The Redemption Diary Has Moved!

Hey friends, I have moved to a brand new site and I hope you will join me there. http://redemptiondiary.com Thanks so much for the support here and I am hoping God will use my new space to inspire and encourage more women every day.

31Days {Proving That I Can} Stepping Away

Since I wrote about my family's schedule on Thursday I've been praying over what to do. I love writing and believe it's something God has placed in my heart.

I want to do it right and I need balance in my personal life. I've realized over the weekend that way too much of my time is going to things I don't really have a heart for.

My children need me and my presence has not been stellar on the home front these past few weeks.  As a mother I feel the pull to unplug from this series for sanity's sake of everyone involved.

When I make a commitment I intend to follow through. That's why I can no longer do this series. It was something I decided in haste and can admit it's not the best thing for me.

My series started out as "31 Reasons Why I Can't Do 31 Days" but I'm only giving you 13.

#13: I've let certain things get in the way of my main focus of family and writing from my heart. This can happen so easily and my time has become all consumed with too many things this month.

I'll still be in this place writing and sharing but doing it my way.

And I can't wait to show you my new space. It may look a lot like this one but it's a place for me to grow, for God to use me and for women to get encouraged which has always been my goal.

31Days {Proving That I Can} The Grandparents

Bryan's parents are visiting this weekend. The kids are super excited and so am I. We are blessed to have them live just a few hours away since we made the move to OH.

I could not have asked for better grandparents for my children. From the moment they met everyone got along and it seemed like we were meant to be a part of their family.

They have never treated my children any differently and I know how lucky we are. So here's to another excuse for not doing 31Days:

The grandparents are in town and we want to play!!

31Days {Proving That I Can} Ordinary

Five Minute Friday Prompt: Ordinary

Go

If you see me  in the grocery store I look like an ordinary woman. There isn't anything strikingly unique about the way I dress or style my hair. I'll probably have at least three children circling around me asking for cereal, or cookies, or potato chips, or all of it combined.

You'll see me get the milk, walk down the Pasta aisle and circle around to the frozen meals. I'll stop and correct my children at least a few times and then continue on with my ordinary day.

I'll line up in the self-checkout lane and let one of the kids scan their food choice over the scanner thing (that's what it's called, right?) and watch his or her face light up because the beeping sound was made.

We'll bag the groceries together and then walk at either a snail's pace or with warp speed to make it unscathed through the parking lot and into the van.

The kids will get settled as I load our purchases into the back, put the cart away and get in the driver's seat.

If you're still watching me you'll see that I take in a big breath and let out a sigh of relief.

We made it. One more grocery trip down. No one was hurt and we got out of there without any major meltdowns. 

Praise God. 

You may see me as ordinary but deep inside I am extremely unique.

God called me out of my circumstances to have a heart for him. He knows the greater things planned for my life and if I am faithful to the ordinary He will carry me to the Extraordinary. 

He will meet me where I'm at and use me to make the difference I so desperately want. All I have to do is trust Him to move, trust Him to show up, trust Him to love me.

You see me as ordinary but God sees me as a mighty warrior princess making a difference right where I am.

Stop

Joining up with Lisa-Jo Baker and other amazing bloggers to write for just five minutes with no editing. Won't you join us?

31Days {Proving That I Can} When My Schedule Needed a Schedule

This October is proving to be a challenge in so many ways. Our family's schedule is overly booked with many different obligations. I have taken on a position as a columnist and will be guest posting next week. Please know I am not complaining about these opportunities, they are amazing and I am so grateful.
And while I've been working on my new site (shh...don't tell!) the Macbook issue is still going strong.

I typed a 500-word post on my phone the other day. Yep, the Evernote App rocks. And I may be a little pressed for time.

All this to tell you I can't do this 31Days. My head is swimming and I feel overwhelmed. I've given myself a time limit of five minutes a day to crank these posts out and hopefully do it so you, my faithful reader, will still come back in November. So while my head tells I can't, my heart tells me to go for it:

Prove to yourself  that you can write for at least five minutes and make it mean something.