Let's turn this struggle bus around...

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed by a lot of new things on the horizon. New job, new home, new schools and just navigating life in general. As I feel stress creep up on me I’m constantly reminded that nothing in life worth having is easy. I could live in a perfect safe bubble all of my life but never taste the fruit of my labor. Or I could remain quiet and never make generational waves that pave a way for my children. When God sends you into new chapters I don’t think he is asking you to feel equipped and comfortable. It takes getting lost in the weeds to find your way back to Eden.

  Maybe it’s not about the straight and narrow road but how these red words come alive off this page.   Maybe it seems so hard when you’re looking in the rear view mirror instead of between the yellow lines.  I know I’ve found God at the end on my rope, looking out the window on my way to church. I believe he loves me on my bad days just as much as my worst, and I’ll never get to heaven unless I accept the hurt. He can use a fishing rod and deer stands, restless nights chasing monsters out from under the bed.  If I’m gonna get to heaven I’ll learn to slow down and soak in the view, because living water pours from the mountain and reaches the valley in the lowest points of view. ❤️

  Every time I look back on what I’ve been through and I see the person I’m morphing into, I understand how the pain had to exist to get me to wake up. I’ve always been hard headed, and it wasn’t until I shared my testimony in text to my eldest niece that I truly understood the magnitude of it. I’ve talked about my testimony when I was younger but seeing it written out allowed me space to advocate for other young women like myself. Since I have a daughter I want her to know that there is so much groundwork that had to be done to cultivate a healthy lifestyle and that sometimes we have to walk through fire to find the best version of ourselves and there’s NO shame in that!  🖤 My testimony below - the younger version 🖤 “I remember the teenage years were so hard for me. I tried so hard to find where I fit in. I thrived on attention from anyone who would give it to me. I avoided the people I loved because I felt convicted of the lifestyle I was living anytime I was around good. But God!

  This morning my husband got up to go hunting. Typically I’d fall back asleep and wake when the kids do but I kept hearing in my head, sit with Jesus. My mother in law gifted me a devotional years ago called messy motherhood. I’ve picked it up and put it down so many times but that’s motherhood right? However I chose that as my baseline for this morning’s visit with God. And man does he NOT disappoint when he specifically calls you to sit with him immediately!  In this devotional Lysa talks about: “(Ephesians 4:22-24). The Greek word for "made new" is koino. One of its definitions is "uncommon." I wanted to be an uncommon calm in the midst of chaos and an example of peace for my kids in a world of pressure. For that to happen, I came up with a plan for us moms: Tell the world to wait.” In my overstimulated brain I often getting very tired and weary. It’s like there’s no escaping it. But I was reminded today that I am managing blessings and if I want to cultivate q

  Your peace is a sacred ground. When you’re harvesting fruits and vegetables you don’t blame the plant for the lack of growth. You find the weeds that overcrowd it and make it hard to grow.  Much like life, whatever harvest you’re trying to reap the benefits of your hard work it will take pruning and adapting to the conditions it’s placed in.  It’s hard work, painful at times to go from the removal of what’s hindering your growth but when you see it as a stepping stone to progression, nothing can stop you. I’ve been in the trenches too long to let that become my identity.  Sometimes we just need to release everything holding us back from being the best version of ourselves and realizing that we don’t always know what that version will look like, but it should feel good, safe and well nourished. If we’re not seeing the fruits of our labor we have to remind ourselves to press on and remember there is a season for everything.  🫶 Pam Picard