I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.
I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
I have a very unique laugh. I claim it and am proud of it. It’s loud and distinct. In a crowd, I can be found within minutes. Growing up, I would have people wait for me in the hallways of the movie theater after the movie was over because they heard me laughing during the movie.
It’s always been my trademark. My first reaction to everything was laughter. Whether I was hurting, sad, angry, or truly joyful, I laughed.
My junior year in high school, we had a bit of a morbid writing assignment, so of course, I took it on wholeheartedly. We were asked to write our epitaph and without even batting an eyelash, I knew what mine would be. And still to this day, it is what I have determined will be on my headstone.
She laughed at death
because God was in her heart
and she was in His hands.
Laughter…it’s always been coursing through my veins until one day it wasn’t.
I am not sure what happened, or the exact time my laughter faded, but it did. Maybe it was a mix of sleepless nights and changes in life and my abrupt understanding of how evil people can be…I really can’t remember. I just remember one day looking at my friend and saying, “I don’t laugh like I used to.”
This scared me. I wanted my old carefree, joyful self back, but I couldn’t figure out how to get there. I prayed, studied God’s precious word, and wrapped myself in his faithfulness and goodness. In the end, I realized fear–something I never knew I possessed–was squelching my joy and laughter.
Over the years, the fears I have held onto have slowly melted away. By the grace of God’s patience, he let me wrangle through the core issues In the process, I learned to truly trust Him no matter what the day brings. Only then did my laughter start to return.
Not only do I not hold onto those fears anymore, but I am also no longer ensnared by the stress that accompanied those fears.
The devil is soooooo sneaky. He averted my attention and my joy from my God, the God who created the world and everything in it and the God who is faithful to everything He created. (Psalm 145)
Oh, you devil, how did I let you do that? Slowly….soooo tricky. So slowly you turned my head and my heart and before I realized it, my eyes were not always on the Lord. but focused on my fear and how to avoid it. Tricky, tricky, tricky.
Well, dear Satan, I have since learned this wonderful truth and have tucked it into my heart so that my joy can no longer be squelched. My joy can no longer be deterred. I will continue to laugh at death and all your lies, because I do have God in my heart and He does hold me in His hands. It is a promise he has made. I trust his promises and will no longer trust your lies.
I keep my eyes ALWAYS on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken! Psalm 16:8
Today, after helping with an event, a lady walked up to me and said, “I love your laugh. It’s sincere and unique.” (She might have used slightly different words but the same sentiment was there.) When I heard her say that, I felt the seal of joy on my heart and honestly got a little emotional on the inside. Never again will I allow Satan to steal my joy.
I’ve got my laugh back! The laugh that signifies a complete trust in God no matter what the day brings. And just a little reminder for you, Satan, next time you try to steal my joy, you will not win because Christ has already defeated you!
Laughing and being silly with my kids is such a blessing!
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
Stress! We live in such a fast-paced society. We always have so much to do. Our to-do list gets longer each day, and it seems as though we will never get it done. So many of us are caring for children, or parents, or even both. We worry about if we are good parents or good children. We worry about our spouses. Women, especially, are told to be the Proverbs 31 Women. I have to be honest here. I tried getting up earlier to get everything done. I was so tired by 8:00 a.m., all I wanted to do was go back to bed. All these demands on us just stress us out.
Stress can have negative effects on our bodies. It can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Those are a few of the “biggies”. It can also lead to weight gain and an increase in viral and bacterial infections due to a weakened immune system. Have you ever felt like you have been sick forever? That can be stress. Stress can wreak havoc on us.
How do we deal with this stress?
Healthy Tip #5
As I’ve stated before, give it to God! Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB) states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Give it to God and do not take it back. He can handle it; we can’t!
Meditate. I’m not talking about New Age meditation or yoga or anything else. I’m talking about meditating on the Word of God.
Philippians 4:8-9 (NASB) goes on to say, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
We should memorize scripture related to what we are dealing with and then meditate on it. If we learn to refocus our thoughts on these things, that will lower our stress.
Stress accomplishes nothing. Really, it doesn’t. When was the last time we felt great when we were stressed out? It’s time for us to give it to God.
Cut asparagus into three-inch pieces and blanch in salted, boiling water for about one minute. Pour into colander and let drain for a few minutes. Do not rinse with cold water. Pour asparagus into bowl and add all other ingredients and stir. Let sit to absorb dressing. Serve at room temperature.
This is the fifth installment in my living healthy series.
Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
Did you know that ostriches do not bury their head in the sand when they’re afraid? I discovered this fact while I was searching the inter-webs for this post. So if you also have believed the age-old lie that ostriches bury their heads in the sand, I’m sorry to say that you were wrong, and now you know better. And if you haven’t already had someone tell you “when you know better, you do better” then I must say congratulations!
I’ve seen someone type this phrase out online more times than I can count, and I have to say it rubs me the wrong way. First of all, it assumes that we all will have the same feelings or beliefs based on a set of information.
Secondly it assumes that the information presented is infallible. My friends, the only thing I’ve ever read that is 100% bulletproof, stands up against all opposition, and holds true in every scenario is the true word of God. But I digress. I didn’t sit down at my computer today to rant and rave about the catchphrase of the day. No, I sit here today to talk about one of my own shortcomings.
I (unlike an ostrich) find myself burying my head in the sand frequently these days. To say that I’ve become a proverbial basket case since I’ve had children would be a severe understatement. Our world today seems to be an ever-changing cocktail of worrisome information. We have access to more information than any generation before. It’s wonderful, right?! Uh, I beg to differ. Hopping on social media for a quick update on my friends and family unleashes Pandora’s box.
Oh, I’m not talking about the latest murder, carjacking, or robbery, although these things are certainly worrisome. No, I’m talking about things that burrow deep down into my heart and start my descent towards the sand. I may wake up with my head held high, but you can bet that by the end of the day my brain is buried away where it doesn’t have to contemplate the latest problems of my world.
Besides the endless mommy wars (which are a total drag–aren’t we past this?) I find myself facing a barrage of information or opinions which start me questioning my choices and the safety of my children. I mean, it seems like every day there’s a new car seat recommendation that I can’t keep up with. Then there’s the guilt over the fact that my grocery shopping is either done at a sprint or with four needy humans in tow that results in a lack of anything organic. Move on to the scare over vaccinations and I’m already starting to burrow. The other day a simple google search about the little cuties oranges turned up a blog discussion about fruit dyes. They’re dying our fruit?! I mean, can’t a momma catch a break???
Human trafficking.
Dirty politicians.
Police being murdered.
Late-term abortions.
ANY abortions!
I just can’t. I just can’t keep reading and thinking and worrying.
What happens if a vaccine hurts my child?
What happens if my children eat fruit that has been dyed?
What happens if we don’t do extended rear-facing and we have an accident? Could I ever forgive myself? I mean, I had read the information right?
Ah, Jonny Diaz! Bless you for being the hands and feet of Christ to me in this situation.
How in the world do I find myself in this place over and over again? I mean, I’m pretty sure if you do a search of my blog posts on here you’ll find that I reach this place pretty frequently. How fortunate for me that we serve a God full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness! How foolish I must look to be sticking my head in the sand day in and day out. Has the Lord not made it clear to me who has control of my life?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothes you-you of little faith? So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:26-34
Do you ever get overwhelmed by the worries of this world?
What things make you want to bury your head in the sand?
Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. There are all kinds of things that can bring on that sweaty hands, all-consuming angst that just leaves you feeling weary. For me, pregnancy seems to be a vessel that my anxiety rides on. I have had varying degrees of anxiety during my four pregnancies. My first seemed fraught with anxiety that my baby wouldn’t be okay, or that he would somehow be hurt by something I did. During my second pregnancy, my anxiety got so bad that I actually struggled with postpartum depression for nearly a year before the fog lifted enough that I realized something was wrong. Each time the feelings seemed to creep up on me and had the potential to leave me feeling less than in control.
As I’m nearing the end of my fourth pregnancy, I’m finding the same things that triggered my anxiety in my second pregnancy are beginning to trigger anxiety during this one. My triggers are: bickering between my children, aloneness for too many hours in the day, not having a plan or knowing the schedule for an upcoming event, prolonged loud noises, and my biggest one–the neighborhood kids.
Yes, you read that right. I live right next to an elementary school. I am surrounded by school-aged children. I hear them constantly. They don’t bother me when they are at school. The sounds of them playing and yelling during recess cause me no alarm. Their chattering as they walk to school in the morning doesn’t phase me. Sure we’ve had a ding-dong-ditcher a time or two in the morning, but generally mornings aren’t an issue. No it’s after school that my anxiety really peaks.
They’re walking home and I hear them. I hear them swearing, screaming profanities in front of my house. I hear them playing and horsing around. I hear them running up onto my carport and sometimes ringing my doorbell and running away as fast as they can. I hear them after the crossing guard has closed the gate and gone home. I hear them running, riding bikes and scooters, and yelling to each other from across the street. And I see them. I see them riding and running through the four-way stop that only half of the neighborhood observes, without even looking. I see them going back and forth in front of my house throwing garbage and sticks at one another. I see them hanging on the gate and swinging it as hard as they can trying to break the lock and chain on it; yanking and kicking the signs on the gate trying to rip them off. I see them, I hear them, and they disturb me.
I worry that they’ll try to get in my backyard and steal my children’s toys again. I worry that they’ll climb the trees outside my fence and throw things at my windows again. I worry that they’ll damage one of my vehicles or get hurt on my property or teach my children a word that I’d rather they not know. I worry that they’ll be hit by a careless driver as they play in the middle of the street. I worry that they’ll break out in a fight that I am helpless to stop. I worry. And so the days go. As my pregnancy progresses it usually gets worse. I wake up in the morning dreading the afternoon. I find myself agonizing over the squeaking sound of the gate opening in the afternoon, signaling school’s release. I find myself worrying incessantly about them, and my children, and my house, and me.
And then when the baby comes, in that period when life should be sunshine and roses and snuggles and soft baby smells, I worry. They disturb me. I get mad that they’re so incredibly loud right outside my house when my sweet, peaceful baby is resting. I get worried that they’ll come to the door or window and look in while I’m breastfeeding and bonding with my baby. And when I let all of that worry and anxiety envelop me, I get lost in it. And then I yell at MY children. I get frustrated and upset at every unhappy sound or too loud noise or extra question they ask. It is nothing more than Satan finding a foothold in my life. It’s happened once postpartum and I will not let it happen again.
As I feel this all-too-familiar anxiety creep over me, I am beginning with a plan this time. I will not allow these feelings to control me. I will not allow a cloud of depression to steal away my memories of my baby’s first weeks. I will not allow Satan into my home and my emotions.
Matthew 6:34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This verse always makes me chuckle! Each day has enough trouble of its own. Isn’t that so true? Why would we waste a moment worrying about the events of another day when there is more than enough worry for today?
Phillipians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This verse gives me a road map for exactly what I need to do. I need to stop being anxious, bring my worries to the Lord through prayer, and I will be filled with the peace of God that will guard my heart and mind. How encouraging! And how simple!
I recently listened to a sermon in which the speaker was commenting on the fact that we often rely on prayer as a last resort. We say, “Well we’ve tried everything else, now it’s up to God” or “All we can do now is pray.” This really struck a chord with me. How often do I waste time worrying and fretting over something and finally I’ll resort to prayer? Why didn’t I seek the comfort only the Lord can bring in the beginning? This is definitely something that I plan to work on.
Do you ever experience increased anxiety during certain times of your life?
I am a recovering Army brat who loves to travel and start new adventures. My handsome husband and I met at Oklahoma Christian University and he whisked me away to Kansas. So, I bought some ruby red high heels and made Topeka my home. I have a rough and rowdy Princess 4-year-old girl, amazing twin boys (almost 3) and a newborn baby girl who all make every day an adventure. We are grateful to be part of an amazing church in Topeka who regularly challenges and encourages our whole family. I have been both a full-time working mom and a stay-at-home-mom and/or both at the same time at one point or another. I am constantly seeking God’s wisdom on “balancing it all” and following His plan for my life, not mine.
After less sleep than I would have preferred, one of my one year olds woke up that morning jammie and diaper free with poop smeared all over his crib. My almost three year old spent the day whining and disobeying every direction I gave to her. My other son decided it was interesting to hide my phone in a floor vase in my foyer. It took me over an hour to find it. Fast forward through a busy conference call and countless emails zapped out as fast as possible during the kids’ nap time, but not nearly as many as I had hoped. My to do list for the day was 25 things long and I felt sidelined at every one. By 4pm, I looked around at my disaster of a house and started to wonder how long I could get away with closing the door to the bathroom for one minute to myself. The answer was 10 seconds. Constant somethings. I felt myself getting angry at my “failed day” where I had seemingly accomplished nothing except keeping everyone fed and alive. I have found myself succumbing to my weariness lately and letting it foster a feeling of overwhelming pressure on my chest. Stress.
Honestly, it seems like this past month has been more stressful than usual. There are a few additional things we have added to our plates as a family, but in the midst of a recent stress-filled sleepless night I realized my angst was over things that either…
A) I have no actual control over or
B) weren’t items that required as much focus and energy as I was expelling or
C) were actually just fine.
I took the opportunity at 4am to do some introspection and pray. At first, I’ll be honest I was hoping that as I began to pray I would finally just fall asleep, but the Lord was ready to talk to me and take my burden. He realigned my perspective, showed me what mattered on “my list” and reminded me to focus on Him and not what this world wanted. This probably sounds obvious, but these are daily struggles for me.
There are a lot of things God is leading my family through right now, but some we have taken on ourselves. Discerning the difference can be a challenge but I am reminded of Philippians 1: 9-11 (NIV):
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Additionally, when we begin our day with an eternal perspective and not an earthly one, it is SO.MUCH.BETTER.
Another hard lesson I have to learn time and again is that God will raise up someone to do what He needs done in the world. Sometimes it’s me, oftentimes it is not. I have to tell myself, “Sit down, Pride. Other people have amazing gifts and whatever it is that God has called YOU too is enough and it is so much more than you can dream. What God has for you is GOOD in the full meaning of the word. And you aren’t in this alone.”
Our goal here in this life is about furthering the Kingdom of God, and guess what? The Lord has already planned for us what He wants us to do, we just have to listen and obey. It’s liberating really, not having to come up with all of these grand schemes and do everything on our own. I just put Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) on my chalk board in the bathroom:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
I just love that verse. We are ALL God’s handiwork and HE has a plan for us all set out if we would just let Him guide each day. Seriously. I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard, or be busy, or feel a little out of our element sometimes.
Instead, we should capture each thought, each task, each day, as one that God has prepared for us. We should have relief from stress knowing God is in control, not us. He will equip you for what He has called you to do, He will show you what is important in your day and what is not and He alone will bring you joy.
We are called to meet His standards, not the world’s. His aren’t easier standards, but they are different. I can promise you this: we will still have tough days and trials in this world of all kinds, big and small. The difference is that when we adjust our perspective and seek insight and wisdom in the tasks we have set before us, God will guide you to what He has given you to accomplish- and it is good.
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