Thankful Thursday!!

Good morning!!

It is already that day again… doesn’t it feel like time is flying by?! It sure does over here. Our boys graduated from preschool this week and are out for the summer! It seems like time is going too fast…

But it also reminds me to stop, to be grateful each day, and for the time we get to spend. The gift of time is so great…and how spend our time truly matters. So today I am grateful for:

time – time to spend with our family and friends making memories
my garden – (even though it looks extremely tough after all the crazy weather this week)
friends – those people God has put in our lives that we get to walk this life thing out with
God’s word – I am truly grateful that we have the bible to read, to study, to learn, and to stay grounded in

What are a few things you are grateful for today?

Blessings!

The Johnstons

May 23, 2019 2

Spend Your Time Well

Good afternoon!

There is never substitution for time spent. Sometimes we have a hundred other things to do…

Things we have planned in our minds.

Things we have on a list written down somewhere.

Things we have placed as priority.

But there is never a greater priority than raising the very humans God gave us.

Take your time. Build the snowman. Spend the time that matters. You will be glad you did!!

Blessings!

The Johnstons

May 21, 2019 2

Finally Friday!

Good morning!

It’s finally Friday!! I don’t know about y’all, but this week. Shew! Coming off of Mother’s Day and celebrating all the gifts that encompass being a mom had me on this high, so to speak. And then this week has just been one of those weeks. One of those parenting weeks that has just been hard. You know the ones, when your children seem to fight and whine more than play and enjoy? And I felt my mood slipping from joyful to cranky in a hurry.

By Tuesday I felt like the week had already run me over already and I was desperately clinging to any strings left of my patience. (Which, by the way, I didn’t get a hold of)

As I sat this morning in some time of prayer I read these verses out of Psalm

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant… Psalm 86:15-16a

The Father always knows exactly what we need to hear when we need to hear it. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. He is completely whole. And for that I am so grateful. He had already extended me the grace I needed and renewed my soul to continue on this good fight of parenthood.

In the next breath I prayed for His strength. Not just any strength, but HIS strength. I don’t know about you, but we need every ounce of His strength we can get on this parenting journey. It is not for the weak of heart. And in the very next moment I felt Him speak to my heart… “It’s yours”.

Isn’t it amazing that we get to serve a God who is with us? All the time He hears us, He loves us, and He is our Rock. He is behind us and there to encourage us and strengthen us when we turn to Him in our times of need.

Where do you need Him to provide you strength right now? Ask Him… He is always listening.

Blessings,

The Johnston’s

May 17, 2019 0

Thankful Thursday

Good afternoon!

By the time Thursday afternoon rolls around I’m in desperate need of a mental reset. And the best way to reset our minds is to focus on the things we are thankful for. It turns our thoughts from the things weighing us down to Jesus and the amazing gifts He provides.

So, here are a few of the things that I am thankful for!

Warmer days, beautiful flowers, and a freshly planted garden
Beautiful sunrises
Two boys giggling on the trampoline as they spray water
Time to go visit friends tomorrow as a family
A husband dedicated to walking by my side through this life

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Blessings,

The Johnstons

May 16, 2019 2

When Words Aren’t Enough

Good morning!

I am just loving these longer days! You? I love that the sun rises early and floods the earth with its presence. As I stand out admiring the view of colors there is a peace that comes. A unique stillness so inviting to praise Him in the moment.

I continue to water the flowers as my heart searches for words. But sometimes words just don’t seem like they are enough. They don’t quite seem to express my gratitude for all He has done. I smile as the words of David come to my mind:

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:1-3

Wherever you are today, stop and take a moment to praise Him. He is so worthy of our praise. And if you can’t seem to find the words…don’t worry, He knows what’s in your heart.

Blessings,

The Johnstons

May 16, 2019 4

Monday Morning Hangover

Good afternoon!

Did anyone else experience the Monday morning hangover affect this morning from Mother’s Day? I totally had this attitude and thought process of “I don’t have to do that today” yesterday and I did thoroughly enjoy the day with my family.

However, at 9:00 PM last night I found myself doing the boys laundry because if I didn’t, they weren’t going to have clothes to wear to preschool today. A day off! Ha!! Mothering never takes a day off.

But you know what else I discovered as I was switching their laundry loads last night? That I’m grateful I get to do their laundry. I’m grateful that I get to be their mom. I’m grateful that they both had their favorite clothes to get dressed in this morning for school.

Because those smiles…the ones I got this morning when they slipped on their favorite shorts were priceless as they set out for their day. Mothering can be exhausting, overwhelming, never-ending, demanding, and all sorts of things. But it is also so rewarding, so fulfilling, and so incredible.

What priceless moments did you experience from your Mother’s Day celebrations?

Blessings!

The Johnstons

May 13, 2019 3

Celebrating Moms

Good morning!

Being a mom is one of the greatest assignments God has ever blessed me with. To care for, nurture and love a child is a privilege beyond my comprehension.

I will never forget the day we found out that I was going to be a mom. It came as such a surprise, but we were excited none the less. But then at our 21-week appointment little did we know what we would find out. I was carrying two babies… and to say that we were completely surprised and overwhelmed is an understatement! How did this happen?! Twins don’t run in either of our families!

And just as we were getting used to the idea of having “two of everything” my water broke and when I was just 31 weeks our two boys made their way into this world. The unexpected, overwhelming journey that has followed over the past five and a half years is one that has been filled with fear, excitement, pain, joy, and probably every other emotion I can think of.

But most importantly it is the journey of motherhood that has drawn me closer and closer to the Father. It has given me a better glimpse to the kind of love that He has for us. The kind of love we give and the kind we receive. The kind that has no limits, no boundaries, no containment. There is no way to earn it, nothing that can stop it. It’s the kind that gives everything it has and holds nothing back.

I will forever be grateful that God made me a mother. For it is through this journey that I have grown to know his love a little deeper.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and blessings for you this beautiful day,

The Johnstons

May 12, 2019 2

Just Take A Moment

Oh, that we might love the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. Hosea 6:3

Good morning!

As I watch the heavy snow fall this spring morning, I couldn’t help but smile with excitement as I thought about it watering the dry earth. And oh how our souls need watering too.

I encourage you to take a few moments this morning, right where you are, to talk with the Father. Press into Him. He will respond as surely as the moisture continues to fall from the beautiful skies this morning.

Blessings,

The Johnstons

May 9, 2019 2

Moving Forward in Power

Good morning!

Did anyone else take the time to reset their emotions over the weekend? In case you missed the last couple of blogs, I have been sharing a bit about dealing with our emotions when they seem to be on a roller coaster ride. Make sure to check them out!

Anyhow, I know there is so much going on and it finally feels like spring around here! We are planting flowers and building another garden bed, doing yard clean up, and just loving being outside! But…emotional clean-up was first on my list. I knew that if I didn’t get cleaned up on the inside, I wouldn’t be any fun on the outside.

So, once we have reset our emotions and gotten cleaned up on the inside and re-submitted to God’s will, what do we do with the mess on the outside that got us here in the first place?

We can let it drain us and we give in. Or…
We get determined and walk in the power Jesus died to give us

If I have said it once in my life, I have said it a thousand times… I will not be conquered by this. Jesus came and gave His very life so that we can live full and I am determined to do so.

So the thing that has your emotions on that roller coaster ride? Take another step. Seek out more answers. Don’t give up, dig in. Look in the mirror and tell this so called “thing” whether it is:

sickness
failure
pain
a broken heart
a broken relationship

that it has no power over you. Jesus died so the Holy Spirit could come and dwell on the inside of us giving us power! Power to stand, power to conquer, and power to defeat these things that try to come against us. Beloved, don’t give in to your emotions. The Holy Spirit will provide everything it takes to get back on your feet and face this thing head on. Let’s choose to get determined and let the power of the one true God fight from within us.

Blessings,

The Johnstons

May 6, 2019 7