Thoughts from a new mama...

When I first started thinking about what I would write for this blog I was so excited! This kind of thing is right up my alley. I had several "inspired" tidbits that I was eager to share with you faithful readers!  I was confident that something I wrote would be as inspiring to you as it was to me.

Fast forward several weeks and you'll find me a new mama to a sweet baby girl named Clara.  You'll also find me a little frumpy, a tad anxious, and a whole lot less inspired.  You see with the birth of a baby girl came the death of a rather selfish, worldly woman. As much as I love my Clara I am mourning the lady I once was.  

The old me would have written and told you all about some local eatery serving something delicious you should try.  I love restaurants, food, and all things culinary.  However, I can barely find time to make a sandwich let alone research the newest Charlotte hotspot.

The old me would have told you all about some fun fall fashion I saw in the recent InStyle.  I love clothes, fashion, and a good shopping spree.  However, I am behind the times and wear my pajamas a whole lot more than I'd like to admit.

The old me might have even told you about some incredible sermon that you should check out via podcast.  I love listening to pastors and learning about God's word.  However, right now, I'm talking to Jesus a whole lot more listening to things about Him.

You see the new me has a little girl.  A little girl that will one day grow up to be a woman.  When I get dressed, I think about her.  When I watch a movie, I think about her.  When I speak to my husband, I think about her.  While she may not be watching and listening now  she will be.  She will be a sponge soaking up my words, my decisions, my every move.  With that said I'm vowing today to live a life that will inspire my daughter, so that she, in turn will inspire the world. 

~Jennifer Patnode

Trust God

….Why do I always doubt, worry and panic when situations don’t go the way I planned? Why do I put myself down and doubt my decisions? Why do I always look to other people for answers and reassurance instead of God? Why do I fear that God won’t take care of me and my family?
I quit my full-time job as the cook at Gateway Academy. I had an opportunity to work with my dad three days a week. That was a hard decision for me to make. My dad and I have not had the best relationship. There were many factors putting a strain on our relationship over the years …step-mom, step-sister, drama, hurt… and holding on to anger and unforgiveness especially. But since I have been praying for God to mend our relationship for 4 ½ years, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to be with my dad. It was a leap of faith. I felt like it was RIGHT, like God was answering my prayers. I gave my notice to my boss on July 7th. Then on Sunday July 10th, guest pastor Derek Turner spoke at Mosaic. He gave his powerful testimony which impacted me. Philippians 3:13 says “ No, dear brothers and sisters I have not achieved it, but I focus on this ONE THING: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” GOD MEANT FOR ME TO HEAR THIS!! I cried hard during that service, thanking God the whole time for giving me this scripture and giving me my dad. …forget the past…look forward to what lies ahead…perfect timing, 3 days after I made the decision to work with my dad!
Unfortunately, the 3 day job has not worked out yet. 22 days later and I am still waiting. I’ve worked a few days but not enough. So here comes my doubts and panic! I need income! I need to work! I thought this was the right thing to do! So then I watch a Joyce Meyer sermon and she said… to STOP DOUBTING YOUR DOUBT! Aww thanks Joyce! See, God keeps reassuring me that I will be ok by giving me scripture…actually…smacking me in the face with the scripture He wants me to hear.
Things keep working out…over and over again. During all my worrying about money, I got a surprise refund check in the mail last week. That money will more than pay for the work I’ve missed this month, and maybe even cover me until the end of September!
Another Gateway Academy needs my help this week because they don’t have a cook. I can cook lunch and maybe help train the new cook they hire. It just worked out perfect because I don’t have any work with my dad.
I get to help a good friend’s mom clean her house while she is going through chemo. She wants me to do it. She trusts me. ….and I get to spend time with her! I am very happy about that.
So the lesson I’ve learned in the past month is….we just have to TRUST GOD. Stop doubting. Stop worrying. Stop panicing. Stop looking for reassurance from other people - go to God. I believe GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME AND MY FAMILY!!!
~ Brianna McCarthy

What I want to be when I grow up

You wanna know a not-so-well-kept secret? I'm turning 30 tomorrow. General consensus is that thirty is a big deal. Personally, the number doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I can't understand people who get their britches all in a wad over getting older. In my opinion, getting older is far superior to the alternative. However, I will say that I don't feel thirty. Admittedly, I don't know what thirty is supposed to feel like. But I can say this for certain, my life is not what I imagined it would be like when I was a little girl daydreaming of being 'all grown up.' Or more accurately, I suppose, I am not the person I thought I would be at thirty.

 

So, what did I picture... In a nutshell: Independently wealthy (of course!), living in a big white house with a huge wrap-around porch on a large farm where I'd grow my own fruits and vegetables and raise cows, chickens, pigs and a house full of kids. I'd spend my days Martha Stewart-ing it up in a perfectly pressed, never messy, ruffled apron. I'd make all of our food from scratch, hand-sew my childrens' clothing, and no scrapbook, photo album or other memento would be left undone. There would be plenty of time for running and playing with my kids all afternoon and then rocking them to sleep at night because, in this fairy tale life, a maid takes care of the dishes, laundry and house cleaning. And on the weekends, my husband and I would go jet-setting to exotic, far off locations - kids in-tow.

 

As it turns out though, I am not Superwoman and Mother Earth incarnate rolled into one. In reality, my days are spent trying to keep mounds of dirty laundry from overtaking my house and devouring my children. I do dishes one-handed with my baby daughter on my hip, ripping out chunks of my hair and trying to take my ear off my head by force, while my 2 1/2 year old son literally crawls in to the dishwasher. In the midst of cooking and cleaning and caring for kids, I desperately try to squeeze in playdates to keep the kids from being socially stunted, learning activities to expand their little brains, and arts and crafts so they're well-rounded. This is all done on too little sleep and too much caffeine. In the evening, as soon as my husband gets home from work, I race out the door to go to work myself, exchanging getting to put the kids to bed at night for being home with them during the day and not having to put them in daycare. As for 'jet-setting,' our last trip was to Vermont to visit my husband's family. My husband and I bravely traversed the airport with our small children - him with bags and carseats strapped to his back as I tried to navigate the crowds with a cumbersome double stroller brimming over with diaper bags, stuffies and babies, leaving a trail of Cheerios in my wake.

 

I am not the person I imagined I would be all those years ago while daydreaming about "When I grow up..." Its easy for me to look at my life and myself and point out all of my shortfalls. But, when I look at my kids I try to see myself the way they see me. Their little smiles show that they love me unconditionally. In their eyes I may as well have hung the moon and stars. My son doesn't care that I didn't make him blueberry muffins from scratch for breakfast or that we're having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch for the third time in one week. All he wants is for me to sit on the floor and play blocks with him or chase him around acting like the Tickle Monster. And my daughter doesn't care that she's wearing hand-me-downs rather than a dress hand-sewn by me. She just wants me to hold her, and hug her, and give her kisses.

 

While I was writing this I saw a quote (I stopped for a Pinterest break!) that said "People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." Absolute truth! And I have every reason in the world to be happy... A good husband, happy and healthy children, a roof over my head and food on the table. As for all that other stuff, in the words of Tim McGraw, maybe in my next thirty years.

 

Bree Eastman, 30 (almost), wife, mother, amateur writer, aspiring entrepreneur, and domestic goddess at heart

The Unknown

The "unknown" is many things...hopeful, scary, exhilarating, empowering, daunting, etc.  As an entrepreneur, nothing inspires and excites me more than being around others that have the drive and faith to make things happen in their life.  I strongly believe in the bible verse "I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen me." Philippians 4:13.

 

With this at the forefront of my actions it allows me the courage to dream big, think big and do big.  Not everything has been a success or will be a success, but it starts with that infinite possibility of what can be.   

 

Live on the hopeful and exhilarating side of the "unknown"! It makes your accomplishments that much worthwhile. 

~ Carla Eustache

Carla is the owner of Style Perfect Weddings and Events

http://www.styleperfectevents.com/

It's that time again...

It’s the middle of August and we all know what that means.  Whether you have kids or not, the signs are everywhere.

As a teacher, I’m relishing in these last few days of freedom, filling my time with sleeping in, my pajamas and doing anything I think of, just because I can.  Yet, while I lay on the couch with my coffee, watching the Kardashian marathon that I’ve already seen twice, the Back-to-School commercials do draw me in.  Target has the market cornered this year with the PE teacher who requires a jump drive for physical activity, the music teacher in love with his {likely stonewashed} denim and the second grade teacher who can’t wait to introduce her new friends, the fractions.  She’s my personal favorite although I can’t believe I wasn’t cast for the job.  {So much glitter!}

Going back to school gets me as excited as the children.  I love setting up my classroom and making changes to last year’s floor plan, optimizing space and getting more and more organized.  I’ve already spent multiple six-hour days standing in the middle of my classroom, anticipating what’s to come as I set up new learning areas and bring in new activities that I’ve worked on all summer.  It’s really all about optimizing what I have so when I meet my new little ones in a few days, I’ll be ready to give all that they need.  The potential of a new year and a new start overwhelms me with emotion as I’m thrilled for them to come while also nervous of making the same mistakes or not seeing these little people for who they truly are.

Then it hit me as if God himself had scrawled it on the board in bright red Crayola.

This is what He wants for me every day.

This is what He wants for us every day.  Each day is a new beginning where we can forget yesterday’s mistakes and misspoken words, stop dwelling on the failures we blame ourselves for and move forward, head held high with the anticipation of what’s to come.  Going back to school already fills me with hope and a sense of invincibility that I can do anything, teach anything and love these precious lives into the beginnings of great people.  Allowing myself to feel the same fresh start with each new morning takes a mind adjustment but once you’re able to see yourself through God’s loving eyes of forgiveness each and every day…man, is it freeing.

With that, I’m off to the classroom to soak in my space and see if I can’t make some of that newness stick around longer with pink glitter glue.  Then again, it is only 9:30 so I suppose I could work on my blog and scour Pinterest for things to imitate.  But after that I’ll go.  I can DVR the Kardashians anyway.


~ Kristin Young
Kindergarten teacher at Mountain Island Elementary

Birds, Birds, Birds

6:45 am - My peaceful sleep crashes into the reality of life as the alarm clock goes off and instantly I begin going through the day in my mind…

“What will I make for  lunch today?”

“Did we pay the water bill yesterday?”

“What am I going to wear?”

“What time is the meeting with the sales rep tomorrow?”

“What am I going to write for this blog post?”

“Why… What…..When……..How…?”

Then I hear those little creatures outside my bedroom window chirping away not a care in the world. 

I love birds always have and probably always will. Fat ones tiny ones, blue and brown ones, I love them all! Our house (and yard) is littered with bird houses and figurines. 

I love to watch them hop, play and cheep at each other.  I know that birds have become a current fad, but for me they remind me of how vast God’s love is for us.

“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more to him than birds.” Matthew 6:26 (The Message)

We all face many obstacles every day and “Casting our cares upon Him” can be challenging as we fight for control.  But doesn’t it feel amazing when you are “carefree in the care of God?”  Things don’t seem quite as difficult when our focus is on Him.   Can you imagine if all those little birds were worrying about where their next meal was coming from or how they were going to make rent on their birdhouse?  But they don’t have to and neither do we.  We have the freedom to let God take care of us.  “…but your heavenly father knows all that you need.” (Matthew 6:32 NLT)

So the next time you admire a feathered friend at your birdfeeder remember how incredibly loved you are and let go of the worries of this life. 

Let’s fly away!

~Jennifer Cashel

What inspired us this week.

There are so many talented people involved in this next post... I just love it!!

Back in February I was having coffee with Critsey Rowe and she mentioned Ceci New York, a design studio in Manhattan. Ceci's work is beyond incredible, unique, and simply stunning! They publish a weekly online magazine called Ceci Style.
You can subscribe for free HERE!

Well a couple of my favorite Charlotte vendors were featured in Ceci Style this week!
Click here for the full feature

Ivy Robinson styled this breathtaking beach table scape.
Lucy Parker Photography took these gorgeous images.

I still can not get over how much I love this color palette.
Blue skies, tan beaches, mahogany table, in contrast with the bright pink
and lime green.... L.O.V.E.

Lucy Parker Photography

www.lucyparkerblog.com

www.lucyparkerblog.com