10 Family Fun Ideas to Fit in Before School Starts

School Starting

It’s hard to believe, but summer break is quickly drawing to a close. School starts up soon, and fall will be upon us before we know it! Because we homeschool, our first day of school is technically today. We always start on August 1st. So today, we set up our homeschool room and got everything ready so we can kick off a great week of school next week.

Fitting In Family Fun

With that in mind, we decided to make the best of the last week of our summer break. On Wednesday morning, we surprised the kids and told them to pack for an overnight in Lancaster, PA. I am not a very spontaneous person, by nature. I have to work at it, but every once in a while I can be. A few summers ago, we did something similar with our kids.

We had an awesome night away in Lancaster. We got to swim in the outdoor pool, go to a park, visit a used bookstore and Barnes and Noble, go to an orchard for fresh cherries and cherry cider, and more.

family fun in the pool — Malachi and Madison enjoying the pool

Then on Friday, our last day before school, we headed about an hour away to a great park. We grabbed lunch and took it with us to the park. The kids played for a while. After they got tired and hot, we sat at the table and played card games together.

We had a great summer, but just taking these last few days and adding some extra special time together as a family set us up for being ready to start back with school. The kids are excited for a new year.

10 Family Fun Ideas

If you’re looking to fit in some family fun in the next few weeks before school, here are ten family fun ideas to try before school starts.

Grill out and eat outside. We got Matt a grill for Father’s Day and cooked out almost every night of the week this summer. Each night, we would fill the cooler with ice and put in drinks. Then we just sat on the back deck and talked while the kids played and Matt grilled.
Plan a day trip away. Pack up for a day away without telling the kids where you’re going.
Surprise your spouse or your kids with an overnight. A change of place and pace can be just what we need to relax and enjoy time together as a family before school starts up.
Take lunch to the park. It doesn’t have to be something fancy. Our kids just love doing picnics at the park, whether that’s homemade PB and J sandwiches or a box of chicken nuggets from McDonald’s. Food always tastes better at the park.
Take each of your kids on a back-to-school date. We do this each year before school. Each kid gets a day away with me. They pick where to go for lunch. Then we go shopping for school supplies and a new backpack. We finish off the day with a special treat somewhere, usually ice cream.
Plan a movie night. Movie nights are always a sure thing. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. Our go-to is popcorn popped in our popcorn maker with butter and some shaker kettle corn seasoning on it.
Fit in a last trip to the beach or to a lake nearby or a splash park. Getting wet is the best part of summer!
Take a walk or a bike ride together in the evening, just for the fun of it. The other night when it started cooling down a little, we went to the park. The kids played on the equipment for a little bit; then we threw a football around. There was a light breeze blowing; it was so nice and peaceful.
Surprise the kids by taking them out for ice cream or water ice instead of getting ready for bed. I’ll be honest, we don’t do that very often. When we have though, the kids think it’s the most amazing thing ever! Once or twice, they have been in pj’s when Matt told them to get shoes on and head to the car.
Plan a family game night. Our kids love playing games. Occasionally, I will set the table with a fun tablecloth, put some snacks in bowls, put out juice boxes, and stack our games on the table. Some of our favorite family games are Uno, Skipbo, Dutch Blitz, Ultimate Werewolf, Codenames, Guess Who Cards, and Ticket to Ride.

Hopefully, this list got you thinking about some ideas. What are some things that your family does before the kids head back to school?

Today’s Standing Stones

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Standing Stones in the Bible

In Old Testament times, when God wanted His people to remember an event or a place, he would have them erect standing stones. They would bring large stones and stack them into a pillar. This would make a memorial that would commemorate that event or place for generations to come. I just read about this in my morning time this week. After the children of Israel crossed the Jordan, God commanded Joshua to have the people create a memorial.

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Joshua 4:4-7 KJV

Why did God ask the children of Israel several times to stack stones to remember events by? God knew they would forget. He didn’t want them to forget the mighty acts that He did for them. Not only did he want them to remember the event or place, He wanted their children to see the standing stones and ask what they were for. When they did, the parents could tell them what great act God had done there.

Remembering by Writing It Down

Over two thousand years later, God no longer asks us to put up standing stones. Yet, He wants us to remember when He works on our behalf. Here’s the problem, though: we’re forgetful. We quickly forget what God did for us in one season of life. Maybe He comes through in a big way financially for us. Later, we face a similar situation, and we automatically fear that God won’t come through for us. How many times do we fear the same thing over and over again? Yet God comes through every time.

Often, we forget what God has done in the past simply because we don’t write it down. There’s something about writing things down that helps it to stick with us. It’s often been said…

The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.

If we want to remember something, we need to write it down. If we want to remember how God worked for us in the past, we must write it down. What’s the best way to do that? Journaling.

Journaling

I am a huge advocate of journaling. That’s why I created the Faithfully Stepping Journal. Every morning, the first thing I do in my journal is to write down what I am thankful for. Every day I have a chance to record what God did for me the day before. Most days it’s not something huge. But the times when God does come through in a big way, I write it down the next morning in my journal.

When I get discouraged, I simply flip through the pages of my journal. It reminds me of all the good God has done for me, whether that be something little or something huge. Whenever I finish a journal, I flip back through it and remind myself once again of all that God did for me during the past six months.

What’s really fun is to find an old journal from several years ago and flip through it. I am reminded of so many blessings. The blessings range from small to huge…the baby finally slept through the night, the kids are feeling better today, a new family joined the church, we received a check in the mail, Malachi got saved yesterday.

Getting into the habit of writing down God’s blessings every day helps so that you don’t miss any, whether they are big or small.

A Pen and a Journal

We no longer have to build standing stones. We simply have to pick up a pen and a journal. When we remember all the ways that God has provided for us and blessed us in the past, it is much easier to trust Him with the future.

Faithfully Stepping Journals

If you’re interested in my Faithfully Stepping Journals, you can snag one HERE. These six-month journals use an easy format to help you grow in your relationship with God using journaling, Bible reading, and prayer time.

Journaling Page — An inside look at the Faithfully Stepping Journal

How to Prepare My Heart for a Difficult Season of Life

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picture of dying flowers and regular flowers — my flowers

My Flowers

My sister-in-law brought me these beautiful flowers for my table on Sunday. I’m not sure what happened, but the next day… well, you can see the picture. One of them was blossoming, and the other was completely dead. I didn’t do anything to them but put them in water. I would have said it was the heat that killed them, but one was doing just fine.

There was no difference in the circumstances around the flowers. They were bought at the same time, from the same store. They were placed in the same vase and shared the same water. So why is it that one thrived and one died?

Two People in Similar Circumstances

Why is it that two people can have the same set of circumstances, yet one person crumbles while another shines? I think we’ve all known people on both sides in this scenario. We watch as the hardest circumstances come at one person, and they handle it with grace and strength. We stand back and watch in awe of God’s grace in and through their lives. We’ve also watched someone else go through difficult circumstances and absolutely crumble. They lose their faith; they become angry and bitter, only a shell of their former self.

What’s Inside Makes the Difference

What makes the difference? It’s what was inside that made all the difference. In the flower that died, there must have been some sort of sickness that I couldn’t see that was affecting the flower. Similarly, we can’t see what’s in people’s hearts; we can only see the outflow. It’s what is inside that comes out in difficult times. Two people may look the same on the outside, but once they are in the midst of a difficult season, it may be that two very different people are revealed.

What is inside our hearts is going to come out when difficult circumstances come. Solomon tells us in Proverbs to carefully guard our heart. The state of our heart will determine the course of our life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 KJV

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT

Doing a Heart Check-Up

Sometimes we need to do an internal checkup to see how we are doing. If we look okay to everyone else, but our heart is filled with anger, fear, pride, greed, jealousy, shame… it’s going to come out when we are placed in difficult circumstances. It just will. Hard times have a way of showing us who we really are.

When we went through our difficult season, I had a front-row seat to see what was truly in my heart. I was surprised to see the anger, fear, and lack of faith that came spilling out. Because of those circumstances, though, I was able to see where I truly was. I could then begin to take steps to change my ways and thoughts, and ultimately my heart.

Developing a Healthy Heart

So how do we develop a healthy heart? How do we strengthen our heart to be ready for a difficult season or a time of testing?

It starts with developing a deep relationship with God. We can do that through praying, reading God’s Word, and journaling. I use my Faithfully Stepping Journal every morning. I use it as a part of my morning time routine. If you are looking for inspiration for your morning time, check out My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time.

picture of a journal — One of My Faithfully Stepping Journals

Stay accountable each day for your sins. If we keep a short account of our sins, we won’t get far from God. It’s when we let stuff go that sin builds up in our hearts and we find ourselves far away from God.
Spend time doing things that strengthen our hearts and put them in a healthy place. Read good books that help you grow spiritually. Listen to preaching and Christian leaders on podcasts.

When we actively take care of our heart, we prepare ourselves to be ready for whatever tests or seasons of difficulty that lie ahead. We establish a deep relationship with God that will get us through so that we can look back and see that we did well during our season of testing.

Getting Through this Season of Rainy Days

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Rainy Days

It’s a dreary, rainy day as I sit here and write this post. I am definitely one of those people who is affected by the weather. On sunny days, I feel ready to work hard and get a lot accomplished. A rainy day? Not so much. I have learned to appreciate rainy days, though, because it helps me enjoy the sunny days so much more.

But sometimes, rainy days are just depressing. Sometimes they make you feel sad and discouraged. So here’s my encouragement for today. It comes right from Eeyore, from Winnie the Pooh.

The rain has to stop falling eventually. At some point, the rain will stop, the clouds will roll back, and the sun will come out once again.

A Season of Difficulty

You may be in a difficult season right now where it feels like the rain just won’t stop falling. You need the sun to shine, but all you see are rainy dreary days. That’s a difficult place to be, and my heart goes out to you. You have no hope that things are going to be okay. Maybe your heart is broken, and you don’t feel like it’s ever going to heal. Maybe you’re in a season of depression, and you can’t seem to move past it.

Sometimes life knocks us to our knees. It’s during those times that we need God the most, yet it’s often the hardest time to find Him.

If you’re are in a difficult season right now, I want to encourage you with three simple reminders.

1. God Loves You

It’s so simple, yet so often we forget. Let me be the one to remind you that God loves you. He loves you for who you are, not who you want to be. The flaws and imperfections that you see are what make you special to Him. He created you perfectly, and you bring immense joy to Him.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Psalm 139:13, 15 MSG

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:33 KJV

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 KJV

There is no greater way to know that God loves us than to remember He gave His very life for us. Paul also reminds us in Romans that absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. His love for us is so powerful that there is nothing that we can do or anybody else can do to remove His love from us.

2. God Is For You

In the midst of hard times, it is so hard to see that God is for you. In a time where everything seems to be against you, it’s hard to see that God is working for your good. During difficult times in my life, I have the hardest time believing God is for me. He feels so far away. It doesn’t feel like He’s doing anything to help me.

It’s during these times that Satan whispers to us that God is giving us “what we deserve.” He leads us to believe that God is punishing us, that He doesn’t care about us or what happens to us. These are all lies. We need to focus on truth instead. The truth is that God is working in every detail of our lives to bring about His plan for our lives.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Psalm 18:30,32

3. God Hasn’t Forgotten You

This is usually what I need to hear the most in trying times. So let me be the one to remind you of this truth today. God has not forgotten you. He knows exactly what you are going through. He sees the hurt and the pain and understands the confusion, the doubt, and the fear. You may feel that He is so far away but know this. God is acutely aware of what you are going through. He hasn’t left you to go through this on your own. He reminds us of this truth in Hebrews.

…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 KJV

God has promised that He will never leave us. When it feels the darkest, when it feels like God is far away, remember that God is with you.

One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of the disciples in a storm. Mark 6 gives us the account of the disciples being stuck in a storm. They were on a ship when a ferocious storm came upon them. It must have been really bad because these were seasoned fishermen. They were used to being out on the water. Whatever they saw in the storm terrified them.

Jesus comes to them in the midst of their storm. Then he steps into the boat with them. Jesus didn’t leave them to suffer through the storm alone. No, He came to them in their darkest hour and stepped into the boat with them.

That’s how I know God hasn’t forgotten you. In the midst of your storm, He will come to you and step into your storm with you. He may not make the storm stop, but He will keep you safe in the midst of it.

The Rainy Days Will Eventually Go Away

The rain will stop falling eventually. You will come to the end of this difficult season. At some point, the clouds will roll away, and the sun will shine brightly once more. Until then, remember that God loves you, He is for you, and He hasn’t forgotten you.

Book Suggestion

A great book to read during this season is It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa TerKeurst. If anyone has a reason to complain and feel like God has forgotten them, it’s Lisa. She shares her story openly and with vulnerability in her book. I promise it will encourage your heart.

Moving Forward

If you have just come through a difficult season, you can find encouragement in my post- 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season.

Remembering What Makes America Great

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white hand and black hand holding American flag — Photo credit: cottonbro

God Bless the USA Video

I was reminded yesterday of what it is that makes America great. Matt showed me this youtube video yesterday of an arrangement of God Bless the USA. It was amazing and brought tears to my eyes. Our family gathered on the couch to watch it on the tv. Even the kids sat quietly as we watched it. It was such a good reminder for me. Our nation has been so divided, and it’s easy to focus on that.

Remembering What We’re Celebrating

This weekend is a good time to remember just what it is we are celebrating. We celebrate our freedom as a country, as the United States of America. People say that they’re ashamed to be an American. That shouldn’t be. We get so focused on the negative that we forget to look for God’s blessings. God has blessed this country. We have so many freedoms that other countries don’t have. If we focus on all the negative, we will fail to see God’s goodness and blessing.

When we do that, Satan has us right where he wants us. Satan wants us divided. If we can fight with each other, treat people unfairly, and forget to love those around us, then Satan can waltz his way in and destroy our homes, our schools, our churches, and ultimately our nation.

What Makes America Great

Let’s remember what makes America great- its people. All of us together is what makes America great.

A Nation’s Strength

William Ralph Emerson

What makes a nation’s pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

black hand and white hand holding small American flags — Photo credit: cottonbro

Celebrating Each Other

So when we gather this weekend with friends and family to celebrate, let’s not forget to thank God for the freedoms He’s given is. Let’s not forget to say a prayer of protection around our armed forces. Let’s spend a few minutes being thankful for the men and women who have given their lives for our great country. But most of all, let’s choose to celebrate each other. We are the strongest when we come together. Let’s celebrate our family, friends, neighbors, church family… the people we do life with.

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post- Love Is Still the Answer.

Finding the Rainbow

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Rainbow across the sky — Rainbow from date night

Date Night

We saw an incredible rainbow last night after we picked up the kids to go home from date night. I am just like a little kid when I see rainbows. I always have to stop and take a picture. We had to stop and get gas, so I was able to take a picture. The rainbow stayed with us most of the way home. We even saw a double one a few times.

There’s something about a gorgeous rainbow in the midst of a storm. It always reminds me of God’s enduring promises and faithfulness.

The Forming of Rainbows

There are no rainbows without gray clouds and rain. You won’t find a rainbow on a sunny day. A rainbow can only be seen when it’s raining and the sun is shining. The darker the clouds, the more brilliant the colors of the rainbow shine. Only God could show us beauty in the midst of a storm.

I think maybe it’s God’s reminder to look for the beauty in the storms of life. Life can be difficult. You may be going through a difficult time, but there is a beauty that can only be found in going through a storm. It’s knowing and feeling God’s presence. It’s a feeling you don’t get any other time than when you’re in a storm.

Maria Goff, in her book, Love Lives Here, says, “What I think God does is to allow each of us to go through difficult times to show us His presence through it.”

Finding the Beauty in the Storm

Wherever you’re at right now, choose to look for the beauty. You may be in the midst of a storm. The skies around you may be dark and cloudy right now. You may feel so far away from God, but if you look carefully, you can find the rainbow. It’s the presence of God. He hasn’t left you. He is right beside you. Look for Him, and you will find Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:13, 14a

He may show up in a Bible verse you read that reminds you of His great love. He may show up in a song that touches your heart. Maybe He will show up through a friend who gives a hug and cries with you. It may be He shows up in a rainbow, a reminder of his presence. It may be fleeting. Maybe it’s just a moment, but know that that moment was from God. It was a beautiful moment and it was just for you, nobody else. Bask in it and be reminded of all of God’s goodness, beauty, presence, and promises.

Rainbow over a field — Double Rainbow over Valley Forge Park

After the Storm

If you are just coming out of a season of storms, here’s some encouragement for moving forward. 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season

Love Is Still the Answer

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After weeks of quarantine and finishing homeschool, we decided it was time for a vacation and a trip across the country. So I have been offline for three weeks. I didn’t know when we left what was coming and that it would be probably the worst time to take a break from social media and blogging.

finding love in a group of mixed people — Our small group on the day of Matt’s book launch

Our Growth Group

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture at this time feels that way. This picture was taken at our house back in September. Every Tuesday night (aside from COVID), this group meets at our house. It’s our growth group or small group. We started as strangers and have become a group of tightly-knit friends. We have had candid discussions about so many topics. We’ve had good times as a group and endured losses as a group.

In this group, we have lost two grandpas, two dads, a mom, an uncle, and a baby. We have walked through those hard times together. We’ve listened and prayed for each other as we’ve lost jobs, changed jobs, and experienced hardships. We’ve also celebrated the birth of two babies, new jobs, new homes, new businesses, book launches, birthday parties, and so much more together.

We are a mixed group of black and white who are simply choosing to do life together and loving every minute of it!

Life Is Messy

Life isn’t always neat and clean. It’s messy. I think that has never been clearer than in times like these. We want our lives to be a neat picture where everything makes sense and looks good, but that’s not reality. The reality is that life is hard. It’s confusing and absolutely heartbreaking at times.

We live in a broken world with broken, sinful people. We can focus on all the evil and wrongdoing around us and be discouraged, disillusioned, and disheartened. Or we can choose to do what we can to make this world a better place.

Love is Still the Answer

We can choose to love others the way we want to be loved. Jesus told his disciples a simple truth that still rings true today. Jesus told his disciples, “People will know you are a follower of Me when you choose to love other people.”

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way, I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34,35 MSG

If all of us would choose to simply love those around us, we could do our part to bring change. Loving those around us includes our neighbors, the mailman and garbage guys, the post office and grocery clerks, the employees at the local fast-food restaurants, people in our church, our family, and friends. We must simply choose to love all the people we do life with regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or socio-economic standing.

Does that fix everything, no. But it would be a start in the right direction!

Matt’s Message

My husband, Matt preached a message two Sundays ago that was all about this topic. He does such a better job of addressing the issue than I do. You can listen to that message HERE.

Our Trip Across Country and Our Week at the Beach

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family picture — Picture of our Family at the Beach House

We are finally back home after a trip across the country to Colorado and a week at the beach. It’s been a whirlwind these last several weeks for our family. We left three weeks ago to drive across the country to visit my parents in Colorado. After being stuck at home in quarantine and working hard on projects, it was time to cut loose and enjoy some vacation time as a family. (Warning- Picture overload coming!)

Our Time in Illinois

On the way out to Colorado, we got to stop in Illinois to visit my sister and her husband for a few hours. It was Memorial Day, so we had fun celebrating with them.

Fun with sparklers — Sparkler fun at Aunt Katie and Uncle Brad’s

Our Time in Colorado

view of the Rockies — View of the Rockies from my parents’ neighborhood

Then it was off to beautiful Colorado for a week. We had a wonderful week with my parents. It was different from our normal vacation because of COVID, but we still had a good time. We got to go up into the mountains and found a few stores that were open in the area. We also got to see extended family and spend some time with our great Grandma. We were sad to leave.

parents at breakfast — My parents enjoying the brunch we had with extended family

grandma and grandkids — Picture with Great Grandma before we left town

Our Time in Kentucky

Too soon, it was time to head back towards home. We got to stop in Kentucky on the way home to spend a few hours with my older sister and her family. I am terrible at taking pictures and only got a few of the cousins in pictures. The kids had fun catching up with each other and were sad to leave the next morning.

cousins hugging each other — Cousin love with Meya

two cousins — Malachi with his cousin Nate

boy sitting in recliner — Our cousin Jace

Our Incredibly Long Trip

We drove and drove and drove and finally made it home. We spent a total of 52 hours driving and drove through a total of twelve states for our trip across the country! We took the northern route going out and the southern route coming home. We were so thankful for God’s protection for all those miles we traveled.

girls sleeping in the car — Madison was such a good big sister, letting Maggie and Macey sleep on her.

Our Trip to the Beach

When we got home, it was time to unpack, do church, then pack for a week at the beach with Matt’s family. We had a great week in Ocean City. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed spending time together.

kids playing in the sand — Cousins having fun in the sand

girls hugging each other — Maggie with her cousin Jade

Finally Back Home

So after the whirlwind of the last few weeks, we are so happy to be home! After all that fun, it’s time to get back to work! I am happy to be back blogging and writing. I have a book releasing in just a few weeks. So it’s crunch time for me.

Resources for Encouragement

If you’re looking for some encouragement during this time, I list several resources for encouragement in a recent post- My Meltdown this Week and My Reminder.

Family, Quarantine, and House Projects

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These last two months at home have been such a good reminder for me that family is so important, and I need to constantly work on my relationships with each of my kids and my husband. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be right now to be quarantined with people I can’t stand.

The sad thing is, we’re often hardest on those closest to us, usually the people we call family. I know that I tend to be hard on my kids. Sometimes I get into a repeat cycle of noticing all the things they do wrong and forget to notice the good things. Then my kids do something that completely takes me by surprise. That happened to me this week.

Projects Outside

We needed to get cement work done on the sidewalk in front of our house. We had put it off for a while because we really didn’t want to mess with it, but we finally decided it was time to get the work done. So on Thursday, Matt’s brother, who works in construction, came over for the day to help us.

We spent Thursday morning tearing up the sidewalk, digging out dirt, putting in rocks, and eventually pouring cement. Because we were on a roll, we decided to tackle the other projects we had been putting off. So we also stained the back deck and began working on leveling the ground in our backyard so we can eventually get a pool. Cue my happy dance!

Endless Hours of Work

All that cumulated in hours of hard work digging and transporting wheelbarrows full of dirt, rock, and concrete. We pushed hard all day. I couldn’t believe how hard my kids worked. Every time I stopped and looked around, all four of them were working hard. We worked from eight in the morning to eight at night.

At one point, I was too tired and sore to keep working. I had almost finished the deck but just couldn’t do any more. There was one big patch left that needed to be done. I took a break and went inside to grab some water and sit down for a few minutes. Then I headed back outside to help. I couldn’t face the deck, so I went out front of the house to help with transporting wheelbarrows of dirt. When I came to the backyard again a little while later, I was completely shocked to see my two little girls had finished the deck by themselves! I couldn’t believe it!

Remembering What Matters Most

Sometimes I am so hard on my kids that I forget, they really are good kids. I am really blessed to be their mom. Are they perfect? No. Do they drive me crazy sometimes? Yes. Do they fight and bicker constantly? Yes. They’re not perfect, but neither am I.

Working together as a family reminded me again that when it comes down to it, family is what really matters. It’s family that you are going to come back to time and time again. We spend more time with our families than with anybody else in the world. It would make sense that we would invest more in those relationships than we do into any other relationship. Sadly, it’s usually just the opposite. We most often take out our frustration on those closest to us.

It takes sacrifice and an enormous amount of love and patience to continually be kind and loving to those who live with us. But when we do, the payoff is huge. What’s the payoff? Stability, security, a sense of belonging, love, peace, and a sense that everything is going to be okay. It’s everything we want our home to be filled with.

Hands-Free Mama

A great book that deals with this subject is Hands-Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford. I read it a few years ago. She teaches soul-to-soul connection with your children. It’s an inspiring and uplifting read that challenged me in this area of paying more attention to my children.

If you want more encouragement on this topic, read Finding the Good Happening in Front of Our Eyes.

My Meltdown this Week and My Reminder

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picture of mom and daughter — My daughter, Maggie and I

My Meltdown

I hit the wall this week. I’ve been doing okay with staying home and life being crazy. I’ve continued to homeschool my kids each day. I’ve kept up with my writing goals and the work I need to accomplish. I kept telling myself, “It’s okay. We will get through this. It’s not much longer.” Then I saw that my part of the world is not going to open until June, and that’s when I lost it. That’s when I had a meltdown.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel like I could do one more day of this quarantine. I wanted everything back to normal like right now! I felt like I was going to go insane!

I spent about three days in this state, totally discouraged, frustrated, at the end of my rope. I didn’t feel like homeschooling or doing my work, I was frustrated with my kids, and felt overwhelmed with life. I kept asking God to help me snap out of it. I finally made myself sit down and think about what was really bothering me and making me so frustrated. I finally was able to pin it down. It was the fact that I didn’t see an end in sight.

Choosing to Focus On Today and Avoid the Meltdown

God brought to mind a lesson I thought I learned about two years ago that I needed to be reminded of again. I needed to be reminded to just take it one day at a time. Just focus on what I need to do today to get through. If I would have remembered that, I probably could have avoided my three-day meltdown. Once I let that thought take root, I finally had peace for the first time in three days. God calmed my heart. I focused on what I needed to do that day and let everything else go.

I didn’t think about the beach trip that we missed because of the Coronavirus. I chose not to think about the fact that I couldn’t be in Illinois helping my sister and her family pack so they could move to Kentucky. I decided not to try to figure out when and how we would reschedule our trip to see my family in Colorado. I pushed thoughts away from trying to figure out when we would be able to have church again, when I would be able to go to Barnes and Noble or the library or the park again, and took a deep breath and just focused on today. Because something I learned but had to remind myself of again is that in the midst of a difficult time, the best thing I can do is focus on what I need to do to get through today.

Our Season of Difficulty

About two years ago, God took our family through a difficult season. You can read more about our story in a post I wrote- 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season. Matt and I have spent a lot of time talking about what God took us through. We think it’s not a coincidence that God took us through a season of testing and great financial difficulty about two years before Coronavirus would hit. God knew our friends and family and those we minister to would be hit with financial difficulty, job loss, layoffs, reduced pay, frustration, fear of the unknown, and more.

I read a verse in my morning time this week that I feel like sums up where I am at personally after that difficult time in our lives.

As you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet. Psalm 86:17 MSG

I have quickly fallen in love with this verse. I feel like He has gently but powerfully placed me back on my feet. I’ve come through the other side and can offer help and encouragement to those who are in a difficult season right now.

5 Reminders to Make It Through a Difficult Time

When I look back on that time in my life, I think about these five things that helped me to make it through. I needed to be reminded of them again this week.

Just take it one day at a time. Don’t look at tomorrow, next week, or next month. Just focus on making it through today.
Don’t make any big decisions right now. Now is not the time to make major life decisions.
Keep up with your morning time routine, or start one if you don’t already have one. Read my 3 Quick Tips for a Successful Morning Time to get started with a morning time routine. My morning time routine of Bible reading, praying, and journaling was the single most important thing that kept me sane during that difficult time in my life.
Hold on to hope. Keep believing that God will get you through this time because He will. If you lose hope, you lose your ability to make it through.
Write down at least one thing every morning that you are grateful for. During hard times, we lose focus and our bearings on reality. Writing down something every day that is good in our lives is a way to keep us grounded.

The Danger of Walking Away from God

“It is when life is just happening that we are in danger of walking away from God.” from my book, The Hidden Pain: When You Fear God is No Longer Blessing Your Life

If we’re not careful, it’s times like these that we can find ourselves drifting away from God. We’re not attending church, we can’t meet with our small group, our routine is off because we are working from home… If we’re not careful, we will walk away from this time finding ourselves far away from God.

To keep that from happening, we have to choose to stay faithful today. We just have to make it through one more day. Soon enough, we will be on the other side looking back. We will see how God carried us through this difficult season and we stayed faithful during the midst of it.

Resources for Encouragement

books and journals — A few of my resources

If you are looking for a book to read while stuck at home or need a journal for your morning time routine, check out my Amazon Author page for my books and journals.

Being at home and separate from family and friends can make even the most non-people person become lonely and discouraged. Matt and I have created a free ten-day devotional called You Are Not Alone: Discovering the Presence of God in the Promises of God. You can get a copy of this free devotional HERE.