Love this. Taking the opportunity to grow in each and every situation we are put in, no matter what. I want to look back and say “Yes, I grew stronger because of that.”
God makes no mistakes. So embrace it. You may just surprise yourself after all.
Latest Posts
I’m running for clean water! Will you join me?
Running has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was younger it was my Dad that was doing the running and I was on the sidelines wildly cheering him on. Then in college I got the crazy idea of running a marathon myself. And that is when I got bit. Bit by the running bug that is. I’ve trained and ran numerous races in the last 15 years. Running has been my thing. Why do I run? I get asked this question often. My answer varies depending on the season of life I’m in. But whatever the reason it’s more about me than anything else. It’s a stress reliever. It’s my alone time. I want to get more fit. I want to improve my time. All good and fine reasons to run but I realize that I want more out of my running. I want others to be affected in a life impacting way, not just me.
In October I will be running my fourth marathon, the Chicago Marathon. I am running with Team World Vision to help change lives in Africa. The needs are great, but I believe there is something we can do!
$50 provides clean water for 1 person for an entire lifetime! Not for 1 year or 5 years but a LIFETIME!
When you join Team World Vision, your impact is real. You help provide clean water in Africa: a basic necessity that impacts all areas of life.
Yes, I love running. It keeps me healthy to better enjoy life with my family, it gives that “me” time and it keeps from going a little crazy but I am so excited for my running to have a greater purpose. Through my running and your generous donations lives will be changed for a lifetime!
Won’t you join me? Will you make a tax-deductible donation to support my efforts? Together we can help change lives in Africa. Click Here! And get started!
Each week I will be updating you on how my training is going and how close I am to reaching my $1310 goal.
Just love ’em.
Through this whole transition my heart has been burdened for our three sweet, little people. My head cannot wrap itself around all that is going on. I can’t imagine what their brains are doing. Well I do have an idea that it’s overwhelming for them. I see it come out in some fun (not really) ways: Like crying when the last bagel is gone, or tears upon tears because their belly itches or shouts of “I wish I never had sisters EVER!” or “You are the meanest brother!” Pure awesomeness, I tell ya. Yes, I am aware that emotions are high and any little thing can set them off. As much as I want to cry and scream over everything little thing too, I can’t. At least I try not to.
God has been putting it on my heart each day to just love them. Nothing crazy, or extraordinary or involving elaborate schemes (because I have no extra energy for that kind of stuff) just simple and tangible love. It involves prayers upon on upon, lots of hugs, lots of listening, slowing down, being still and lots of encouraging words. Oh, and more hugs.
I am finishing up the book of John with my HelloMorings study and in our verses this morning as Jesus was talking to Simon Peter I was reminded to shepherd our kids, feed them and above that follow Him. John 21:15-19
Our kids are looking for guidance, stability and for me to point them to Him. I can only do so much, I am definitely not hitting the mark every day but I am trusting that in God’s sovereignty when I fall short He is filling in the pieces, or major gaps at times.
One day at a time, loving Him and each other well.
Life in Florida
Two weeks ago today our family moved to Florida from Indiana. Life is very different here in Florida. There have been some very welcomed differences and others…well, it will take some time getting used to others.
Here is a little bit about our new life.
- Geckos of all sizes everywhere outside and yes, a couple have even made it into our home. Gecko hunting is the kids favorite activity these days. They’ve yet to catch one.
- We’ve been swimming in the neighborhood pool or to the beach everyday except one. The one day I said no, it was like I was giving the kids some sort of cruel punishment.
- We came from a ranch home on a 1/2 acre lot. Now we live in a 3 story town home with no yard. Lots of differences, like climbing stairs.
- Sand is all over our car and will be from now on. It just is.
- The kids and I have conquered the Health Dept. and the DMV. Not without tears (me included) but we did it.
- School uniforms. Enough said.
- I’m a directionally challenged. Me and Google maps have become the best of friends but still I am lost at least once a day.
- The beach! The glorious beach! Still blows my mind that I can run to the beach or Brian can ride is bike there. On Saturday we went for just a couple hours as a family and then left because we can go back anytime. Crazy.
Everyday there is something new to get used to or something to tackle. It’s overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. The range of emotions to sort through could make you drop to your knees. And that’s just thinking of the big people in this family, not to mention the three little people that are trying to make some sort of sense of our new life. Though they are getting a little tired of each other at times because there are no other friend options yet, I have seen them bond together in a special way. I have seen them take brave steps to try new things, moments of flexibility when we don’t exactly know what’s going on and pure enjoyment in discovering new things. But this is not to mask the fact that we have had some moments my friends. Some hard, break your heart moments. It’s normal and we are committed to taking one day at time together.
We tried a new church this weekend, not my favorite process truth be told. It’s just tiring and uncomfortable but its important and part of the deal so you do it. As I was standing there during worship trying not to feel uncomfortable and fidget constantly I was reminded that even though pretty much everything in our life is different God is the same. He is constant and unchanging. He is the stability when everything else around us is feeling very crazy and not stable.
One day at a time. Each day we learn something new, settle in a little more and attempt to take a step forward. Somedays we may not step forward, just stand still or even step back. But maybe the next day we’ll step forward. It’s one day at a time over here, relying on the One thing that hasn’t changed, Him. For that I am thankful
Looking forward to keeping you all updated as we start this new chapter of our lives!
When Chaos Abounds.
Piles of stuff fill our house. Piles for a possible moving sale if I really get my action together, piles for Goodwill, piles to pack and piles for this person and that person that I’ve been meaning to give them like 7 months ago. There are boxes stacking higher as the days go by and our walls are bare. And if you’ve been to our house you know the drastic difference this is because I feel the need to fill my walls with LOTS of goodness. Excessive, much? Whatevs, it’s my thing.
Plain and simple: It’s getting crazy up in here.
The usual somewhat summer schedule is not in tact and honestly never really got started. Meals have been less than acceptable, swimming has substituted for baths far too often and the TV has been on way more than I’d like. I’m pretty sure their brains are mush. There have been no cool, fun summer crafts or outdoor, super awesome activities. My kids have seen me on my phone pretty much 24/7 talking with realtors, general contractors, roofers, insurance agents and moving companies. I have no idea what I am talking about but whatever it is, I am talking to these people ALL THE TIME!
Are we going to make it? Well yes, yes we are. Will we be ok. The kids will be ok. I have to keep reminding myself this when I look around and see our house in disarray and my kids eating another meal in front of the TV on paper plates.
When chaos abounds around me I am reminded of my new fave song from Hillsong, Oceans. I was introduced to it by a new friend, Naptime Diaries who has just survived a similar moving situation. So yes, there is hope!
Love these words…singing them loudly as I pack away…
You call me out upon the waters the great unknown where feet may fail. And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep my faith will stand. And I will call upon your Name, and keep my eyes above the waves. I am yours and you are mine.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my Savior. Spirit lead me when my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.
Guest Post: When the Holy Mess of Mothering Doesn’t Feel Good
Today I have the privilege of having one of my dearest and oldest friends on my blog today. We survived high school and college together. Since then a good number of years has passed and there are now 2 husbands and 7 kids and many states between us but our friendship continues to grow and change with life. I love her dearly and always appreciate her perspective on life, especially when it comes to motherhood. Happy to share Julie with you all today! You can connect with her on twitter at @jahufstetler.
He smiled, clapped and laughed. My one year old did this as we drove around running errands with scripture songs playing and me, his Mommy that rules the world, sang to him. With every quick glance back at him, he would smile and squeal with glee. Mothering a herd of boys ranging in ages 1 to 9 creates some interesting dynamics that are continually sharpening me to the cross. Cause in that moment in the van with my littlest one, I realized how quickly I can base my mothering choices on the emotional response I’m feeling, specifically with teaching my boys about God.
I still sing and shout song to my boys. Sometimes they laugh, sometimes they run. But lately sitting my boys down and teaching them of God, or telling them of God’s love or reading scripture together isn’t top on their list of things to do for their day. If it’s on the list at all. It’s hard as a Momma to stand for Jesus, when aren’t there moments where hiding my light would just feel better in the madness of my day and altogether lessen the amount of conflict and conversation. As if we don’t have enough conflict with assigning chores, dinner preferences, agreeing on a movie….I mean, simple things here friends. But here let’s make your day all the more conflicting and go sit that stubborn 9 year old down and tell him again how much God loves him and desires his choices to bring the Lord honor. Yes, because the 962 times I did it already obviously weren’t working. It can be a real pick me upper to the day of mothering.
Training my big boys in the truths of God requires more faith. I must have faith when I see glimpses of doubt in their face, all is not hopeless. God promises to bring His work to completion in their life. I believe when we open God’s Word together, it is a holy moment. The words are living, active and ready to do good work. And my faith in mothering cannot be based on the response of my boys’ actions or their hearts.
I spoke to a dear mentor friend the other day. I sat in her kitchen with my head down on the table and said into the table, “I don’t like my kids. Please tell me why I’m doing this all again. “ I’m tired. I’m burnt. And really, what’s the point of teaching my little ones to share and not whine when I’m still reviewing these concepts with my big ones. She had great encouragement, of course. She straight up shot it at me, “you’re training them in Jesus because it’s what we’re commanded to do and He is all they will ever need. You are not training them with the expectation of results or it feeling good.” Thud. That was my head back on the table again.
Mothering is hard and it isn’t getting any easier. Trust me. And I will keep clinging to Jesus, teaching my boys of Jesus and His love, taking them to scripture to learn of God. I do it because life is a beautiful mess. And I want my boys to run hard with hope as the darkness tempts to invade. They see it more. They feel the sting of disappointment, the difficult in forgiveness; the consequences of sin are becoming greater. I won’t hide my light amidst rolled eyes, because I don’t want them to hide theirs. Mine will shine and I am faithful in a God that will pursue them, seek them, and woo them so that their faith too will one day shine amidst others. Even if those others in their life don’t seem to always be listening.
Right Now
Do you know the story of Esther in the Bible? It’s one of my faves. If you are not familiar with this story, do yourself a favor and take some time to read it. It’s short but man is it good!
Love it.
Esther was a woman of beauty, inside and out. A woman of courage and strength. She pursued obedience when it wasn’t the easiest or most comfortable thing to do. And she did it in the most graceful way. This is type of woman I want to be. This is the kind of wife I want to be to Brian. The kind of mom I want my kids to see, especially my girls. This is the kind of friend I want to be. It’s not easy to be this kind of woman. No, not by any means. It takes purpose, choice, boldness, some grit and a lot of grace.
But.
Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14
Oh yes. Don’t you just love this? Right now! Whatever you are facing, whatever is coming up…You were born for this time! God has been preparing you and me for this day. His timing is always perfect. He’s never early nor late but right on time.
So be confident and take hold of the truth-
Yes, you were born for such a time as this!
Embrace it.
And Here We Go
I’ve been kind of quiet here on the blog for a couple of months. I’ve eluded to the fact that as a family we’ve had a lot going on and I felt the need to be more present with them and less here with you all. It’s been a process let me tell you, and I would love to share with you all what’s been going on.
For the past 11 years we have been on staff with Cru. Cru holds a special place in our hearts and always will. It’s through Cru that Brian and I met in Ocean City. We have had the privilege to lead staff and students at UCLA, Chico State and in the Keynote ministry. We have grown individually, as a couple and a family because of our ministry in Cru. We’ve made life long friends, seen student’s lives completely change and have seen God provide in amazing ways for our family. What an adventure it has been! Over the past year or so we have felt God moving us in a different direction, away from full time ministry. We’ve done a lot of praying, seeking wise council, more praying and a lot of hard work and preparation to confidently take the next step for our family. And so we said goodbye to “staff life” in April. Our goal was to not move from Indy but God had other plans. Through a series of events with lots of ups and down and twists and turns (seriously most days I was dizzy, because our plan change so quickly) Brian took a job at a great marketing agency, Levatas in Palm Beach, Florida. Say whaaaaaaaaa?!? Yes, you read correctly, we are moving to Palm Beach. Sure, there could be harder places to be relocated but this transition is very bittersweet. But…
When you aren’t looking to make a move and then God opens a wide door with an amazing job and sells your house in 12 hours for exactly what you asked for and answers many other prayers requests to clearly show you this is IT you can’t deny His plan.
It’s happening quickly, we will be moving in 3 short weeks. I have yet to see what will be our new town yet (may or may not get there before we actually move), we don’t have a new home yet but working on it and there are a million details to work out from now until then but with all that said I do know this is what is next. I can hear it my husbands voice. I hear the peace, the assurance and even the excitement. I trust him and where he is leading our family. In our marriage we have made a commitment to not say no to God in order to keep a comfortable life. I have to believe that if God is pulling us from a place that we love dearly and had no intention of leaving that he has a great plan and purpose for us in Palm Beach. This is the truth I am holding fast to when my heart aches already thinking about leaving what has quickly become a home in a short 2 1/2 years. His plan and purpose for me and our family is far greater than anything I could ever imagine. I am choosing to go with His plan even when it hurts. Yes, we’ve done this before so I know it will hard but I also know we will be just fine. And if all else fails I’ll just go for a run on the beach! Who am I kidding, I am going to be doing that no matter what!
We appreciate your prayers for our family as we navigate yet another transition. Lots more to come on this as it all fall into place!
***The picture above is a little project I did with the kids. Around Indiana we wrote how we are feeling. There are lots of feelings these days. Over Florida we wrote things we are trusting God for. I love that “beach toys” made that list. Yes, we are trusting God for big and small things. Together we are memorizing Joshua 1:9, remembering that He is with us wherever we go.
Why I run…
Why do you run? I get asked this question quite often. I have lots of reasons why…
I am sharing over on the HelloMornings blog this morning about why I run and how you can get started too! Come over and check it out!
The Haps.
The Haps aka The Happenings of the Barela Family
In no specific order of importance just how they popped into my head.
- We are T-minus 2The days and counting (loudly) days left in school. Mason is SO excited to be done! Our prayer for the last several weeks before he runs to the bus is that he would “finish strong” and he is doing just that. We are so proud of our almost 2nd grader.
- The girls are officially done with preschool. Preschool was a great experience for them as we saw them grow in their independence and confidence. Kindergarten could start tomorrow and they would be as happy as can be! And I might just feel the same way. I kid. I kid. (kind of) (not really)
- With summer coming upon us we are looking forward to lots of play dates, going to the community pool, meeting friends for picnics at the spray parks, cook outs and bonfires for dinner, later bedtimes, movie afternoons and just general down time!
- My new thing is drinking water with lemon, mint and cucumber in it. I make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge so it’s ready for the morning. Pinterest says it’s some sort of detox, if that’s the case than that’s a bonus, I just love the taste. My kids think I’m crazy. Because I drink it all day long, I joke that I am in a constant state of detox. Nice.
- I am not officially training for anything right now but I will let the cat out of the bag and tell you that the Chicago Marathon is on the horizon for the Fall. I am planning on doing it through Team World Vision. Just need to officially pull the trigger.
- I am loving my HelloMornings group for the summer. I am co-leading a group with a friend and it’s a group of us that have been together for awhile. Each morning I get be encouraged by them, learn with them and do life with them, even though we are scattered all over. We are studying the book of John and “meeting Jesus” each and every morning.
- The verse that I am repeating in my head these days (and sometimes aloud as well) “Wait on the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:4 As a family we have a been in a season of waiting. This verse has been a good one to hold on to.
- I just finished Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Loved everything about it, it’s a must read! Now I am trying to figure out what’s next? Suggestions? I am not a reader, so go easy on me friends.
And that’s all for now. We are taking one day at a time around here, trusting Him with all that He has given us and pursuing Him with each step. Life can get overwhelming at times with the busyness of it all and then I find myself unfocused, scattered and basically a hot mess. Not the kind of wife or mom I want to be me. So I stop. Breathe. Refocus on Him. And with much prayer, proceed with His grace and wisdom going before me. Because really that is the only way to do this crazy thing called life.