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July 17, 2023 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

It’s Time to Get Creative, Mom.

As a writer, I know all about creativity. I know how essential it is to be creative. I know how fun it can be. I also know what it’s like to be at a loss for creativity. Even as a mom, creativity is important. Combine the needed creativity for being both a mom and a writer . . . well, it’s tough to come by.

When there are people and paperwork and piles to manage…
When I look around my house and see the walls that need to be painted and the cupboards that should be organized…
When my inbox is cluttered with notes I need to answer about work stuff and volunteer stuff…
When output is more than input…
…my creativity well often runs dry.

What can you do when you need an extra “spark” of inspiration?

Here are a few things I do.

Call a funny friend.

Sit outside. Breathe in fresh air.

Listen to birds sing. Watch busy ants.

Open a book of poetry or rent an audio book of poetry from the library. Absorb the symbolism and fresh word combinations.

Open a cookbook to a random page, then go shopping for the needed ingredients. (And then cook it!)

Go to YouTube.com and watch old dance numbers like this one.

Visit Etsy and take their taste test. This is one of my favorites. I love the fresh colors, textures, and ideas.

Play with Visuwords. Follow word trails and see where they lead you.

Have a visual feast on iStock Photo. (It’s also a great place for gathering inspiration for novel settings and characters or blog ideas.)

Pray and thank God for His creativity. Thank Him for your favorite places, people, tastes, and the beauty of nature.

Read your favorite Bible verses in a translation or paragraph you normally don’t read. Here is my favorite Bible verse in The Message (Zephaniah 3:17): “Don’t be afraid. Dear Zion, don’t despair. Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.”

Write a greeting card verse and e-mail it to a special person. Or better yet, browse creative sites (like MarthaStewart.com) for card ideas and make your own.

Sometimes what we need is simply a break in our day from the mundane tasks of life.

These tips are perfect for breaking up a routine. Who knows? You might end up inspired to finish writing that blog or to tackle that inbox.

Prayer

God, thank you for being the source of all creativity. Allow today to be inspired with fresh ideas and new creativity.

Looking for More Ways to Get Creative?

Check out my book Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom!

More Resources

A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger

Creativity by Matthew Fox

Creative Block: Get Unstuck, Discover New Ideas. Advice & Projects from 50 Successful Artists by Danielle Krysa

Creativity Workout: 62 Exercises to Unlock Your Most Creative Ideas by Edward De Bono

May 1, 2023 by Tricia Goyer 12 Comments

6 Ways to Find Joy in Your Day {Printable!}

6 Ways to Find Joy in Your Day {Printable!}

As a homeschooling mom, I’ve had kids at home for 32 years. This means noisy days, busy days, and these kids-are-giving-me-a-headache days.

I’ve been homeschooling for 28 years and still have another seven years to go! Does that seem overwhelming? It would have been if I hadn’t discovered something amazing: JOY!

Over the last year, God has spoken to my heart and encouraged me to find joy in everyday living.

Joy, even though the laundry is piled high.

Joy, even though the kids are cranky.

Joy when work deadlines are pressed.

Joy when I have a headache when my feet hurt, and when I just want a nap. (Which happens often!)

But how do you find joy in your day?

Here are 6 ways … and a Scripture verse for each!

1. Thank God for each new morning.

A thankful heart goes a long way. Daily when I wake God, instead of looking at everything I have to do, I thank him for who I am and what I have.

Thank you, God, that I’m your daughter, and I have a place in your eternal home.

Thank you, God, that I’m a wife and mother.

Thank you, God, for the pile of laundry and all the clothes you’ve provided for us.

Thank you, God, for the dishes still in the sink from last night. We went to bed with full bellies.

2. Turn on worship music.

I love listening to worship music as I read my Bible and journal in the morning. I put on popular Christian songs as we homeschool. I also listen to Christian music as I write. I love using apps like Spotify or Amazon Prime Music to help me find great music. I also sing along! Singing songs of joy helps sorrows (and frustrations) to disappear!

3. Ask God to remind me what His kingdom is all about.

In life, I want to be comfortable. I want my house to be Pinterest-worthy. I want my kids to shine. But when I think about God’s kingdom, He helps me understand Kingdom Work. Opening my door to neighbors. Sharing God’s truth with young moms. Calling a friend who’s going through a hard time. Playing a board game with my kids instead of putting away the laundry. The Kingdom is about people and hearts–not tasks!

4. Seek the Holy Spirit.

When did I ever start thinking that I have to handle life alone? God has given us His Holy Spirit to fill, work through, and give us peace. Stopping to pray and ask for God’s Holy Spirit to help me makes a huge difference. The Holy Spirit gives me joy when I have none.

The Holy Spirit gives me joy when I have none. @TriciaGoyer

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5. Join the kids in praising God.

The best thing about having three little kids is that they LOVE to praise God. We have “Jesus dance parties” often. We put on kids praise song, clap our hands and dance and sing. They love it, and seeing their joy makes me more joyful.

6. Thank God for troubles.

The honest truth is that without troubles, I wouldn’t need God. If everything went smoothly in life I wouldn’t pray or praise as often. When I thank God for troubles, I remind myself that He has everything in control. As the Scriptures say, troubles are an opportunity for joy!

I hope you print and use these Scriptures in your day. I’ve found them very helpful.

Download here.

How about you? What do you do to find joy in your day? What’s your favorite Scripture about joy?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, today I pray for my friend. I pray that she may find joy in you. I pray that Your Word will draw her heart to you. I thank you for your Holy Spirit that can plant joy deep in our hearts, even when there are struggles all around.

More Resources

14 Ways to Create a Joyful Family
How to Joyfully Share a Life
3 Ways to Lose Guilt and Find Joy
Heart Happy by Tricia Goyer
When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper
A Faith That Will Not Fail by Dan Lord

September 18, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 3 Comments

3 Ways to Embrace Messy Days

I don’t know about you, but I was a messy child and teen. Growing up, my room could have been considered a danger zone. It was hard to walk through it without tripping on stuff. Clothes, books, and shoes were strewn everywhere. My mom would ask me to clean my room over and over again, and then—when she couldn’t take it any more—she’d clean it for me. She’d also repeat the same thing each time, “I hate to see what your house is going to be like when you grow up!”

Thankfully, I’ve picked up all my mom’s clean-freak tendencies. @TriciaGoyer

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Thankfully, my mom has nothing to worry about. I’ve picked up all her clean-freak tendencies. There are few things I like better than putting the last clean t-shirt into a drawer and knowing all the laundry is washed, dried, and put away. Or seeing my pantry organized, with all the cans displayed by kind, with labels facing out. Our walking out of my kids’ rooms knowing the Legos are with the Legos, and the dolls are with the dolls, and the missing Green Lantern action figure has been reunited with his plastic motorcycle. Ahh. . .

Unfortunately these aren’t joys I can indulge in often because I have kids!

[Read the rest of this post on MomLifeToday.com]

I’m giving away 3 copies of Darlene Schacht’s book, Messy Beautiful Love, to 3 lucky winners!

Enter to win below. Winners will be announced next Monday September 22nd. Only those in the U.S. are eligible to win.

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February 6, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How Motherhood has Stretched Me

Motherhood has stretched me . . . and I’m not just talking about the marks that my polka-dot bathing suit fails to hide. (With each child’s birth, my hips and thighs expanded along with my heart!) Although my physical body has changed since I’ve had children, my mental, emotional, and spiritual shape have been transformed even more.

I think like a mom, have a mom’s heart . . . and my ears are now tuned to K-MOM frequency. While everyone seems to have a built-in warning system (part of God’s standard package), only moms can recognize the little signal that goes off in their heads—the silent warning that tells them something’s really not right and they do need to check on the lack of noise in the other room or the thump coming down the stairs.

I’ve discovered that this God-given radar has morphed as my children have grown. I’ve learned to listen to the intricacies, tuning into the minor things that hint that something’s not exactly right, such as when I see sadness in Alyssa’s expression. Or when Casey looks away a little too quickly. Or when Bella seems fine, but that nudging inside tells me to ask . . . just in case. In moments like these I feel God’s Spirit telling me to stop. To turn off the computer, stop the housecleaning, or call my friend back later instead of answering the phone. Then the stop is usually followed by an urging to find a way to connect within this small window of time.

What about you? How has motherhood stretched you?

How has #motherhood stretched you? Share with @TriciaGoyer!

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Did you hear the good news? My book The Swiss Courier (that I co-wrote with Mike Yorkey) is on sale! My new book Balanced is available now via Amazon and Barnes & Noble for only $2.99 (digital only)!

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