What I feel certain of is that the seeds we sow in good times will feed us in the bad ones. Stress will come, but even then our lives will preach what we have practiced. The stress will only bring to light what has been invested in our souls.

We are so used to living this busy and stressed out that we are numb to its effects on our bodies and minds and relationships. To add insult to injury, many of us still don’t feel like we’re doing or being enough. This is a good time to remind ourselves that it’s okay to do less. That God doesn’t lay heavy burdens on us but leads us in peace.

Doing life well, without a lot of angst and hand-wringing, requires some thought and planning. It requires that we stop and take a hard look at why we do what we do and how to proceed in a way that honors our time and honors God. There are a few keys to have a peaceful, intentional life as a parent, instead of being perpetually exhausted and stressed out.

Regardless of which holiday activities and decorations we choose, Jesus can be daily on my heart and mind. But it’s not easy, to remember Him in the busyness. I get caught up in ridiculous decisions. I get hectic and frantic, and He gets squeezed out. This season, let’s put the bringer of peace front and center.

It can be hard to believe in renewal in a dry, crusty season of life, living in body that doesn't defy gravity, in a world that thrives on chaos. And yet that is God's nature and his promise to us. What looks like dried up and worn out in our lives is just a new season in the making.

I don’t remember running off with the circus. Yet some days feel like riding a bareback horse around a ring in a tutu, or at least what I think that would feel like. I haven’t worn a tutu lately. This is our circus, friends. The good news is that we don’t have to succumb to the chaos around us. We can find stability right in the middle of it.

As a talkative person and a writer, I place a lot of value on output. Speaking is easy. Listening is harder. But God has been speaking to me lately about being quiet. About listening well. About guarding my heart. They haven’t been my favorite conversations honestly. But I know they’re necessary.

Life is chock full of mundane moments and we get to decide how to interpret them. They will either be the worst for their lack of entertainment or they will be my our because we get to live them.