Some seasons come with joy.
Other seasons come with pain.
Heartache. Challenges. Grief.
Yet in the midst of it, hope remains firm.
Constant. Brilliant. Beautiful Hope.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. -Romans 5:5
For us, these challenges have not been easy the past few months.
Yesterday I celebrated my first Mothers Day…
Two months ago today, on March 9th, our precious first baby went to be with Jesus. Only a few short weeks after we found out that we were pregnant, the pain of miscarriage swept in like a flood.
A silent pain that so many women walk through, yet rarely talk about. The loss of an unborn child.
Death. Grief. Aching.
To be honest, I imagined my heart to spiral into depression.
To lose heart and forget faith.
Yet something amazing happened.
I leaned into the pain and let Jesus simply hold me.
Waves of sadness and grief washed over me in the days and weeks to follow and instead of numbing out, I let my heart FEEL the sadness.
Through this process, I FELT GOD DRAW NEAR.
I wasn’t afraid to be honest with Him. To sob so deeply. To let Him know my pain. I chose to NOT turn my face from Him, but see that He was sitting with me in my sadness.
It was deeply comforting to know that He was with me…
My husband was given a beautiful picture of our baby with Jesus, in perfection… praying for us.
This picture the Lord gave him has graced my heart with such hope. My amazing, wonderful little baby has a greater knowledge of God than I have ever experienced in a lifetime. How beautiful His mercies are to our hearts.
Its been 2 months and my heart has felt that sadness sweep over me this week as Mothers Day approached.
I let the tears flow freely and chose not to stuff my pain.
We celebrated, because we know that tiny, little life began at conception and forever we will be parents.
It was important to acknowledge the sadness and let the tears come.
Today I embrace the promise of HOPE.
Hope that I AM a mother.
Hope that I will be with my child for all eternity.
Hope that there is an age to come with no more death, no more sorrow, no more tears.
Hope that in the end, we will be united with God forever.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:4
I am a mother… one of the greatest dreams of my heart. I am a fighter… waiting and hoping for the restoration of all things. I am a lover… trusting in the process and beautification pain brings.
I will not allow despair to steal the HOPE He has given me.
Hope rests and remains in the age to come and I will always lean into that grace.
For those of you who have lost precious babies, or the pain of infertility, and felt the sting yesterday, know that you are not alone and that I am praying for your heart, mind, emotions and body.
You are beautiful and you are loved fiercely by your Heavenly Father.
I pray you feel His affections resting on you today.
We all know the amazing, soothing, relaxing benefits of a HOT BATH at the end of the day…
But add some Epsom salts for muscle relaxation and a few drops of essential oils to soothe those achy muscles and you will be swooning for sure! Here’s my EASY-PEASY recipe that I make weekly!!! I am sure you will never take a bath the same way again!
Soothe Your Stress Away-
Rosemary Lavender Moisturizing Bath Salt
What you need:
3 cups Epsom salts (to soothe muscles)
2 cups sea salt
1 cup baking soda (to soften skin)
5–10 drops Rosemary & Lavender essential oil
Purple soap coloring (optional)
Mixing bowl and spoon
Directions:
-Mix together Epsom salt and sea salt, breaking apart any clumps with spoon. I prefer using a whisk to mix thoroughly.
-Gradually add essential oils, mixing thoroughly. Depending on the intensity you prefer, feel free to add an additional 5-10 drops.
-Add coloring until you’ve reached your desired color level, making sure to mix well
-Stir in baking soda; continue mixing.
-Add mixture to mason jars and keep stored in your bathroom for easy access.
-Add about a cup to running water for a nice, relaxing soak.
Some of my favorite combinations are Lavender and Wild Orange, Frankincense and Cedarwood, Protective Blend for immune support and Respiratory blend for those seasonal threats!
Your options are endless! Have fun and GET RELAXED!!!
So many things have changed for my husband and I recently and change is good… BUT HARD.
In the midst of learning new skills, growing as a business woman, wife and friend, I have been provoked to STAY OPEN. To LIVE OPEN. To have my heart be soft, pliable and tender.
How many times do we go through seasons of pruning and RESIST what God wants to do? How many times do we RUN AWAY from the good that change is trying to bring?
I have done this way too many times myself…
We grow weary or tired and “check out” when we get home. We blame it on our job… the house… the kids… the spouse… but never really connect to that ache and barren place in our heart that longs for God.
The ease to disconnect because we are “too busy” to make time for the things that matter. To make time for Him.
As I was reading in my devotionals this morning I was provoked to let change happen, but also let my heart remain open. I have been on a journey the last 6 months to learn what it means to live from my WHOLE heart in all situations.
What it has shown me is how easy it is for me to disconnect, check out or numb when things get sticky. It’s highlighted seasons of selfishness, pride and arrogance. Its shown me how self seeking I have been but how much hope is in front of me.
I don’t want to be that kind of wife… mother… friend. It costs something to live from your heart.
To remain open and present.
To actually LISTEN to when others share their own hearts.
Though I feel weak, I am willing. I want to change and find the confidence to walk in my true self, love from a place of abundance and make others feel seen, heard and known.
This journey of life is too short to stay shut down and isolated.
I invite you to join me and let change perfect us in love and cause our hearts embrace all that is in front of us.
You are loved, cherished and created for a purpose.
Let your WHOLE heart (the good, bad and ugly) rest today.
The heaviness lifts and it feels a bit easier to breathe when I remember to do this… I hope the same for you.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
You are more than a conqueror and capable of living free from shame and condemnation! Nothing can separate you from THIS GREAT LOVE!!!
I’m curious what it means to YOU to live from your whole heart?
(I know I can’t be the only one wanting more!) Comment below and I would love to be praying for your own journey!
I am THAT girl.
I seriously CANNOT live without lip balm.
Come on over to my house and you will find tubes in EVERY room of the house!!
So I thought to myself… HECK… I can make this stuff, right!!?
RIGHT!!!!! Mmmmmm… Lets make one that tastes like a MARGARITA!!!!!!!!!!
BRILLIANT.
With the plethora of essential oil combinations, you can go cray cray over this! I have also seen some people add mica powder to make it tinted, so if that’s your thing, GO FOR IT!
Its fun and EASY and great for gifts 🙂
I ordered some of the ingredients off Amazon and have TONS of the coconut oil and butters left over for other projects. Need your own pure, therapeutic grade essential oils?? Drop me a line HERE!
PLUS you can get super creative with what you store it in. I have these cute little white tubes PLUS some metal tins and tiny plastic jars. TOTES ADORBS!!! Why is everything cuter when its small?? Swooooooon!
OK, here you go! Have fun and make sure to post your comments and pictures below of how YOU made your super awesome lip balm!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce Beeswax Pellets (around 3 tbsp)
1 ounce Coconut oil (around 2 tbsp)
1/2 ounce Shea butter (around 1 tbsp)
1/2 ounce Cocoa butter (around 1 tbsp)
20 drops Wild Orange essential oil
20 drops Lime essential oil
Large skillet/saucepan with water
Glass jar Scale & Lip balm containers
DIRECTIONS:
-Measure beeswax, butters & coconut oil in glass mason jar. For this recipe I had a block of beeswax on hand and would HIGHLY suggest getting the PELLETS. Trust me, trying to shave that off the block or grate it is a beast. Save yourself the time and trouble… Unless you want a killer arm workout! HA!
-Fill a large skillet/saucepan with 2 inches of boiling water & add the glass jar to the center of the saucepan. I found it easiest to use a mason jar that is designated for your DIY projects. When the melted product dries, it’s nearly impossible to get it off, so use something that you aren’t worried about ruining.
-Melt & combine ingredients. At this point DO NOT put essential oils in. Just the butters etc. Reason being is that the heat will destroy the therapeutic benefits of the oils and we don’t want that now do we!? NOPE!
-Stir all ingredients until melted & combined. It takes about 10-15 minutes depending on your type of beeswax.
-Once melted, remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes then adding the essential oils. Keep an eye on the time so that your mixture doesn’t harden. If it does, just place it back on the burner and let it liquefy again.
-Pour mixture into your lip balm containers. If you are using the tubes, you can cut holes in a box and have them set upright. We found this easiest to pour and have them not knock over. It’s okay if you spill, wax easily comes off plastic & counter-tops.
-Let cool for about an hour or so and you are all done! Add cute little labels if you want or decorate with a sharpie. The possibilities are endless.
I hope you enjoyed this DIY as much as I did! This recipe made about 12 tubes of lip balm and its by far my favorite to use! The consistency is SO emollient and luxurious. We played around with the oil amounts a bit and found that if it’s not quite the strength you want, you can add a drop or two more while they are in the tubes cooling. You can also add more beeswax if you want it a bit firmer. Choice is yours so get creative!
But isn’t lemonade bitter?
I think I needed something a little sweeter…
After a DIFFICULT 7 weeks, with a variety of personal challenges and struggles, we were at a point where we HAD to get away. For our hearts… our sanity… and our marriage.
Gifted with a beautiful nights stay at a resort in Hilton Head Islands, we packed the bags and hit the road Friday night.
OH. MY. GOODNESS.
My heart and soul are SO refreshed!
RESORT:Sonesta Hilton Head love love loved this resort! It had amazing service, wonderful grounds and fantastic amenities! We enjoyed their gorgeous pool (with bar service), lovely poolside dining for lunch, private white sand beaches and loooooovely room. The bed was SO plush and the room included a balcony (score!). Though we weren’t there long, we want to plan another trip there soon. The drive in alone was breathtaking!
DINNER: The Chart House we were craving delicious seafood and decided a splurge at this waterfront restaurant was in order. It surely did not disappoint! What I loved most is that they were very accommodating to my need to eat gluten free and ensured that there was no cross contamination. HUGE WIN!
We ordered the Shrimp, Crab, Avocado & Mango Stack for an appetizer and it was so light and refreshing. For my entrée I chose the Bronzed Mahi Mahi: sweet & spicy seared fish, topped with lump crab, tomatoes, shallot butter and Yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes. OH MY SWOON! Justin decided on the Peach-Bourbon Glazed Scallops & Shrimp: skillet fried corn with bacon with asparagus, red grape tomatoes & roasted red peppers. So delicious and savory. For dessert we chose our favorite Creme Brule and it was perfect! Paired with a Korbel Brut for me and a Blue Moon for him, we were happy as a clam!
Hilton Head was so gorgeous and I know that next time we will be able to take the time to explore more of the island. For a spontaneous, gifted weekend away, these Atlanta residents were LOVING that little slice of paradise!
Have you adventured there in your travels!? Comment below with where you went and your favorite parts!
So when I heard about this AMAZINGLY EASY recipe, I knew it would be a winner in my book!
Who doesn’t looooooooooove wonderful smelling laundry!??
And with ALL the combinations of essential oils you could try, you can smell fresh and clean ALL the time!
Have an oops moment and leave your clothes in the washer for too long?
Add a bit more of this mixture in the wash and voila!!!
Musty smell is gone for good!
-Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a spatula or wire whisk to make sure oils are fully mixed.
-Store mixture in a glass mason jar and add 1/8th to 1/4 of a cup directly into washing machine before wash cycle begins.
-Double or triple recipe and store in a large glass container in laundry room. Place a handled scoop inside for easy access.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Comment below with your FAVE essential oil laundry combo!
