Content with Our Family Size

Hello, strangers! It's been a little over a week since I last posted. But trust me, I never intended to take a break. Life has just been *that* crazy lately. Thankfully, there is light at the end of the {chaotic} tunnel.

You see, about two months ago, I took on the job of watching two children during the day. Which means that I had a minimum of three children to care for every. single. day. And an extra one {for a total of 4, if you're counting} on Wednesdays. Which makes for a very tired woman. {Can I get an "Amen" from all the mamas of many out there?}

I've learned something, though, in these past two months: I can honestly say that I'm completely content to only ever have "just" one child.

I have a new appreciation for how easy my life is now: just me and my little man. He's at a wonderful age {4 and a half years old} where he's out of the "terrible-two's", if you know what I mean, and he's more independent than ever. I can do chores and/or work while he's awake {though I try to keep the work to a minimum}.

Yes, I still think children are a blessing and no, those kids I had were not horrible kids. It's just that... well... lets just say I have a whole new level of respect for those of you who don't have nights and weekends off. This mothering gig is definitely worth all the hard days but that doesn't make the days any less hard.

I want to make it clear that this new-found contentment is not my way of siding with society. I'm not agreeing with the stance that children are "inconvenient" or a waste of time or anything like that. I still stand on the side of God's Word; the side that says that children are a blessing. But I also realize that in this season of my life, which includes challenges in growing our family, I have been given a gift... Actually make that two gifts:

1. I have been given a son who needs me to be fully committed to raising him well, instead of being preoccupied that I haven't been given more children to raise. I can only imagine that, if he knew how much I have hurt over our difficulty to conceive, he'd feel as if he wasn't enough for us. And I would never, in a million years, want him to feel like that. So I've decided to focus on becoming a more intentional mother and let more children come into our lives if/when The Lord sees fit. I want to treat each day with him like it's the only day I'll ever have with a child his age because it very well could be...
2. I have been given a luxury that not many mothers get: time. Like I said earlier, my son is at an age where he can play independently and/or we can work on things side-by-side. Which frees me up to pursue my own interests and hobbies, with the goal of letting him see his mama work hard and pursue the gifts/dreams that God has given her.

So, you see, it's not that I don't want any more children... I do. It's just that right now, in this moment, I'm focusing on today. After all, the Bible tells me in Matthew 6:34 not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. And, frankly, I'm tired of worrying.

God Bless,

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Linked To: Homemaking Link Up at Raising Homemakers / Works for Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family Desire to Inspire at A Royal Daughter / Thriving Thursdays at Serving Joyfully Hearts 4 Home Thursdays at Graced Simplicity / Thrive @ Home Thursdays at Live Called

A Lazy Day {and a Winner!}

It's just me and my little man at home today, so I decided against writing a full-fledged blog post and spend that time soaking him up instead. BUT... I did promise to announce the winner of last week's Embracing Beauty giveaway and, in case the large graphic above doesn't give it away, the winner is Rachel Marie. She's the woman behind the blog: Chasing Kite Tails, where she allows her heart to bleed onto the {virtual} page and wants nothing more than to see people experience all that God has for them. So, maybe, take the time you'd normally spend reading a blog post from me today and use it to read a post or two from her wonderful blog?

God Bless,

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Learning to Embrace Beauty {Part 2}: Practical Tools for Creating an Intentional Wardrobe

Yesterday I talked about the heart change that took place as I read Trina Holden's latest eBook, Embracing Beauty. {As a reminder: I am in no way profiting from any purchases made through these posts.} And, as promised, today I wanted to share some of the practical advice that I gleaned from within the pages of the book, so that you can be equipped with knowledge that will make shopping and getting dressed that much easier.

UTILIZE PINTEREST

You guys know how much I *heart* Pinterest; so telling me to use it is like giving a kid permission to play in a candy store. And, really, I was already using Pinterest to hoard collect outfit ideas, but the problem was, I was pinning any and every outfit that I thought was cute; rather than paying attention to whether or not the outfit might truly work for my figure.

Which meant that the first thing I needed to do was purge the digital clutter by go through my entire board {which originally had over 800 pins, which is ridiculous...} and delete any outfit that I thought might not work. The things that do work for me are: belting at the waist, scarves {to give me some *ahem* volume up top}, and layering {think cardigans and blazers}. I also separated the casual outfits {which I would wear most often} from the dressier ones. {At the time of this post, both boards now have 261, collectively... which is much better...}

This next idea comes straight from the pages of the book and, in my opinion, is pure genius! For those of us who are easily frustrated when shopping {too many choices} and who aren't exactly know for our sense of style {read: people like me who likes to stick to what I know}, this tip just might revolutionize your relationship with your closet:

CHOOSE A COLOR SCHEME

This takes the idea of creating a wardrobe formula one step further by choosing colors that you are drawn to and that flatter your skin tone, plus if you do it right, you will essentially create a no-fail, mix-and-match wardrobe. I decided to play around on Polyvore this morning to give you an idea of what this might look like for a casual, teal-and-mustard loving girl like myself:

These three outfits give me a good starting point: I know what colors I like and I know what kind of style I'm looking for. As you can probably tell, I'm not a huge fan of pattern. In the past, this has lead me to find comfort in solid blacks, grays, and browns. However, even if I never truly embrace tons of pattern, I would be doing myself a favor to at least reach for color.

A UNIVERSAL SECRET {STYLE} WEAPON

The tunic. That's right... a tunic is the universal secret style weapon. Trina is a huge fan of tunics and in this book, she states her case for this humble article of clothing in such a way that I'm totally convinced. Two of the {many} reasons she gave was 1} they "cover a multitude of fitting issues" - think hiding pants that are too tight {thanks to weight gain} or hiding a belly that makes you look pregnant, when you're not; and 2} they "are good for the budget" because they can look great despite weight fluctuation, pregnancies {at least first trimesters} and breastfeeding.

She does give some helpful advice {as you can see in the graphic above}: look for a defined waist or use a belt to create definition; look for a tunic that falls somewhere between your crotch and your lower thigh {this is where alterations come in handy - you can short a long tunic or even a dress - to get that perfect length}; and last, but certainly not least, please... for the love of all that is good and holy, please don't wear a tunic alone. Use a fitted tee or tank and leggings or skinny jeans to prevent accidentally sharing your *ahem* assets to the world.

All that to say: you better believe that I'll be hunting down some tunics to enhance my summer wardrobe! 

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If you'd like to learn more about embracing your God-given beauty, click here to purchase Trina Holden's latest eBook, Embracing Beauty. 

To read more practical style advice, check out this post about creating a wardrobe formula and this one about streamlining your style.

SURPRISE GIVEAWAY

After receiving my complimentary copy from Trina, I ended up purchasing the Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle from last week {currently unavailable} which included a copy of Embracing Beauty. Instead of keeping it to myself, I thought I'd offer it up to one lucky reader!

What: 1 copy of Embracing Beauty

Who: One lucky winner

How: To enter, simple leave a comment {**including your email address**} letting me know why you want to read the book. I'll use random.org to select the winner.

When: The giveaway will be open until the midnight between Sunday, May 12th and Monday, May 13th. On Monday, the winner will be announced and I will email that person the eBook in the form of an attachment.

NOTE: Out of respect for Trina and her hard work, I will be deleting the giveaway copy of the eBook from my computer; since my complimentary copy is the kindle version.

God Bless,

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Linked To: Friday Fancies at Long Distance Loving / Friday Link Up at Womanhood with Purpose

Learning to Embrace Beauty {Part 1}: The Story Behind the Change

Growing up, I was always the shortest, skinniest kid. Being the late bloomer that I was, I didn't get a "figure" until after I graduated high school and put on the notorious "freshman 15"; I was happy with my body.

In 2007, I got married and the weight started to creep up a little bit more. I was still okay with how I looked; attributing the weight gain to being a happily married woman. Then, the weight kept coming as I found out I was pregnant with our son.

My confidence took a tremendous nose-dive as I gained a total of 40 pounds that pregnancy with 20+ pounds "left over" after our Little Man was born. No big deal, though. I'd get rid of it soon enough. Well, let's just say that my son is now four-and-a-half years old and I weigh more now than I did at the end of my pregnancy.

Ugh!

Believe me, I know a thing or two about not feeling beautiful. I don't like looking in the mirror and I cannot stand to look at pictures of myself. Thankfully, though, in the past several months, God has begun a work in my heart. But, you know how that goes... for some of us who are more *ahem* stubborn than others {pointing at myself here - kind of like Blake Shelton does on The Voice when he wants the singer to pick him...}, it can - and does, quite often - take a while for God to "get through to me".

Then, several weeks ago, Trina Holden sent me a copy of her latest eBook: Embracing Beauty, and asked me to review it. At the time, I planned to simply write a typical review post, but this book has had such an impact on my life that I decided to turn it into a mini-series: teaching you what I've learned, through this book, about what it means to embrace beauty. And, just for the record, I do not profit in any way from the sales of the book that may result from these posts. This is just the story of how God used her book to make a difference in my life.

It wasn't until I finished reading the book, Embracing Beauty {by Trina Holden} that I finally felt like God was saying: "See! That's what I've been trying to tell you...". The first section is what really took root in my heart the most; especially the first two chapters, which talk about beauty being an opportunity to express God's glory and about appreciating the beauty in God's design {i.e. loving the way I look today... not just after I lose the weight}.

You see, when I first received the book from Trina, I thought it would be "just another beauty book". But it isn't. I mean, sure, she shares some helpful tips, tricks, and hints to make the most of your body the way it is now {including some great insight from some other wise women}, but it is so much more. In fact, the entire point of the book is summed up in the last chapter, when Trina says we are free to "move beyond permission  to dabble in pretty things, to a commission to be an ambassador of beauty to the world around me"*.

God created beauty and, as His creation, we are "to make our countenance, our home, and our world a little more beautiful than it was yesterday"*. That's why I should not only make an effort to get dressed, but welcome the opportunity to take the joy and love for the Lord that I have inside and use my outward appearance to share that joy and love with the world. 

Tomorrow, I'll share a little bit more about those tips, tricks, and hints that I eluded to earlier, but for now... today... I want you and I both to take a long look in the mirror and thank God for creating us, just the way we are. Then, let's ask Him to help us maintain the proper relationship with our body, as well as with make-up and jewelry and clothes and accessories. After we do that, let's go forth and be ambassadors of beauty to the glory of God.

*both quotes were taken from Chapter 13 of Trina Holden's book, Embracing Beauty.

To purchase her book, click here {and remember, I do not profit in any way from this purchase}.

God Bless,

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Linked To: Friday Link Up at Womanhood with Purpose

The... Heart + Home Project {with MercyINK}

Hello, friends! If you're a regular reader of Grace-Full Intentions, don't worry... I haven't permanently changed the name of our usual Tuesday link up. I'm actually partnering with Lauren, from MercyINK blog, to co-host a joint link up. {You might remember her from my first-ever Her Bliss post, where she shared her heart about her family's upcoming adoption.} So, we took the name of my link up {The Bliss Project}, blended it with her's {Heart + Home Link Up}, and got: The Heart + Home Project. I kind of like it... don't you?

So, to those of you who may be stopping by from Lauren's site: WELCOME! It's such an honor to have you. Just to clue you in on the way things normally work around here, please allow me to explain: on Tuesdays, I share one small baby step that I've taken towards living a life of intention. It's usually nothing extremely difficult or impressive, {after all, it's about progress, not perfection}, but it is *something*.

This week's baby step?

AN IDEA PLACED ON THE {METAPHORICAL} TABLE THAT MAY CHANGE MY LIFE

A bit dramatic? Maybe. But, hear me out...

For years {not an exaggeration}, I've been praying and hoping and wishing for God to show me something that I could do from home to contribute to my family's finances and for years, I felt like He wasn't listening or didn't care or was trying to teach me contentment. But, I believe that the only thing true about that last statement was the last part; the contentment part. Everything else was a lie. God was listening and He does care. He was just waiting on the perfect time... His perfect time.

Last week, someone who has become a dear friend said something about maybe starting a business together and our wheels haven't stopped turning ever since. In fact, we're meeting tomorrow, while the kiddos nap, to have our first "official" brainstorming session.

Here's the thing: I have been praying about this for a really long time and it's so exciting to see that God's answer may be right around the corner, BUT... I don't want to do anything unless it is HIS will that I do it. Because even if I started a business with my friend and it became a success, it would mean nothing apart from Him.

So, pray for me? For us? That God would give us wisdom and direction as we meet together tomorrow. And, of course, as the Lord answers our prayers, I will keep you all posted.

Now, it's link up time... But first, the guidelines:

• Please be a follower of Grace-Full Intentions.
• Please link to your specific posts, not your blog's home page.
• Please link up anything: recipes, decor, motherhood, etc.
• Please fully participate: mix and mingle.
• Please share the love... grab a button below:

<a href="http://www.domesticblissdiaries.com" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s374/domesticblissdiaries/BLISSPROJECTBUTTONJPG_zps4a4765b0.jpg " alt="TheBlissProject" width="125" height="125" /></a>

God Bless,

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Cleanliness is NOT Next to Godliness

I'm sure at one point or another you've heard the phrase "cleanliness is next to godliness". After all, God is a God of order and that's, like, the same thing, right?

Wrong. 

God IS a God of order, but cleanliness and being organized don't determine how godly we are or aren't. Sure, a house covered in dirt and stuff is often an indication of a heart issue going on inside the people who live there. But, I have a hard time believing that this is always the case.

I guess it's because I think that there are so many more important things I can be doing with my time. I mean, of course I try to keep my house picked up and relatively clean. In fact, most of my friends would tell you that my house, for the most part, looks good whenever they come over. And, no, it's not because I do this mad dash around my house to make sure it looks like I "have it all together". At least, not all the time...

I have a routine in place. I have my son clean up his toys at the end of the day. I make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed {with the exception of dishes, here lately}. So, yes, my house is pretty much clean, BUT... I don't think this has anything to do with godliness. Here's why:

Your house can be spotless and yet, your heart can be so filthy because the motive in cleaning the home wasn't the right one. Anything less than cleaning for God's glory is the wrong motive. Sure, we can clean for reasons in addition to God's glory {blessing our family, for example}, but His glory must be paramount.

Likewise, there may be time when you're spending your time on other important things: studying God's word, homeschooling/caring for children, ministering to neighbors and friends, running errands... just LIFE in general, that cleaning gets bumped to the bottom of this list. Does this mean that you're somehow spiritually "less than" someone else who keeps a spotless home? No {see above paragraph}.

The problem with thinking that cleanliness is truly next to godliness is that we risk making an idol out of our homes. We view dusting the baseboards as being more important than ministering to the friend who will be at our door in the next five minutes. We value a shiny bathroom more than the children who splash around in the tub.

Does this mean we shouldn't worry about a clean home at all? Just let things go and clean whenever we feel like it? Not at all. Cleaning has to happen in order for life to happen. If you can't even see the living room floor, how comfortable will that guest feel, even though you genuinely want to pour into their life? Not to mention the fact that our homes need to be clean enough to *not* be a health hazard.

We should value order, as God is a God of order. We should avoid idleness, as Proverbs specifically speaks to the dangers of it. We should take care of our possessions, as this is a matter of stewardship. But none of this to the point that it becomes more important to us than God or others.

So, be encouraged friends. It's okay that dust bunnies wait while you pray with a friend. It's okay when dishes sit for just a little bit longer while you are busy fight the "bad guys" with your son or find yourself drinking tea with your little princess. Because, if we ever get to a place of valuing cleaning and stuff over our faith and other people, then we've completely missed the purpose of a clean home in the first place.

God Bless,

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Linked To: Mommy Moments Mondays at The Life of Faith / Monday's Musings at What Joy is Mine Monday Meet Up at Covered in Grace / Better Mom Mondays at The Better Mom Grace Laced Mondays at GraceLaced / Friday Link Up at Womanhood with Purpose

This Week: According to Instagram {5.3.2013}

Last Friday, I deviated from my typical Friday Favorites posts {where I round up some of my favorite Pinterest inspiration each week} and instead, participated in Alissa's Coffee Date link up {held on her blog: Rags to Stitches}. In keeping with this "try something new" on Friday theme I've got going on, I thought I'd participate in another link up I've been thinking about joining:

If you're not familiar with Insta-Friday, here's how it works: We share some photos from Instagram {i.e. everyday life moments} and tell the stories behind them. So, without further adieu:

1. I spent an entire week at my mom's house and this photo was taken while blowing bubbles with Little Man in the backyard. I am trying to learn how to take better pictures with my camera and I challenged myself to capture a bubble.

2. This past Sunday, I wasn't feeling well, so Hubby and Little Man had to head on to church without me. When they got home, Hubby picked me a flower, but Little Man *insisted* on being the one to give it to me. Love my boys!

3. A long time ago, when my son was much smaller, I walked into the kitchen and caught him like this. Now, I'm used to it... how else does a kid reach a fridge shelf? The other day, he did it again and I realized that I don't have a picture of this, since it's something I want to remember about him when he gets older. So, I grabbed my phone and, as they say, the rest is history...

4. On Wednesday night, Hubby had a men's Bible study to go to, so Little Man and I had some much needed one-on-one time {since my days are now filled with two other kiddos}. I asked him what he wanted to do and he brought out the classic Hungry, Hungry Hippos game. It was fierce competition! 

5. A "fancy shot" of a very non-fancy Lean Cuisine lunch: BBQ Chicken Pizza. Glamorous? No. Delicious? You bet!

6. There may or may not be a project in the works {Lord willing} and I just wanted to know: If you're a mother, are you a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or a work-outside-the-home mom?

Speaking of that question, would you please answer it in the comments below? It would help me out tremendously...

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I hope you all enjoyed taking a peek at some of my Instagram photos from this past week. If you'd like to keep up with all of my photos, click here to follow me on Instagram. I'd love to have you. Otherwise, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of family and fun!

God Bless,

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