Faith In Plain Sight

Finding a measure of faith in the everyday.



Lessons on Life and Love According to Sara

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Fall in love with the road. That was the advice my best friend gave me tonight when I was talking to her about my life. Mainly my love life, or lack there of.

This is what my dear best friend had to say; “You know those pie charts where one tiny sliver is one color and the whole rest of the pie is another color? That whole rest of the pie is the whole rest of your life that doesn’t need to revolve around a man. Your priority should be you. Be the best you that you can be. Do all the things you want to do. You think that you’re on this road to him, and at the end you get to be together, but you’re wrong. There is no end. You’re always on this road. Even if you do end up together, you’re still on it. Sometimes it will suck worse than being single. So fall in love with the road. The journey.”

Leave it to my bestie to sum things up so that they make perfect sense to me. She speaks my language fluently. I hope with everything in me that you have someone who speaks your language, because there is nothing better than knowing that there is someone who understands you perfectly.

Life is a beautiful journey and you’re on the road from day one until your last day standing. There are ups and downs, peaks and valleys. There are plans to be made and dreams to be chased. Passions to be discovered, explored and shared. Do you know what yours are?

In my life there has been one dream that has remained constant. I have always dreamed of falling in love. Of marrying and raising a family with someone who would always be by my side. That picture has changed and evolved over the years. I already have children and have no desire to ever be pregnant again. I would of course welcome any kids that come with my future spouse, and honestly I hope he has kids. There is nothing better than tons of kids running between the family houses over here in my neck of the woods. Quiet nights on the couch. Cooking together, singing together and pushing each other to chase our dreams. Falling asleep wrapped in his arms. Those are the things my dreams are made of. It’s not my only dream, but it’s my biggest one.

But Sara was right. There is a whole road that doesn’t have anything to do with him. It took a long time to find passions outside of being married for me. My passion in life is to help people. I believe that you should leave people in better shape than you found them in. A simple smile or a hug can work wonders.

Writing sets me free. While my fingers float across the keyboard, my mind is at ease. Sometimes I don’t know exactly what I’m thinking or feeling until I read back the words from my screen. I dream of conquering my fear of writing anything longer than a blog post and standing on a stage in front of people, reading the words that flowed from my heart to fill volumes. It’s not about fame and fortune, although those would be nice. It’s about someone hearing those words, my words, and thinking, “I’m not the only one.” Just to be able to lighten someone’s load a little bit. That is my writing dream. To share my journey and help others.

In one way or another I’ve been in the health and fitness industry since I was a teenager. To be able to walk beside someone as they tackle their goals, to cheer them on when they are loosing faith in their strength, To celebrate the small victories along the way are the things I live for on this journey. I love seeing the look on someone’s face when they do something they thought they couldn’t do! When they meet that goal, loose that weight, fit into those jeans that have been hanging on the back of their closet door….that is the stuff that drives me. Ambition is a beautiful thing, but passion is what drives ambition to movement.

This world can be chaotic, and sometimes you have to reach for things that ease your mind and soothe your soul. Do you know what you find therapeutic? For me it’s painting, getting lost in the pages of a good book, music, determined by my mood of course, dancing around like no one is watching, thunder storms, candle light, newly painted fingernails, and long conversations over coffee with my bestie. I urge you to take some time to look inward and identify these things for yourself. Those things you can reach for when the world doesn’t make sense. When you need an escape. It’s always good to have a fully stocked arsenal on standby for long days.

This has been a long, roundabout way to say there is a lot to life. Being in love is just a sliver of the pie. You have to fill in the rest of that pie. You have to, so that you know who you are. So that you don’t loose yourself in someone else.

Wait for love. Wait for the one who makes you want to be better. But be in action while you wait. Just like you deserve the best version of them, they deserve the best version of you.

What are your passions? What are your ambitions? It’s a great big life! Now go live it!

XOXO, Mollie

The Sweetest Refrain

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When I first heard this week’s word I thought of music, but then i went and looked up the proper meaning of the word. To stop oneself from doing something. Just wow.

What if we refrained from giving into our fears? They walk with us through our days, whispering in our ears. Telling us all the ways things will go wrong. What if instead of listening we turned around, stared fear dead in the eyes and said, “Prove it.” Just what if!


Did you feel that? That’s freedom. Freedom to chase your dreams, to admit your feelings, to face your brave and slay it over and over agian. What if you spent your days chasing after your crazy enormous dreams instead of cowering to the fears that walk with you? Do you think they would still be as loud after a time, or would they be silenced by you stepping into your full potential?

Action Steps: What is one thing you are afraid of right now? You know what it is. It’s probably tugging at your mind right now. Do you have it? Now, what would silence that fear?

Need help walking through it? Leave a comment below or feel free to message me on Facebook.

No matter what steps you take, or don’t take, I’m proud of you and I’m always here to listen.

XOXO,

Mollie

This post is part of a five minute writing flash mob. From behind computers all over the world we anxiously await our prompt on Thursday nights, set a timer for five minutes and write. No editing, no do overs. Just raw honest words. Learn more about Five Minute Friday and join this weeks link up here.

20 Fun Facts About Me

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Because I haven’t written in quite some time and because I feel the need to pour out something onto these pages…. I’m going to ease into it by sharing some facts about me since I haven’t done that in awhile.

1- I have a serious pen and lip balm problem. I LOVE them. Those are two things that I can never get enough of!

2 – I have long since dreamed of having a library in my house. Like wall to wall, floor to ceiling shelves of books! Think Beauty and the Beast.

3 – Sunflowers are my favorite flowers.

4 – Lilies are my second favorite flowers. Specifically tiger lilies.

 

5 – I have two criminal justice degrees that I do not use.

6 – I was a bartender for a short while. I wasn’t great at it.

7 – I currently have a heard of cats, 7, and a boxer.

8 – My favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

9 – I have three tattoos. I want more though.

10 – My greatest passion in life is to help others walk through this life. Whether it be through sharing the words God pours out through me, here on these pages, or through helping them get healthy with my pruvit business. There is power in shared experiences. 

11 – My bad mood busters include angry cleaning, I get so much done that way, cranking up music that matches however I want to feel, distracting myself with a tv show or movie, and if all else fails, a nap usually helps.

12 – I love to exercise. Well, not the actual exercise part, but that tired accomplished feeling you get afterwards.

13 – I have never been married.

14 – I have two tiny tornados, otherwise known as my sons, Lucas and Logan.

15 – I live on 31 acres of land, out in the middle of the woods, with my entire immediate family.

16 – God speaks to me through sunsets and clouds. I can always find Him there.

17 – My best friend is an artist and my living room in pretty much a her art gallery.

18 – I am a pumpkin spice girl. I have a bag of pumpkin spice coffee in my cabinet right now!

19 – Coffee is one of my love languages.

20 – The top TV shows, you might not know about, that I recommend you go watch right now are Leverage, The Librarians, although the Librarian movies (3) are amazing too, and Shadowhunters.

Feel free to leave some fun facts about yourself in the comments!

Godspeed,

Mollie <3

3 Months….What I’ve Learned Since My Mom Passed Away

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I have been trying for 3 months now to put into words the torrent of emotions that hit when your Mom passes away, but there are just no words. This feeling is indescribable. I am no stranger to death. My big brother passed away 12 years ago, all my grandparents 15 years ago, and I can’t even tell you the number of friends I’ve lost along the way. But there is just something different when it’s your mom. There are just no words. The best I can do is that there is nothing that will make you feel like a very small and frightened child like facing life without your momma for the first time.

So instead of trying to describe this feeling I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned these last three months.  Give me some grace in this post. My thoughts and emotions are still somewhat jumbled.

When your people need you, you show up. No excuses.

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Sometimes life crumbles around you and in my opinion it’s then that you discover the people who are real in your life. Not the ones who are just there to see what they can get out of you, or to ride with you during your highlight reel, but the ones who are really in your life to be a part of it, for the good and the bad. It is a treasure to find those people who will have your back no matter what.

I will never be able to adequately tell you how much all the people who have stood by my side during this major life change have meant to me.

 

Sometimes the people you think will be by your side when the unthinkable happens aren’t When that happens, when someone doesn’t show up for you like to think they should, don’t put them on blast. People are imperfect. They get wrapped up in their own lives and can’t see outside of themselves. Besides, you never know what someone is going through in private. Be the bigger person. Don’t let your pain distort who you are. How they react to you is theirs to deal with and to answer for. Your reactions are yours alone. I can’t say this loudly enough, social media is not the place to air your grievances with someone. Just don’t be that person.

Show up and show off for your people, even if they weren’t there for you when you needed them.

I am reminded of this Mother Teresa quote that says it all. Let’s embrace the wisdom of those who walked this Earth before us.

 

People are often unreasonable and self-centered

FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives

BE KIND ANYWAY

If you are honest, people may cheat you

BE HONEST ANYWAY

If you find happiness, people may be jealous

BE HAPPY ANYWAY

The good you do today may be forgotten

DO GOOD ANYWAY

Give the world your best and it may never be enough

GIVE YOUR BEST ANYWAY

for you see, in the end it is between

YOU AND GOD

It was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa

 

And just one more wise quote for good measure.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

– Mahatma Gandhi

 

To My Momma….

Yesterday I had Thanksgiving without you for the first time. There have been other tables with other families that I’ve sat at over the years, but the day ALWAYS included you. Never would I ever have dared to miss dinner at your house. It was a good day, Mom. The family I spent the day with, they will never know how much it meant to me to be with them and to be welcomed in so seamlessly, even though I must have told my friend half a dozen times already. Words just don’t do justice to the impact that small act of kindness had on me. They made it a little easier to make it through the day.

My heart and my head are still having trouble processing that you just won’t be here for all of these things anymore. There are reminders of you everywhere I turn. I see pumpkin pie and I think of that buttermilk pie you made that you forgot to put sugar in. Oh, it was so bad! The other day there was a funny challenge on Facebook where you were asked to text your mom and ask her how long you microwave a 25lb turkey and then share what she said. I can just see you shaking your head as you tell me that you can’t microwave a turkey! I still can’t fathom that you aren’t there for me to call with these silly things. I’m supposed to be able to call you with all the questions I have. I wasn’t ready for you to go. There are still so many things I still just don’t know how to do like you did them. It just doesn’t feel real that life won’t include you anymore.

I’ll be ok, Mom. I have people. I have amazing people, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you every single second of every day. You are never far from my thoughts. Life is still a little bit one day at a time right now, but the tears, they come less frequently and the memories, they bring warmth and joy.

I love you, Mom!

 

 

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

 

 

 

When Sundays Aren’t An Option {Review}

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This year has been about redefining life for me.  So I would like to talk about redefining how we teach our children about Jesus.  I am a single mom with two wild and crazy little boys.  Let me tell you, co-parenting is hard!  Especially when you share time with your littles and can’t do all the things you would like to do with and for them.  For me, one of the biggest problems is that they go to their dad’s on weekends, so they don’t go to church.  They are rarely with me on a weekend and he does not take them.

What do you do when taking your kids to church on Sundays isn’t an option?

There are resources available for you if you just look for them.  There are books and children’s devotionals, even tv shows that teach the lessons from the Bible, and don’t forget the most valuable resource of all, The Bible itself!  I will leave you to sort through those.  But there is one that I just have to mention.  I love this family devotional written by my friend Susan Chamberlain Shipe!

In 52 Commands of Jesus for Children Susan not only provides 52 scripture based devotionals, she also sprinkles in tips for helping to drive the points home.  While gently lending a reminder to parents that we too are still ever learning these lessons alongside our children.  I’ve never seen a devotional of this magnitude that truly teaches both parent and child.  This truly is a devotional for the whole family!  While there are 52 lessons contained within these pages, I believe the true lesson for parents is to walk in grace while teaching our children.  We after all have been at it a lot longer than they have and we still haven’t perfected our walk with Jesus.

You can pick up your copy here!!!  I promise you won’t be sorry you did!

Did I mention the coloring pages?  There is one that goes along with each weekly lesson and you can print however many you want off from here!  Your kids will love them!  Mine did.  Mommy may have even colored a page!

 

But what else is there?  This past school year I accepted an invitation from a dear friend to go to a weekly women’s Bible study group at her mother’s church.  They had childcare in the form of an AWANA program.  AWANA is a nonprofit program that teaches children to know, love and serve Christ.

My kids absolutely loved it!  They had such fun every Wednesday night!  They would fight over who got  to recite their weekly verses for me to show me that they had memorized them first!  The best part, they weren’t just learning them and forgetting them.  One night I was telling my oldest about a song that refers to John 3:16.  I started the verse and he jumped right in and finished it!  Nothing will make a momma’s heart smile more than knowing here babies and learning about Jesus every week from a great team.  But sadly, when the school year came to an end, so did the AWANA program.  What now?

Now comes what I affectionately like to call the Tour De VBS!  We have a ton of local churches that provide free week long Vacation Bible School programs for children, and they are spread out throughout the summer months.  They are usually around two hours a night for a week and they are theme based Bible programs.  My kids are currently in their third week of VBS, this week at our own church which excited this mom!  It gives them a chance to learn about Jesus and have some interaction with other kids their ages.  It is hard to go from being in school with classmates everyday to being home with mom everyday.

There is always of course, that they learn by example.  When they ask me if I went to church on Sunday I had better be able to truthfully tell them that I did.  They see me reading my Bible throughout the week and it is always on the table by my computer.  It may not be perfect and it is definitely non-traditional, but that is what we do to combat the problem of not being able to go to church on Sundays.  Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

Do you have any other non-traditional tips for me?  I am always looking for ways to improve and win at this mom thing!

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

Faith and Love in 2017

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When the clock struck midnight a cascade of balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling, flying everywhere.  Then God’s people sang out in worship to the King of Kings.  There is no better way to ring in the new year than at a late night church service with my church family!  So there is was, 2017 began with a  bang and a burst of pure joy!  It was a beautiful night!

No resolutions.  No lists of things that are wrong with me and need to be fixed, or things that I want to change about my life.  Just a goal to set my eyes on Him and to walk towards Him each and every day.  A goal to be active in my faith.  My one goal for 2017 is this:  At the end of each day I want to be able to look back and know that I did something to actively walk towards God that day.

Faith, much like love, should be active.  How do you make faith active?  I’ve thought on this a lot for the last few weeks.  When you love someone you want to learn everything you can about them.  You want to please them and make them happy, and you want to spend time with them.  How does all of that translate to my faith walk?  Reading my Bible, praying, resting in His presence.  Loving and serving His children.  Faith and love are much the same thing in my humble opinion.  Our faith was built on a foundation of love after all.  Everything He did, He did because He loves us.

I have never done the one word for the new year thing before, but as I thought on my one goal, my one word was birthed out of that.  My one word for 2017 is ACTIVE.  Active faith.  Active love.  Active body.

Actions speak louder than words.  This year I’m not just going to speak of faith and love, I’m going to prove it by putting some action behind my words.

 

If you would like to share, I would love to hear about your goals and resolutions for 2017!  You can share in the comments below.

 

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

What a Beautiful Name

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Have you ever said the name of Jesus and it felt as if you had just said the name of the person you love?  That same ripple of excitement runs through you.  There is a swelling of your heart, and that peace that comes when you think of the one you love.  It’s exciting and calming all at the same time.  Only this love is so much better, because this love will never leave you.  This love will never forget or refuse to fight for you, and this love is always only a whisper away.

That song gives me chills and brings a rush of love along with it.  If you don’t know that feeling when you say the name of Jesus I encourage you to pick up an Advent study and really focus in on Him.  Put all the worries that you carry with you on the back burner for a bit each day and embrace Him in this season that is all about Him.  The more you know about Him, the more you will fall in love with Him.  The same principles apply as when you were getting to know  the person you love.  Study Him, learn His likes and dislikes, take in His life experiences.  To know Him is to love Him.  He did after all create you  me to be in relationship with Him.  He longs for us to seek Him.

This Advent season I am studying the many names of Jesus.  I am loving diving into the unique meanings behind each name.  Each reveals a different facet, a different face, a different side to the Savior.  He would have to have many sides to fulfill the promise in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 which says He becomes all things to all men so that He might save some.  The Advent study I am doing with my study group is Unwrapping the Names of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu.  You can read the review I did on this study here.  It is a daily devotional that goes over a different name of Jesus each day!  I love that even though I did this study last year I am finding new meaning in it this year as I am in a different season of life.

Here are a few more Advent books you might enjoy:

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp  (This one is a family devotional.)

31 Days of Christmas by Susan Chamberlain Shipe

 

Fall in love with Jesus this Advent season as you spend time getting to know Him!  It will be time well spent!

Note:  This post contains affiliate links. {Full Disclosure Policy}

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

Loosing Control

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I don’t write about parenting or even mention my kids very much because I don’t feel like that’s an area I can speak to with any effectiveness really. For the past 8 1/2 years I have kind of felt like parenting took a skill set I just don’t possess. It just doesn’t come easily to me. I always found that funny because all I wanted when I was younger was to be a wife and a stay at home mom.  I feel like I am fairly awful in both of those areas.

I have never really been a go with the flow kind of girl.  I almost always get irritated when something messes up my plans for the day, whether I actually have plans or not.  It just wrecks my mood for hours if not the whole day.  My selfish nature plays a part in that I am sure.

Today I got a call from the school that my youngest was throwing up and needed to be picked up.  When I got him home he seemed just fine.  Running around chasing the dog and acting silly.  About three hours later our day took a serious left turn as he started simultaneously throwing up and having explosive diarrhea.  Let me tell you how that can ruin a day and would have had me in a stress induced panic a year ago, ok, maybe make that six months ago.  Today however I just calmly leaped into action.  Cleaning the toilet in between episodes, drawing a bath with an oatmeal concoction in it to calm him down, because what kid doesn’t love the bath tub.  By this time he was bawling because everything hurt.  While he was in the bath I unclogged the vacuum where someone had left a necklace on the floor and it got sucked up the day before stopping the vacuum dead in it’s tracks.  I had to stop vacuuming to apply lotion to his little back and then finish vacuuming under a disapproving stare because he couldn’t hear the tv.  Then he was on the couch watching tv and complaining because he was hungry and didn’t like the choice of toast, crackers or chicken noodle soup I had given him.

Today, a day that would have completely derailed me before, I handled without missing a beat.  Days like these happen and that is what mommy is here for right?  For a little while I felt like super mom.  I kind of feel like that maternal instinct I was sure I didn’t have has started to immerge from wherever inside of me that it has been hiding all these years.  Maybe I’m not so terrible at this after all.

Today wasn’t so much about the events that took place as it was about the change I noticed in myself.  I realized that my parenting was that one area I was trying to hang onto all the control, even in the midst of all the changes I’ve been going through these last few months.  Because I have to be able to handle something on my own right?  Not so much as it turns out.  The only way to truly win is to let go of all control.  In every area.  I know it can be scary, but who do you think is better equipped to deal with all the things life has to throw at you, you or God?  My bet is on God every time.  Without Him I absolutely do not have the skill set it takes to parent effectively, or to handle any other area of my life really.  At some point I must have let go of the control, or I was too tired today to try to hold onto it.  Either way, today went smoother than any day like it has gone before.

When I let God in just a little bit, He can deal with the storm that is raging inside of me, then giving me the strength and skills to deal with the storm that is raging all around me. @mollieh02

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Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone!  I hope you all have a great week with family and friends.  My babies leave tomorrow to go out of town to visit family with their dad.  So it will be me the cat and dog until Sunday.  I will of course have lunch with family on Thursday, but that is the extent of my plans for the week.  I’m just gonna see what pops up.  Love to you all!  Be safe as you travel this week.

 

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

 

 

 

 

Strength Renewed

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Today my strength betrayed me.  Luckily it waited until I was safely alone in my car on the drive home from church before it flung the flood gates wide open.  It came completely without warning.  I walked out of church feeling upbeat, chipper even.  I had a moment of pause when I couldn’t find my car in the parking lot, but I was happy.  But then my carefully maintained strength faltered.  It took me a good while to get it back under control.

What do you do when your strength falters?  Me?  I called on my online Bible study group and asked to borrow some of their strength.  I could almost feel their prayers covering me.  Then I took to distracting myself.  I swept and mopped the floors.  Emptied the trash and litter box.  Finished the dishes and washed the cat and dog bowls and the mats they sit on in my kitchen.  I did the last with my monster puppy sitting at my feet keeping careful watch over me handling his things.  He’s a crazy dog!  Slowly I felt my strength being renewed.

It’s for these moments that God gives us community.  Our community can be strong for us when we are weak.

Tonight my heart is content and there is now less on my housework to do list for the week.  All in all, even with my moments of weakness, it was a good day.

Now for your daily dose of cuteness, and something that makes my heart happy, I give you my two boys playing tug of war with our puppy, Norris, and his favorite toy.  Yes the purple monkey belongs to the dog.  My mother bought it for him, and no one else is allowed to touch it if you ask him.  LOL!

purple-monkey

 

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3

I am linking up over at Fresh Market Friday.  Click this link to learn more and join in!

Little Reminders Of Who I Am

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I am beautiful….I know because someone messaged me, “Good morning beautiful” this morning.

I am loved….I know because two little pairs of arms wrapped around my neck and “I Love You Mommy” was whispered in my ear, as I was laying in each of their beds praying over them tonight.

There are so many little ways that God reminds me who I am to Him.  These reminders are sprinkled all throughout my days.  They are in the kind words of strangers.  In the actions of the people who make up my daily life.  In the whispered promises He speaks to my heart.  These reminders come just when I need them.  Just when I’m starting to doubt who I am and what my worth is.  It’s then, in my weakest moments, that the reminders come.  He often speaks His words of truth into my heart when I can’t get away to write them down.  When I am in the shower, driving down the road, when I’m in the middle of serving at church or volunteering at my kids’ school.  It’s then that He speaks to me so that I am forced to remember.  To take in those reminders of who I am and make them a part of me.  Making them harder to forget the next time doubt tries to creep in.

I am blessed….

I am everything I need to be for this exact moment in time….

I am a work in progress….

I am His, and that is the one thing I really need to know.  The most important thing I need to know.  Everything else that I am stems from that one fact.  I am His.

Do you know who you are?  How do you know?  When does God whisper His words of truth into your heart?

 

Godspeed,

Mollie  <3