Hello friends, and welcome!

I hope your week has been good so far. Ours has been nice. I’ve been busy processing vegetables from the garden and ordering home school supplies for the upcoming year.

The month has been good. Everyone has been getting along and we are enjoying a slower pace of life right now.

2022 was a really great year for me. Life just seemed to fall into place and I was really pleased with the important things I was investing in at home. My purpose seemed clear as a wife and mother, and I was content.

And then 2023 came in with a bang. A couple of scenarios really caught me off guard, and I’m not going to lie…it’s been hard.

Wouldn’t it be nice if life just went our way all of the time? That sounds lovely!

The problem with this is then there would be no room for growth. A lot of times we grow the most during tribulations.

I know this holds true for me. When I look over the pattern of my life, a hardship is usually preceded by a time when I felt like I knew best instead of putting my trust and faith in God.

While my problems this year involved a lot of things I couldn’t control, I do think that they happened to me to help me grow as a person. To help me grow as a wife and mother.

I’ve learned to become more empathetic. To not be judgmental. To pursue peace above almost everything else.

I think it can be super easy to judge people in this social media age that we live in without even realizing we are doing it. And while we are judging, we may think it is “righteous judging.” But the fact remains that we are no better than anyone else, and everyone has struggles that we cannot see. I think it would be much better to be kind and think of ways to better ourselves instead.

I’ve realized that sometimes I even judge my children unfairly. I don’t understand why they don’t listen to me when I’ve asked them to do something for the third time. Can’t they just choose to do the right thing?

Well sometimes, they can’t. When children are young they don’t have a good grasp on what’s right and wrong. They can learn how to modify their behavior to please us, but the action isn’t internalized because it was the right thing to do.

I’ve learned that it is much better to be patient, kind, and loving while my children are learning and growing instead of simply expecting instant obedience. This “instant obedience” can easily hide a disgruntled heart that holds a grudge against us well past childhood.

And oh, this isn’t what I want! I want my children to know they can trust me with their heart! I want my home to be a loving and peaceful place.

This year has made me realize just how important this is.

That’s a good thing, right?

I think it is.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends.

Blessings, Nicole

If you’d like to take a peek at my Etsy shop, please click here.