Adjustments...

Moving is hard.  I knew it would be.  And, add a preschooler to the mix who very much misses her friends and sometimes the days become a bit more lonely and long.  I know before long we will have plenty of friends and play dates galore, but for the time being the adjustment is big and sometimes a tad bit overwhelming.

Now, some people would say: Don't you live near family?  Yes, we do.  It is a blessing living near family, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a HUGE, hard adjustment for all of us.  We not only need to get established in our community, but figuring out where we fit into the family dynamics is a new challenge.  Before, we visited and spent time with people then left. We weren't around for birthdays, father's day, mother's day and everything in between (we were around for Christmas and sometimes Thanksgiving).  It's all new navigating these family relationships and it's not easy. Some people are respectful of boundaries and some are not. These boundaries are set in the best interest of my little family (my daughter, my husband and myself).

I love all of our extended family.  However, my first priority is being a wife and mother.  I no longer bend over backwards to try to fit everyone in like I used to when I was a new mom and visiting everyone.  That isn't fair to my myself, or my daughter because I was too exhausted to be a good mom.  Which is my 24/7 job, being the best mom I can be to my little monkey.  So, right now, if someone wants to spend time with me, my daughter and I are a package deal (and maybe my hubby if he's off work).

Isn't it amazing how life changes so drastically once you become a parent?  Before I was so willing to deal with staying up into the wee hours of the morning to get time with family members, but that just no longer works and hasn't worked for quite a few years now.   All the lack of sleep with a newborn and I realized just how precious sleep is (I constantly prayed for more sleep).  I haven't taken that for granted since my little monkey started sleeping through the night.

What have you changed in your life since you became a parent?  Or, what do you think you'll change once you become a parent?

Guest Blog Post: Thankful for a Big Rear by Teasi Cannon

Teasi Cannon, author of My Big Bottom Blessing.  Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway by clicking HERE

One day not long ago I was sweeping my kitchen floor in the near trance-like state of La La Land, when I was jolted to my senses by the precious voice of my 4-year-old nephew saying, “Aunt Teasi, you have a vahwee (very) big butt.”

I set my broom aside, smoothed my shirt, and calmly turned to face him.  Bright-eyed and curly-haired, he stood – completely oblivious to the fact that he had said the words no woman ever wants to hear.  And then I let him have it.  I bent down, coming only inches away from his little round face, and said, “Why…thank you!”  Then I smiled big, stood to grab my broom, and returned unscathed to the task at hand. 

A few years ago those innocently spoken words would have completely obliterated me, and rather than a thank you, might have actually incited an immature come-back such as: “Oh, yeah?  Well, you’re short and you talk funny.”    

But now, to the glory of God, moments like that are reminders to me that the miraculous has happened: I no longer hate my body (especially my back side); in fact, it has become one of the biggest blessings in my life.

Like most women (really every woman I’ve ever met), I lived years literally disgusted with what I saw in the mirror.  The territory between my ears felt like nothing short of a war zone, with battles being fought everywhere: the bathroom, the grocery store, the bedroom, even church.  I could never silence the ambush-ready community of inner critics (those hurtful thoughts we all think) that called my head home.  And I missed out on so much: parties I refused to attend because my pants were too tight, dates with my husband because of a few gained pounds, quality time with my kids.  I know I’m not alone in this.

We women have been lied to for years.  We’ve been told that our value – our very right to be seen and celebrated - is determined by our waist-to-hip ratio or the proportions of our facial features, and that’s just not true.  Our value is determined by the only One who really knows it: our God. 

After hitting my head hard on the floor of my personal pit of despair, I slowly began my journey toward believing that.  One inch at a time of healing, truth, and righteous anger led me to a life-saving realization: All those years I was desperate to change how I looked, God was desperate to change how I see.  And He did.

Truth is, if God can make a prostitute the great grandmother of the Messiah, turn water into wine, and make blind men see; don’t you think He can turn a big bottom – or a big nose - or bird-thin legs – or whatever it is you hate – into a blessing.  He did it for me, and I’m so ridiculously happy about the journey that I wrote a book about it.  

 

My Big Bottom Blessing Review and book giveaway

http://worthypublishing.com/books/My-Big-Bottom-Blessing/

In a society that focuses so much on outer beauty it was refreshing to read this book by Teasi Cannon about body image and self-esteem. Teasi goes through her emotional struggles that led to loving not just the body God blessed her with, but also led to loving her life.  She shares humorous stories that many women can relate to, but also shares the breakthroughs she had that helped her build her self esteem.  She struggled throughout her life with low self esteem, but now lives a joyous life.

This book solely looks at the emotional/spiritual side of healing in order to accept the body you've been blessed with.  It strays from the typical sports nutrition books that I've been reading, but it was good to be able to confirm many of the things I've learned throughout the years.  Anyone who has struggled (or is currently struggling) with low self esteem, body image, or self image will most likely gain something from this book.

About the author:

Teasi (pronounced Tee See) is married to her best friend, Bill Cannon, and they have three awesome children: Carli, Ben, and Sam. Teasi has a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary, and is a sought-after speaker who loves to help women remember who they are in Christ.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review.

*I was also given a copy of this book to give away!  So, if you would like a copy of this book please leave a comment.  A winner will be picked at random by the end of the week. 

In the meantime, stay tuned for a guest blog post from this author in a day or so.

I know I've been absent on here for quite some time.  We've moved, are working on getting settled, and continuing to work on adjusting to our new surroundings.  We are near family and friends, however, it still means starting over.  Finding a church, social activities for our little monkey and so forth.  No matter what, this is a huge adjustment for our family.  This blog is a hobby and I enjoy it, but at this point I'm not sure how much I'll focus on it.  My priorities are to continue to focus on my family, which means my little monkey and my hubby, as we are embarking on a very new journey(and I've found I haven't had nearly as much time to write as I have in the past). I've learned that some people will understand my choices, some won't and I'm ok with that.

All that to say, I'll work on this blog when I can with no promises.

Oh, and just had to post a link to one of Leah's post from last month :

 Lessons From the Ocean

Thanks Leah for being sincere and honest!