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You are here: Home / Archives for WFMW

WFMW

WFMW: Lessons I Learned from My Daughter

May 20, 2014 by Kristen

Works For Me Button 2

I’m happy to welcome this week’s guest post from Kristin for my new Wednesday series Yes, Works For Me! Please welcome her and be encouraged by her yes to God and continue to link up what works for you.

My only daughter is a bit of a hoarder.

She is three and fiercely independent, and apparently has a problem sharing her things. She will makes piles with all of her favorite toys in the middle of her room, add a bag of chips and her new beach towel and she is set and her room is off limits!

I will “encourage” her to go and clean her room. And since we are all friends here and I am sharing a bit of my reality…she doesn’t listen to a word that I say. She instead will “encourage” me to clean it for her. Ahem – it is a time of training for both of us.

Mess

She is holding tightly to those things that she thinks she can control, testing boundaries and seeking to find her place in our family.

And I realize that I am no different in my Father/Daughter relationship with God.

I did the whole “accepted Jesus in my heart” prayer when I was a pre-teen. I heard a woman’s story of redemption, and her call to pray a simple prayer. I said the prayer with expectation but didn’t feel a change.

I figured I must have done it wrong. So each time I had the opportunity to say that prayer, I did…I assumed that at some point it would “take.”

My teenage and early adult years weren’t easy – whose are really?! But I didn’t have a relationship with God because I didn’t feel worthy. My life was always such a mess.

God wants us right in the middle of our mess because it’s the perfect place for Him to shine through our imperfections.

I walked through life knowing I was a hypocrite.

So I worked really hard at trying to “get it together”. Instead of embracing the failures as opportunities for growth and thanking God for the grace He gives me, I tried to just be better, do better, act better…because maybe then I would earn the right to be one of His.

That merry-go-round is exhausting isn’t it?!

I had to come to a place of brokenness, where I knew that I wasn’t capable and I had a just the littlest bit of hope that maybe God was.

The most breathtaking moments often come when we discover we have nothing left, but everything we need. This deep brokenness feels like the end, but it’s actually a new beginning

Discovering a relationship with God has been life changing.

Saying Yes to Him even when I still make mistakes, even when life doesn’t look like I think it should, has given me such a deep understanding of grace.

I too am learning and growing and testing the boundaries of my faith. I have found that as I honestly seek God that He takes my broken, my mess, and He makes it beautiful. And that my friends, has been worth the journey!

Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all. It’s about saying yes right where you are.

picKristin Anne Smith is a wife and mother, but most importantly, a daughter of the King. Redeemed by His Grace and so very grateful for it. Through the past 16 years she has walked some hard roads. But despite her choices and at times lack of faith – God loved her anyways. Kristin blogs at The Riches of His Love  and is the Managing Editor / Contributing Writer at God-sized Dreams.

18 Comments Filed Under: WFMW

WFMW: Say Yes to Rest

May 13, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: Say Yes to Rest

I'm happy to welcome this week's guest post from Kris for my new Wednesday series Yes, Works For Me! Please welcome her and be encouraged by her yes to God and continue to link up what works for you. It’s my surroundings that do it to me. When God asks you to be quiet, is there any other answer than to say "yes"? It's been a month since I hosted Refine {the Retreat}. I knew the week before I left for it, that upon my return home, I would be entering a quieter season.  Exhausted, I looked ... Read More

34 Comments Filed Under: say yes, WFMW

WFMW: Saying Yes to the Messiness of Motherhood

May 6, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: Saying Yes to the Messiness of Motherhood

I'm happy to welcome my first guest post for my new Wednesday series Yes, Works For Me! Please welcome her and be encouraged by her yes to God and continue to link up what works for you. It’s my surroundings that do it to me. Every. Single. Time. After a long day spent in the trenches, and a quick glance in any direction, it’s easy to understand how overwhelmed I feel. Whether it’s the laundry piles stacked high or the massive amounts of toys strewn across the floor of my home, the ... Read More

23 Comments Filed Under: WFMW

WFMW: DIY Inspiring String Art

April 29, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: DIY Inspiring String Art

[Beginning next week, I will be featuring your yes stories every Wednesday. Please continue to link up helpful links that work for you. I hope it's a yes or two.] Put a yes in your mess. And create something new and beautiful.   #yesinmymess #rhinestoneJesus #releasestomorrow #!!!!! ... Read More

24 Comments Filed Under: DIYP, WFMW

WFMW: #IDHTBPTBB

April 22, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: #IDHTBPTBB

Or It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful. I've been reading The Nester's blog and using her design hacks for years. She even helped me float my couch once. She was one of the first people to read my new book and she carried it all the way to Africa. For years, she has said #yesinhermess. Although, let's be real--her mess looks so much prettier than mine--all pastel ish and color-cooridanted. But she's the real deal and her brand new book is as beautiful as she is. It's ... Read More

24 Comments Filed Under: WFMW

WFMW: The Golden Tote

April 15, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: The Golden Tote

I spent 10 minutes looking for my denim jacket the other day. I looked everywhere--in my closet, car, laundry room. I finally gave up, scratching my head in wonder. It turned out my teen daughter looked quite stylish that day at school. Can anyone else identify? I'm just glad we aren't the same shoe size anymore. A friend told me it was a high compliment--that my teenager thinks (some) of my wardrobe is cool enough to wear. I'm honored. Sort of (because I was also a bit cold without my ... Read More

31 Comments Filed Under: WFMW

WFMW: The Most Appetizing Way to Give Your Kids a World Perspective

April 8, 2014 by Kristen

WFMW: The Most Appetizing Way to Give Your Kids a World Perspective

One of our favorite things to do as family is eat together. And not just because we are hungry. We love to experience new foods and my kids will try just about anything. (Well, except for one of them who insists on chicken nuggets in every kind of culture). We love Tex-Mex and comfort food. We love cajun and seafood. And I love having my family around the table. It's our time to slow down and connect together. But what we love most of all? Trying food from different countries. Last ... Read More

19 Comments Filed Under: WFMW

The Surprises of Motherhood

April 1, 2014 by Kristen

The Surprises of Motherhood

Motherhood has surprised me. And I'm not just talking about my third child. Every phase and every stage have left me saying, "Well, hello, there. I wasn't expecting you." Like the burping-everything-you-say-phase--I'm so over you. We are also currently in the siblings-arguing-over-every-little-thing-stage. This one might kill me. Or cause me to kill. I actually said the other day, "I hope you have three kids just like you!" And then I think I heard my dear mom laughing wildly ... Read More

16 Comments Filed Under: review, WFMW

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