Should we fear God?

We are taught at an early age to fear God. You know the phrase, ill put the fear of God in you. But should we really fear God? He doesnt punish us. He as unconditional love for us. And forgives us no matter how many times we mess up. And that revolves around love, not fear.
You cant earn God's favor more by following a religious secs rules. That mindset leads us to trying to be better than others or feeling less than. And thats the devil whispering in our ears. In Romans 3:21-31 explains that we all fall sbort and we all recieve grace that is through the the redemption that is Jesus Christ.
These mindsets of trying to earn God's favor leave us falling short and then lead to giving up as we will never be good enough. That causes fear and anxiety and depression.
Friends we all fall short. That is why Jesus died. Accepting that he died for you before yu ever exist is acceptimg unconditional love from a father that doesnt punish us. And has already forgiven us. John 14:6 says Christ ia the only way to his father. For this very reason.
Should be strive to be Christ like? Yes. But we have to know we are not perfect and thats ok. Just strive everyday to do and be better. God created us. He knows us. Ans once we accept this we can start living Christ like because we want to. Not because we are afraid if being repramanded for a mistake we have or may make.
Ephesians 2:8-9  (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
We all can recieve grace by accepting what Jesus did for us.

We dont need to fear God. We can find rest in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 2:24 KJV

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

God is love. And to know lovw is to know God.
And in perfect love their is no fear.

1 John 4:18 KJV

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Why do we as society judge constantly.

With the peak of social media everything most do is under a microscope. When baby jessica fell in the well. We came together and prayed for the family and aided them. Now if a child is hurt or missing society imediately pointsbout evey flaw you have to prove itnwas your fault. Being a parent is hard enough without bystanders judging every move you make.
There are so many decisions involved with raising children. From simple ones like what their first food should be to what age to start food to vaccines to circumsision to dicipline and so much more.
I think we all can agree that doing your owm research is vital. Statistics are great. Facts are eveb better. But children are NOT a one size fits all.
I have evolved so much as a parent. I became a mom almost 10 years ago. And I made choices with him i didnt with the middle child and havent with the youngest. For example my oldest is circumsized. My youngest is not. We statered solids as 4 months with my oldest and it was a fruit. My middle child started at 4 months with veggies. And here we are with the youngest and he hasnt had purees and probably never will and he is almost 6 months.
Even with carseats, oh i have adjusted with mew studies. My oldest it was a milestone at 1 year of age to turn forward facing. So wonderfully exciting. My middle rearfaced till she was 3 and harnessed till 5 and still randonly at age 7. My youngest will rearface til he drives. Just kidding.
My point is their best interest is what i have going on. I could give so many more examples to the differences between my children. As I have aged and grown with my children. My love for my oldest is the same for the other 2. I always do what i feel is best for them.
Some things havent changed. Such as i co sleep. It makes my life easier. I could never do CIO. But thats me. Thats my kids. I breaatfeed. All 3. I wanted to as long as I could. My oldest I feel i failed him. I gave up at 5 months when it got hard and i went to work. My middle weaned at 3.6 years old. And my youngest will wean when he is ready. I forced my oldest to use a bottle as well as breast cause i thought he had to. My middle child never had a bottle. And the baby will look at you like you are crazy.
Now i am rambling. But my point comes down to this. You do not have to like a choice mother makes. And you do not have the right to tell her she is wrong. If safety is an issue share facts and studies. But do not belittle or make a mother feel bad for choices she makes. As every child is different.
Respect for each other will get us far. Being a mother is hard. Its stressful. Im just winging it honestly. I have experience and research but i am honestly winging it. My parenting changes daily.
Our babies are only little for so long. Hold them and love them. And stop worrying about what others think or feel. Do what is best for you and your babies. <3

Sometimes being a mom means making hard decisions

Anyone that knows us knows we currently homeschool Hayden. And you know it is because in first grade he was not focusing and wouldnt sit still or comeplete his assignments and in return he was talkative and distruptive. He started crying about going to school and i did not like my 6 year old feeling that way about school. It was suppose to still be fun and exciting. So we pulled him.
If you know us you also know Hayden had always had ADHD tendencies. We have done oils, necklaces, calming magnessium, ADHD necklace, diet change, you know the whole shabang. Each one had its own benefit and helped its own way. Whether for a short time or a long time or whatever the case was.
Homeschooling allowed him to walk around, take breaks as needed, go at his own pace.
Im writting this cause over the last few months things have been taking a different direction. All I seemed to be doing was yelling, spanking or asking Hayden "why?" Or "what were you thinking?"  We have got to were we both are annoyed and aggrivated with one another.
Together Hayden and I agreed we needed outside help and that he wanted to go back to public school. We went to tricounty and have seen a psychiatrist. We have decided on behavior therapy and medication therapy.
Medication was never an option in my head. But you see in the last few years i have been medicating for anxiety and depression after trying to maintain it myself and i couldnt. How could i expect Hayden to do the same. Someone asked me if I would deny him glasses if he needed it and that gave me an 'ah ha' moment. In that moment God answered my prayers on what to do next.
So, Hayden has now been formally ADHD diagnosed. And will start behavior therapy next week and started medication thereapy today. Today because he asked to. He heard the doctor explain what the medicine does and that excits him. He is ready for this next chapter as much as I am. And yall Hayden is an amazing kid. And now with the right tools in his hands he is going to do amazing things. He is going to change lives. He is an child of God and now with these tools God has given him he will conquer so much.
I am still nervous and anxious. I cant lie and say I am not.  But my heavenly father has given us both peace about this and we know its all going to be ok.
So all the stigma about kids with ADHD and medication and blah blah can shove it. Cause my boy is going to show the world what ANYONE can do if the believe.

Suprise baby boy!

All of our choices have a ripple effect. They may effect us or they may effect our family, our friends or our neighbors.  Well, for my family when we couldnt affors birth control in October of 2016 it led the me liking not being on hormones, to calculating my cycle to a vacation in Tennesse with a stubburn husband that led us to a positive pregnacy test in January.
We had decided we were going to find a more perminate birth control. Two kids were more than enough. They kept us on our toes. We were happy we were blessed. But honestly nothing made me feel as whole as seeing the 2 lines on that small little stick. God's plan was even better than ours.
The pregnancy was good. Lots of itching from withdraw from my anxiety/depression meds. Morning sickness like id never had. I threw up more this pregnancy than i had my whole life. Typical sciatica and acid reflux. And of course gestation diabetes. The kids took it all well and were so helpful to mommy. And wanted to bond with baby brother so badly. And they did. The little bean was aways responding to their voices. Thet loved feeling him move.
The real excitment started August 19. I woke up and felt entergized. I meal prepped and cleaned all day. At 9pm i got back pains and eventually stood in the shower for an hr or so. I got out and sat on the bed. Hadley was watching an annoying youtube video and at
Yelled at her to turn it off. At that moment i needed to pee.
It wasnt pee though. My water had broke. I yelled for Hadley to get daddy. And of course she had 5 million questions about why. I was trying to to panick and i was only 36 weeks along. He cant be coming now. But he was.
I was shaking and the contractions started big time 5 min later. Loading 2 kids in a car at 12 pm while calling people to keep them was exciting while trying not to freak out.
We arrive at the hospital and contractions are 2 min apart and brutal. No need to verify water breaking. I needed to be in an OR asap. So about an hour after arriving we were in an OR. Dr. Reeves looked like he had just woke up. But he could see my fear and tried to help. He got me warm blankets and talked about stinky boys. He even joked that Holden was hiding from him.
Hearing my sweet boy cry was instsnt relief to my anxiety. And for about 1 min all was ok. But honestly nothing makes you feel as helpless and being strapped to a OR table, unable to move while trying to read lips. (which i suck at) But my husband's face said it all. I felt a tear run down my face as i watched him try to keep it together. Holden failed their APGAR test. And he failed the 2nd one. He needed O2 and needed the NICU. I felt so helpless and alone. As brian needed to stay with our boy.
They did make a stop by recovery and i got to hold my baby boy for 2 min until he was too blue and needes to go back to NICU.
My biggest fear was playing out. I had told myself so many times i wasnt strong enough to do this again. The first time was the hardest thing for me. Not being able to touch or talk to my baby boy. How was i going to do this again?
The amazing thing was i was never worried about Holden as he had the best healer on his side. It was the being alone that hurt the most. I went from having him inside me, to him being a 5 min walk away. And hooked up. I couldnt touch him those first 24 hrs. That was painful.
I didnt have my other littles. So i didnt have cuddles. Brian was working. So unless i had visitors, which i had many, i was alone. And all i did was walk and pump and sleep and eat.
By day 3 i was able to hold him. And i did as often as i was allowed. Day 4 i was nursing him thw first time. It wasnt sucessful but it was great. And it just got better from there. The 5th night i was not a patient but got to stay to nurse around the clock. It was exhausting walking to the NICU every 2 hrs but worth it.
The 6th night he was mine. All mine. We didnt have visitors and at this point i was fine with that. Just my small family of 5.  <3
It was a ruff week my emotions were on fire. I missed my big kids and my littliest. We had an eclipse and a hurricane and even an earth quak. But we went home on day 7. Home. Just my not so little family.
GOD has a plan and a reason. And i lnow he is why i was calm during Holden's storm. Brian and all the kids needed me to be. And God did just that.

Fasting and prayer 2016 day 1

At church Sunday our pastor challenged us all to a fast and prayer. As soon as he said it. I knew that fb was exactly what i needed to fast. No questions. Brian struggled with it. As everything he could fast. He seemed to not want to give up.
I am not even sure he finally decided what to fast.
As for myself I, well Hadley, deleted my fb applicatioon my phone. It has been a struggle. I keep going to check it. I almost feel like I am disconnected or out of the loop. It makes me anxious. But today when i did my morming prayer session God spoke to me.
This fasting and prayer will be for me to find ways to use my gift he has giving me outside ofFB. As I read 1 Corinthians 12:8,
"To onee person he give the ability to give wise advice, to another thr gift of special knowledge.", something just clicked for me. I am not 100% on how to verbalize it. But i will be praying about how to use this. How can i please God with my gift he gave me?

Funny how one song changes everything

The other day while listening to the 90's country on Pandora the song 'is there life out there' by Reba came on. My friend that was here says "this song always gets to me and i end up crying and in i start thinking about the what ifs" as I looked at my friend I tried to imagine being in her shoes.
There are many choices that she could have made that would have made her life easier. We can all say that right? But i really found myself not able to sympathise with her. I felt empathy of course but i couldnt imagine feeling that way.
I am exactly where i wanted to be in my life. I have God, my husband and my 2 beautiful kids. We have always had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. My husband works hard everyday while i raise our kids. There are choices i may have mad differently but i have never got emotional over the what if? Or really wondered about it.
This has got me thinking though about what else I want in life. And my mind has been running ragged about having another baby. I want to so dearly. And always have. But i know fincially it doesnt make sense with what our healthcare industry in America had become.
So now. I can sympathize with my friend as I wonder about what name we would name the new baby, Harley is a favorite, or how awesome of a big sister Hadley would be.
Logically, I know what makes sense. But my heart if fighting me. All i have ever wanted to be was a mom. Just like my momma. Stay home and raise my babies. That's what I have. So with humble and greatful heart I will keep praying and talking to my husband and God about what out future holds. Pray with me if you please!

Motherhood is so much more than what you think

I keep going to write this blog and apparently its just not righy each time as i keep not saving it on accident. That is part of motherhood I suppose.
Anyways, i read so many post daily from mothers complaining or frustrated with their kids and or the kids father when it comes to life. Being a mom has the same responsibilities and rewards and sacrifies whether you are single, married or whatever. Im not talking about dished or laundry or whatever.
As a mother it is you responsibilty to raise and love and dicipline your children.
Being a mother meanns waking up at 6 to get the kids ready for school even though you were up til 2 am with a baby with a upset tummy.
Being a mother means dicplining your child for things that make you laugh.
Being a mother means getting ugly stares as your child rolls on the ground in tantrum mode. But you want to prove a point.
Being a mother means laying a blanket over pee as your child never even woke from slumbet as they peed on you.
Being a mother means cleaning up vomit at 3 am while trying to hold the bucked to prevent more vomit covered carpet or blankets or clothes or well anything really.
Being a mother means wrangling a what feels like a 8 legged octopus to take a bath and wash it's hair.
Being a mother is repeating phrases like "please dont eat that"  or "stop licking that"
Being a mother is parent teacher conferences. Sometimes simply explaining your child pulled his pants down and peed on the playground.
Being a mother is learning to let them grow and learn on their own.
Being a mother means finally giving up and hoping the dog food that the baby ate had some nutritional value, While you clean the mess up.
Being a mother means sometimes hearing "i hate you" or "you are a mean mommy" or my favorite "i wish you had a penis and were my second daddy and not my mommy" yup heard that one.
Being a mother means staying up with a crying baby, toddler or child.
Being a mother is walking through target with princess Elsa or batman.
Being a mother means you get to see smiles and giggles and laughs.
Being a mother means you get hugs and kisses and i love yous.
Being a mother is making mistakes.
Being a mothet means you become a mombie. And im not convienced that ever goes away. There isnt enough coffee.
Anyways.
My point is being a mother means being there for your kids. When they need you. Though the good the bad and the ugly. There is nothing that will bring back these days. They will grow up they will become adults. And there is nothing that can be done.
So whether you have a husband or are single or have a good father for your children, remeber we are all in this together. Being a mother is hard. It is stressful and you will mess up. Probably horribly. But just be there. Be there for your kids. Support them, dicipline them but most of all love them. Be there safe place. Be there home. Because in the end. That is what matters.
Childhood is short. Take advantage of being apart of it. Yelling and screaming and stressing over your kids wont make it easier or benefit you, as a mother or your kids.
Love them and rember that being a mother is just that being, be a mother.