I am so excited to bring you this post today. Several years ago I sat on my couch watching Georgeanna on ABC's Extreme Weight Loss. Georgeanna's realness, honesty and love for Jesus shined through her. I was drawn to her. I was so proud of her as she nailed her gymnastics goals, how she found joy again, and how she prioritized her health - along with her husband - over the course of the year that the show filmed her.
Last year sometime, I ran across Georgeanna on Instagram (@georgie_jo) and connected with her. I have no clue how I ran across her....honestly a God thing. Several years removed from her experience on the show, I loved seeing how she was still prioritizing her health and how her and her hubby were living this new healthy lifestyle as empty nesters. She blogs over at www.fitiswell.com and every time she shares her heart I just love her even more. She loves Jesus FIRST, she prioritizes her marriage, she is a Mom, and she is REAL.
I swear we would be friends in real life. I know that for a fact. I feel like we are friends in a weird, social media kind of way. I reached out to Georgeanna because God was laying this on my heart. I have asked her to share her heart with you today. I knew her heart would resonate with a lot of you. I knew she could speak encouragement to you and love on you ladies well. She knows what it's like to have to change EVERYTHING for your health. She gets it 100%. She is proof of the sacrifices you have to make, the reward of them paying off, the dedication and hard work, and most importantly - the power of Jesus.
I'm so excited God crossed our paths and I'm even more excited, and honored, to have her share with you today! She took the words right out of my mouth and said it way more eloquently than I ever could have! I pray it blesses you in a big way. Please share this with your friends who need this reminder and encouragement!
Last year sometime, I ran across Georgeanna on Instagram (@georgie_jo) and connected with her. I have no clue how I ran across her....honestly a God thing. Several years removed from her experience on the show, I loved seeing how she was still prioritizing her health and how her and her hubby were living this new healthy lifestyle as empty nesters. She blogs over at www.fitiswell.com and every time she shares her heart I just love her even more. She loves Jesus FIRST, she prioritizes her marriage, she is a Mom, and she is REAL.
I swear we would be friends in real life. I know that for a fact. I feel like we are friends in a weird, social media kind of way. I reached out to Georgeanna because God was laying this on my heart. I have asked her to share her heart with you today. I knew her heart would resonate with a lot of you. I knew she could speak encouragement to you and love on you ladies well. She knows what it's like to have to change EVERYTHING for your health. She gets it 100%. She is proof of the sacrifices you have to make, the reward of them paying off, the dedication and hard work, and most importantly - the power of Jesus.
I'm so excited God crossed our paths and I'm even more excited, and honored, to have her share with you today! She took the words right out of my mouth and said it way more eloquently than I ever could have! I pray it blesses you in a big way. Please share this with your friends who need this reminder and encouragement!
Mom. What a wonderful title. Being a mom is our greatest blessing. We cherish our children. Being a mom shows us what love really is. Our children are our greatest joys. Right?
Or is it the biggest burden? Running ragged, feeling overwhelmed, comparing ourselves, and always feeling like something or someone is getting shortchanged. And who is usually the one to get the short end of the stick? Mom!
I hear from Moms all the time. And easily their number one issue is figuring out how to balance everything they feel they need to do in a day. Finding time to take care of your kids, your home, spend time with God, fix dinner (much less a healthy one?) and to nurture yourself seems like the ultimate game of Tetris. How do we make the pieces fit?
I know what you’re thinking, this is where she gives us a nice little bulleted list of points to get it all done. Not today. I don't have your answer! I don't know what is going to work for you. But I do know that God knows. And when we turn our eyes and hearts to Him, he has a sneaky little way of showing us areas we can improve on.
He wants us to be fulfilled. And that doesn't just mean as a mom. He loves us, personally, right where we are. He loves you as a woman, a wife, a friend, a sister and a mom. And He wants you to have a life that glorifies him, not a life where you feel beat down and overwhelmed.
“But you don't know my life!" How am I supposed to pull that off? Again. I don't know! But, God does. And He will show you how to get it all done.
If you have felt overwhelmed, and unsure of how to make healthy changes, pray! Psalm 37:4 NKJV says “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Go to Him! Tell Him where you are struggling. Tell Him the desires you have. Talk to Him about the areas of your life that you feel need improvement.
Do you want to be healthier? Do you wish you could work out and can never seem to find the time? Do you feel guilty because you’re serving microwaved chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for dinner and want to do better? Do you wish you had a group of moms with whom to fellowship? Talk to God about it. Pray about it. Ask Him for direction.
And in the meantime, do some serious soul searching. Look at your day, your week, your life and get real with yourself. Are there areas you could change now? Staying up late watching tv while the kids are in bed is nice. But could you food prep while you are watching tv and have dinner for the next day almost ready? Saving you valuable time and making those evening hours with the kids less stressful.
Could you get up 30 minutes earlier a few days a week? Could you make a habit of active family time? You walk, kids ride bikes? Or go to the park and walk while they play? Could you stop nibbling off of your kids plates?
Proverbs 8:12 KJV says “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” When we seek Him, He gives us wisdom. That wisdom comes as knowledge, understanding, prudence, and witty inventions. To put it in every day language, He gives us common sense and good ideas. Isn’t that amazing?! Life can be that simple. We call on God and He gives us common sense and ideas to help us balance our lives.
I know some days, weeks, or months do not come together as we had planned. Our best intentions, ideas, plans fall apart. Kids get sick. Car has issues. We find out last second about a science project. Those moments will happen. But what is important is that we keep our eyes on Him. Don’t let the frustrations of a few messy days derail your confidence in making changes. We should not lose ourselves in what can sometimes be the most chaotic years of our lives.
I know. I did it. I allowed the idea of “Supermom” to overtake my life. I had zero balance. Work and kids. That was it. I was a great employee, and great mom. A decent wife. And terrible at taking care of myself. I spent 20 years wishing I could change, not knowing how, scared to ask for help, just barreling through. And I was miserable for a lot of it. God wants more than that for us.
And when the wheels are falling off, embrace the chaos. It’s going to happen. Keep your wits about you. Roll with the punches. It passes all too quickly. That little blue eyed blonde that gave me the title of mom is now married and living in Canada. I would certainly love to go back in time and have a chaotic day of sticky fingers, messy hair, snuggles and sleep deprivation. As much as being a mom can sometimes feel like punishment, let us not forget that God has entrusted us with our kiddos. It can be all at once frustrating, hard, loud, messy and yet joyful, peaceful, and love-until-you-cry good.
What are the desires of your heart? What kind of mom do you want to be? It’s your question to answer. I am not giving you specifics, because we are all so different. Our lives are unique. Our desires are different. But God sees, He knows, and He wants to help you. You are never alone. Reach out to Him and He will give you ideas, show you ways to improve, ways to have the life that He intended for you. As Phillipians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” You can do this! You can find answers, find balance, and live a life that is peaceful, fulfilling, healthy, and brings you great joy.
- Georgeanna Johnson
Or is it the biggest burden? Running ragged, feeling overwhelmed, comparing ourselves, and always feeling like something or someone is getting shortchanged. And who is usually the one to get the short end of the stick? Mom!
I hear from Moms all the time. And easily their number one issue is figuring out how to balance everything they feel they need to do in a day. Finding time to take care of your kids, your home, spend time with God, fix dinner (much less a healthy one?) and to nurture yourself seems like the ultimate game of Tetris. How do we make the pieces fit?
I know what you’re thinking, this is where she gives us a nice little bulleted list of points to get it all done. Not today. I don't have your answer! I don't know what is going to work for you. But I do know that God knows. And when we turn our eyes and hearts to Him, he has a sneaky little way of showing us areas we can improve on.
He wants us to be fulfilled. And that doesn't just mean as a mom. He loves us, personally, right where we are. He loves you as a woman, a wife, a friend, a sister and a mom. And He wants you to have a life that glorifies him, not a life where you feel beat down and overwhelmed.
“But you don't know my life!" How am I supposed to pull that off? Again. I don't know! But, God does. And He will show you how to get it all done.
If you have felt overwhelmed, and unsure of how to make healthy changes, pray! Psalm 37:4 NKJV says “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Go to Him! Tell Him where you are struggling. Tell Him the desires you have. Talk to Him about the areas of your life that you feel need improvement.
Do you want to be healthier? Do you wish you could work out and can never seem to find the time? Do you feel guilty because you’re serving microwaved chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for dinner and want to do better? Do you wish you had a group of moms with whom to fellowship? Talk to God about it. Pray about it. Ask Him for direction.
And in the meantime, do some serious soul searching. Look at your day, your week, your life and get real with yourself. Are there areas you could change now? Staying up late watching tv while the kids are in bed is nice. But could you food prep while you are watching tv and have dinner for the next day almost ready? Saving you valuable time and making those evening hours with the kids less stressful.
Could you get up 30 minutes earlier a few days a week? Could you make a habit of active family time? You walk, kids ride bikes? Or go to the park and walk while they play? Could you stop nibbling off of your kids plates?
Proverbs 8:12 KJV says “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” When we seek Him, He gives us wisdom. That wisdom comes as knowledge, understanding, prudence, and witty inventions. To put it in every day language, He gives us common sense and good ideas. Isn’t that amazing?! Life can be that simple. We call on God and He gives us common sense and ideas to help us balance our lives.
I know some days, weeks, or months do not come together as we had planned. Our best intentions, ideas, plans fall apart. Kids get sick. Car has issues. We find out last second about a science project. Those moments will happen. But what is important is that we keep our eyes on Him. Don’t let the frustrations of a few messy days derail your confidence in making changes. We should not lose ourselves in what can sometimes be the most chaotic years of our lives.
I know. I did it. I allowed the idea of “Supermom” to overtake my life. I had zero balance. Work and kids. That was it. I was a great employee, and great mom. A decent wife. And terrible at taking care of myself. I spent 20 years wishing I could change, not knowing how, scared to ask for help, just barreling through. And I was miserable for a lot of it. God wants more than that for us.
And when the wheels are falling off, embrace the chaos. It’s going to happen. Keep your wits about you. Roll with the punches. It passes all too quickly. That little blue eyed blonde that gave me the title of mom is now married and living in Canada. I would certainly love to go back in time and have a chaotic day of sticky fingers, messy hair, snuggles and sleep deprivation. As much as being a mom can sometimes feel like punishment, let us not forget that God has entrusted us with our kiddos. It can be all at once frustrating, hard, loud, messy and yet joyful, peaceful, and love-until-you-cry good.
What are the desires of your heart? What kind of mom do you want to be? It’s your question to answer. I am not giving you specifics, because we are all so different. Our lives are unique. Our desires are different. But God sees, He knows, and He wants to help you. You are never alone. Reach out to Him and He will give you ideas, show you ways to improve, ways to have the life that He intended for you. As Phillipians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” You can do this! You can find answers, find balance, and live a life that is peaceful, fulfilling, healthy, and brings you great joy.
- Georgeanna Johnson
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