Living Inspired

September 25, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How To Find Peace in Chaos

How To Find Peace in Chaos. I know that most of the time I look encouraging to my online friends. Why? Well, I don’t want to be a complainer or a whiner. I truly believe we can do more by lifting up people than tearing people down. We can also live freer by rejoicing than complaining, BUT … (Did you see that “but” coming?) But this is something I struggle with.

Often in my day, I don’t have peace. Why? Because sometimes I do everything but ask for it. Deep down in the overwhelmingness of kids, marriage, deadlines, mentoring, homeschooling, and keeping up a house, I feel exhausted and trapped. It’s just too much, and I don’t remember to turn to God and to trust Him that everything will turn out. Instead, I attempt to work harder to “get things under control” and I rush around trying to fix things. I worry, complain (mostly in my head), and try to make things happen. I refuse to seek help and I forget how to find peace in chaos. This is so foolish!

Jesus made this clear to me today when I meditated on this verse this morning:

The Scripture tells us how to find peace in chaos:

“The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

Depending on my strength, I miss God’s. And rushing around, attempting to gain control, I miss peace. Lord, help me!

Of course, Jesus sees this, and today He reminded me (again) what I need to do. And it’s simple. All I have to do is to come to Him.

Jesus FULLY understands all you and I are going through, friend. He completely knows the situation and ALL the stressors we have in life. The best part is He is 100% capable of taking care of the situations … and taking care of me! He is all I need, and when I turn to Jesus all will be provided IN Him and FOR Him, for His glory!

Can I pray for you today? (And know I’m praying this for myself as well.)

Lord, right now my friend is so overwhelmed. You know what he/she is going through. Lord, you know the worries, fears, disappointments, and broken dreams that my friend carries deep inside. You know these internal worries are exhibited outwardly in so many ways–none of them good.

Lord, today I’m praying for your child who is reading this. I am praying that you will meet him/her at THIS moment. I pray Your presence will flood like a shower. I pray Your peace will fall like a gentle rain and my friend will surrender to You in the moment and throughout the day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friend, don’t just read this and be inspired … take time to go before God today and pray. Know that I’m getting on my knees today for my peace and yours. Jesus desires to come to you and wrap you in His arms of peace. Know that. Trust it.

When you turn to Jesus all will be provided IN Him & FOR Him, for His glory! @TriciaGoyer

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How To Find Peace in Chaos

Peace isn’t found in a place, it’s found in a person–the person of Jesus Christ. His peace trumps everything else. But we can make choices every day that make His peace easier to find and take ahold of. That’s one reason I wrote The Grumble Free Year. I realized that when I am grumbling and complaining, I am not focusing on the goodness of God and the truth that in Him we have all that we need to be joy-filled.

My family agreed to join me on a year-long journey to stop complaining and to allow God to show up in our circumstances. What we found was amazing and I can’t wait to share it with you. Our journey is available in our book The Grumble Free Year.

Join my 30-Day Grumble Free Challenge!

If you would like more peace and less grumbling, I have a 30-day challenge for YOU! CLICK HERE to sign up and you’ll get 30 daily emails with tips, ideas, prayers, and free printables to use with your family!

I would love to have you join me, and we can find peace together!

September 23, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

A Forever Home ~Hope for Orphans

I know my writing work is important because I get emails, tweets, and Facebook notes from online readers. But God reminds me often that my ministry isn’t just online … it’s offline, too.

There are seasons when the most important heart I can touch is within arm’s reach.

My ministry isn’t just online…it’s offline & in arm’s reach @TriciaGoyer #adoption

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I open my arms and the small girl steps forward and enters my embrace. Even though I expect her to be more hesitant, she asks me to hold her. I cradle her thin, frail frame and peer into her blue eyes. Just five years old but her eyes are filled with stories . . . ones she’s not yet able to tell me. Maybe over time she will.

I thought my life became unsettled when my husband and I welcomed two foster children to join our family. I don’t think I know “unsettled.” Not really.

Not like this sweet girl.

“It’s always scary going to a new home,” she confided in me just a few days after joining us. Tears fill my eyes as I hear her words, but I try not to let them show. The file the social worker gave me is three inches thick, and after reading the reports I discover our home is only one of many in recent months. Those homes were only meant to be temporary, but ours is meant to be her “forever.” Our words tell her that. When will her heart start to believe it?

She is the older one, and she cares for her younger brother still. She alerts me when he’s waking from his nap. His voice is barely a squeak as it calls for “Mama,” but she hears it.

I tell her that she can just be a kid now; I’ll watch out for her brother. That’s a concern she’ll no longer have to carry. She nods, but I can tell…

She’s waiting to see if she can really believe that, trust that.

Some of her emotions are hidden, and others are displayed too loudly, too vocally, too wildly. She cries over the smallest problem and then looks to me for help. I can read the question in her eyes, “Are you going to help me with this? And this? And this?” She wants to make sure. She’s has a hard time believing it’s true. Believing that I’ll be there. That I’ll care.

And even when she’s naughty I don’t get angry. Compassion seeps out. I know what she’s gone through . . . at no fault of her own. She was innocent and so many others have wounded her.

I open my arms to my new daughter. She has given me a glimpse of the love of God as I’ve never known.

I understand His love for me better. I know His compassion for me more. He knows the pain I carry, too, often at no fault of my own. And when I act out, or cry out, or reach out, He—my God—wants nothing more than to open His arms of love. He CANNOT wait for the day when I’m ushered into His forever home.

I thought we were opening our home to help the orphans, but I am the one who is helped.

I’ve never felt so weak as a mom, unsure of my words and actions. And yet I’ve also never felt so strong, for it is God’s strength that fills me. It is His love that pours through me as my brown eyes meet her blue ones and radiate one message, “Daughter, trust me. This is your forever home.”

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the sweet little lives you’ve blessed me with and the constant reminders they show me of Your love. May my parenting point them to you, the perfect Father. What a comfort to know my forever home is in your loving arms!

A Forever Home ~Hope for Orphans

Maybe adoption has been on your mind as well, but you have questions. How can we manage the financial component of adoption? What would the process look like? Are we enough to help a child in need of a family? Believe me, everyone has asked the hard questions. And for good reason–adoption is a commitment to be a forever family.

But don’t be afraid. There are answers. If you ask, I believe that God will guide your decisions and your family as you seek His will for adopting. And right now there is a place to get many of your questions answered–the Adoption Summit. It’s completely online and a perfect way to access the information you need to make any decision regarding adoption.

As an adoptive mom, I know how important it is to be as prepared as you possibly can. The Adoption Summit is a great opportunity for you to take the next step and learn more about adoption. And right now you can get a FREE ticket here: www.adoptionsummit.com

For more posts and information on adoption, check out my adoption directory!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

September 20, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

God’s Heart for Adoption

I first thought about adoption around 1999 when I was reading an article about orphanages in China filled with baby girls. At the time, John and I had three young kids ages 10, 7, and 5. Around that time I had also just gotten my first book contract.

I talked to John about adopting an orphan, but he didn’t think it was a good idea. The idea of adding more kids into our chaotic life wasn’t appealing to him. Not to mention the cost, which was $20,000+. Oh, and I should mention my propensity to take on more than I can chew. One of John’s roles in life is to protect me from my good intentions.

Years later the kids grew up, and John was the one to bring up the idea of adoption with me. I jumped on the chance. I was SO excited about adopting a baby girl from China, but just as we turned in our paperwork, in 2008, things changed. They slowed down the number of adoptions. It looked like a 4-5 year process. I was heartbroken.

God’s Heart for Adoption

I clearly remember one day when I was crying out to God, “Why did you even put this on my heart if it’s not going to happen?” (And by “happen” I meant in the way I wanted, with the beautiful, Chinese baby girl that I imagined.)

I mentioned children from the Heart Gallery a few times in passing, but I didn’t think much more about it until I read a book called Kisses for Katie. It was about a young woman who adopted thirteen children in Uganda. I read the book on the way to a MomLife retreat, and I was moved.

I felt God speaking to me, “If she can adopt thirteen children in a third-world country, can’t you open your home to a few more?” That night I asked a few friends to pray that John’s heart would be open to adopting from the foster care system.

Later, when I called home, these were the first words out of John’s mouth, “Did you know that adopting from the foster care system is free?” As I heard my husband’s words, my faith grew. Adoption wasn’t “my” thing that I needed to “talk my husband into.” Adoption was on God’s heart. God’s Heart for Adoption was penetrating John’s heart.

There is no doubt in my mind that adoption is on the heart of God. In Ephesians 1:5 the Bible says,

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will . . . “

God sees us all as worthy and gave His son that we might be adopted into His family. In Psalms 68:5-6a it says,

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…”

God’s heart is to heal and restore. His desire is to show His love to this world through us. The adoption story is the story of all who have come to know Christ and become part of the family of God.

But don’t be afraid. There are answers. And I know that God will guide your decisions and your family as you seek His will for adopting. And there is a place to get many of your questions answered–the Adoption Summit. It’s completely online and a perfect way to access the information you need to make any decision regarding adoption.

For more posts and information on adoption, check out my adoption directory!

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

September 19, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Sometimes Love Grows {Adoption Hope}

Sometimes Love Grows

In my 25 years as a mom there have been many homecomings as I brought my children home for the first times. When Cory was born, I was a 17-year-old single mom, and we returned to my parents’ house. With Leslie and Nathan, John and I lived in low-income housing while he was in school. There was no designer nursery, but I did have room for a bassinet next to our bed.

We adopted Alyssa as a baby. She was six days old, and we knew for two and a half months that she’d be coming. Yet again there was no nursery, no crib set, nor any wall hangings. We brought Alyssa home just a few days before our family moved 2,000 miles from Montana to Arkansas. The first days of getting acquainted with our new daughter were spent in the front of a U-Haul.

In 2013, we had another homecoming. We adopted five-year-old “Sissy” and two-year-old “Buddy” from the foster care system. Instead of two months of preparation, we had two days. Bunk beds were set up, and dresser drawers were filled with clothes, but how can you really prepare for two children who’ve faced trauma, lived in numerous homes, and have already set up walls around their hurting hearts? John and I had gone through months of training, but then there was the moment when there were two kids sitting in car seats in the back seat. Could we really do this? Would love come?

I’d like to say the love was instantaneous, but that’s the thing of fairy tales. When it comes to welcoming in new foster or adoptive kids sometimes love grows one day at a time. Love is a choice—a choice that’s made even in the middle of fits, or crying in the night, or anger that flows from gazes. Anger that other people caused, and anger that is now my job to ease.

Sometimes, love grows one day at a time #adoption @TriciaGoyer

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With my newborns, the love seemed to be instantaneous. With these older ones, it’s something that builds and grows. And that’s OK. Love is a verb. And a love that grows is just as beautiful as love that emerges.

Have you thought about adopting but question if you’ll be able to love them as much as your biological children? It’s a good question to ask.

Love may not happen within minutes or days, but when you give of your home, your family, and your heart . . . love finds its way in ordinary times and on ordinary days.

Sometimes Love Grows

Maybe you’ve been reading and wondering, could love grow in our hearts for another child? Maybe right now you’re feeling the whisper in your heart to learn more. I know that whisper. I know that feeling. That’s why I’m excited to be a speaker in the upcoming Adoption Summit. The Adoption Summit is completely online and a great way to get all your questions answered and more. Learn from educators, guest speakers, and parents just like you who wondered–is adoption for me?

Click HERE to get your FREE ticket!

Here are other blogs I’ve written about our adoption journey:

How to Adopt for {Almost} Free

Choosing to Adopt: One Couple’s Story

Adoption {She Said}

Adoption {He Said}

The Sad News About Adoption in Our World

Meet the New Goyer Children (our announcement in 2013!)

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September 2, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

5 Tips I Use To Stay Motivated as a Writer

These are 5 tips I use to stay motivated as a writer and to keep going when distraction or the business of life hit. I hope you find them helpful.

I first started writing in 1994, I was only 22 years old and pregnant with my third baby. While sitting in the church nursery one Sunday chatting with a friend, I got the epiphany that I wanted to become a Christian writer. Since that time I’ve written over 70 books. It’s been a long road, but I have been so blessed to be able to walk it with wonderful friends, family, and mentors along the way.

Having been this prolific you might think writing always comes easily for me. But the truth is I have to work to stay motivated just like anyone else. These are the top 5 tips I use to stay motivated as a writer:

1. Think of someone who needs advice or a word of hope and write just to that person.

Why are you writing? Usually, it’s because you feel called to share something. When I sit down to write I often envision one person and write as if I’m writing just to them. Sometimes I’ll ask my facebook friends questions and that always sparks my creativity. But other times, I will see that someone is struggling with something or feel they need a message of hope and I will write my book, blog, or message specifically to address that. I love encouraging others.

You can stay motivated with your writing.

2. Choose one thing to accomplish the next day with my writing.

Before I go to bed each night I focus on just one thing. Maybe I’ll research just one thing. Write 500 words. Schedule posts for social media. Often when I do one thing it gets me excited about one more thing … and before I know it I’ve marked a few things off my list. Worst-case scenario, I get one thing done … and those one things add up. By the end of the year, a lot of things have gotten done.

We all have lists and when the list is long it can be overwhelming. I like to allow myself to focus on just one thing at a time and that helps me to stay motivated to keep going and be successful.

3. Think about what I first wanted to write and what got me excited about that. Then foster that excitement again.

Sometimes the everyday work of a published author can get tedious and I forget why I really wanted to write in the first place. When that happens it’s really helpful for me to remember why I started writing. I might open up a file on writing ideas I’m thinking about or look back at some of my past work. Or maybe I’ll just take a moment to re-ignite that fire I felt when I was a young mom sitting at home reading a Brody Thoene novel thinking how fun it would be if I could write novels about World War II.

4. Connect with another writer and find a way to help each other.

Writing is such a solitary work and at times it can be very lonely. To overcome this I have chosen to write several books with other authors. It’s so encouraging to work with an author friend to produce a book together. Often all we need is a little comradery to help us stay motivated. I love connecting with my writer friends and it helps me stay motivated as an author.

It’s so wonderful to be in community with other writers because we can encourage each other in the job we love. I even started an online subscription group through Facebook to help connect writers, agents, and publishing professionals so we can all benefit and build each other up. One of the most wonderful things about the group is the support and accountability we provide for each other. If you’d like to find out more you can visit Write That Book.

5. Envision the future.

Imagine your finished project. Imagine yourself getting your word count done for the day. Imagine yourself figuring out that plot twist. Imagine YOUR book sitting on the shelf of a bookstore and someone picking it up, buying it and reading it.

Sometimes just the act of visualizing the things you want to achieve can help you to stay the course when the going gets tough and you want to quit and surf social media for an hour. Instead of giving in, close your eyes and allow yourself to dream about the future where you reach your goals and live those dreams.

For More Information or to Join Write That Book now CLICK HERE.

Or go to: https://triciagoyer.teachable.com/p/write-that-book

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August 13, 2019 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Cultivate A Redesigned Life {A Guest Post}

Today on the blog we welcome Tracy Steel, author of A Redesigned Life.

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of A Redesigned Life! Winner will be e-mailed. Note: This post contains affiliate links.

All of us are living a life we did not design, but one that God is redesigning for us. Like a human interior designer or artist uses a set of design principles to help them create, God uses his own set of codes to create a couture life for each of us. Recognizing what these are is key to uncovering the purposes of God when life doesn’t go as planned.

In her new book, A Redesigned Life, author Tracy Steel considers six principles of design and how God also uses the principles of movement, emphasis, pattern, contrast, balance, and space to redesign our lives. Each of these principles enable us to uncover something spectacular about the purposes of our creative God. The following excerpt from her new book focuses on the principle of emphasis and how it helps us to see the no’s of God differently.

Pops of color and the no’s of God

Emphasis creates a focal point in a design which brings attention to the element or area that is most important. . . .

If everything is emphasized (all the text is large and bold, all the images are animated, everything is in bright colors) nothing will stand out, and grab the viewer’s attention. If everything is emphasized, nothing is.[i]

I love simple and elegant design. We’ve all seen pictures of a living room with its crisp white walls and cream sofa. Imagine a coffee table in the middle of that living room. On top of the table sits a glass vase filled with a bouquet of orange tulips or powder blue hydrangeas. Or perhaps there is a turquoise-and-white paisley pattern rug under the coffee table. Maybe there is a large abstract oil painting hanging on the wall composed of green, blue, and purple horizontal stripes. Our eyes are drawn to the flowers, to the rug, or to the oil painting because of the pop of color they provide among all the white. This is the essence of emphasis as a design principle. Emphasis makes us stop, helping us focus. A designer uses shapes, texture, or color to create emphasis.

Imagine the same living room but now everything in it is red—from the couch to the walls to the flowers to the rug. I don’t want to linger or enjoy the space because it’s overwhelming and nothing grabs my attention. There’s too much red. Nothing is emphasized.

White Space

In the same way, our world is pressing us to be like an all-red room. We must be all things to all people all the time, it seems. Good at everything. Involved in everything. Know everyone. I’m tired of the pressure, of all the striving, competition, and backbiting. Give me some white space, please. I need God to give me emphasis and so do you.

God is not asking us to be all things to all people all the time. He’s the one who is capable of doing and being this. He’s the one who is all-knowing. God alone is our ever-present help and shield. We’re only to add our little pop of color into the corner of the world in which he places us. We do this through the emphasis that God has designed for each of us. The beautiful thing is, all our emphases or callings will look different. However different they may be, our little pops of color should cause others to rest the eyes of their hearts and minds upon God. And if we are doing too many things, we will be way too red or stressed out and no one will want to linger around us either.

When God Says No

But what if we really feel like we found our calling or purpose, and then it doesn’t happen? Sometimes the emphasis we wish for or desire in our hearts will not come to pass because God will say no and not allow it to happen. We may assume this is because God is not good or fair. Or maybe we believe we are not good enough for God to use us, or that God doesn’t care about the dreams or passions that we feel inside us. But this isn’t true.

Look at God’s no from a different perspective. God, because he is good and is in the process of sanctifying us, could be saying no to our good desires simply because they are not in line with the emphasis he has designed for our overall life. And God’s no enables our pop of color to be a beneficial and beautiful one. Here it is in a nutshell:

God’s no = not our emphasis.

God’s no = the revealing of his emphasis for us.

God’s no = his protection, preventing us from becoming an all-red room.

And when God says no, that means we will have the opportunity to say yes to something that he has decided is better for us, because in his providence he knows and has already designed what is to come. So if you ever thought that by now you’d be living in the city or home of your dreams and making one million dollars and, well . . . you aren’t, it’s okay to admit your disappointment or feelings of failure to yourself and to your God. Ask him to heal you of those feelings. Realize that you’re beautifully gifted to do something else with your life and that God is redesigning you so you can bless the lives of others and bring glory to him.

Don’t be all things, just be you-things.

Your emphasis matters in God’s eyes. May this encourage you whenever your life doesn’t go as planned.

Enter here to win a copy of A Redesigned Life!

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Tracy Steel graduated from Kansas State University with a BS in interior design in 1998 and has a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Phoenix Seminary. As a project designer, Tracy created and coordinated the design and space planning of commercial spaces for clients such as Bank One, Wells Fargo, Express Scripts, DHS, and Lockheed Martin. Moving from one type of interior design to another, Tracy then worked in full-time youth ministry, serving as the director of female students at Scottsdale Bible Church. God’s true design for Tracy now involves improving the interior space of the hearts and minds of women around her. Currently stationed in Washington, DC, this military wife and mother of two enjoys linking up with other bloggers, leading Bible studies at her local church, and speaking at various moms’ groups and women’s ministries events nationwide. She is also the author of Images of His Beauty, a 10-week Bible study for young women that focuses on identity, overcoming and healing through Christ, and bearing the image of Christ.

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Chapter 3 Living Out Your Pop of Color for God [i] Donna Tersiisky, “The ABCs of Visual Design: Emphasis,” accessed June 23, 2018▲, http://www.tersiiska.com/design/principles/.

August 3, 2019 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Don’t Give Up Too Soon on Your Marriage

It’s not our anniversary, but a good marriage is worth celebrating. And the thing is, there was a time when I felt my feelings fade.

It was a busy season of homeschooling two teens and a pre-teen. John was working hard and serving in ministry. I was writing lots of books.

It’s not like either of us did anything wrong, it’s just that we didn’t give to the other person like we needed to. I still cared for John, and he cared for me, but it wasn’t the same spark.

The Truth About Marriage

The truth is married life doesn’t often resemble the giddy, can’t eat, can’t sleep feelings of those first romances. And it was my writer friends/prayer warriors who I confessed this to … and they prayed me through it.

As I laid in bed that night after the prayer, I pictured Jesus with me during my high school years. I’d been looking for love and remembering fondly the THRILL of dating, of being chosen. But when I imagined Jesus there, I saw sadness in his gaze because He had so much for me. He knew that those high school sparks would leave me empty. Instead, John was waiting–someone that was not all flash and empty promises. God had someone dedicated, steady, and loving for me–the man I married. The man I’d become discontent with.

The next morning I awoke with a renewed love for my husband. I also started pouring into our relationship day-by-day. I loved John in ways he longed to be loved, and he did the same to me.

Where has love taken us?

Our love has pulled us together, and it’s made it possible for us to open our home to seven more kids. If we hadn’t stuck it out so many lives would have been changed.

I used to think that big, major blowups were the things that broke marriages apart. Now I know different. It’s the drifting. It’s longing for rushes of emotions while ignoring dedication, commitment, and unconditional love.

If you know a couple who is in that fizzle place please pass this on–don’t give up too soon on your marriage. Marriage is worth fighting for. Instead of stepping away, step closer … even if you’re afraid of being hurt. It’s worth it for the other person. It’s worth it for all the other people who your marriage will impact.

Our promise to “love, honor and cherish” is one I’m happy I kept.

#happy #love #marriage #family #celebration #love #happiness #forever #smiles #together #marriage #lifetogether #stickitout

July 31, 2019 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

Writer Wednesday with Jen Babakhan

Today on Writer Wednesday we welcome Jen Babakhan, author of Detoured.

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Today on Writer Wednesday Jen Babakhan, author Detoured, shares what a typical day in her life looks like.

Writer Wednesday with Jen Babakhan: A Day in the Life

7am-9am: Most days I wake up about an hour before my boys (ages 5 and 7), and start the morning the way all the experts advise against: checking my email. As a freelance writer, most of those I work closely with are on the opposite coast, meaning that by the time I wake up in California, they’ve already been working awhile. I try to address any urgent emails from the comfort of bed, and then get ready for the day. I homeschool my boys, so during the school year our mornings look different than they currently do. We will have breakfast, I’ll spend some time reading the Bible while they eat and wake up, and then we begin our school day.

9am-1pm: While they’re working on any independent work, I’ll take a moment to check my email and social media, and try to mentally plan out the rest of the day. School usually lasts until lunch, when like any other stay-at-home mom, I’ll serve up only the healthiest of foods, organically grown from our garden, which my children will devour ravenously. JUST KIDDING. I make either chicken nuggets, or macaroni and cheese, or whatever they claim they will eat that day.

1pm-4pm: After lunch is usually when I’m able to carve out a chunk of time to promote my new book, Detoured:The Messy, Grace-Filled Journey From Working Professional to Stay-at-Home Mom, or to work on any freelance projects. If I’m working on freelance work, this usually includes lining up or conducting interviews with sources, or doing the actual work of writing (which, surprisingly, is a small part of the process).

While I work, my boys will either play together cooperatively, or hold a cage-fighting match in my living room, and most days it’s a mix of both. The life of a stay-at-home-mom-turned-writer means that I’ve had to learn to write during very brief uninterrupted moments of the day (these moments are the ten minutes here and there when I’m not fetching a snack—usually this is when they are eating said snack). This means that a lot of times my work never feels great, or even good enough— but it’s done, and I have to be satisfied with that. It’s during this chunk of the day that I often wind up playing super-heroes in the playroom or kicking a soccer ball, instead of putting the finishing touches on a piece, or researching.

4pm-8pm: At this point in the day, as afternoon fades into evening, I’ll step hesitantly away from the computer and wander into the kitchen to figure out what we will have for dinner. By the time my husband comes home, it feels as though we’ve lived a few days in the span of the ten hours he’s been gone, and we are all more than ready to settle in for the evening. After dinner, I’ll read or succumb to their pleas to play video games with them, and before long it’s glorious bedtime for all of us.

Each day is a little different than the next (just enough to keep my sanity), and though they’re all busy and chaotic, each one is blessed— and I am grateful.

If you would like to follow more of my adventures as a stay-at-home mom turned writer, you can find me at my website: www.jenbabakhan.com, on Instagram, @jenbabakhan, or Facebook, @jenbabakhanauthor.

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Jen Babakhan, author of book Detoured

Jen Babakhan is an author living in California with her husband and two young sons. She is the author of Detoured: The Messy, Grace-Filled Journey From Working Professional to Stay-at-Home Mom. Jen is also a contributor for Reader’s Digest, and her work has been featured various national news outlets.

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More about Detoured

Does having it all even exist?

Former marketing executive turned third-grade teacher, Jen Babakhan never expected her transition to stay-at-home mom would bring feelings of grief and loss. She felt God was calling her to be home with her newborn son, and she wanted to be with him—yet she felt conflicted about giving up her career.

Detoured chronicles the often-bumpy path Jen took to contentment and peace in her new role at home. She honestly shares the struggles and joys of being home, and the truth she uncovered about “having it all.” She invites you to walk beside her on this journey and find:

a new confidence and peace in your decision to place your career on hold
an invitation to discover your true identity that has nothing to do with your job title
a sense of community and the knowledge that you are not alone in your motherhood journey

Stay-at-home motherhood isn’t easy—but it can be the most beautiful detour you ever take.

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July 21, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

25 Ways to Breathe Life Into Your Day

Do you go through your day drained and exhausted? As a mom of ten kids, I understand. There is always so much to do, it’s hard to slow down … let alone stop to catch a breath. But as moms we need that. We need refreshment. We need joy. We need to find ways to breathe life into our days.

Here are ways to do that:

Recharge

Recharging is taking our focus off of all the tasks and doing something that we enjoy. It’s filling up after being poured out. It’s engaging our bodies, our minds and our senses. Here are some ways to recharge:

1. Take a walk

2. Enjoy a cup of tea

3. Listen to your favorite soundtrack

4. Tend your garden

6. Take a nap

7. Listen to an inspiring podcast

8. Listen to a Psalm on the Bible App

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July 8, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

5 Grand Ways Kids Can Love Their Grandparents

This summer as your kids are searching for something to beat the boredom, it’s a great opportunity to teach your kids how to love their grandparents.

Did you know? 10% of American children live with one or more grandparents.

1. Send them a letter.

Even if they live nearby and even though it may cost mere cents, it’s still a grand gesture to send some snail mail. Toddlers can draw pictures (& moms can translate the picture if necessary.) Thanking them for their love and respecting their stories is always a beautiful thing to give elders.

2. Ask them questions.

Asking anyone questions implies that you value their knowledge and expertise. The elders in our community have valuable advice to give us! Your kids can get a good list of questions going. Pose this to your youngsters: “What 3 questions would you ask someone that’s been alive for __ years?”

What 3 questions would you ask someone that’s been alive for 70+ years? @TriciaGoyer

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3. Offer to help.

If distance is not too big an obstacle, how might you be able to help around the house? Kids can love their grandparents through service–can they pick up leaves? Mow the lawn? Dust off that one bookshelf? Paint a wall? Run some errands?

4. Make something with them.

Baking, carpentry, fishing, even writing can be great ways to show respect and love for your grandparents. Who knows?! You might finally get your hands on that heirloom recipe you’ve had your eye on!

5. Walk them through your family’s photo album.

If you’ve got access to recent photos, walk them through your favorites from the past year. Remind them of that performance their grandkid starred in, those report cards, soccer trophies, and science projects. Grandparents love to discover new ways to brag.

What are some ways your kids love their grandparents?

In my book Walk It Out I share how God helped me walk out love for my own grandmother by bringing her to live in our home instead of allowing her to spend her golden years alone in a nursing home. The truth is, it’s been a huge blessing to our family and my children continue to learn from her wisdom daily. To learn more visit Walk It Out.

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June 25, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Transform your Life in 5 Minutes a Day

It may sound impossible, but I can tell you how to transform your life in 5 minutes a day. I know because it worked for me.

What has completely changed my life? God’s Word! All I am and all I’ve done are a result of spending time reading God’s truth.

It’s easy, simple and it works. To help you I’ve put together my top three tips for Meditating in God’s Word:

Start Small

If you are just starting out and you are not used to reading God’s Word, you can set your timer for at 5 mins a day. Pray beforehand and ask God for understanding and wisdom for His Word. Pray afterward that God will help you to retain His Word in your heart and correctly apply it and learn from it throughout your day. Create time for His Word, either in the morning or in the evening, just make sure that you are consistently reading God’s Word every day.

Go Slowly

The worst thing you can do is speed read through the Word of God. You want to meditate, capture and ponder on the thoughts and Words of our Almighty Creator. After a verse or two, stop and ask yourself: “What did I read? Did I understand what I read?” I suggest getting a notepad to write down some questions you would like God to answer.

Stay Committed.

The fact is that we are all super busy most of the time. We are drained from many areas of our life, but the commitment we make when we spend time in the Word of God is a life changer. The Word of God is a life sustainer. When you are feeling discouraged or frustrated, write it out or talk it out with God. We need Him! When we stopping eating God’s Word, that meal gets replaced with something else that is not beneficial to our Christian growth. Nothing can replace the Word of God!

Reading the Bible is one of the things God wants each of us to do. It’s not enough to hear the Word from others–we must read it for ourselves. That’s how to transform your life.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

When we read the Bible, we learn more about God and His ways. We learn how to live life more effectively. When you sit down to read the Bible pray, “Lord, help me to understand.” Also, ask someone who has been reading the Bible for a while to help you to understand better.

The more you read, the more you will understand God’s will and see His leading in your life. As you grow to understand His will better, you will thirst for His word even more!

Of course, the best part of knowing God’s Word is the transformation that will happen in you. As Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) says, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

Isn’t that amazing that God will accomplish all He wants to do in you as you dig into His Word?!

Praying Through the Bible in One Year

Have you ever wanted to read through the Bible but found yourself giving up? Or even worse, you read the chapters and at the end question how they apply to your life. I understand. For years I felt frustrated that I couldn’t stick to my commitment to read God’s Word all the way through. Things changed when I found a doable plan and wrote out a daily prayer. My heart changed. My life did, too.

God can bring real transformation into your heart and life when you daily commit to reading your Bible and praying through God’s Word. Praying through the Bible in One Year offers a guided reading plan and a daily prayer starter to help you make God’s Word applicable to your life. Discover the inspiration for real-life transformation.

Purchase a copy of Praying Through the Bible in One Year HERE.

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