Bad Moments vs Bad Days

Bad Moments vs Bad Days

Bad Moments vs Bad Days

Lately I have had a “few” bad days, but a LOT of bad moments.

How do I differentiate between the two? I’m so glad you asked!

Just this weekend I had a fibro flare up out of nowhere, and it lasted a total of 48 hours. THAT was a bad day. Two of them to be hourly specific.

In fact, three… because it started in mid-afternoon on Sunday and finally let up Tuesday evening.

The pain was debilitating, and nearly impossible to describe to anyone who has never experienced it before.

In August, when my entire family got Covid at the same time (minus me apparently… every test I took came back negative).

Those were some rough days.

Two weeks of them.

Kids having issues coughing, breathing, being sick, fevers, not eating or drinking anything, scaring me to death, and the slow recovery from the worst of it…

Bad. Days.

Now, perspective is everything when you take a situation and just call it a bad moment instead of a bad day.

I have a couple examples…

When the window on my car stopped rolling up, stuck at the bottom of the track, deep inside the door panel, and the window had to be covered with plastic for a while.

Sure, the plastic was there for a few weeks, but the only “bad” moments occurred when the window wouldn’t come up, and when my dad informed me that plastic was the only solution until a new motor device could be bought.

Two moments in a single day.

But the window was covered, and while we had plastic over it the window provided entertainment for the twins as we drove down the road.

With all it’s flapping and rustling sounds as the wind hit it at different rates of speed.

The day the tailpipe dropped out from under my car.

I was sitting with a friend, and we were cracking jokes about my license plate while looking at my car parked across the street.

I squinted and looked under my car, looked at her and said, “What is that? Do you see it?!”

She looked. “I have no idea. I didn’t notice it until you said something.”

I took a picture of it and sent it to my dad, who was in town THANKFULLY, and met me to look.

Yep. Tailpipe.

Literally hanging by a single, little bolt!!

Bad moment!

For weeks, until I could afford to fix it, I drove around with my tailpipe in the back of my car.

Oh, the looks we got when I opened the back hatch around other people!

“Oh, yeah that’s just the tailpipe…” would be my normal explanation.

But the car was still running. (Minus the days it decided not to start, but I digress…)

We could still get to school, daycare, and work every day.

I was frustrated, but I was thankful.

These were bad moments.

I could have easily taken these moments and turned them into bad days, but I did not.

Bad days exist! They really do. And they range anywhere from physical health, mental health, loss of loved ones, loss of homes, cars, many things. Bad. Days.

But, when something happens in a moment, something that may even last a while (plastic on the windows and tailpipes in the trunk), but you still have your home, job, health, family, friends, and that car still works decently well… it really is just a bad moment.

We cracked jokes about how much louder my car was without the tailpipe (It was already super loud WITH the thing).

We had fun with the plastic covering over the open window. Even with all the stink bugs that would get stuck in the crack of it!

Yes, I was frustrated multiple times and days over the same, little things. But I didn’t let it last. I couldn’t.

It truly was just a bad moment.

My Pastor’s Wife told me that my new name was Murphy at one point this year. Every time I texted her, it was to tell her about something ELSE that happened, broke, stopped working, etc…

She said, “I love you, but if you didn’t have bad luck… you wouldn’t have any luck at all!”

And you know what? We Laughed! Because it was humor in the moment AFTER the bad moment happened.

And laughter is the best medicine in a bad moment.

A boss of mine told me I’m too cheerful, to the point it’s scary.

Another one told me my positive outlook was inspiring.

Both of them have seen me at highs and lows. They know about a lot of my bad moments, and all my bad days (at least in the past 12 months anyway). And both of them have commended me on my ability to handle stressful situations in my life.

Is my ego inflated?

NOPE!

Because I didn’t get here by being perfect.

I got here by going through some serious yuck.

I had to learn how to let go of the bad moments and let them be “moments” instead of turning them into bad “days”.

Yes, these are labels… with NO cans

I could spend plenty of time describing all the bad moments and days of the past year alone, and it would bring none of us to any good by the end.

Instead, I would rather tell you that, in the bad moments you can find good.

You can reach through that ugly place that tries to crush you in the moment, and turn it into a bad day, and rise above it.

If you can’t reach through the first time, that’s okay!

I didn’t!

I probably didn’t on the 100th time either!

But I got there. And so can you.

I can say with absolute certainty that my victories and my ability to rise above has come directly from the Peace that my God has given me.

It surpasses all comprehension.

It calms my soul, my mind, and my heart.

It gets me through my bad moments, and my bad days.

And that peace comes from giving the bad moments and days up, and letting the hand of God hold you and carry you through.

And that, my friends, is what the next blog post will be about.

Blessings to you all!

~B~

Think On These Things

Think On These Things

Something I have let slip by me in recent months has been my devotion times. Those moments, whether they be in the morning, afternoon, or late at night, when I can open my Bible or another book that is inspirational to me and bask in some positive thoughts and prayers.

I am happy to say that I have picked up the habit again, and it has been a glorious thing!

One, small scripture has been in my mind for weeks now and I just felt I needed to share with you all my thoughts on this one.

Whether you are a Christian or not… this is for you!

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

In the past several months, I have seen and experienced many changes in life.

Ups and downs.

There were moments of great joys and moments of worry and stress. And sometimes, like many people do, I would lose myself in the lesser moments. The moments of worry, stress, pondering things of the past that are no longer relevant to my life or my family, and I would forget the things I SHOULD be thinking about.

And I have learned and known from experience, those things that we THINK about eventually become the things we SPEAK. Right?!

Which is why this verse is sooooo important!

I can vividly remember a time when my family was going through a struggle, when I was a teenager, and my mom would quote this verse at random, just walking around the house or even driving in the car. I didn’t memorize this verse for Bible drills as a child, or as a memory verse in Sunday School. No, I memorized this verse by hearing my mother quote it for a very, very long time. Almost daily.

When I had moments of frustration my mom would ask me if my thoughts were true, honest, pure, lovely, just, of good report, virtuous or praise-worthy, and I couldn’t tell you how many times I rolled my eyes so far, I’m shocked they never got stuck!

Fast forward to this past year…

I cannot tell you how many times I have caught myself, in moments of frustration with people, circumstances, and other things, thinking, “is this something that is TRUE? Is this HONEST? Is it PURE? Is this VIRTUOUS?… and if not, WHY am I letting it invade my thoughts rent-free?!”

Now let’s talk about my experiences with thought to word…

I went through some dark days several years ago, and they lasted quite some time. My thoughts were not positive. They were not happy. I was angry, bitter, hurt, lonely, and pretty much broken. I let the negative seep into my mind, and it eventually became how I spoke.

My words were not positive. My outlook on life was not positive. And with every negative thought that became words, it came full circle and made me even more miserable.

And then I found PEACE…

I cannot tell you when or where. I just know it happened. And it was a glorious thing!

With peace came the memories I had let myself forget. The times when I would hear my mother speak words of wisdom, peace, joy, love, kindness, and all things encouraging in times of struggle in her own life. How she was able to stand up and stay silent during times when crumbling and giving up during the battle was so tempting! I thought she was just being too nice, but she was building her heart and mind into something amazing!

And she was building it in me as well…

And so, here we are…

We have endured a Pandemic, lock-down, remote learning, remote working, NO working, wearing masks everywhere, not being able to gather as families and groups, and so much more!

People got sick.

People died.

People we know.

I have seen families fall apart.

I have seen people endure mental struggles they would have never otherwise experienced.

I have had to explain to my children why we couldn’t “go and do.”

We have endured struggles because of things beyond our control.

We have endured hardships.

I could go on and on about the things we have “suffered.”

But why???

Because it is so easy to fall victim of the one thing that captures our thoughts and words… the negative.

There’s another verse in the Bible that talks about our words. In Proverbs… “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”

So, when we THINK the negative, we SPEAK the negative. And the negative kills.

I’m not talking about killing a person. I am talking about killing other things.

Negative kills joy.

It kills laughter.

It kills kindness.

It kills peace.

It kills love.

It kills our praise.

And it kills the spirit…

So let’s put a flip on it for a moment and see how it changes the outlook.

(We had a pandemic, and lock-down.)

I got to spend an entire year with my babies and experience every milestone!

(People got sick with Covid.)

Nobody in my family got ANY other virus all year!

(I didn’t have a job for a while.)

I got to spend all spring and summer in the garden with my grandmother who is 80 years old. We snapped beans, canned pickles, talked about tomatoes, peppers, flowers, and more!

(My children struggled with remote learning.)

My kids got to learn to drive tractors, hike, ride bikes and golf carts, fix broken things, install flooring, appliances, and bathroom things, and learned many family skills!

I got back to my roots!

I picked up books, my Bible, my journal, my notebooks, and my computer and I filled my heart and mind with the things that make me happy, stronger, more peaceful, and my spirit is happy.

Yes, I still have days and nights where I sit and wonder how I am going to do things on my own. I wonder when I will get enough sleep. I wonder how I will manage to spread myself a little thinner for all the things a single mother of five must do on the daily…

But gosh!

Give me something that YOU can relate…

Whatever is TRUE:

Whatever is Honest:

Whatever is Just:

Whatever is Pure:

Whatever is Lovely:

Whatever is of GOOD report:

Is it Virtuous? Is it Praiseworthy?

Fill your mind with these things…

Sweet dreams my friends. Much love to you ALL!!

~B~

A Lot of Change in a Little Time!

A Lot of Change in a Little Time!

It would seem, my dear friends, that my world has been busier than I ever expected it to be…

When we last connected, I was working at a Domestic Violence Center in my community and enjoying every moment of it! I had also been offered a new job, a full-time job I didn’t tell anyone about at the time. I surprise I was not expecting to ever come my way!

As it stands now, I have been working with the state of Illinois since December 16, 2020, and I have been training on site and remotely from home off an on since that day.

When we last connect, my kids were only remotely learning, full-time, on their school facilitated laptop computers all over my house, every weekday, and driving me insane in the process! Ha!

Now, they are back in schools, half-days, four days a week, and one of them still has to log in remotely on Fridays to do any unfinished work, which he always seems to have these days.

Before Christmas, I was working evenings and only just began the transition to dayshift work for the state of Illinois, and the twins were home full-time as well.

I had my mom coming during the mornings, and my grandmother coming during the afternoons, to help alleviate the stress from all involved, for the working/schoolwork/childcare process. The twins were set to start daycare full-time, but weren’t able to begin until after the beginning of 2021…

And now they are in daycare.

They have been going to the daycare full-time since January 5, and after the first few days of crying, clinging, terrified wailings, heartbreak and mourning the transition has become much smoother and more bearable… oh, and the twins are doing fine, too! LOL!

OH! And thanks to the new job, I have also started the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps program, to eliminate debt, save money, and be able to provide for my babies and myself in ways I never could before!

This should be quite the journey, well worth documenting… when I am not asleep on my feet and able to write about it!

Everything from new jobs to in-person learning at school, daycare, and things changing around the home on a daily basis, this blogging momma has had a hard time keeping up with my own sleep schedule, let alone trying to type and post blogs along the way!

Since we last connected, Titus had just had his first driving experience in my Denali. He has not driven since… not that he or I don’t want to get out there and practice! NO! It’s just been so hectic around here that we haven’t been able to sit down and take a breath!

Has it really been nearly two months?! I remember that day being so warm… with my oldest behind the wheel, and my youngers in the back seat, antagonizing him and prodding him on to do things that both terrified us and made us laugh till we hurt!

We also did not set up any Christmas decorations this yes. I have babies… toddlers… there was just no way! Rayne would have toppled a tree faster than a family of cats and kittens playing tag in the branches in the middle of the night!

I enjoyed my house being free of decorations and whatnot this year anyway.

Now, let’s talk for a quick second about how the joys of change can quickly become the tragedy of stress and anxiety at the drop of a hat!

Just as soon as I got the new job, my car broke down, my dryer quit working, the water heater started leaking (again), and there were other things that required financial attention… immediately!

Christmas ONLY happened because some amazing people stepped up and helped out this year. My kids would have had nothing had it not been for some wonderful, huge hearted, amazing people in my life!!

Words cannot express enough the relief that I experienced with those surprise givings!!

But, as my mother so enthusiastically reminded me… My financial troubles began AFTER I had the finances to take care of it all myself!

WHAT?!

It’s true!!

AHHH!!!

I was able to pay for the repairs on my car, buy a tub for my bathroom (a LONG needed item), and I’ll be able to fix my dryer situation as well!

Oh. My. Word!

She’s RIGHT!!!

Was I stressed when things happened? Yep!

Did I have to borrow cars, and make riding arrangements for kids? Yep!

Was it frustrating in a ripple effect (from me to the kids to the people I had to borrow cars from)? Yep!

But is it over now? YEP!

That tunnel is behind me, and I’m preparing for the next one!

Changes are good.

Changes are stressful.

Changes are exciting, scary, intimidating, illuminating, frustrating, enjoyable, and full of so much potential!!

We are finally settling into a new routine with our most recent change. It’s a stressful, tiring, but exciting thing!

As we develop our own “new normal” I find myself at peace with the way things have turned out thus far.

It’s been a long time coming… this tunnel my little family was stumbling through was a long one. Dark, damp, a little creepy at times, and exhausting.

More tunnels will come.

But for the moment, we will bask in the light on this mountainside we are on. And for the next tunnel… I bought some flashlights! 😊

I can’t wait to share more with you all! Until the next time…

Much Love!

Becca

I Am the Proverbs 31 Woman: devotional moment with a humorous perspective

I Am the Proverbs 31 Woman: devotional moment with a humorous perspective

As a teenager, I was strongly encouraged to memorize the Proverbs 31 passage about the Virtuous Woman.

I read it and read it, over and over, until I knew every word by heart.

This passage in the Bible was a core reading for me in my high-school days, and as I would look back on it I would hope and pray that, one day, I would be this woman!

Well…

I am!

Now, let me break down the verses for you, and give my lighthearted explanation of how this passage accurately describes me today.

Proverbs 31:10-31;

10: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
(Why, yes! I am worth my weight in precious gems! Thank you!)

11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
(I tried to find something for this, as a single mom, and I decided to simply say that my children can safely trust in me… and they ARE spoiled! Haha!)

12: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
(Again, the kids… and YES! Although they would say I am evil when chores, homework, etc. need to be done!)

13: She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.
(OK, sometimes not so willing, but uhm… I’m pretty sure this means she shops! Accurate!)

14: She is like the merchants’ ships; she brings her food from afar.
(Well yes I do… over the river and through the woods every time! And the irony of that… we live in my grandmother’s house!)

15: She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
(So, she’s up all night, feeding people… Oh yes, that’s me!)

16: She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
(I’m going to give MUCH credit to my grandmother, who considered our field, and worked that sucker with passion! However, yes… I planted, cultivated, worked, sweat, some tears, and with a passion of my own, we had a HUGE garden!)

17: She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms.
(LoL… I call those “big girl panties” and yes, I wear them quite well! And, after carrying two toddlers around, one on each hip, I’d like to think my arms are pretty strong.)

18: She perceives that her merchandise is good: her candle goes not out by night.
(My candle burns at both ends, and never goes out! And YES! My Scentsy is AMAZING!)

19: She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
(Wellll…. I do like to sew and do things with fabrics and strings. At least this verse didn’t say she excelled at it! Whew!)

20: She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.
(YES! So much yes! I will help whom I can, when I can, even when I am near the end of my rope as well!)

21: She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
(Not gonna lie… this is a struggle. I definitely do not FEAR snow, but I sure don’t like it either! And YES! My household is heavily guarded from it! Lots of winter wear!)

22: She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
(Lots of purple!)

23: Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
(We will go with her “family” here. And yes, my family is known around my world… and they spend time with elders, people of wisdom and grace!)

24: She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles to the merchant.
(I do make things, but I’ll admit I don’t sell them. I give things away more often than not. LOL)

25: Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
(THIS! Everyone who knows me knows that I endure, and I find joy in every moment possible!)

26: She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
(This took some work, time, and a lot of learning! Wisdom is essential in life! And my kids wouldn’t agree with the law of kindness, which means I’m doing it right!)

27: She looks well to the ways of her household and eats not the bread of idleness.
(Psh! I never have an idle moment! Dishes, laundry, cleaning, babies, kids, homework, work, groceries, cooking, more cleaning, etc.)

28: Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and her praises her.
(Well, when my children rise up they don’t quite call me blessed… but after they are awake for a while they come around. Hehe)

29: Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.
(Why thank you! I try)

30: Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
(Lemme tell you something here… favor IS deceitful! Beauty IS vain, but praise is a testimony of good works, integrity, and given by those who have been blessed by a godly woman!)

31: Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
(It took me a long time to accept praise for anything I have ever done! And while the kids I parent bicker and argue, and often buck against rules and discipline, I am seeing young men grow up and know how to treat other people with kindness and love, and I see my works coming to fruition. It is a good feeling.)

So, as a young woman I aspired to be everything this woman is in the scripture. I dreamed about accomplishing each and every verse, daily, for the rest of my life.

Little did I know, I would be her! I would be the woman who works, day and night, is exhausted, tired, and sometimes depleted of anything left to give. And I’m pretty sure she probably pulled her hair out daily!

But she is amazing! I mean think about it!

She does everything, is everything, and still finds joy! She works hard, and above all, she is greatly loved!

I work hard, I am exhausted, and sometimes depleted. But I have joy, peace, and I am most definitely LOVED!

I am the Proverbs 31 Woman!

*verses found in Proverbs, chapter 31, in the New King James Version of the Bible.

When It All Goes Haywire: Finding Peace in the Chaos

When It All Goes Haywire: Finding Peace in the Chaos

I have been on the Single-Parent journey for a while, now.

During the beginning of this chapter in my journey, I felt more chaos than peace. I cried more than I smiled. And I often wondered how I was going to be able to move forward.

And then, the healing that had already started, I finally began to feel!

The top three phrases I hear most often are, “You make it look so easy!” “I don’t know how you do it!” “You have the patience of a saint!”

My dears, it is definitely NOT easy, I have no idea how I do it on some days myself, and my children would not agree with the “patience of a saint” statement at all! Ha!

I have moments when the “Mom guilt” is strong. Moments when lose my temper, forget things (the laundry in the washer hates me the most), lose things, trip over myself walking down the hallway, and have lately been staring at the wall in my bedroom blankly, trying to figure out what I am even doing!

So, let’s talk a minute about when it all goes haywire…

I KNOW I am not alone when I say this year has been an overhaul of the unexpected, unpredictable (and predictable, sadly), unplanned, unprepared, and uncertainty! Times ten!

We, as parents and families, have been through the mill!

And the year keeps on giving…

I have five kiddos. Everyone who follows me knows this. Three of them are each in their own school right now.

My oldest is a freshman in high school.

My second son is in 8th grade (the junior high in our district).

My third son is in 4th grade at the elementary school.

All of them are in the same “blended learning” group. Group B. They attend their schools for a half day on Tuesday and Thursday every week.

All other days they are supposed to do online learning with their school-provided-chrome books.

Two of them have IEPs. Their classwork is set up differently than the third. And that one (the one without the IEP) is currently going through puberty… Jesus Help Me!

The twins were invited to join early headstart programming via “home-based-classrooms” and I was already set beyond my limit, so I declined that option for this year.

So where does it go haywire?

Well, it starts when there are medical appointments

Education appointments

Other appointments

Kids falling behind on their schoolwork

Begging not to have to go to school on their half days

Juggling all five of them plus the housework

The car acting up (again)

The fridge falling apart (again)

Mom’s business falling short on sales and losing income to cover the bills

Cabin fever

Sibling fights that go from verbal to physical in .25 seconds

Bedtime battles with the older kids (because the twins go to bed at the same time every night!)

Did I mention that this has become a daily issue? Like, this is not “every once in a while.” NO. This is current, real time, common struggle.

What I am describing is all within the past… few weeks.

And then comes Sunday… when the battle to attend church is in full swing. That battle begins on Saturday evening, typically.

But that is another blog post entirely for another day. And trust me, it’s a good one!

Now, where is the peace?

I’m so glad you asked!!

I want to share what I did when I laid the floor in my bedroom a couple months ago.

I sat on my floor and wrote Bible verses ALL OVER it!

I spent hours on the phone with my mom, going over the verses that fit my situation, me personally and me as a mother, my family, our lives, and the things we have been through. We talked and I wrote, all over the place!

The flooring underneath is covered in verse after verse about peace, joy, love, blessings, calm, grace, mercy, forgiveness, faith, miracles, and so much more!

One of my absolute favorites is Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, think on these things.” (NKJV)

Some others I wrote are

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalms 147:3

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:29

These are just a few of MANY verses I wrote all over my floor!

Why am I sharing this? Because this is where my peace comes from!

When it all goes nuts, I go to God! I go to Him in prayer, or in the Bible.

Now, I understand many people get their peace from many places. It can come from angry cleaning the house to your favorite angry music (I do this as well), or going for a walk, run, bike ride, or just getting out of the house for a bit alone. Peace can come from many places!

You all know me. Mine comes from my writing. And I look in many places for inspiration to write and encourage myself and all of you in your journeys as well.

There are days when I cannot find my peace by reading my Bible. Sometimes I’m not near it, sometimes I am not able to sit and read, and sometimes I can’t focus. Those days happen! Sometimes peace is hard to get a hold of.

And, of course, the Bible isn’t the only place I find peace. I find it playing with the twins. Playing my piano. Playing my favorite songs on my phone, or on the radio. Cooking food (chopping vegetables is a great stress reliever!)!

But when it all does go haywire, I have to find that peace! I have to settle my own head so I can settle what is going nuts around me.

My best suggestion to anyone is this:

In your moments when you are at peace, when the world isn’t chaos all around you, grab your notepad and pen and start to make a list. Make a list of the things that give you that smile, the calm feeling, the escape from the chaos. Plaster that thing on your fridge, mirror, anywhere you will see it every day, multiple times!

And when you are at a loss, remember Philippians 4:8! Think about the things that bring your smile, give you peace, fill you with joy and make you want to dance. Even if you cannot find the time to do something to calm you, you CAN think about the positive!

Yes. It is easier said than done. Until it becomes a habit. And a habit it can become!

I did it!

And if this scatterbrained, super busy, always distracted mama can do it, I KNOW you can, too!

Much love!

Becca