I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. I ate way too much (I had my cheat day yesterday) and spent my time burning off some calories at spin class this morning. This was my first spin class and it was a challenge. Challenges can be good. They keep us going. My current challenges are hot yoga, spin class and weight lifting. These are not only good for me physically, but also mentally and emotionally. I also need to get my daughter through her summer reading list for school. Send prayers. We currently are doing a tech free summer where she can’t have any mobile devices. None. She can watch TV. I find myself watching the most random videos on YouTube-makeup tutorials, hair tutorials, family videos and people playing video games. I watch everything with her except the video games. My challenge has been trying to keep up with everything she finds. What is she watching? Is it appropriate? My husband and daughter know way more about technology than me. I use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and MyFitness Pal . That is about as far as my use of technology goes. I usually read, watch TV, workout or listen to podcasts. I have a difficult time sitting still. I always feel I need to be moving unless I am reading. My husband will try to get me to binge watch TV and I make it through two episodes and I am just done. I need to be working on the house, doing errands or something other than just sitting still.

What challenges you? What keeps you going? If you struggle with depression, like myself, I encourage you to find an area of interest that challenges you or maybe even a project that needs to be done. It may also help to find a friend that will encourage you in your new journey.

List of things that challenge me:

• Organizing the house and cleaning out closets
• Yoga
• Reading
• Trying new recipes
• Giving back to the community. We do local mission projects with our Sunday School class.
• Raising my daughter
• Finding books to order for our library
• Making new friends
• Following a budget. This can be difficult when it comes to shopping for clothes. I get a set amount each month, but I have been known to go over.
• Scrapbooking. I love to scrapbook, but have fallen behind on this. I need to catch up.
• Organizing a schedule/routine for our family to follow. I try to keep each week consistent, but sometimes life just happens.

Make a list of what challenges you so far. This will also help you realize how much you accomplish and that you are stronger than what you believe.

I went through a season of life a few years ago where I just found myself not on a schedule. I felt overwhelmed and was trying to do too much at once. This is very common with parents of newborns/toddlers. You just can’t do everything. I can’t volunteer for every project or attend every event. Lysa Terkeurst challenges you to set your priorities and to not be afraid to say no. Take time for you. I listed above challenges I face. Those are also priorities in my life right now. I do serve the community, but I don’t say yes to everything. Serving at VBS? I can’t. I work full time. What I can do? Serve an occasional Saturday in the community. Host meals for Sunday School a few times a year. As I read this book, I realized I was not prioritizing my schedule. Now I pick out a few things which also leaves room for personal challenges of my own that I need to accomplish. Terkeurst does an excellent job in explaining how to make the best choices based on your current family demands right now. I read The Best Yes and it helped change my life.
Purchase here.

From the author’s website:

Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Uninvited,The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, and 16 other books.

Lysa was recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has been published in multiple publications such as Focus on the Family and CNN online. Additionally, she has appeared on the Today Show as one of the leading voices in the Christian community.
For more information Lysa TerKeurst and to follow her blog, click here.

Redeeming Love is one of the best reads and one that I read last year when I was facing numerous challenges. As women, we tend to be confused about love and what that looks like. Francine Rivers creates a story of fiction based on the book of Hosea in the Bible. God calls Hosea to love a prostitute. In this novel, her name is Angel. She leaves him, but God keeps calling Hosea to chase her, even though he is left brokenhearted. God loves us unconditionally and forgives. God uses Hosea’s story as an example of how he loves us. Redeeming Love is a good read for the soul that has felt abandoned, used or brokenhearted and will challenge how we love others.
Purchase here.

From the author’s website:

Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith.  First published by Bantam Books, and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid- 1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction and continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association’s top-selling titles; it has held a spot on the Christian bestseller list for nearly a decade.
For more information about Francine Rivers, click here.

Blogs I Love

ModernMrsDarcy.com
A book and lifestyle blog that features podcasts, reading guides and Ebook deals.
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DailyDoseofLuxury.com
A blog focused on self-care.
GirlBoss.com
A blog on women and their careers.
EmilyMay.me
Emily is the #1 reviewer on Goodreads. She also has a good book review to share on her blog.l
SuperFoodsLife.com
A blog focused on nutrition.
Raisin-Toast.com
A blog focusing on art, home and garden.
APinchofCrazy.com
A blog that has healthy recipes for your whole family to enjoy.
ToLoveHonorandVacuum.com
A blog on marriage and family.
Unveiledwife.com
An encouragement blog and podcast for wives.
MessyMotherhood.com
A blog on motherhood from a Children’s Therapist turned SAHM.
MomentsaDay.com
A blog on personal growth for families written by a certified parent educator.
AMotherFarFromHome.com
Ideas on establishing routine and order in your home to take the chaos out of parenting written by a SAHM of 4.