, and try to lead them through whatever they are feeling.

That instinct we have toward our children? That is a fraction of what God has toward us.

Walking through life with God is such a privilege, and one of the most beautiful things about it isn’t that He tolerates your mess — it’s that He wants to be right there in it with you.

And every time I extend that grace toward my boys, I am giving them — and myself — a glimpse of the Father’s love.

Summer in our house doesn’t look like the highlight reel. It looks like schedules that change every week, vacations with loads of laundry, later bedtimes that make everyone a little feral, and the absence of the sports rhythms that honestly keep us all sane.

We are a family that runs better on structure, and Summer is not that.

Which means Summer is basically a live training ground for everything we just talked about. More mess, more grace needed, and more moments of reaching for God’s hand because I just raised my voice about something ridiculous before 9 am.

And I’m learning to be okay with that. Summer doesn’t need to be managed perfectly. It just needs to be walked through… preferably with God’s hand in mine and a little more patience than I had yesterday.

So I am looking at it through David’s lens this season. Looking for little ways to praise Him, ways to let Him lead me, and ways to model His grace for my own boys.

What a blessing it is to have You counsel and guide us in our muddiest moments.

You know the tangle of thoughts we carry surrounding our own mess. We want to untangle that knot with You by our side and Your voice guiding our fingers.

When motherhood puts a spotlight on our most tender and embarrassing moments, remind us that Your love will cover it all. We just have to be willing to bring it to You.

Thank you for being such a merciful and gracious Father, and for the gift of walking through this life with You.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope your week held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Every year, as this week approaches, I find myself not only navigating end-of-year chaos but also sitting in the tension of both celebrating and reliving a day, eight years ago, that feels like both a blessing and a burden.

Eight years ago, during this exact week, we had just been released from the hospital after our son had a milrinone pump placed in his belly. This pump would release medicine into his body to help his heart function while he waited to receive a new one. We were staying at my aunt’s house in Charleston, SC, close to the hospital, until I could get used to caring for the pump on my own.

After only five days on the heart transplant list, truly unheard of, I answered a phone call at 11 pm that would forever change our lives. The heart team had located a new heart for Jones, and they would perform the eight-hour surgery the next day.

The next 24 hours were a whirlwind of emotions that I never hope any parent has to experience: fear that this could be the last time I held my baby boy. Grief that another parent was losing their child so that mine could have a second chance at life. Joy that Jones was receiving a new heart. Anger that we had to deal with any of this at all. Anxiety over what our future held, even if the surgery was successful.

But underneath all of those emotions was always a steady stream of strength and peace. I knew that God was holding us through it.

My biggest prayer as we wheeled Jones back to the operating room was simply that Jesus would be in that room with him. I imagined Him there — hands resting on the surgeon’s shoulders as they worked, smoothing Jones’s hair back from his face with a gentle touch, whispering constant words of peace.

When we were called back to see him at 2 in the morning, I have never felt such a rush of relief in my life. Even though our son was hooked up to countless machines, he was there — his new heart successfully beating in his little chest. Tears rolled down our cheeks as they showed us this tiny, precious gift on the ultrasound.

Every year, I allow myself to recount this story. I open my heart to every emotion I need to feel, because trust me — those emotions will never fully leave me. I talk to God about it. I talk to my husband about it. I talk to Jones about it.

And now, I share it with you.

Not because I want sympathy. Not because I need to vent. And certainly not to stir fear in other parents.

I share it because our story is a testament to the faithfulness of God. In the trenches of our story and in its triumphs, Jesus has sustained, comforted, healed, strengthened, and provided for our family in ways I never could have imagined. And He is still working in it today.

Before Jones’s diagnosis, I knew God and I believed in Him. During and after — I experienced Him. And I will never be the same.

So that is where we are landing today. Let’s dig in.

1,000 Names by Phil Wickham

I know you by a thousand names

And you deserve every single one

You’ve given me a million ways

To be amazed at what You’ve done

Phil Wickham has an amazing acoustic album that I sometimes put on at night while the boys are falling asleep. Earlier this week, this song came on and tears sprang to my eyes.

The second line goes like this: “I call You Healer, You can mend any broken heart.”

During a week where I am revisiting Jones’s physical heart being mended, it felt like a reminder straight from Him.

As I listened more closely, I realized how many names and roles our Father actually holds in our lives. Many times, we put Him in a box, allowing Him to be the One who offers guidance, the One who forgives our sins, or the One who created everything.

But God is so much more than just one thing, and He desperately wants us to step into the fullness of who He is.

As much pain as our heart journey with Jones has caused, I also believe that it has helped me see more clearly who God is and what He is capable of.

Songs like this remind us that He is everything we need, and as His children, we have access to experiencing His love in so many different ways.

And that is exactly what I want to dig into today, because I think most of us are only scratching the surface of who He actually is.

If you are not super familiar with Job, here is what you need to know: he was a good man who loved God and lived faithfully. And then, in what feels like a blink, he lost nearly everything. His children, his health, his livelihood. He sat in his suffering and wrestled hard with God, asking the questions that most of us are too afraid to say out loud.

But here is the thing about Job that I love. He did not walk away. He stayed in it, and on the other side of that suffering, he said something that has always stood out to me.

In Job 42:5, he looks back at everything he has been through and says this: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” Before the hard thing, Job knew about God. After it, he knew Him intimately.

The truth is, we often don’t discover the fullness of God until our circumstances strip us down and our need for Him takes center stage.

Suffering is a part of our fallen world. It just is. But God uses it to pull us closer to Him and reveal the sides of Himself we may not have known to reach for.

From a very young age, I reached for God to be my Forgiver, my Guide, my Savior. I read what He could do, I knew He loved me, and I knew His ways were good and true.

But when my son was deathly sick, I experienced God in a way I never had before. That peace that surpasses understanding: I was covered in it. The Healer whose hands mended and repaired: I saw it with my own eyes. The Provider who sustains you and makes sure you have what you need: I watched as He showed up through generous friends and family. The Shepherd who never lets His sheep get lost: He found me when I turned to other things for comfort. The Defeater of Death, who conquered the grave and offered us an infinite future: He pulled me back from the grief I was drowning in.

Before Jones got sick, I knew God. But now, my eyes have seen Him.

Every year this week arrives, and it feels complicated. On Sunday morning at church, I teared up during worship, and that night on the couch, I told my husband about the anxiety I was feeling. I look back at the videos and pictures from that time in our lives, and it makes me both joyful and sad in one breath.

We celebrate Jones’s heartiversary with him every year like a second birthday: cake, usually a present, lots of talking about the miracle we all witnessed. And it is a huge celebration. Even directly after his heart transplant, I had no clue whether we would make it to this point with him. Now he is playing every sport he wants to, going to school with his buddies, and doing all the things every parent hopes their child will do.

In the back of my mind, there is a place of grief and worry that I sometimes visit, because his life and ours will be forever different because of this diagnosis and surgery. I should sweep past that, keep it buried, and only focus on what is in front of me. Shouldn’t I just be grateful by now? Shouldn’t it get easier?

But here is what is true: as I wrestle with all of those emotions, I get to remember what that season opened up for me. I am faced with the reality that I never would have met the side of God that cradled my family in that hospital room any other way. And I ask myself this question: how many names of God would I not have known to call on if it had not happened?

Now I ask you the same question.

I do not know what situation you are thinking about as you read this today. But I do know that as moms, we all have situations that bring up complicated emotions. How different would your relationship with Christ be if that situation had not created the space for Him to step in? What name of God did you learn in that season?

Whatever you have been through, or are in the middle of right now, God is there too. He is not absent from it. He is using it, and He will repurpose every heartbreaking moment. At the end of it, I believe you will have experienced a new facet of God’s character that you could not have found any other way.

So, and I am speaking this over myself just as much as over you, remember: the hard thing is never the end of the story. In God’s hands, it just becomes a part of it.

As parents, we can sometimes be tempted to protect our children from the hard things by not talking about them. We want to shield them from the pain we know that season caused, even if they cannot remember it.

But there is a difference between burdening your child and honoring their story with them.

On my phone I have the app Timehop, which shows me videos and pictures from the same date in previous years. As we get closer to this time, I always show Jones and his brother the videos and pictures from our hospital stays, both before and after his transplant.

It opens up so many conversations in our home about how God provided, how strong and brave Jones was, and how many people showed up for him. It also allows Jones to ask questions and process the experience year by year as he gets older.

Some questions are difficult to answer, and some videos feel uncomfortable to watch. But we want Jones to grow up knowing that his story is not a sad thing that happened to him. It is a testimony that belongs to him. And the earlier he begins to see God’s faithfulness in his own life and in ours, I hope the deeper his faith will root.

Is there a difficult part of your family’s story that you are tempted to keep buried? If so, think about how talking about it openly might help point to God in the middle of the mess.

Because I am learning that families who tell their stories out loud raise kids who know how to find God in their own.

Lord,

The deeper I fall into relationship with You, the more of Your names I discover to be true.

Each difficult moment I face brings me a new part of You to experience.

As I look back on the things I wish were different, help me see You in them. Help me see how You use the pain, the grief, and the fear to show me that You are my Protector, my Comforter, and the Author of our days ahead.

May we sing loudly of each new part of You we experience, so that others might be drawn into Your love.

Thank You for the gift of Jones. For the gift of his new chance at life. I am forever grateful to know him more and more with each passing year. Help him see the plans You have for him and step into them with all of his little soul.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope your week held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Can we just take a collective deep breath and acknowledge something together? May is a lot.

The calendar that somehow said yes to everything. The end-of-year parties that need a snack, a gift, and apparently a color-coordinated table setup. The teacher appreciation week that snuck up on you. The sports banquets, the field trips, and the endless dress-up days. The to-do list keeps growing, no matter how many things you cross off.

And here is the thing about a full calendar and a long to-do list: it doesn’t just stay in your planner. It spills. Into your patience, into your sleep, into your relationships, and if we aren’t careful, straight into our spiritual lives too.

Because when everything around us feels performative, we start bringing that same energy to God. And sometimes we end up treating our faith like one more thing on the list we aren’t doing well enough.

But this week I want to sit with you in the middle of the mayhem and point us both back to something that I think is going to take the pressure off… at least when we are with Him.

Let’s dig in.

• May’s Monthly Mood board is here, and it is all about grieving the growing. We are leaning into the fact that May comes with so many emotions as our little people transition from one season to another. There are also a couple of book recs and some Summer staples sprinkled in!

• Last week’s Faithful Friday was also about this transitional phase of Motherhood. Read: They Don’t Need You Less. They Need You Diffrently here.

i get overwhelmed sometimes by Abbie Gamboa, UPPERROOM

Stop, take a breath

It’ll be alright

Just me, no more or less

Is all that you require

…

I get overwhelmed sometimes

But every time, your love reminds me

That you’re never hard to find

You’re in every moment, waiting

Even when I start to strive

Living in your love is easy.

In May, I am constantly performing: How can I make this teacher gift cuter than last year’s? How many things can I volunteer for by the end of the year? Do I have everything checked off the list?

My mind becomes a swirling disaster of bigger, better, more…

And what I need, what I really need, is a reminder to stop, breathe, and put things back into perspective. When I am deep in Super Mom mode, that is nearly impossible to do on my own.

But then this line blared through my speakers the other morning: “Just me, no more or less, is all that You require.” My muscles relax. My breathing slows because it is a reminder that there is one place I never have to perform.

When the pressure to be more starts bleeding into our time with God, this song is our invitation to lay it all down before we even begin. He doesn’t require a supercharged version of ourselves. He only requires our hearts.

And how refreshing is that this time of year?!

This verse has a way of making us think the “patterns of this world” are the obvious ones: greed, gossip, or whatever the politicians are pushing these days.

But the patterns of this world are not always obviously sinful choices. Sometimes they just look like letting ourselves get pulled into performing, or carrying so many things at once that we stop making time for God.

Sometimes it just looks like May. Doing more, stepping into more than we can handle, and running ourselves ragged so others can see that we are involved and happy about it.

The conforming happens quickly and quietly. And before we know it, we are caught up in a relentless pattern of performing. But who are we performing for? Certainly not God. And if we are honest, maybe not even for our kids or from the good of our hearts.

Paul calls us to move differently through a world that never stops asking more of us. And transformation doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with thinking differently.

We will never be transformed by the demands of this world. Instead, we are transformed and renewed by being close to the One who made us. And He never asks us to perform for Him.

As we spend more time in His presence, we begin to see what it is He is actually calling us into, not what the room mom is calling us into. Don’t hear me wrong: God calls us to serve. But He never calls us to serve from an empty heart or to serve in a performative manner. And the only way our hearts can be truly full or know what He is calling us to do is by returning to Him for renewal and direction

The world has a pattern for May. God has an entirely different invitation.

Even writing my newsletter this week feels performative. I am tired. I look at my calendar for the next week and literally yawn out loud: volunteering for field day, bike parade, pajama day, end-of-year parties… whew, it’s a lot.

And when I lean into something… I usually lean in. I mean, I was signed up to do snacks for Steele’s party, and the theme is a beach party, so naturally, I had to order some mini sand pails and fun tissue paper to create the whole experience.

I know, I do a lot of it to myself. Because I love being a mom to my boys. I love showing up and making them smile. I love showing them that life is worth celebrating and pointing them to God’s good gifts.

But it can still drain the life right out of me… and, embarrassingly true statement, I care what the other moms think of me.

I started to notice that when I opened my devotional each morning, I was rushing through it because I had other things on my agenda. I would make it all the way to 8:00 that night without ever plugging my heart in to be recharged.

So when I heard that Abbie Gamboa song, I almost laughed out loud because I felt it so deeply. I am so overwhelmed that I cannot even give my mind a moment of renewal.

Here was the problem: I was approaching my time with God like another box to check. Plastering a smile on, placing words of praise on my lips, not because I was feeling them but because I thought I was supposed to. Another performance, another May obligation.

But that is not what He is asking for. He invites us to come to Him in whatever form we need to. And what I needed in those moments was not a polished quiet time. It was renewal. It was quiet. It was someone to tell me which way to go.

Performing for the world is exhausting. But performing for God on top of it? That will empty you completely. Coming to Him as you are is the only thing that actually refills you.

Since this entire newsletter has been about how much we have on our plates, I am not going to add a single thing more.

But if you are also craving renewal right now over performance, listen to the song above once a day for the next week.

Maybe it’s in the car. Maybe it’s on a walk. Maybe it’s while you are doing the dishes. All you have to do is press play, allow His presence to meet you right where you are, and watch what He does with the quiet.

He will renew you. That is what He does.

Lord,

We come to You just as we are: overwhelmed, overstimulated, and exhausted.

We won’t hide what we are feeling from You. We won’t come into Your presence wearing a mask of calm when that is not what we are feeling.

Instead, we bring our weary hearts and ask You to do what only You can: renew us, transform us, and lead us into Your will and not the world’s.

We are grateful for the celebrations. But we ask that You help us not drown in them.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

May has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re surviving the January grind, and the next you’re staring down the last few weeks of school with a calendar that looks like it’s been hit by a glitter bomb. Field days. End-of-year parties. Teacher Appreciation Week. We call it Maycember for a reason.

But underneath all the chaos, there’s something quieter happening. Something that doesn’t make it onto the calendar but settles heavily in your chest anyway.

In the blink of an eye, another year has passed. Another year that they will be under your roof has disappeared all too quickly. And all of a sudden, you see the changes that have happened in the last 9 months: the growth, the maturity, the milestones that have passed.

And honestly? It feels like a deep exhale. It feels like something is working. But it also feels like letting go of something sacred. Something I didn’t know I was holding until it was already slipping through my fingers.

That’s the thing about May: it highlights the changes happening. It makes us hold the pride and the ache of parenting at the forefront of our minds. And if you’re feeling it too, you’re not alone. Moody May… I’m right there with you ;)

So here’s what May actually looks like around here:

• Sports seasons have wrapped, which means our evenings finally have some breathing room… but our days are somehow even fuller with end-of-year everything.

• Navigating the new freedom my boys are asking for in the neighborhood. How far is too far? What are the rules before summer officially starts? We’re figuring it out in real time.

• Finalizing summer camps, because apparently that requires the same energy as planning a small military operation.

• Prepping the house for summer: restocking the snack drawer, getting the back porch actually usable again, and bracing for two boys who will essentially live outside for the next three months.

• Putting together end-of-year appreciation gifts for teachers and staff, because these people showed up for my kids every single day, and they deserve more than a gift card in an envelope. {Linked my fave idea here, been using for the last couple of years! It is this fun can cooler stuffed with bubble waters and a gift card!}

• Slowing down the morning routine, or at least trying to. Because just when I finally had it dialed in, we’re two weeks from blowing the whole thing up for summer. The irony is not lost on me.

• May 24th marks eight years since Jones's heart transplant, his heartiversary. May always pulls me back into that season: the fear, the faith, the miracle of watching a day that changed everything turn into eight years of a boy who is so wildly alive. It is joy and grief and gratitude all wrapped up in one, and I wouldn't trade a single complicated feeling of it.

May’s Permission Slip:

Permission to Grieve the Growing

Here's the thing about motherhood that nobody warns you about: the grief doesn't just come at the big milestones. It comes in waves, over and over again, steeped in equal parts joy and ache, because you are watching someone you love more than your own life become exactly who they were made to be.

It is both the most beautiful and the most bittersweet thing you will ever witness. And somehow, the end of the school year makes it all hit at once.

Because you blinked, you know you did.

You dropped them off on the first day with a new backpack that was almost bigger than they were, and now you’re standing at the finish line of an entire year, wondering how it went that fast. They are two inches taller. They have fewer teeth. They know things you didn’t teach them and have friendships you weren’t there for. And in just a few weeks, they won’t be in that grade anymore. That version of them, the one you spent this whole year getting to know, is already becoming someone new.

And the grief of that doesn’t just come at graduations or milestone birthdays. It came the day they stopped wanting to be carried. The night they didn’t need you to rock them anymore. The morning they figured out the car seat buckle on their own, and you sat in the front seat trying to figure out why that made you want to cry.

Lately, for me, it’s the pull away I always knew was coming. They take their own showers now. They get dressed in the morning without me. They grab their own snacks and bubble waters from the fridge like little people who live here and know where everything is. They have a whole gang of kids they play kickball with in the backyard, a world they’ve built that doesn’t require me to build it for them.

And I have wanted this. I have prayed for this. There were seasons I felt like I was drowning in their need for me, and I desperately craved this exhale. But nobody told me the exhale would feel like loss, too.

My boys are the exception in that they still love to snuggle up at the end of the day, and I hold onto that with both hands. They love being in my presence, and I feel so blessed by that. But even still, I feel it, this quiet ache that comes with watching them need you less.

I want to let go. But I want them to hold on.

So this month, I’m giving you permission to grieve the growing. Permission to feel the ache without guilt. Permission to be proud of who they’re becoming and heartbroken about who they’re leaving behind… at the very same time. Both things are true. Both things are allowed.

What I Am Holding Onto in May:

The years that feel like they’re slipping through our fingers are not slipping through His. He is sovereign over every season… the ones that feel sacred and the ones that feel like survival. He was faithful to us, and He will be faithful to them. Their futures are already spread out before Him, known and held and loved.

So trust Him with it all: every season, every growth spurt, every worry, and every fear.

What I Am Consuming in May:

READING: Parenting by Andy & Sandy Stanley. Rob and I are reading this one together, which feels right for this season. It was recommended to us, and we are just now digging in, but we are already loving it. What makes it unique is that it’s dual-narrated (husband and wife, father and mother), and that dual perspective is something I think we so often miss in parenting books. It’s not just the mom’s experience. It’s both of theirs. Highly recommend reading it with your person.

FOR THE DADS: Between Dad and Me journals by Katie Clemons. I got two of these, one for each of my boys to give to Rob for his birthday, because I realized something: I am with our boys all the time. I do the pickups. I get the afternoon debriefs. I know what happened at recess and who said what at lunch. Rob doesn’t always get that. So I wanted to give them all a way to connect on a deeper level, just the three of them. It’s almost like being pen pals with their dad. They have to think intentionally about the relationship: what they love to do together, how he makes them feel, what they want him to know. They even get to set their own rules together: who gets to read it, how often they pass it back and forth. Which, as a bonus, teaches them something really important about boundaries and honoring another person. Watching it unfold has been one of the sweetest things. If your kids’ dad is looking for a way to go deeper with them, this is it.

5 Things You Need for Your Boy Mom Summer:

1 & 2. The Burlebo American Flag Hat + Performance Hoodie. My boys have both of these and reach for them all the time, which is the highest endorsement I can give anything. The hat is lightweight, easy to pack, and holds up to every kind of summer chaos, including getting completely soaked. The patriotic print carries you right through every summer holiday without missing a beat. The hoodie is the one I grab when we’re heading to the pool, the lake, or the beach, and I want them covered without a fight. It’s UPF 40, lightweight, and gives them that effortlessly put-together look that boy moms know is hard to come by. These two are a summer non-negotiable in our house.

3. J.Crew Factory Boys Boxers. These are our summer pajamas, full stop. A pair of these with a big t-shirt is the only thing my boys reach for after a shower from June through August. They’re cool, comfortable, and the fun prints make them feel like a treat. Bonus: they can absolutely still run around the backyard in them after dinner, and nobody is mad about it.

4. Minnow Buttercream Stripe Low Back One Piece. This one is on my summer wishlist, and I cannot stop thinking about it. Every boy mom needs a swimsuit that can actually keep up: jumping waves, kids climbing your back, all of it. This one is cute enough to feel intentional, and the yellow is just perfection. Adding to the cart, the second summer officially starts.

5. Madewell Easy Shirt + Pull-On Shorts in Chanterelle Print. Also firmly on the wishlist. This matching set is the kind of thing that does everything: beach cover-up, travel set, camp pickup outfit, or thrown on with a dressier sandal for dinner. The print is so good, and the ease of a matching set in the summer is something I will always be here for.

What I’m Paying Attention To:

Actually looking forward to summer. I’ll be honest, I usually meet the end of the school year with equal parts excitement and low-grade anxiety. Two boys, one roof, a lot of hours to fill. But this year feels different. They are at really good ages, we have a summer full of camps and trips ahead of us, and somewhere along the way, these two started genuinely bonding in the best way. I am paying attention to that shift and choosing not to take it for granted.

Returning to faithfulness every time a heartiversary passes. Eight years. Each one that goes by is a celebration and a reminder all at once. I have watched God show up for Jones again and again in ways I couldn’t have scripted, and I have to keep returning to that. Not resting on it passively, but actively choosing to trust Him with what’s ahead because of what He has already done.

Leaning into the moments they still need me, no matter how small. The questions they ask from the backseat. The “watch this, mom” moments. The walks that go nowhere in particular. The family nights that won’t make it onto anyone’s highlight reel but will live in my heart forever. They are growing up fast, and I know it. So I am paying attention. I am showing up for the small stuff because I know soon enough the small stuff will be all I’m wishing for.

If you’re in the thick of Maycember right now, I see you. The calendar is full, the feelings are complicated, and somehow you’re supposed to hold it all together while also remembering to bring drinks in for the end-of-the-year party.

Give yourself some grace. Feel what you need to feel. And don’t forget to look up every once in a while, because the moments you’re rushing through right now are the ones you’ll want back someday.

Here’s to finishing the year well, grieving the growing, and trusting the One who holds it all.

For all the fun goodies mentioned in this month’s post, click HERE!

XOXO, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

For the past few months, I’ve felt this shift in our family and it’s been both wonderful and heartwrenching.

I’ve watched my boys start to do more and more on their own. Running off as soon as they get home to find friends outside, instead of begging me to be the pitcher in the backyard. And there’s a moment (different for every mom, different for every kid) where it all just feels very real, very fast.

For so long, you’ve been in a season of pouring out everything. Running on empty physically, emotionally, mentally. That’s just the water you swim in for a while.

Then one day you’re standing in the kitchen cooking dinner, and it’s quiet, except for the sound of laughter coming from the backyard. And you have this bittersweet moment of recognition: I have been praying for this. A moment to gather my thoughts, cook dinner, hum to myself, without constant stimulation. But your heart hurts a little too because gone are the days of “mama, can I help?” and “mom, will you please…”

Here’s the truth I couldn’t shake: this isn’t the end of being needed. It’s the beginning of being needed in a whole new way.

And there’s a promise in Philippians that I think is going to shift something in you… from grieving the years when they needed you to survive, to celebrating the years when they need you to thrive. Let’s dig in.

Talking to Jesus by Brandon Lake

Then he walked in my room

While I was saying my prayers the other night

He said, “I’ll come back later

I can tell you have a lot on your mind”

I said, “It’s not an interruption

You couldn’t have picked a better time

‘Cause I was talking to Jesus,

Come over and give it a try”

If you have never heard this song, pop over and give it a listen (here) before you read another word!

In this particular section, Brandon’s son walks into his room while he is praying and starts to leave, assuming he’s interrupting. But instead of seeing it as an interruption, Brandon sees it as an opportunity to teach his son how to talk to Jesus.

This is exactly what we are talking about today. As our children get older, their need for us changes, over and over again. In each new season, we get to learn how to show up for them in a whole new way.

They may not need us to tie their shoes anymore, or to be the all-time pitcher in the backyard. But their need turns into something deeper, a shaping of their spirit instead of just a shaping of their days.

That’s the invitation of this season. The need doesn’t disappear, it just grows up.

Before we dig into Philippians, let’s start here. Every mom has probably read Genesis 2:24, the verse where God tells us His design for children isn’t for them to stay tucked under our wings forever, but to move on and out into the world.

Don’t worry, we aren’t quite there yet! Where we are, though, is in the middle of this tender moment of watching our children slowly move away from us while figuring out how to be the guardrails in their lives.

And friend, there is a promise that was written for this exact tension, the middle space between holding on and letting go. We find it right at the beginning of Philippians.

Paul is writing, from prison, to a church of believers in Philippi, a community he helped build from the ground up. But now he finds himself in a position where he can’t shepherd them closely anymore. And yet he writes to them with complete confidence… not in his own ability to finish what he started, but in God’s faithfulness to carry it forward.

We can take a huge lesson from Paul in the parenting sense here. He isn’t desperately hanging onto control or trying to manipulate outcomes from afar. He is encouraging the church, bolstering them up with what he knows to be true, and surrendering the rest to God.

And here’s the beautiful thing: this verse is being spoken over you as a mom just as much as it is being spoken over your child.

God began a good work in you the moment they were placed in your arms. The sleepless nights, the comforting snuggles, the discipline, this has always been His work through your hands. And He will continue to use you to shape them, and them to shape you, until His work is complete.

God also began a good work in your child before you ever laid eyes on them. And because they were His before they were yours, He has plans in place for them that extend far beyond your reach. We get to step into the position of Paul, though hopefully not from prison 😉, and release the need for complete control. If there is one thing we know: God always completes what He starts. So this independence you are seeing right now isn’t your work ending, it’s His work continuing.

You are right in the middle of the story He is writing. It may feel bittersweet, it may feel like an undoing but it is actually an incredible moment of surrender. An invitation to partner with God in completing the good work He started and will finish in your child.

If I am honest (why does it feel like this section always starts this way?! 🙃), the quiet moment cooking dinner felt like a sweet little gift for all of the pouring out I have done over the last nine years of parenting.

And if we aren’t careful, we might see these shifts in our roles as an invitation to exhale a little too long, to slowly drift from the active work of mothering while the demands feel lighter.

But here is where I landed this week: just because the physical demands are getting lighter doesn’t mean I get to drop the spiritual ones.

Our greatest assignment when they are little is to help them survive. But as they get older, that assignment graduates to helping them thrive. In reality, they don’t need us less. They need us differently.

And that stewarding? It’s a direct call from God. (Proverbs 22:6; 1 Timothy 3:4; Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

So what does stewarding them actually look like in this season? I don’t have it all figured out, but here is what I am thinking:

• I may not be the all-time pitcher anymore, but I am still one of the coaches. That means being present, staying close, and knowing when to step in and when to hold back. It means having all the kids in my backyard while quietly cracking the window.

• It means always keeping the door open, never shutting down the questions that feel too hard, and being their safe place to land.

• It means praying over them relentlessly — both in front of them and when they aren’t around.

• It means modeling what it looks like to walk beside Jesus so that as they grow, it feels like the most natural thing they could do.

I would love to hear from the moms who have been walking in this season longer than I have or who are right in the middle of it with me. What are some things you do to steward your children?

Lord,

They were Yours before they were ours. And we are just so thankful that we get to partner with You in raising them.

Help us navigate each season of changing needs — not with our own need for control, but with the confidence that You will finish what You start.

Help us get to know the humans our children are becoming, so that we can step into exactly the role they need from us.

Help us never step back from those needs, even when they feel hard or confusing.

And above all, help us teach them that walking with You will be the greatest joy of their lives.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes. But if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s been that kind of week) and settle in for our weekly chat.

A few weeks ago at Coachella, Justin Bieber sat down in the middle of his set and performed an acoustic version of his song “Everything Hallelujah.” The lyrics are almost silly in their simplicity: “Brand new day, hallelujah. Brush my teeth, hallelujah. Take a swim, hallelujah. Everything hallelujah.” He wasn’t singing about the grand, sweeping moments of life. He was naming the tiny, ordinary ones that somehow add up to mean the most.

And it sparked a wild trend. Within days, everyone (moms included) started posting their own versions:

• Laundry done, hallelujah.

• Meeting canceled, hallelujah.

• They both wanted to play the same thing, hallelujah.

• Dinner didn’t burn, hallelujah.

I don’t know if Justin meant to light a spark in a religious sense. But I love a trend that pulls us out of overlooking our everyday ordinary and helps us see how holiness hides in the carpool line, the folded laundry, and the one meal everyone actually ate that week.

It also made me curious about the word itself. What does hallelujah actually mean? What kind of weight does it carry in Scripture? And then God did what only God does. I opened my Bible study for the week and laughed out loud at the title: The Hallelujah Chorus.

That sealed it. This week, we are planting ourselves right in the middle of the everything hallelujah trend — and digging into why this word was always ours to begin with.

Ready? Let’s go

Everyday Hallelujah by Phil Wickham

In the joy and in the pain
In the sun and in the rain
Every breath gonna bless Your name
Here's my everyday hallelujah
For the love and for the grace
For the hope that's never gonna fade away
Let my life be a life of praise
Here's my everyday hallelujah

I know the trend is based on Justin Bieber’s song, and I genuinely love getting a glimpse into what he praises the Lord for. But this one has also been on my playlist lately, and seeing the word hallelujah show up everywhere in my world right now feels like a tug at my heart to open my eyes to the goodness that surrounds me.

Earlier in the song, Phil sings about the many ways he sees, feels, and hears God throughout his days. And these lyrics stopped me cold: “I can feel You when my children wrap their arms around my neck.”

Isn’t it just the truth? How much closer to the love of God can we get than when these little beings He created and gave us to raise reach up and hook their tiny elbows around the backs of our necks?

But how many times do I brush that hug off as just another everyday occurrence instead of something to praise Him for?

I want these words to come alive in my own life. I want my life to be a life of praise — every day blessing His name, every night lifting something back to the One who gave it.

His mercies never cease. Shouldn’t our praise be the same?

This is the very last verse in the whole book of Psalms. And it ends with the phrase “praise the Lord.” Twice.

What have we talked about with repetition in the Bible, ladies? If it’s repeated, it’s worth paying attention to.

The interesting thing about this phrase is that “praise the Lord” is the exact definition of hallelujah. Strong’s Concordance tells us that the Hebrew word halal means to praise, to boast, to celebrate. And Yah, where the “jah” in Hallelujah is pulled from, is a contraction of Yahweh. This is His personal, sacred name.

So the literal translation of Hallelujah is: “Praise ye Yah.” This isn’t a suggestion, it’s a command. And according to Psalm 150:6, everything that has breath is called to do it.

If you’ve been around Messy Mercies the past few months, you know I’ve been deep in the Psalms. And this was our last week. We landed in the final five Psalms, a crescendo of boisterous, building celebration of who should praise Him, what should praise Him, and why.

Each one stacks on the last until we arrive at Psalm 150, where the answer becomes impossible to miss: everywhere, everyone, everything that has breath. With everything you’ve got.

And here’s what I can’t stop thinking about. God is using a social media trend to do what He has always done… Write His glory into everything. People everywhere are reaching for a word of complete worship to name the good things in their lives. They just don’t know whose name is in it yet.

This trend got something right: there is something powerful about pausing to name the beautiful, ordinary, good things.

As moms, we are in a constant state of go. From the moment a little voice asks for water in the morning until we read that last book at bedtime, we are on the move. We are wired to look for what’s coming next, what needs to be fixed, and who needs our attention. Our worlds are loud, stimulating, and don’t leave much space for simple pauses.

But simple pauses to praise Him are what this life is all about.

In the beginning, we were created to live in communion with our Creator. He breathed life into our lungs for one purpose: to know Him and make Him known. Praise is how we've been doing that since the very first breath. We were made to celebrate who He is and boast about what He has done.

Praise isn’t something we add to our lives; it’s what we were built for. And when we return to it, we are returning to who He made us to be.

My hallelujah list this week looked like this:

• Watching my boys’ friendship grow right before my eyes.

• An early night in the middle of a busy season.

• A quiet walk by myself in the sunshine.

This simple practice is teaching me something: it doesn’t have to be groundbreaking to be praiseworthy.

Confession: I have tried again and again to keep a running gratitude list and I have failed every single time. I have an unfinished gratitude journal shoved in my bedside table and a list on my phone I haven’t visited in weeks.

And it isn’t because I’m not grateful. I am! But I think these methods fail for moms because they require us to stop, sit, remember, and have a pen. None of those things reliably exist in this stage of life.

So what if gratitude didn’t require a system? What if it just required a word?

God doesn’t need physical proof of our praise. He just wants a moment of our undivided attention.

Here is what I’m practicing this week: I set an alarm on my phone for 8:00 PM and named it “hallelujah.” For us, 8:00 is right after the kids go down, the first real exhale of the afternoon. It’s also the hour when everything from the day is still circling my mind. When that alarm goes off, I know what it’s asking: what was praiseworthy today?

Close your eyes. Circle back to your Creator. Name what was good. That's your hallelujah.

My everyday hallelujah.

Lord,

Thank You for little loves and laughter.

Thank You for tiny cold feet that find their way into our beds in the morning.

Thank You for “I think I cans” as we hold our breath watching.

Thank You for big feelings that end in tight snuggles.

Thank You for sunny skies that melt into starry nights.

Thank You for backyard noise and dirty feet.

Thank You for an exhaustion that leaks into my bones but fills my soul.

Thank You for the smallest things that bring the greatest joys.

Hallelujah. I praise You, Lord.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Tell me one Hallelujah on your list this week!!

Leave a comment

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

We made it to the final week of The Busy Season series… and I have to be honest with you, writing this has been just as much for me as it has been for you.

I am not a busy season person. I like slow mornings and unhurried evenings and days that do not feel like a sprint from the moment my feet hit the floor. And this season of life? It is not that. The calendar is full, the pace is fast, and some days I am just trying to keep up.

But something has been shifting in me as I have written through these weeks with you.

I am learning to look for His goodness in more places. In the golden hour, when the kids are still playing, and I know they should already be in bed. At the late practice, where my eyes are heavy, but watching him do what he loves makes my heart full. Throughout the Tuesday that does not slow down for anyone. He is there, and I am just learning to have eyes for it.

And this week, as we close out this series, I want to talk about the one thing that makes all of it sustainable: rest. Not the kind that requires a perfectly quiet house and an empty calendar. The kind that Jesus actually offers, rest for your soul.

Let’s finish this one together.

Walk With You by Taya

You set the pace, God

So I walk before You

Your Word is a lamp that’s

Guiding my way through

You sent Your Spirit

Said this is the way

So I walk in it

The first line of this verse says it all… “You set the pace, God.” During busy seasons, rest can feel like a faraway, unattainable thing. But as Christians, this does not have to be the case. When we turn to God and let him set the pace for our lives, when we take his yoke upon us, when we learn from him… we find rest for our souls.

We don’t have to move at the pace of this world. We have the choice to look for the way God is leading us instead. This doesn’t mean we can clear our schedules or sit lazily by while the world is turning.

But we get to decide that God will set the pace for getting through our to-do’s. We get to choose to only take on what He has set before us… not what the world places upon us.

And when we walk with him, when we take his yoke, we will find that he helps us carry it. That he lightens our load and offers us rest.

I saved this verse for last on purpose. After four weeks of talking about the busy season, this is where it all lands. And I know you may feel like you’ve read this verse a million times, but trust me, there is always so much richness when you keep digging into the same scripture.

We’ve talked about three different words in this series: remain, abundance, and formed. Each one has taken us deeper into the heart of what we’ve been studying. This week is no different.

This week, we’re looking at the word, you guessed it, rest. And here’s the cool thing: in these two verses, we actually find two different Greek words for rest.

In verse 28, “I will give you rest,” the Greek word anapauō is used. It means to cause someone to cease from labor to recover and collect their strength; to refresh and restore what has been depleted. It’s actually related to the English word “pause.”

In verse 29, “you will find rest for your souls,” the Greek word anapausis is used. This one means a settled state of peace that lives in your soul. It’s not just a pause, it’s a condition. Something that takes up residence in your heart.

Jesus is offering us two beautiful kinds of rest, and they both reside with Him. He’s giving us a place to cease our striving… to literally take a break, recover, and regain our strength. But He’s also offering us something much deeper: a place for our souls to feel content and at peace, which only happens when we walk with Him daily.

I picture it like this.

I’m on a long hike in the mountains. It’s a beautiful day, sunny with a slight breeze. As I trek upward, I can feel myself growing weary. My backpack gets heavy. My water is almost gone. My muscles are starting to burn.

Just when I need it, I spot a bench up ahead. Jesus is sitting there, patting the place beside Him, inviting me to rest with Him; to let Him refill my water, restore my strength, take my backpack. To unload every anxious thought I’ve been carrying about how much further I have to go, whether I can make it, whether I’m even going the right way.

But as I get up to leave, Jesus stands up too. He takes my hand and keeps hiking with me. He walks with me when I’m choosing which path to follow. He smiles at me when I stop to admire His creation. He holds me close when the wind picks up and dark clouds roll in. He offers me peace… not because the trail gets easier, but because I know He’s right beside me. My soul can rest in that.

Two kinds of rest. Both unbelievably necessary. Both only found in Him.

Restoration and peace. Renewal and constant calm. Immediate and forever present.

Here’s what I have to be honest about, though. I know this verse. You do too. And yet somehow, in the middle of this busy season, I have been hiking right past the bench.

Head down, backpack completely full, water long gone, telling myself I’ll rest later. That I’ll sit with Him when things calm down a little. When the lists get shorter. When life feels more manageable.

But here’s the thing about the busy season: it doesn’t just decide to slow down on its own. And while I’ve been power walking past Him, Jesus has been sitting on that bench the whole time. Waiting. Not frustrated. Not checking His watch. Just waiting, and genuinely wanting me to circle back and sit down.

Writing this newsletter was my own act of anapauō, carving out time in a crazy busy season to sit with the Word and actually reconnect with God the way I do in slower months. I came into this week’s word study already desperate for it. I didn’t know exactly where “rest” would take me, but I knew my soul needed it.

Digging into these two Greek words was my reminder that both kinds of rest are within my reach… and I have been neglecting both.

I have permission to sit down with Jesus and let Him refill me, and I should be demanding it of myself. That kind of rest isn’t indulgent. It’s necessary.

And when I get up from that bench, I get to carry His peace with me. I get to let the Holy Spirit have a place in directing my to-do list: in volunteering for field day with a joyful heart, in scrubbing red clay from baseball pants knowing I am serving my family, in giving generously to the teachers who have poured into my boys all year long.

When I walk hand in hand with Him through the end of the school year, He is my peaceful reminder to work for Him, not myself or others.

Bench moments are fought for. They aren’t automatically built into your calendar. You have to choose them, protect them, and sometimes fight for them against every distraction that is louder and more urgent.

And I don’t just want that kind of rest for myself. I want it for my family too. Which means the most important thing I can do is model what it looks like to actually carve out time for it. But I’ll admit, I am not always the best at practicing what I preach with my kids. Steele made sure I knew that the other day.

I had a scab on my knee, and I was picking at it (gross, I know, stay with me). Steele looked over and said, “Mom, you shouldn’t be doing that.” I told him I knew, but it was bothering me. And without missing a beat, he said, “Mom, why do you tell us not to do things but then sometimes you still do them?”

I just sat there… humbled.

Because he’s right, I tell them not to have dirty mouths, and then I let something slip when I spill coffee all over the counter. I tell them screens are bad for their brains, and then my phone is attached to my hand, approximately always. I tell them rest is good and that God made us to need it, and then I power walk right past the bench for three weeks straight.

Come on moms, please tell me I am not alone in this?!

Here’s the thing, though, I don’t want to model perfection for my boys. I gave up on that a long time ago. What I want is for them to watch me seek after God’s heart. To see me fight for the bench even when life is loud. To know that rest isn’t weakness… it’s actually where we find everything we need to keep going.

And that starts with me showing them what it looks like.

So here’s what fighting for the bench actually looks like in our house right now.

It looks like Jesus Calling in the morning before the chaos starts. Bible study spread out on the kitchen table throughout the week. My personal favorite and the best way I have learned to model the bench lately: winding down at night with my boys, reading through their devotionals together before bed, and letting “Shalom” from the David movie play softly while they fall asleep.

Without even trying to make it a lesson, I am showing my boys what it looks like to bring your tired self to Jesus at the end of a long day. I am modeling the bench. Not perfectly, but intentionally.

And maybe that’s the whole point. Not a perfect quiet time routine. Not a color-coded Bible study system. Just a mom who keeps circling back to Jesus, on the car ride, at the kitchen table, at the foot of their beds, and boys who grow up watching her do it.

That’s the kind of rest I want to pass down.

Jesus,

Thank You for the bench.

For the invitation to stop, sit down, and let You refill what this season has taken from us.

Forgive us for believing we have to earn the rest You are already freely offering.

Remind us that You are already waiting and that we don’t have to show up perfectly to sit beside You.

And when we get up, walk with us. Let that peace stay with us through every busy season.

Amen

Until next week, Blair

Share Messy Mercies

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

We are back from spring break (big exhale) and jumping back into the swing of things around here. It always takes me a few days to feel like I am back in sync. And as we jump back into life, we are also jumping back into our Busy Season Series, where we are not trying to wrangle or fix the busyness of our lives but instead find God right in the middle of it.

So far, we have focused on staying rooted to God in our busiest seasons of motherhood and allowing ourselves to see the abundance He offers in these wild, full seasons.

This week, I want to gently (and also loudly) tell you something important that the world and social media out there want you to forget: you are not behind.

As you scroll through your Instagram feed and see list after list of what you could be doing to streamline your life, I want you to take a deep breath and remember this truth: you cannot be behind on a timeline He already wrote.

To-go meals prepped in the fridge, a daily laundry system, and a perfectly organized garage are not requirements for living out His story for you in motherhood. They might be helpful. A few might actually work for your family. But do not feed into the lie that you are behind.

Ready to dig in? Let’s go

Exciting news! I’m almost ready to share our full Faith Resource Guide for Boy Moms. Your vote will help decide which section I’ll reveal first. Thank you for helping shape what’s next! Your feedback helps me know what you are looking for!

You Say by Lauren Daigle

I keep fighting voices in my mind

that say I’m not enough.

Every single lie that tells me

I will never measure up

…

Remind me once again just who

I am because I need to know.

We have all been there. Scrolling through social media and stumbling across a mom making dinner out of a portable crockpot for her kids in a parking lot after a baseball game. And before you even realize what is happening, you have labeled yourself a bad mom, because you usually just pull in the Zaxby’s drive-through on the way home.

You click on her video. You start saving her recipes. You decide to buy the crockpot. And there you are, spiraling. Comparing yourself to someone you have never even met.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped turning towards the One who knows us best, the One who placed us in this specific role in our families, who trusts US to raise our children, and started believing the lie that someone else could run our lives better than we could.

In the busy season, especially when things feel rushed and chaotic, and everyone seems to be doing it better than us, we need to ask God to remind us who we are.

This song is that reminder. In a world of constant comparison, finding His voice above all the noise is one of the hardest things we can do. But tuning our hearts to hear it? That is one of the most important.

Press play. Let Him tell you who you are.

So far in this series, we have studied the Greek words for remain and abundance and seen how much deeper we can go when we slow down and focus on specific words from Scripture.

This week, we are looking at the Hebrew word behind formed in this verse: yāṣar.

Yāṣar means to shape, to fashion, to craft purposely and with care. It is the same word used in Genesis 2:7 when God formed man from the dust of the ground, the language of a potter with clay. David is telling us that when God forms our days, He does so with purpose. He does not accidentally assign them to us. He does not just see them coming. His hands were on them, shaping them.

God was not looking at anyone else’s days when He formed yours.

So before you get caught in the comparison loop that sometimes finds us in motherhood… the perfect before-sunrise quiet time you watched someone have on Instagram stories this morning was written for her life. Not necessarily yours.

God fashioned your family differently, your kids, your rhythms, your capacity, on purpose and without mistake. You do not need a lens into someone else’s home to define what feels right in your own.

And Paul takes this even further in the New Testament. He tells us to examine our OWN work, taking pride in what WE do without comparing ourselves to anyone else (Galatians 6:4-5). This is your reminder that you are only responsible for the life God formed for you. Stay the course. Do not be discouraged because something works for another family and not yours.

You are not behind. You are running a completely different race.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how my mom handled things when we were growing up during busier seasons. And maybe I am romanticizing my childhood a little, but I do not remember her with to-go meals for every game or a trunk organizer separated by activity.

It just was not that serious. She did not have 7,000 voices telling her she could do better, that her time could be more optimized.

And it has made me think: we are making this so much harder than it has to be.

God does not call us to a motherhood of striving and running ourselves ragged. He does not need you to be the most organized mom on the block or the one making homemade meals every night of the week. And I have not been able to dig into every verse in the Bible, but I have yet to come across one that tells me to place home organization and meal planning above the real job of motherhood… which is pointing my children toward Him.

Instead, verse after verse tells me to:

• Weave God’s teaching into everyday life (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

• Take active and intentional leadership in my home (Proverbs 31:26-27)

• Comfort my children just as the Lord comforts me (Isaiah 66:13)

• Love my children and my husband well (Titus 2:4)

• Train up my children in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6)

• Model and pass down my own faith to them (2 Timothy 1:5)

If you are feeling behind by today’s standards of motherhood, He is not measuring you against your neighbor. He is asking you to be faithful to the task He placed before you.

If your children get a homemade meal today or their uniform is clean and folded, they will be thankful today.

If they hear you tell them God loves them, even when they strike out. If they see you praying at your desk in the morning. If they fall asleep after digging into a devotional with you… They will be thankful for that forever. Those are the things they will hold onto. Not the crockpot meal you pulled out on the way to the field.

Let Him tell you what is required of you today. Not the random girl you follow on the internet.

As I’ve been thinking about copying what other moms do or adopting systems that work for other families, I’ve started noticing the routines we’ve built at home: great for us, but not universal.

Many of my friends laugh at our evening routine. Since my kids were little, most nights they’re bathed and at the table for dinner with us by 6:00, and they’re almost always in bed by 7:30. That might feel early to some people, and I hear questions like, “Don’t you want them outside playing?” or “How are they ready for bed by that time?” The answers are so specific to our family: I do let them play in their pajamas after bathtime in the backyard, but my stress level drops when bedtime is ready before dinner, so there isn’t a mad rush. Our kids are also early risers, up before 6, no matter how late they went to bed. So bedtime is earlier for their sanity and mine.

This is just one example of how family systems aren’t universal. What works for you might not work for someone else. It doesn’t mean we can’t look for advice and borrow parts of another mom’s ideas to help things run more smoothly, but we shouldn’t be discouraged if we have to trash them.

And a little reminder to study you this week: you’re not behind in the story God is writing for your family. His design for your days isn’t a race against anyone else’s clock. You’re moving at the pace that fits your people, and that pace is good.

So here’s your challenge this week: First, look at how God has designed your family, the way He shaped your heart and mind to approach things, and ask Him to help shape your family’s routines. Second, identify one thing that really works well for your family and lean into that.

Let me know in the comments: what’s one routine your family has that wouldn’t work for others?!

Lord,

We feel exhausted by the pressure to be better, to do more in motherhood.

We wake up, we look at our calendars, and we immediately feel behind.

Remind us that what the world expects of mothers and what You expect of mothers are two completely different things.

Prick our hearts when we feel tempted to step onto the treadmill of comparison, striving, and optimization.

And remind us instead that our greatest treasures are the children You have placed in front of us, and that our focus should be on the development of their hearts in relation to You.

Amen.

If you enjoyed today’s Faithful Friday, do me a favor and like or comment below! Your engagement helps me know you are out there and what resonates with each of you! Thank you, friends!

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

This week I am keeping it simple… because sometimes simple is exactly what we need.

We are in the middle of spring break over here, and I have been soaking up family time. Easter with my parents was one of those weekends I will tuck away in my heart for a long time. We attended Easter service set in the valley near their house with mountains rising up all around us, and I sat there thinking, this is it. This is what it is all about.

He is risen. And the mountains knew it too.

If you are in spring break mode this week, can I just say, I see you. Because somehow a week off from the regular routine does not always feel like a break, does it? The dishes still pile up. The kids still need feeding. The laundry does not take a vacation just because you did. And somewhere between trying to make memories and keep the house from falling apart, you can end up more worn out than when you started.

Grace for the gap between what you planned and what actually happened. He is in both versions of the story.

Just be where your feet are. That is enough.

Psalm 46:10 tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” Not to be productive. Not to be perfect. Just to be still and know. Let that be your anchor this weekend, in the chaos and the fun and the moments that do not go according to plan. He is God in all of it.

The to-do list will be there on Monday. This moment will not.

Before I go, my April Mom Mood Board is live, and I would love for you to check it out! It is full of things I am loving this season -- linked here.

Because motherhood is hard. But you? You are held.

Until next week (where we will dive back into our busy season series), friends, Blair

When April enters the year, it feels like life gets a little gentler.

Not because the schedule suddenly gets lighter… It’s actually the opposite. But because the air does... The bite of winter is almost gone, and instead it feels like a deep breath of relief. The evenings stretch. The light turns honey-soft. And for a few weeks, the world is warm without being demanding. It’s like God gives us this small window where we can step outside and remember we’re not meant to live clenched or cooped up.

And honestly? That’s what I’m craving this month: golden hour. That hour that makes the day feel less sharp around the edges. The kind that invites you to sit on the porch with a glass of wine and no agenda except to watch your kids play while the sun sinks, like you don’t have to earn the moment you’re in.

Because if you’re anything like me, “busy season” doesn’t politely wait until you’re ready. Sports schedules, end-of-school-year momentum, the constant mental load…April can be full. So savoring the nights with nothing going on is where I am leaning in this month.

And I keep noticing this: when we get outside, everything in our house feels a little more regulated and a little more connected. Like fresh air is doing a quiet work in us that I can’t always muscle my way into.

When the boys are playing or helping me dig in the dirt and plant new things, small connections grow stronger, and that is what I am looking for right now.

So this month’s Mom Mood Board is all about growing things & golden hours, small, no-fuss ways I’m choosing the porch, the light, and the slow, digging in the dirt kind of growth… even in the middle of real life.

Here’s what we are digging into:

• Golden hour is my favorite time of day for a reason: the light softens and the whole day feels less sharp. When I can get outside for even a few minutes, I’m calmer, and I react better to everything. It doesn’t fix the chaos, but it does reset me.

• Porch evenings are saving me this month. A drink in my hand, the sun sinking, and nothing I need to “make happen” for a minute. No phone out, no multitasking, just watching the kids play while the day finally quiets down.

• April = eating outside without it turning into a whole thing. I’m doing no-shatter glasses + melamine plates, so I’m not tense the whole meal waiting for something to break. Simple dinners (burgers/fries, flatbreads), and then they can hop right back into playing. Throw this fun striped candle on the table for a sweet smell and a punch of color on your porch!

• Spring walks are my low-effort way to reset everyone. One grabs a bike, one grabs a scooter, and I grab the dog’s leash. Fresh air + sunshine does something to the mood in our house that I can’t replicate inside. It doesn’t have to be long; it’s just the “we need to get out of the house” button. It usually sparks them to want to stay outside after too!

• Finding growth in the hard parenting moments. This is one of those parenting seasons where I feel like I’m saying the same thing 400 different ways… and it’s still not landing. And if I’m honest, part of what makes it hard isn’t just their attitudes, it’s the running commentary in my head about what other people might think. Like if my kid is melting down or being disrespectful, it must mean I’m doing something wrong… or I’m not doing enough… or I’m “that mom.”

  But I’m learning that a lot of this is just ages and phases. They’re growing, I’m adjusting, and nobody is instantly good at the next version of themselves. I’m trying to stay steady, teaching obedience and gratitude in a way that honors God, without parenting from panic or embarrassment.

  Some days it feels like nothing I’m doing is working. But I keep coming back to this: I don’t have to control the whole story. I can be faithful in what’s in front of me today… and trust God’s plan for our family even when the growth feels loud and messy.

• Getting my hands dirty. I’m not naturally good at keeping plants alive… but I’m trying anyway. April makes me want to be the kind of person who grows something. So that means low-maintenance plants, realistic expectations, and alarms set to water because I will absolutely forget. Oh, and calling my own mother, who touches things and they grow, for constant advice. The goal isn’t a perfect garden. It’s just getting outside, putting my hands in the dirt, and calling that a win.

As usual, all of the fun in this newsletter is linked here if you want to get straight to the goods!

Permission to… leave the house unfinished.

April is the month I want to be outside as much as possible… sitting on the porch listening to a pick-up game of kickball, a walk around the block, watching practice while the light softens.

But the hardest part isn’t getting out there. It’s staying out there mentally.

Because raising boys means my house can go from “fine” to “why is there a sock in the sink” in about three minutes. And if I’m not careful, I’ll sit outside while they play and still be mentally inside… counting the chores, rehearsing what I need to fix, feeling behind before I’ve even taken a full breath.

So I’m practicing something simple: leaving the inside stuff inside. Letting the undone things be undone for a little while. And trusting that when I loosen my grip, God has good things for me out here: light, laughter, connection, the chance to respond with a steadier tone, the little moments I don’t get back.

So this is your permission to… leave the house unfinished… at least give it 20 minutes 😉

What I’m holding onto

Motherhood has a way of stretching you in places you didn’t even know existed. It’s constant adjusting, constant learning, constant realizing you don’t have as much patience as you thought you did… and then you need it again five minutes later.

And the only way that kind of growth becomes fruitful (not just exhausting) is if it’s rooted in what we’re told here:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Not grow in my ability to keep it all together. Not grow in my parenting performance. Grow in grace and knowledge, asking Jesus for guidance when I don’t know what to do next, mercy when I’ve already blown it, and the kind of patience and kindness that doesn’t come from me trying harder… but from Him spilling out of me in the middle of real motherhood.

What I’m Consuming

Book: This Story Might Save Your Life (Tiffany Crum)⁠⁠

I just finished this, and it was the perfect “let me get lost in something” read. It’s a twisty thriller/mystery centered around two best friends who host a “comedy survival” podcast… until one disappears and the other becomes the prime suspect.⁠⁠ I flew through it and loved having a fictional page-turner that wasn’t asking anything of me except “one more chapter.”

Podcast: Trivia for Kids (KRCreative)⁠⁠

We are loving this one. It’s family-friendly trivia that you can all play along with, easy to throw on in the car, fun enough that everyone actually listens, and somehow the answers surprise us way more than they should.⁠⁠ It’s become one of those little things that makes a regular drive feel like a mini game night.

What’s Helping (Mission: Keep the Kids Outside!)

Since our theme this month is basically “everyone’s mood improves the second we step outside,” I’m leaning all the way in to being in the sunshine.

These are a few things I have my eye on for the kids… outside stuff that keeps them happy, busy, and moving while I sit nearby pretending I’m not also getting a nervous-system reset.

1) A monogrammed hat they’ll actually wear

This is the kind of “mom win” purchase—cute and functional. It keeps the sun out of their eyes, makes them look slightly more pulled together than they are, and somehow becomes their hat all summer long.

2) Giant bubble-making kit

I don’t know what it is about giant bubbles, but they never get old. Instant outside entertainment, zero screens, and it keeps them moving without you having to orchestrate anything.

3) Picnic blanket with straps (easy carry) + on-the-go snack spinner

These two together make “let’s eat outside” feel effortless. The blanket is easy to fold up and carry (thank you, straps), and the snack spinner makes it simple to grab a few things and have an impromptu backyard picnic… no planning required, just fresh air and snacks.

4) AirTag keychains for belt loops

If your kids roam the neighborhood like little free-range chickens, these offer peace of mind. Pop one on a belt loop, and you can give them freedom and keep tabs without hovering like a helicopter mom.

5) SMOL inflatable Pop-a-Shot + inflatable Skee-Ball

These are the “bring them out when you want the kids outside for hours” kind of fun. Perfect for a backyard afternoon, a neighborhood BBQ, and honestly—genius for the playroom on rainy days when everyone’s bouncing off the walls.

6) BashNet game set

This is the kind of game that turns into a whole thing, in the best way. Easy enough for kids to jump in, fun enough that adults end up playing too, and it’s an instant go-to when you want outside time without having to invent outside time.

What’s Helping (Moms Edition: Get Your Hands Dirty with Me)

I’m trying something new this month: getting my hands dirty on purpose.

April makes me want to grow something (anything) because being outside feels like the simplest way to take the edge off of motherhood right now. While the kids are giggling in the yard beside me, I want to be out there too… doing something that isn’t laundry.

So this is for the moms who want to join me: a few beginner-friendly things that make “I’m going to garden” feel less intimidating and more doable… or for the mom who just likes to collect pretty things 🙋🏻‍♀️.

1) The mom hat (spring/summer + packable)

Because moms need a hat too. This one feels cute enough to wear on purpose, practical enough for real sun, and it folds up so you can toss it in a bag for the garden, beach, pool… whatever version of “outside” you’re doing.

2) Tool storage: the tote (or the apron)

I’m ready to stop pretending my “system” of throwing everything in a wheelbarrow in the garage is working. A tote (or a cute little apron) makes it so much easier to keep tools handy and not end up with everything dusty, nasty, and lost the second you need it.

3) Gloves + garden tools (cute and functional)

I love it when the practical stuff is also pretty. These are functional, but they look good enough that if they get left out for a bit, it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. (Which, honestly, is important in my house.)

4) The scalloped pot (start small, still pretty)

If you want to start small, this scalloped pot is perfect. It’s an easy “one little thing” way to get going without committing to a whole garden situation, and it makes the corner of your porch/patio feel a little more put-together. Also, a GREAT idea to fill with a plant or other goodies as a Spring gift!

5) Seed kits (easy + fun, and one for kids too)

These seed kits make growing things feel doable. Less guessing, more “okay, we can actually do this.” And I love that there’s one you can do with your kids!

6) A watering can that can live by the back door

A beautiful watering can is one of those small things that makes me more likely to follow through. If it can sit by the back door as a visual reminder and still look nice, that’s a win. (comes in so many fun colors!)

What I’m Noticing Lately:

How much better everyone gets when we’re outside.

I don’t know how to explain it except to say it’s like somebody turns the volume down on our whole house the second we step outside. The kids are still wild, yes, but it’s a different kind of wild. Fresh air and sunshine don’t solve our problems, but they do change the temperature of the day.

Dinner doesn’t have to be a production to be good.

I’m learning (again) that a meal can be simple and still be good, still be nourishing, still be a win. Especially in a busy season, I don’t need to prove anything with dinner. Sometimes it’s burgers and fries. Sometimes it’s flatbreads and fruit. It’s me choosing connection and calm over one more hour in the kitchen trying to meet an invisible standard no one asked me to meet.

How often I parent like I’m being watched.

This one is humbling. I can feel the shift in me when we’re in public, or even just around other people, like I’m suddenly parenting for an audience. I start worrying about what people think when my kids are loud, rude, or melting down. And I’m paying attention to it because I don’t want fear of people to be the loudest voice in my motherhood. I want to parent my kids, not manage my image.

The difference between discipline and desperation.

There’s a kind of discipline that’s steady and clear… It’s teaching, it’s forming, it’s loving even when it’s firm. And then there’s desperation, which is what comes out of me when I’m tired and overstimulated and just want the moment to end. Desperation is about control. Discipline is about growth. I’m trying to notice which one is driving me before I respond, because the goal isn’t just “make them behave.” The goal is raising kids who are learning wisdom, obedience, and self-control, and doing it in a way that doesn’t crush them or crush me.

God’s kindness shows up in ordinary minutes.

I’m paying attention to how often God meets me in the unremarkable parts of my day. Not the big “I have it all together” spiritual moments, more like the porch when the sun is going down, or the sound of my kids laughing in the yard, or the calm that comes after I choose to lower my voice instead of raising it.

How loud the checklist gets the second I sit down.

The second I stop moving, my brain tries to hand me a clipboard. Laundry. Dishes. The random piles. The thing I forgot to text back. The thing I should be planning. It’s like rest is only allowed if I can justify it. And I’m paying attention to that voice because it’s not neutral… it steals the moment I’m in. This month, I’m attempting to practice leaving the list where it belongs and letting myself be present, even if nothing is finished yet.

This season is growing something in me.

I don’t always like what motherhood is asking of me right now. This is a stretching season: one that exposes my impatience, my control, my quick reactions, my need to be seen as “doing a good job.” But I’m starting to see that God doesn’t waste these phases. They’re forming something in me: steadiness, humility, restraint, compassion, endurance…. and it’s okay if you are feeling the same stretch!

And that’s it for my April Mood Board… It’s wild and busy. It’s holding onto the golden light. It’s growing things, both in myself and in my yard. It’s giving grace to myself and my children, too.

If you’re in a full season too, I hope you’ll take the pressure down a notch and give yourself twenty minutes of fresh air anyway.

One more thing: I’m putting together a Faith Resource Guide for Boy Moms: a curated collection of boy-friendly resources that help you build faith into real life. It’ll include books, activity ideas, journals, Bibles, and hands-on tools that meet boys where they are (movement, curiosity, questions, big feelings)… and help us keep showing up with steady, simple discipleship.

If there is anything specific you would like to see in it, I am all ears!

Until next time friends!

See you in the golden hour, Blair

Happy {Good Friday} Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Here we are on Good Friday. A day that is called good, but in reality, it feels pretty crushing. And I am here to tell you that it is okay to feel the weight of this day, friends. In fact, we are supposed to. We need to feel what was done for us in order to see the fullness of grace we get to receive.

But as Phil Wickham sings in one of my favorite songs -- “Friday’s good ‘cause Sunday’s coming.” As believers, we also get to rejoice in what we already know. Jesus overcame the world. Though He suffered, He rose again…

When I started this series about the busy season, I was going to take a quick break this week and focus on Good Friday. But God, doing what only He can, showed me that the abundance we are talking about this week fits perfectly into His story.

Jesus came and died on the cross so we could live fully. Good Friday is the proof that He meant it enough to pay the highest price for it.

The cross looked like loss.

It was actually the greatest act of provision in history… His love poured out for us in abundance.

Let’s dig in.

Exchange by Sons of Sunday

And His was the cross
Mine was the blame
What a wonderful exchange
My Savior made for me

Lord, I can't believe You did that for me

This song stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it. The whole thing is built around one idea: what Jesus traded so that we could be free. He took the blame. We got the grace. What a wonderful exchange.

Can you believe He really did that for us?

He loves us so abundantly that He went above and beyond to reconcile us to Himself. Something was standing in the way of gathering us back… and He made the greatest exchange so that we could be in His presence again.

He didn’t pay in part. He was done with rituals and animal sacrifices, with being separated from His people. He was done with having us only halfway.

He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). He was mocked, beaten, stripped, and nailed to a cross that He carried. His Father turned His face away, and He held the full burden of our sins on His shoulders.

In that moment, His mercy was abundant. His strength was abundant. His patience was abundant. He poured everything out for us.

And on Sunday, His power and His glory were abundant.

You will read the word abundant in this week’s letter over and over again. Because that is who our God is… a God of abundance.

If you have been around Messy Mercies for a little while, you may have noticed that I can become a little obsessed with understanding certain words that pop up in the Bible. This week, abundance was one of those words, so humor me for a minute as we dig into what it truly means.

Merriam-Webster tells us that abundance means to have ample quality, a great supply, or a lavish amount of something. Some of the synonyms they give are plenty, loads, pile, wealth, and slew.

Going deeper, Strong’s Concordance (a biblical index that allows us to look up the original Hebrew or Greek word behind any English translation) tells us the Greek word used here in John is perissos, meaning exceedingly abundantly above, beyond measure.

The life Jesus is talking about giving us as believers is not base-level. It is not a life where we are just getting by. It is a life that overflows with joy, that acknowledges the good, that stays connected to the vine, and that openly praises the One who abundantly gives.

Though Jesus ultimately died to reconcile us to God, He says here that He came to earth to give us an abundant life. And through His teaching and living, He showed us how to live out that gift.

In John 10:11, Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd and tells us that just as a shepherd would lay his life on the line for his sheep, He would do the same for us.

This sparked something in my heart, and I quickly flipped back to Psalm 23, which also paints God as a shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (ESV).

And just like that, the abundance of God found me again. His provision is continuous and full for His sheep. It is overflowing and plentiful. It was in the Old Testament, it was in the New Testament, it is now, and it will be forever.

In the busiest seasons, when our schedules are bursting at the seams, His provision and love cover us even then.

In our busy seasons, the number of things filling up our calendars can make the idea of abundance feel like one more thing to manage.

But the abundance Jesus is talking about isn’t heavy or burdensome. It is joyful, gracious, and overflowing with goodness.

The abundant life Jesus wants to walk with us in is one where He is the shepherd. A life where we trust Him to provide all that we need, abundantly. And as His sheep, we get to respond by staying near, following His voice, and allowing Him to lead without taking things into our own hands.

When we do this, we find that even in the busy season, He gives us what we need in an abundant fashion. He gives us energy and multiplies our patience. He provides rest when we are worn down, help when we are overwhelmed, and a place to bring our praise when we see the goodness He has in store for us.

The busy season is not in the way of the abundant life. It is one of the places He chooses to show up in it.

We just talked about what abundance actually means, perissos, exceeding and overflowing. And here is the thing about the busy season: it is actually such a beautiful illustration of his abundance. A time where he gives us energy, growth, memories… It just moves too fast for us to notice.

So here is a simple practice I want to challenge you to try. Keep a running note in your phone, nothing fancy, nothing that requires a new journal or a system, and once a day, jot down one way His abundance showed up. Not a miracle. Just the overflow of ordinary goodness that we rush past without acknowledging.

The healthy kids who fill up that packed schedule. The friend who stepped up to carpool. The extra patience you found when you were sure you had none left. The meals that everyone liked. The bedtime snuggle that went longer than planned.

That IS the abundant life. Overflowing and plentiful, just like Psalm 23 promised. Writing it down trains your eyes to see it, even on the Tuesdays that feel like too much.

One more way we have been soaking in His abundance this week:

Steele has been asking for Easter songs the same way he asks for Christmas songs, and honestly, I love him for it. Finding songs that carry the real weight of Good Friday and Easter in a way that lands for kids and grown-ups alike has been such a good challenge. Here is what has been on repeat in our house:

• Sunday Is Coming ~ Phil Wickham. Friday is good because Sunday is coming. We already know how this story ends.

• Exchange ~ Sons of Sunday. The whole song is built around what Jesus traded so we could be free. He gave everything. We gave nothing. What a wonderful exchange.

• King of Hearts ~ Brandon Lake. Told from the perspective of the thief on the cross, the last person who ever expected to be standing beside his King. It will wreck you in the best way.

• No Body ~ Passion. There is No Body in the grave now… He overcame death for us! This is the celebration we get to have over Easter!

• Son of Suffering ~ Passion. “Oh blood and tears, how can it be? There’s a God who weeps? There’s a God who bleeds…” This is the God we get to serve!

Link to the full playlist here! Press play and let the abundance of this weekend wash over you.

Lord,

You are a God of abundance. And we see it more clearly this week when we look towards the cross. Your love and mercy flowed in abundance from the wounds of Your Son, rescuing and redeeming us.

Help us carry that truth into the busy season. When our schedules are full, and our tanks are running low, remind us that You are the Source of everything we need and that You have never once run out.

Train our eyes to see Your abundance in the ordinary. In the packed carpool, the late practice, and the bedtimes that run too long. In the healthy kids and the good friends and the moments of unexpected grace.

You did not hold back on the cross. You will not hold back now.

Thank You for the gift of this weekend. Thank You for the Friday that felt like loss and the Sunday that changed everything.

And thank You that Your abundance is not a season… it is who You are.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

We’ve been in some heavy territory together lately, and I am so grateful you stayed with me through it. This week, we are turning a corner. For the next four weeks, I want to sit with you in something that I think every mom is feeling right now: the busy season. Not to fix it. Just to find God in the middle of it.

Here is where we are headed: This week, we are talking about how to stay aligned with God when life gets loud… and spoiler, it has nothing to do with waking up earlier. Next week, we are looking for His abundance hiding inside the chaos, because I think it is there even when we can’t see it. Week three is for the mom who feels behind, spiritually and physically. And we are wrapping up with something I think we all desperately need permission for: rest. Real rest. The kind God actually intended. Which will be especially imporant before we all head into Summer, the season of lovingly wanting to pull our hair out :)

Four weeks. One exhale at a time.

Ready? Let’s dig in!

📌 March Mom Mood Board: Growth in the Waiting — This month’s carousel is all about savoring the slow unfolding of spring (and life). Lent, spring sports, growth that happens in the in-between. If you need permission to embrace the waiting, start here.

🛒 Easter Basket Ideas for Elementary Boys — Because filling Easter baskets gets HARDER as they get older! I rounded up my favorite finds for elementary-aged boys (the ones that aren’t just more candy). My personal favorites are these scripture cards for older boys and younger boys! Check it out if you’re still scrambling!

✝️ Last Week’s Faithful Friday — Last week we sat in one of the hardest tensions a mom can hold: yes, life would be easier without the hard things, AND God uses every single bit of it anyway.

Proud of Me by Jamie MacDonald

You see the beauty

You say You don’t mind

That sometimes I color outside the lines

I’ve tried to be perfect and failed every time

But just like a father is proud of his child

You’re proud of me

You’ve seen the best and the worst

The glitter and the dirt

And You still call me yours.

This is where we are starting this week. Before we dig in any deeper, remind yourself of the truths in this song. You are fully loved by the One who created you.

You cannot work yourself into God’s good graces. Your meal-prep, perfect laundry routine, and scheduled quiet times… they don’t impress Him. All of this could fall apart tomorrow, and He would still invite you to sit at His feet.

He sees the “glitter and the dirt.” That is a line that describes motherhood if I have ever heard one. He sees you when you show up for every practice. He sees you when you forget to send in the jelly beans for the school project. He sees you pray over your kids in the car line. He sees you when you sleep late and scramble to get the kids to the bus.

He sees it all. And He loves you the very same.

So before you overwhelm yourself with a season that can sometimes feel like it’s too much -- rest in this incredible truth: God loves you. Fully, completely, and without condition. (Romans 8:38-39, 1 John 3:1, Jeremiah 31:3)

And because He loves you like that, He has something to say about where you need to stay rooted.

In the original Greek, the word translated as “remain” in John 15:5 is menō, and it means so much more than just staying put. It means to dwell, to settle in, to make your home in someone. It is not a passive word. It is an active, intentional choice to stay even when everything around you is pulling you in a different direction.

Jesus is not just a good resource to tap into when we can; He is the only source. This is what He is telling us here.

When we choose to remain connected to Him, we thrive. But when we get distracted or pulled away, we find ourselves exhausted and overwhelmed.

In our busiest seasons, we have a tendency to disconnect from the vine first. Quiet time goes. Prayer gets rushed. Scripture feels like one more thing on the list. But a disconnected branch doesn’t just stop producing fruit… it withers. It was never designed to survive on its own.

We may feel pressure to get our priorities in line this time of year and say no to things so we can squeeze it all in. But this is our reminder that our time with Jesus should never be the thing we shed. Colossians 2:6-7 backs this up: “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him.”

Rooted is not a feeling. It is a choice you make over and over again.

And here is the good news, our time with Him does not have to look the same every single day (or the same as that other mom on Instagram). If we are rooted in Him, He is always there. He is with us, making lunches, during car rides to practice, late nights on the field, tucking them into bed, and waking them in the morning. We just have to tap into Him.

Let’s circle back to the center of where we can sometimes struggle in this season: it can be so hard to stay aligned and connected with God when our schedules are at their busiest.

I know for me, spring can be overwhelming and overstimulating. I am a person who thrives on routines, downtime, and moments to unwind after my kids’ heads hit the pillow. In spring, sports seasons ramp up, dinners are rarely around the kitchen table, late practices and games wind the boys up, and bedtimes are rarely happening on schedule.

This leads me to run short on patience and high on anxiety… especially if I am not tapping into The Source that truly keeps me running.

I get so frazzled in the morning by what I see on the schedule that I forget to take my moment with God, breathe, and remember that He will help me set my priorities for the day. I run out the door already on empty.

Then the guilt sets in. I promise myself I will reconnect at bedtime. But practice runs over, the boys take forever to wind down, and by the time I crawl into bed, I am fast asleep before my head finishes hitting the pillow.

I may be resting my body. But I wake up the next morning feeling just as frazzled.

Here is the problem: we are meant to stay connected to God. Not just during the slow winter moments when there is time and space, but also in the midst of busy times. In fact, this might be exactly where we need it most.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV), Paul tells us, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

When we have hit our limit, when we feel drained and overwhelmed, we have the ability as believers to draw from His strength. But only if we seek Him, hold our time with Him dear, and continuously reconnect with Him.

So, how in the world do we do that when “busy season” has a stronghold on us? Let’s brainstorm together.

Let me be really honest with you for a second, I am possibly the most type B person you will ever meet. I do not have a perfectly color-coded prayer journal. I do not wake up at 5 AM with a steaming cup of coffee and an hour of uninterrupted quiet time. And if that is the standard, I have been failing at it for years.

But here is what I have learned: alignment with God in the busy season is not about perfection. It is about intention.

So here is what actually works for me, imperfectly, inconsistently, and on most days, just barely:

• Jesus Calling lives on my bedside table. I keep it there on purpose because it is one of the first things I see in the morning. Before the schedule overwhelms me, before I check my phone, before the boys need something, I try to read that day’s entry. It takes five minutes. Some mornings I make it. Some mornings I don’t. But it is there, waiting, without judgment.

• Worship music goes on the moment I get in the car. Wherever I am headed first thing in the morning, the first thing that plays is worship. Not a podcast, not a true crime deep dive, not the morning news. Worship. It is the easiest way I know to set the tone for my day without adding a single extra minute to my routine. I will link my current playlist here… feel free to steal it.

• I always have a faith-based book on my Kindle. Reading is how I quiet my mind at night; it has always been that way. Right now, I am reading Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson. Even on the nights I read a little fiction first, I make sure my last few minutes before I drift off are spent in something that points me back to God. More often than not, I fall asleep thinking about Him. I can’t think of a better way to end the day.

Now, here is where we hand ourselves some grace. Because life is life, and even the best intentions get derailed by a sick kid, a late game, or a Tuesday that just completely gets away from you. We are not religious robots. Missed quiet times do not disqualify us from God’s presence. So instead of letting guilt take over when our routine falls apart, let’s have a few backup practices in our back pocket!

Here are some tiny ways to tap into Him throughout the day without adding a single item to your to-do list:

• Put on worship music while you shower, do laundry, or unload this dishwasher.

• Set a single alarm on your phone labeled “breathe + remember.” When it goes off, take one breath and say one true thing about God.

• Keep a verse on a sticky note somewhere you will actually see it: the dashboard, the bathroom mirror, the coffee maker, the washing machine.

• Keep sticky notes on the doorframe of your children’s bedrooms with what you want to pray over them. You will notice it every time you walk by, and it will trigger you to pray. Those kids are getting covered, whether you feel like you have it together or not.

• When you feel yourself hitting empty, or maybe you are about to lose it on one of your little people, tell them you need a quiet moment to talk with God. You could even do it out loud. What better way to model what a strong relationship with Him actually looks like in real life?

Staying rooted in Him during the busy season does not require a perfect routine. It requires a willing heart and a little creativity. You are not failing. You are figuring it out. And He meets you right there.

Lord,

We come to You frazzled and overstimulated with a hundred things on our to-do list. But we know that we cannot be fruitful without You.

Help us tap into You as our source of energy, patience, and peace. Nudge our hearts throughout the day to come back to You again and again; staying rooted in Your presence even when life is pulling us in every direction.

We thank You for these seasons of busy abundance. And we ask that You give us exactly what we need to thrive in them.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Last week, we talked about the heartbreaking question Jones asked me: “Would our lives have been easier if he hadn’t had his heart transplant?” We walked through what we CAN and CAN’T do as parents when our children carry hard things. I was so encouraged to see so many of you connecting to the idea that being their guide through it is a privilege and a gift from God.

This week, we’re digging into the other struggle his question brought to the surface for me: Would life be easier without the hard things?

Would life have been easier without being plunged into a difficult diagnosis my first year of motherhood? Would life have been easier if I didn’t have to hold my son down for blood draws while he screamed and cried? Would life have been easier without the medications, the appointments, the insurance annoyances, the lifelong uncertainty?

The short answer: yes. Absolutely yes… but that’s not the whole truth.

I hate that he has had to suffer. I hate that we each carry our own scars because of it. I hate that I take anxiety medication to help me handle it all. I would never have chosen this for us.

And yet…

I have seen God use every single bit of it. I have seen His provision, His comfort, His healing power. I have seen His church be His hands and feet. I have seen that it is okay to be weak because He is strong. I have seen that I never had complete control anyway… and that is a freeing concept.

I have seen good come from it, and my faith has been forever changed. And there are things I wouldn’t trade.

So how do we hold both truths: that life would be easier without the hard things, AND that the hard things have made life so much richer?

That’s what we’re sitting in today.

📌 March Mom Mood Board: Growth in the Waiting — This month’s carousel is all about savoring the slow unfolding of spring (and life). Lent, spring sports, growth that happens in the in-between. If you need permission to embrace the waiting, start here.

🛒 Easter Basket Ideas for Elementary Boys — Because filling Easter baskets gets HARDER as they get older! I rounded up my favorite finds for elementary-aged boys (the ones that aren’t just more candy). My personal favorites are these scripture cards for older boys and younger boys! Check it out if you’re still scrambling!

✝️Last Week’s Faithful Friday - If you missed last week, where our discussion started after Jones asked me this very difficult question. Catch up here to read about the blessing of walking through the hard stuff with them!

“Scars” by I AM THEY

Darkest waters and deepest pain

I wouldn’t trade it for anything

‘Cause my brokenness brought me to you

And these wounds are a story you’ll use

So I’m thankful for these scars

‘Cause without them, I wouldn’t know your heart

And I know they’ll always tell of who you are

So forever I am thankful for the scars

This one feels super personal. This song was released right in the middle of the most difficult season of my life. Jones had been diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve, which had left his heart muscle enlarged and led him into heart failure. We knew where the road was headed... we knew that scars, both physical and emotional, were in our future.

I remember where I was when I first heard this song. I remember pulling over my car and crying, filled with so many competing emotions. “Darkest waters and deepest fears” were pulling me in a direction I didn’t want to go. But God, as He often does, was pulling me back towards Him.

I listened to this song over and over as we continued on our journey that year, and I still listen to it now when I need to be reminded that scars tell the story of who we are and what God has done.

Jones has a pale white scar that travels down the center of his chest, as well as three circular scars on his belly from his surgery. Towards the end of the song, I find a prayer in the lyrics for my son and for myself: “And with my life, I’ll tell of who you are; so forever, I am thankful for the scars.”

I hope Jones will remember what God has done in his life. And when he can’t see it, I’ll be there to remind him. Our wounds can be painful... but God will always use them for His glory.

I am not sure I truly understood this verse until what we went through with Jones. I think it is probably that way for many of us. We know scripture, we memorize it, we talk about it... But sometimes we have to go through things to really feel it.

Paul tells us something pretty crazy here. He tells us we should “rejoice in our sufferings.” Let’s not forget this was the same guy who told us in Philippians 4:6-7 that we should “be anxious for nothing.” So let’s get this straight: we are supposed to be happy when we face really painful things, AND we shouldn’t worry about anything?

On the surface, that feels like pretty backward thinking!

But as we continue on in this verse, as well as in Philippians, we see that there is a method to Paul’s madness.

Our sufferings in this world produce something incredibly special when we let them. Let’s break it down together:

Suffering produces endurance ~ Endurance, simply put, is our ability to make it through something difficult. It isn’t something we are all born with; it is something you build. And you can’t build it without facing hard things.

But endurance wasn’t the end goal here...

Endurance produces character ~ Character here isn’t “becoming a better person.” It’s being changed by something you didn’t choose. Jones’s diagnosis changed him. It changed me. We faced something unimaginably hard (suffering). We dug into our faith in God, we allowed ourselves to be weak so He could be strong (endurance), and we watched our hearts change (character).

But character wasn’t the end goal here...

Character produces hope ~ And here is where it gets really good. This hope Paul is talking about isn’t wishing things turn out okay. It’s the difference between hoping FOR a good outcome and hoping IN a God who has already proven Himself faithful in your worst moments. And by the time you reach hope in this verse, you’ve already accumulated evidence: you suffered, you stayed, you watched your character change, and you watched God show up in the middle of it. This hope isn’t blind. It’s built on something you actually lived through.

Over and over again, people would ask me how I did it. Over and over again, I was told how amazed they were by my strength. But the truth is, God poured His love into me day after day as I suffered, as I endured, as my character was being shaped… and because of that, I found a hope that would never disappoint me. Because when people fail, when medical research fails, when my own strength fails... His love is still there.

And this, my friends, is how we hold onto both truths: this life would be easier without suffering, AND the suffering produces such rich treasures in this life if we let it.

But here is where theology meets real life...

Carrying pain, grief, and hardship with faith is not a step you only take once, and some days the “and yet” feels impossible to get to. Fear doesn’t just disappear because you have seen God show up in miraculous ways.

If you have ever read David’s Psalms, you see clear examples of him holding both fear and desperation as well as praise and thanksgiving:

• Psalm 13 (ESV) ~ “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” turns into “I will sing the Lord’s praise” by the end.

• Psalm 22 (ESV) ~ Opens in total abandonment, ends in worship.

• Psalm 42 (ESV) ~ “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” followed immediately by “Put your hope in God.”

The Psalms are basically a masterclass in holding both truths. David, messily and honestly, practiced his faith. He brought it all, anger, grief, hope, and praise, before God because he knew He could handle it. And we can too.

I can be grateful for a scar that I wish my child had never received. I can be angry that our family has had to endure such pain while also praising God for showing up. I can celebrate milestones while also dreading the next appointment. I don’t have to resolve the tension before coming to God... He can and will help me hold it all.

He is producing a hope in me that will never be taken away. That is the treasure the suffering produces.

When Jones brought this question to me, we were in the Publix parking lot waiting for a train to pass so we could walk home. This struck me because it felt like God had set the scene. He knew I might need a minute to gather my thoughts on this one.

Jones is a very inquisitive child, so big questions aren’t new territory for us. But this was the first time he asked something that holds too much for a quick answer.

I turned to face him, held both of his shoulders, and told him that if I was being honest -- yes, our lives would be easier and less complicated if he hadn’t had a heart transplant. But easier does not mean better.

I dug into the beautiful things we have seen and the invisible gifts we have received because of it. I talked about the extra snuggles, the nights I got to sleep curled up next to him in a hospital bed, the milestones we celebrated in such big ways. I talked about the way we got to watch people show up for our family. I told him about the God winks that deepened my faith… and that I knew would deepen his one day, too.

And lastly, I told him that I believed God was going to use his story in a big way. We talked about the word testimony; that sharing our stories of how God shows up can bring other people to faith. That one day, he might lead someone else to Jesus when he shares the miracles God has done in his life.

This was not an easy conversation. But it got me thinking about how I want to handle the ones that are coming, because there will be more. Here is what I have decided:

• I will never shelter Jones from the hard truths of his life. When he is ready, I will answer him honestly, with patience and faith.

• It’s okay that I don’t have all the answers, and I can be open with him about that. It will serve as a reminder that God is the only one who does.

• I will remind him that being thankful is a practice, not a feeling. He may not wake up every morning feeling grateful for his medical history, and that is okay. He can take those feelings to God and let God work in them.

• I will keep the evidence in front of him: reminding him of what God has done when he can’t see it himself.

• I will encourage him to draw near to God in every struggle, reminding him that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces a hope that cannot be taken away.

As you move through the hard questions your children will inevitably ask, is there a way you can approach them with the truth that yes, it might be easier... but easier isn’t always better?

Lord,

We don't always know how to hold the hard things and the good things at the same time.

Help us bring it all to You anyway, honestly, messily, and without having it figured out first.

Pour Your love into us today and produce in us a hope that circumstances cannot touch.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair

Happy Friday Friends,

I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.

Last Saturday, Jones and I were running to the grocery store real quick to pick up one of his medications.

If you are new here, quick recap so you’re not lost: my oldest son had a full heart transplant at 10 months old. He’s 8 now, healthy and beautiful, but he still takes 4 medications, has to get blood drawn quite a bit, has heart check-ins every 3-4 months, and will ultimately have to have another heart transplant in his lifetime.

As we were walking out of the store, he asked me which medication we picked up and what exactly it was for. After I explained it to him, I could just see his little wheels turning. He finally turned to me, but what he asked me broke my heart into a million pieces.

He asked, “Mom, would our lives have been easier if I didn’t have a heart transplant?”

It broke my heart for two reasons:

First, I hate that he worries about this. He’s 8 years old, and he’s carrying a weight that feels too heavy for even me to carry. I never want him to think of himself as a burden to our family. As difficult as this journey has been, his life is nothing but a blessing in our world. My spirit was crushed to think his mind could even come up with this question.

Second, I know this is bringing us closer to conversations I’ve been dreading. Jones was so little when he had his surgery that we didn’t have to explain exactly what was happening and what it meant. For almost his entire life, it’s been routine to see doctors, get blood drawn, be put to sleep for procedures, and take medications. As he gets older, I know that hard conversations about his diagnosis, his donor, and his future will continue to come up. I also know that this will likely bring feelings to the surface, such as why this happened to him, why God would allow this, and what it means for his life. These are conversations I know are coming, but frankly, I just don’t feel ready to have.

His question opened up two entirely different struggles for me, and they both felt too big to tackle in one newsletter.

So this week and next week, we’re doing a two-part Faithful Friday.

This week (Part 1), we’re focusing on the first struggle: when your child carries weight they shouldn’t have to. How do we navigate the heartbreak of watching our kids worry about things that crush us as adults? How do we prepare for hard conversations we don’t feel ready to have? And when we can’t take the weight from them, where do we point them?

Next week (Part 2), we’ll dig into the second struggle his question brought up for me: Would life be easier without the hard things? Because honestly? The answer is both yes AND no. And learning to hold both of those truths (it’s hard AND God has used) is something I’m still figuring out.

But today, we’re starting with Part 1. Let’s talk about what to do when our kids are carrying burdens we wish we could take from them.

📌 March Mom Mood Board: Growth in the Waiting — This month’s carousel is all about savoring the slow unfolding of spring (and life). Lent, spring sports, growth that happens in the in-between. If you need permission to embrace the waiting, start here.

🛒 Easter Basket Ideas for Elementary Boys — Because filling Easter baskets gets HARDER as they get older! I rounded up my favorite finds for elementary-aged boys (the ones that aren’t just more candy). My personal favorites are these scripture cards for older boys and younger boys! Check it out if you’re still scrambling!

✝️ Last Week's Faithful Friday: The Waiting Is the Place Where Faith Is — We talked about trusting God's paths when you're tempted to force your own, learning to watch Him work in real time, and what it means to acknowledge Him in ALL your ways. If you're in a season of waiting (and impatience), catch up here.

Morning by Morning (I Will Trust) by Pat Barrett

Morning by morning,

Great is your faithfulness to me

I will trust with all my heart

You are good, you always are

Morning by morning

Great is your faithfulness to me

All fear be reminded,

My future is secure

Oh, My Father has spoken

And He keeps every word.

These lyrics are my prayer over Jones as he begins to think more about and question his future as a heart transplant recipient.

I want him to hang onto these beautiful hopes:

• His God is faithful.

• He can trust God.

• God is ALWAYS good, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

• His future is secure!

• His Father has spoken, and He keeps every word.

Above all, God loves him in an unimaginable way and will carry him through whatever he faces.

But honestly? I’m praying these lyrics over myself, too. When I’m overwhelmed by the conversations coming, when I don’t know how to answer his questions, when I’m anxious about his future… I need the reminder: God is faithful. Morning by morning. One day at a time.

This song is based on Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” And that’s what both Jones and I need to remember: we don’t need strength for every hard conversation at once. Just grace for today. Morning by morning.

Listen to this when you’re overwhelmed by what’s coming. When your child asks questions, you don’t know how to answer. When the weight feels too heavy for both of you. Let it remind you: God’s mercies are new every morning. You don’t have to have it all figured out today

Throughout Peter’s letters (1 Peter & 2 Peter), he writes about the trials that people would face as Christians. It’s often a misconception, to those who don’t know Jesus, that once you become a believer, your life becomes a walk in the park. The harder you pray, the more in line with God’s “rules” you are, the less bumpy your path becomes.

But this is not the story that the Bible tells, and this is certainly not the story of the fallen world we live in. No matter which side of the fence you fall on, believer or not, you will face grief, fear, and pain.

The difference is that believers have someone to go to with their worries and somewhere to place their hope (outside of this world). This is the hard but beautiful truth we get to explain to our children.

Peter reminds us that we don’t have to carry our worries on our own, nor does God want us to. In fact, he explicitly states in this verse that God cares for you. He doesn’t just watch you from afar. He knows every thought in your mind (Psalm 94:11), how many hairs are on your head (Luke 12:7), every day that you will encounter (Psalm 139:16). He even keeps count of your tossings and bottles your tears (Psalm 56:8).

He is not a passive God. He is active and involved. He wants to be there to hold the weight of the things that feel too heavy and to hold your hand when despair takes over.

Whether you have something as serious as Jones’ diagnosis or simply feel like the daily burdens of life have taken up too much space in your life, remember Who else is carrying them with you.

Jones’ question revealed to me that certain things about his heart journey have already been creeping into his mind. Things that I had no clue he even thought about.

He’s noticing the medications, the blood draws his brother doesn’t have to get, the extra care he receives, and he’s beginning to have questions about it all. In a way, I feel this immense pressure to get it all together, to have my answers ready for all of the big questions he will one day have. I’m also heartbroken that either of us has to carry these heavy burdens.

But in that moment, I was also so thankful that my son feels comfortable enough to bring me these worries. And that at a very young age, I can start filling his heart with the truth that God loves him, that he has somewhere to take his worries, and that his future is secure.

I have the privilege of being able to lay the foundation now, so that when he faces these uncertainties head-on, he knows where his hope can be found.

Then I was able to take a deep breath and remember that my job as his mom is not to have all the correct answers. The truth is, I don’t know exactly what the future holds (shocker), but I do know WHO holds it. And He loves my son even more than I do.

I highlighted this verse in Jones’ Bible months ago. He is a child who holds worries about many different things, not just his heart. So one night when we were reading together, this verse (1 Peter 5:7) popped up, and we talked about it for a while. I pulled his Bible off his bedside table while he was sitting there and highlighted it.

At the moment, there wasn’t any true motive behind it. But looking back, I see that I was modeling something that I want him to learn to do: take note of what we read in God’s Word, connect it to what we’re going through in life, and find a way to refer back to it when we need it.

As he grows and faces the challenges of having a special heart, he will need tools in his arsenal to help him cope. I may not have control of the future, but God has given me the ability to start equipping him with what he will need.

He has been shaping my own heart since the moment we received Jones’ diagnosis, not to be able to have all of the answers, but to show him (and model for him) that we have a God who wants us to bring every worry, every desire, every hope, and every concern to Him.

What a blessing it is that I get to walk this path of uncertainty WITH my son. That we get to practice casting our anxieties onto God together. I can’t take the weight from him, but I can show him that God cares, and He will carry it with us.

Lord,

Meet my son in his anxieties.

Remind him that You care deeply, personally, tenderly.

Teach him to cast his burdens on You, because they are too heavy to carry alone.

And meet me too.

When the hard conversations come, give me the words.

When I feel the weight of what I can’t do for him, remind me: my job isn’t to have all the answers.

My job is to point him to You.

Thank You for the blessing of walking this path WITH him.

Thank You that we get to learn together what it means to cast our anxieties on the One who cares.

Amen.

Until next week, Blair