• The 2020 Yearly Prayer Journal is now available!!
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Awareness

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Seven – Jen Hatmaker
Hole in the Gospel – Richard Stearns
OperationWorld.org

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  • I was planning out our calendar for the rest of 2019 and immediately felt anxiety. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I wrote a blog post years ago about healthy habits for introverts and needed the refresher before a season of more people and outings than usual. (See below). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I also shared how I was finally able to articulate to my extrovert husband why I'd breakdown on Dec 26. Maybe it will help you to explain to the extrovert in your life? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 😬 I said “You know how you feel energized after hanging out with people? For me (and many introverts), it requires energy.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. WHEN YOU'RE ALONE, DO WHAT ACTUALLY REFRESHES YOU. I am so guilty of wasting a bit of time, then sitting down to do those things that refresh me in my alone time only to find that it’s over. Make it a priority and let alone time trigger the question "what would make me feel refreshed when this time is over?" so you will be ready for quality time with others. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2. DON'T SAY NO TO EVERYTHING. Sometimes, we need to push ourselves. I’ll do this at the prodding of my husband or sister and am normally glad I did! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3. DON'T EXPECT YOUR SPOUSE TO THINK OR FEEL LIKE YOU. They may need to go hang out with friends more. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you or that they like their friends better! Give them the freedom they need in this area and make sacrifices so they can find refreshment in the company of people. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4. MAKE A LIST OF THINGS THAT ENERGIZE YOU. Maybe you’re running on fumes because you don’t even know what would give you energy. Take time to figure it out. And keep those ideas handy when you find yourself with time. And remember #1! ; ) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 5. FOCUS ON OTHERS WHEN YOU ARE WITH THEM. I am so guilty of letting my own feelings get in the way of hearing others. You might have wanted a quiet night in but ended up in the furthest place from there, but make the best of it. The easiest way to do that is to not focus on ourselves! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Any other tips? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tag your favorite introverts or give me a hand raise if this is you! Also this book: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
  • For anyone who struggles with anxiety, this weeks blog post is for you! - It’s a 7-day detox to help figure out what could be triggering our anxiety. - Check out the post and tell me if you’re in!! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Or if you were in our beta group this summer, tell us what you discovered! - Link in profile and stories!
  • "It's just a meme" - As I've shared thoughts on motherhood and what may be stealing our joy, I'll get a few rebuttals from moms who disagree that the stereotypes affect us. - • It doesn't really affect me. • They make me laugh. • It reminds me I'm not the only one. - I think all these things can be valid and are likely why mom memes and t-shirts are so popular. - I don't always get hit with the realization of how damaging the stereotypes can be when I see a meme. It would normally hit when I find myself alone after a hard day. - - It's late in the evening. I have no idea what the day held. Maybe lots of fun and now as you sit, you've got too much time to think on the silly stereotypes. - I want to help fight the negativity (and really the lies!) with you. It's why I wrote Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday. - What easily slips in our ears and thinks it has a right to direct our thoughts when we finally get alone has no place anymore! - Want to get some relief right now? - Check out our YouVersion plan. Swipe up in stories or search "Goodbye Grumpy Mom". And leave your name in the comments if I can pray for you! - #grumpymomtakesaholiday #valdoesmotherhood #motherhoodissanctifying
  • Conveniently blogged about how to spend time with the Lord in the newborn phase and it’s totally applicable for other busy seasons like sprained foots (hence new fancy boot) and sickness galore. 😩 - If ya need some creative ways to spend time with the Lord, check out the post! Link in stories and profile. - If ya need me 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’ll be right here for the next two weeks. Send Magnolia berry tea and Chuys. 🥴 - Also, I shared the key ingredient to actually pray more in stories and how I set up part of my journal this month. - #woernerbungalow
  • Let’s talk about what we’re praying for our family this month! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In our prayer journals, there’s a section called “my loves”. It’s where I write down individual prayers for Tyler, Vivi and Vana. A few years ago I started adding a few lines to write out prayers for us as a family. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Swipe to see some examples from my own journals. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whether you have the journal or not, what are you committing to praying for your family this month? What does your home need most right now? Health? Provision? Grateful hearts? Wonder? Sleep? Peace? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Share below! Speak it out loud and male it a real commitment to Instagram or tag a friend so they can check in at the end of the month! #vmpprayer #vmpjournals
  • I rolled my foot on Sunday and haven’t been able to walk much this week. The problem is, I keep pushing it and trying. Then I started getting cold symptoms and it’s like my body is saying, no you really do need to slow down. - A few days before I thought and even wrote down “The God who thought of everything is telling me to rest.” - If that God, the one who knows everything, is telling me to rest, then I can really rest. - I don't need to say "But but but...God you forgot, I'm responsible for ___________. I can't stop now. God, you forgot that I'm not wired to slow down. God, you forgot that command was for people who had time to rest." - Nope. - God knows it all and still told me to rest. - So I can rest. - I’m not sure what life looks like right now or even what your weekend looks like but I’m praying we all embrace the rest God is inviting us to. 🙌🏼 - Want to hear something ironic? I rolled my foot rushing to get in the car so we could squeeze a quick trip to Costco before church. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Literally 2 minutes before it happens I say, “this could be a disaster” knowing we could be late, not knowing I’d fall to the floor in tears. - Maybe it is time to rest? 🧐
  • "I have been learning to watch for the answers to my 'old' prayers, rather than demand answers to my 'new' ones." - Jill Briscoe ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This month, check out past months prayers written and even last year's journals if you have it. See what God has been doing in those "old" prayers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And for heaven's sake, SHARE THEM below!! I've been seeing that a lot of times when God answers prayers in the Bible, it's so others get to see it and come to know Him through it! I’ll be sharing more about @jill.briscoe’s book in stories today! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #vmpprayers
  • Edit: You can still sign up! Use link in Marriage stories! FREE MARRIAGE CHALLENGE Want to join? Sign up at the link in stories! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And I hate telling you to tag friends because that feels self-serving but we really do think doing these types of things with someone you know can be so helpful! We’ll have an action step for each day and we love the idea of a group of women saying “did you do your step?” Or “I’m not sure what to do! Got any ideas?” This series is for EVERY wife! Not just grumpy ones. We just love a good theme and knew you gals who loved Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday have been asking for this! 😁 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #grumpywifetakesaholiday
  • "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - ala Wayne Gretzky ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In life, most of our regrets involve not trying instead of trying something and failing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I don't want to over-spiritualize this but I feel like taking a chance on a tool because you want to grow your prayer life says something to God. It's a step of faith, especially if you've got limited funds. It's a very tangible way we're saying "This matters to me". ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you're waiting for your journal to arrive or just got it in the mail, CAN I CELEBRATE WITH YOU? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You bought something to help you connect more with God. You didn't buy another cute top or two. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ • You might feel like you aren't the best pray-er • You might not fill out much the first month • Or you may fill it up but hardly touch it ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I want you to CELEBRATE! You have a heart that longs for more of God in your everyday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Prayer is a journey, not a pass or fail. And this step to try a tool that has the potential to change your prayer life is HUGE! Don't miss that! I cannot tell you the stories we've heard of people slowly but surely getting consistent with our journals. It's not a race to win but a journey we go on. And you just might be further along the journey of prayer than you think. There’s still time to grab a 2020 prayer journal from our shop! Link in profile. #vmpjournals

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