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Be Brave.

Published by Aubrey

Here’s a song for your Thursday. I love everything about this song and what it says. I think it’s what we all need to hear from time to time.

Be brave.

Don’t let fear or your past or anyone else stop you from being brave.
My favorite line in the song is…

“Show me how big your brave is.”

How awesome would it be if we all just let go of whatever is that is holding us back and chose to be brave today?

C’mon show us how BIG YOUR BRAVE IS!

And seriously, how awesome are the people in this video? I think I need to make my own version of this.

Are You Ready For Summer?

Published by Aubrey

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Last night was a monumental occasion in our family: We took a family bike ride and ALL 5 OF US were on our own bikes! The girls have officially (and safely) mastered bike riding! They’ve got the starts, stops and turns down like champs so we ventured out on a big loop around our neighborhood. It was a surreal moment for Brian and I as we watched all 3 of our kids riding ahead of us on their own.

It made me think what a fun summer this will be as our kids are more and more independent and can do “big kid” things. With all this said I would be lying if I said I still wasn’t nervous about 3 months of 3 kids home all day, everyday. Yes, as much as that little truth excites me to have all that time with my kiddos it also makes my heart beat a little faster and I start to get sweaty armpits.

“What are we going to do?!?”

Well I am happy to say I have answer. And not just for myself but for YOU too! My friend Jen (QuatroMama) is launching a new ebook today that is all about having fun this summer with your family. This book gives you 50 ideas to make the most of your time with your kids!

What Memories Will You Make With The Summers They Have Left?

7 Reasons You’ll Love This ebook:

  1. 50 Simple Ideas to Get Outdoors & Connect With Your Child

  2. Promotes Hands-On-Learning, Creativity, & Active Adventures

  3. Frugal Fun for the Family

  4. Suitable Ideas for Kids Ages Preschool to Preteen

  5. Clearly Outlined Step-by-Step Ideas

  6. Seasonal Suggestions for Every Climate

  7. Additional Printables, Diagrams, and Resources

Friends, there are so many creative, active, hands-on-learning activities packed into these pages… plenty of adventures to keep you busy all summer long! No need to be intimidated, spend a lot of money, or take a wilderness survival course. ~Jen aka QuatroMama

I know this book will be my “go to” book when the kids say on Day 2 of summer “I’m bored, what are we going to do today?”

I’m excited to jump in to our summer with a great plan! Won’t you join me? 

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                   Buy now for $4.99!

God Sized Dreaming Again.

Published by Aubrey
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                                              (source: Pinterest)

So I’ve been on a little break on the dreaming thing. Life….you know…just kind of took over. It’s not that I wasn’t thinking or dreaming of what could be, what I would love to see in my heart of hearts with my dream, because I was. It’s always there. It just had been pushed to the side a bit. But I am bringing it forward again. So here we go…

Today’s Prompt: Find a way to pay it forward. You’ve been encouraged in your God-sized dreams by your sisters here the last few months. How can you spread that encouragement forward by investing in other dreamers? It can be small and simple or BIG and wild. Ask God what you can do and get creative. Then write a post about what you’re doing and link it up below.

A refresher if you will: My dream is to create a community of women to mutually encourage and motivate one another in their fitness goals, specifically running.

I have an amazing opportunity coming up real soon where I will get to encourage others in their dreams and it involves running and ministering to the poor and less fortunate. Two of my biggest passion combined in one! My church is building a team of individuals to run a half marathon while simultaneously raising money for clean water in Africa. We will be working with Team Word Vision whom I am very excited to partner with. I have been asked to co-lead this team! Yes, this is awesome! I will have the privilege of coaching and encouraging individuals to reach that 13.1 mile mark.

I believe that anyone can run be a runner, it’s just not something everyone wants to do. Put the motivation of changing kids lives in Africa for the better, well then I think you get a lot more people on board.

I love the feeling of encouraging someone in something they don’t think they can do but they do it anyways. I love watching someone work hard, give it all they got. Little by little they start to see what I see, that they CAN do it! I enjoy pushing someone further then they think they can and then the look of pride when they finish. I love speaking words of truth right into someones heart and mind. I believe you can learn some of the greatest lessons in life through the discipline of training in a sport. To see a life change not just in fitness goals but in bigger areas of life, that is what I call a win. I am excited to see lives transformed for the better. And to know that on top of all that lives on the other side of world will be changed too?! Well I don’t know if it can get any better.

I thankful to be in a part of God’s bigger plan and that He is gifting me the experience of what I know will be life changing for me as well.

 

Linking up with fellow dreamers today.

God sized dream team

 

 

renew.

Published by Aubrey

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There is a significant difference in my days depending where or who I am drawing my strength from. It’s pretty much like night and day. Why do I even try to go without yielding my day, my thoughts, actions, attitudes, words and decisions to Him. Well the answer to that question is simple: laziness. Yep, there it is. I think I can do it on my own and frankly it’s just a lot of effort to do it any other way than mine sometimes, so I don’t. So. Not. Pretty.

When I do choose to not be lazy and choose Him over me it’s not a guarantee that my day will go perfect. There are still moments of worry, discouragement, fear, anxiety, loss of patience, pride and just plain messiness.

BUT…

There is less mess I believe and when there is the messy I must say rebound a lot quicker. I see the ugly and quickly turn the other way.

So here I am again reminding myself and you to set our eyes on Him. He doesn’t make things perfect but He is perfect. He renews us. He gives us hope when we can’t do that on our own. He keeps us going when our own strength is no more. He lifts us up when we are more than down.

Don’t be lazy. I don’t know about you, but I needed to hear that today.

 

 

 

The Ultimate Deal!

Published by Aubrey

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Here it is! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle! This the deal of the century here people! I got mine and I’ve been downloading great ebooks left and right. There are ebooks that covering all kinds of topics. I’m sure you will find something in here you love. It’s such a great deal I just had to pass it along! And bonus if you buy one some of the proceeds go to HelloMornings which you know I am a HUGE fan of and have the privilege of being a part of. Read this post for more info!

Side note registration for Summer Session of HelloMornings is open now and begins on May 6. That’s Monday! Go here if you want to sign up for the summer session. I would love to have you join me!

Cray. Cray.

Published by Aubrey

 

I’ve been a little quiet over here lately. Partly, I needed a rest from it all, just feeling I needed a time out (yes, moms can give themselves time outs) . Party, because life is a little crazy right now or as the pic so awesomely states above it’s cray cray. We have some changes going on here and I feel the need and responsibility to be most available to my family at this time. We are all good, no worries. More on the changes at another time. But until life slows down a bit this blog will be a little chill. I’ll be popping in and out, here and there and hopefully sooner than later I will be back in action on a regular basis.

Until then…clear eyes, full hearts.

Name what show that comes from and you get 2 points and a virtual high five from me.

 

you said it.

Published by Aubrey

Source: tumblr.com via Aubrey on Pinterest

 

It’s so easy to get caught up in the lie that everyone else knows what they are doing and you are the only one who doesn’t.

Little secret here. That’s not true. No one has it all together.

If it looks like it, they are probably pretending.
If they really do know what they are doing, then step back and learn something.

Take a deep breath and relax. We all are in process here, doing the best we can, with what we’ve got. Enjoy the process.

You know I’m talking to myself more than anyone else, right? Ok just checking.

A Typical Day in the Life of…Me!

Published by Aubrey

Source: behance.net via Elisa on Pinterest

 

Today for “God-sized dreaming day” we are talking about what a typical day looks like and how I can see God in that.

As a wife and a mom of three there always seems to be something unexpected that happens throughout my day that I’ve learned I just have to be ready for. Sometimes I handle the unexpected with ease…sometimes not. I know the closer I draw near to Him the more clearly I see Him throughout my ordinary but not so ordinary days. 

I start my day before anyone else in the house. I go to the gym or go for a run. Then I am home to spend some quiet time alone with God and the rest of the HelloMornings gals. It’s only God who gets me up in the wee hours of the morning to fit these two crucial parts of my day in.

Soon there are 3 little people staring at me ready to start their day. Breakfast is underway, lunches are packed, milk is spilled, devotionals read, spelling words and math facts are practiced and Imagination Movers are being watched. I pray with my son everyday as he heads out the door. God is with us in those few moments before the bus comes and takes him off for the day.

My husband and I have a few moments while the Disney channel entertains the girlies to connect. What are you doing today? And then he asks the same thing. We fill each other in on the details big and small. Now I know how I can be praying for him as the day passes by until five o’clock when he returns. God speaks to me how I can love and encourage him best  before the day takes off.

Now I have 2 little girls asking, what are we going to do today?! Well…I have these chores to get done and errands to run but their faces tell me that’s not really what they were thinking. Shall we go the library, have a play date, make a craft or play dress up? Eventually all those things get done, including the errands and the chores but it takes wisdom and grace to decide when is when. He is with me each step of the way, helping me make those decisions.

Somehow we make it to dinner with usually another spill or two, complaints of the food and everyone getting out of their seats at least 57 times. But during dinner is when we get to hear the little hearts of our kids. We share our highs and lows. Sometimes it’s trivial, sometimes not but either way we are being a family, doing life together and sharing our hearts. God is there with us smiling and I believe paving the way for when we have three teenagers sitting at the table and sharing our hearts may look very different.

He is with me when I lose my patience with 5 year old little girl drama and 7 year old little man attitude. He is with me when I just want a moment to myself or want no one to touch me one more time and I think I might just go out of my mind. He is with me when I feel like I give, give, give but not much is returned.

There is not much time for Me these days. Not a lot of time to “dream” if you will. But I squeeze it when I can. He makes the most of the time when I sit here and write from my heart. Who knows where all this dreaming will take me. I know it’s not my number one thing right now and subsequently gets the least of my time. But I’m confident He has a plan. And so I keep making time for this dream.

It’s a season, He reminds me. Although, I forget to be thankful in the moment of the everyday little things, I am very thankful for where He has me right now. For it’s His grace that I receive and so desperately need to get up and do it all over again the next day.

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{linking up here today}

To Walk or Stay.

Published by Aubrey

To Walk or Stay Cover

 

What are some qualities I like in a friend? Well, let me tell you: someone who is honest, vulnerable, real and has a little spunk. You know someone has a little pep in their step. 

I found these qualities in my friend Lara. For awhile she was just my online friend but even through twitter and her blog these qualities shined through. I knew if we ever had the chance to meet in real life we would hit if off. Lucky for me we did have the blessing of meeting one another this past Fall at a conference. We did hit it off! Those qualities came shining through even more.

Why am I telling you this, you may be wondering? Well my friend Lara wrote a book! Yep, a real, live book! I told you, she’s the real deal. And let me tell you, it’s good. The kind of good that makes you want to soak in every word and implant it into your brain and heart forever.

“He changed me. He transformed my mind. He transformed my life.” Lara Williams

Lara shares an intimate slice of her life with us and explains how God used it for His glory in transforming her life and marriage. Like Lara, this book is honest, real, vulnerable and packed full of Truth. Truth that will sock you in the stomach and take your breath away, but it’s just so good.

“He may call us to die to self, but it’s only because God’s blessings so far outweigh our self-agenda.” Lara Williams

I highly recommend this book to anyone. Married or single. Divorced, happily married or struggling to see your way through your marriage, this book is for you. It’s not just a marriage book but a book about facing any difficult situation and focusing on how God can use it to transform YOU. It’s a message of hope and a reminder that above all else God is still God…no matter what.

“True beauty arises from a quiet spirit that finds rest in the character and promises of God.” Lara Williams

 

You can get a copy of To Walk or Stay, by Lara Williams on Amazon, Christianbook, and Barnes & Noble. It’s available in kindle or in paperback.

Check out this short video and hear Lara herself!

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Click on the link: To Walk or Stay Promo Video from Lara Williams on Vimeo.