Soulmates and Soul Ties Sometimes there is a confusion between what a soul mate is and a person you may have soul ties with. Soul ties are demonic strongholds that often time present themselves in… More
Waiting On Your Mate With God | Devotional 3
Self Preservation and Boundaries
It is a misconceptions that single people are greatly selfish and live only for themselves. While this can be true for some people for some that is not true. When I look back at the time of my life before I met my husband, I realized much of my life was filled with others. I worked, spent time with nieces and nephews and went out dancing with my friends almost every weekend. There were the occasional full weekend to myself but really most of my month I was spending time with someone. I began to realize quickly I needed to set some boundaries with the people I loved. I was healing from a past abusive relationship and I knew if I kept myself busy all the time I would not heal from that trauma. So I began to set aside my Sundays for myself and some Saturdays I resisted calling friends. To be alone and isolated is not wrong or weird. When the Lord puts you in this season He is doing something in your seclusion. Yield to this season and watch the fruits of it show up in the next.
Even the Lord knew how important it was to prioritize alone time with His Father.
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16
Are you afraid to be alone?
How can your isolation bring you healing with God?
What are the things that bring you Joy that is just for you?
What day or days can you pick to just give time to yourself?
It is important we practice self preservation so that we do not loose ourselves in the world around us and we can heal from past mistakes. This becomes extremely important when we become wives and later mothers. Learning this importance now will give you the tools to face life’s future hustle and bustle without loosing your true self. Many people say that once you become married you loose yourself but maybe they never learned this important truth before. Life will happen married or not and it’s important we have boundaries. The worries of this world will try to drag you down into pits of despair and you will never reach true empowerment and freedom. But if you just give yourself time with God, you will regain rest for your soul and keep it.
What would your life look like if you had constant peace?
Prayer
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4:7
Pray that you will have opportunities that will give you more of your time back. Petition the Lord to heal you of your fears of loneliness. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how to use your alone time fruitfully. Pray for understanding of how to implement boundaries respectfully with your loved ones. Ask the Lord to help you be strong when you are enforcing these boundaries as well. Thank the Lord for His promise of perfect peace. In Christ Jesus name. Amen.
Christ mindset
It’s okay for me to be alone. Boundaries are good for me and for my loved ones. My alone time will be fruitful and bring in perfect peace. The Lord hears my prayers and wants what is best for me.
Waiting On Your Mate With God| Devotional 2
Forgiveness and Letting Go
Sometimes our past haunts us to the point of crippling us. Men of in our past will periodically pop back up in our minds. This often happens when we are the most vulnerable. We cannot erase our past. But in order to go beyond it we must let go of the relationships that went no where and ended. Our first loves, our first kiss and the first time our heart quickened for someone else only to be rejected. The pain or the joy of those moments are like vapor in the wind. There yesterday but gone today. Some of those experiences mattered, some of them not so much. But remember daughter you are not the same as you were then. At least, you shouldn’t be. In order to prepare ourselves for our future we must slow burn our past and say goodbye.
What relationship memories are you hanging onto you need to let go?
How did God heal you from those past experiences?
If He hasn’t healed you, pray for healing. If He has praise Him when the past comes to haunt.
What did you learn from those relationships and how did they affect who you are now?
Reach out and forgive who you need you forgive. or let go of those you can’t contact, give them to God.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15
A healed heart has more room to be filled with Joy and love in the future.
Are you afraid to confront your past? If so why is that and what steps can you take to move past it?
Contrary to popular belief, forgiveness begins with repentance. Think of how in order to be forgiven from God, we must first acknowledge we are sinners then ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t something that can be given without the first part happening. Often times people say they have forgiven someone yet they have never actually talked to the person in order to do this. That is why confrontation is so important. The generations of today are afraid to confront people as if it’s a terrible thing. But in reality if we miss the opportunity to talk to the ones who hurt us or whom we have hurt, we are missing a great opportunity of true forgiveness. When it comes to romantic relationships it does not mean we are agreeing with everything that was done to us or we are interested in being in a relationship again. All this does is give you and opportunity to say your peace (not in frustration or anger) and also apologize if you have done anything wrong. This opens up the door on the other persons end to do the same and then comes forgiveness. However if you were in a previous abusive relationship confrontation shouldn’t be considered. Then how do you find peace? Letting them go is an act of surrendering them to the Lord. Do what you can only do by letting go of feelings of bitterness, hurt, anger and shame. Letting these feelings go does not mean the person is absolved from all wrong doing, but allows your heart to truly heal. Doing this ensures that resentment and bitterness will never take root in you creating a mess of problems with your future life.
Will you let God restore you His way?
Prayer
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Pray for wisdom in how you should confront your past and obey the Lord when He gives you the answer. Pray and ask God to show you the parts of yourself that need to be revealed that is harboring the sins of unforgiveness and bitterness. Ask the Lord to heal your broken heart and restore your spirit. Ask Him to fill you again with light, joy and peace. Pray that He will help you keep your thoughts and attentions on your relationship with Him and let go of the past. In Jesus Christ name Amen.
Christ Mindset
I can confront my past because it no longer has power over me. Rather anyone forgives me or not God sees my heart and will give me peace. I can let the past go. The past has no hold on me.
How My Faith Defined My Womanhood
If you ever met me you would know right away that my faith is my life line. I struggled with my identity my entire young life and the only thing that remained the same was my faith. But I wanted to know deeply who I really was and also who I was as a woman. As a young girl I grew up not fully understanding how to really become a woman. Was it sexuality? Was it woman nature within me? What really made me a woman? I became a mother before I even knew the answer to that question. Prayer took the lead in my discovery and the Word brought me little understanding. It was then in my spirit I knew I would have to walk this out organically.
What Makes A Woman?
It’s not so much physiology. I couldn’t look at myself and just see what woman I was. No, I discovered it’s spirituality that really made me the woman I am and then wanted to become. In the depths of my soul what would I find there? Well, some terrifying things as I dug through the surface, but as I began to dig deeper, I found the most delicious treasures. Things hidden in me I never knew existed. There was power, strength, love, weakness and beautiful brokenness that turned out to be the most beautiful parts of the woman in me. I will most likely spend the rest of my life putting those pieces together but it is an Odyssey I am greatly enjoying the fruits of. The journey is transforming the heart of me with every breath, every year that leaves me and wisdom is growing like deep roots of a tree.
Bering a woman means being all that God created us to be. Embracing all of feminimty that’s unique and loving the body we are walking in. Allowing the Spirit to bring us to life and cultvating the very essence of our gifts in Christ. Letting our light shine and not allowing the enemy to use our gifts for our destruction. Being our best advocates instead of our own worst enemy. Lifting other women up in sisterhood but also not being afraid to speak the truth which sets them free. Leading with our men with swords in hand and when the battle comes, suit up in our armor of faith and deafeat the enemy and win the war together, This is womanhood spiritually. And every year I’m learning more and more.
Without my faith I would have never discovered all the gifts in me and all the lack. I discovered the path to something fierce. Behind me He was there cheering me on and loving me.
Don’t stop at the outward, not even the surface once you truly begin your discovery. Dig deep and find the core of the trueness of woman inside of you.
Johnnatta Giles
Waiting On Your Mate With God | Devotional 1
When I was young I came to a realization that I had wasted much of my teen years chasing after guys and healing from heart break after heart break. So when I see that more and more younger women are choosing to wait on their mates it fills me with great joy! But I know how exhausting it is just trying to navigate life when your just starting to live it and putting relationship drama on top of that makes it even harder. But also for our seasoned women, I know the heart ache of wondering if you will ever find your soulmate, the loneliness and the pain of regret. Many women are full of dread and wonder if they will ever meet the one that God has for them. Lord willing, you will in His perfect timing! So how do we prepare for this future in a spiritual way? Maybe this devotional will help you find those answers, bring you healing and joy as you wait on your mate with God. This devotional will post every Tuesday once a week at 8:00 am for the next 6 weeks. Take a moment to read the word, reflect and center yourself and your relationship with the Lord as you read this devotional weekly. The hope is to begin your week with the devotional and take time to reflect, pray and journal your answers as the week progresses. May it truly bless you no matter where you are in your journey! Today is week one!
Timing and Foundations
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12
To be wise is to be wealthy! The main thing I prayed as young girl was God give me wisdom! These waiting days are for breaking down walls, healing bruises and gaining new perspective. All of which leads to gaining wisdom. Don’t waste it. When we give ourselves permission to slow down and breathe something begins to shift in us. In these moments of stillness, reflect on your life and where it’s headed in the next week, two months and even a year.
How does it make you feel to think about your goals in life?
How would a mate fit into those goals?
Do your goals need to change?
Are you happy where you are?
God’s timing is perfect. Never too late and never too early. But it can be lonely in the waiting period. The unknown is a scary place to dwell but the Lord’s strong hand is upon you. Hold fast!
Can you trust God to lead you to your mate and your mate to you? If not what’s getting in your way of doing so?
The Lord is patient with us and long suffering even when we turn from Him in the moments we should draw closer to Him. Take it from me. The moment I told the Lord I give up on that part of my life was when it opened up the opportunity for what He had for me to move towards me. That surrender was painful but so so sweet! It came faster than I expected but I was so relieved I decided to trust God! My husband is far beyond what I would have chosen for myself. God did His big one when He made Jimmy Giles for me! In your singleness do not doubt or fear because God knows exactly what you need. Speak life over yourself and your relationship with the Lord and trust in the one that sees you, knows you and loves you like no one else could. When the time comes for you and your mate to meet, he will receive a great prize in a shining beautiful wise woman. And your relationship will be starting on a rock solid foundation in Christ. But that foundation must start in you first.
Can you trust Him?
Prayer
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness” Lamentations 3:23-23
Pray for peace in this time of waiting and pray that the Lord may fill you up with wisdom and discernment. Ask the Lord to give you eyes that see so you are not misled by men that disguise themselves as “the one”. Give thanks to the Lord for His faithfulness and promises. Praise Him for being the creator, the author and deliverer of your life. Give Him thanks for your blessed days. In Jesus Christ name Amen.
Christ Mindset
God accepts me as I am and will help me be all that I was created to be. I am not alone. I have living waters flowing within me. Joy lives in me. Peace reigns in me because of Christ in me.
Next: Waiting on Your Mate With God Devotional 2
7 Ways I Crush The Family & Work Balance
My life is pretty busy these days and I have to be honest, I am working everyday to be better at balancing my family and work life. I am not always successful but there are weeks I have to give myself credit because I absolutely crush it! And I want to share with you 7 things that I have done to gain great accomplishments on those days
1. Preparing the night/ day before
This is probably my most simple step that I make that really puts me in line for success the next day. I’ve been having a lot of meetings and events to travel to lately, so I prepare at the least a day ahead or at the most two days ahead. For longer trips and full weeks I prepare a whole week ahead! Here’s my examples:
— Make sure the diaper bag has been cleaned out and restocked.
— Clean the car and put full water bottles and snacks in everyone’s backpack for car rides. For snacks I keep it simple and put a hand full or two of animal crackers in our reusable sandwich bags.
— Plan outfits and locate everyone’s shoes including mine!
Make sure all paperwork and my wallet is where it’s supposed to be.
2. Easy Hair Care
My hair can get completely out of control if I don’t keep on top of things. So the last thing I want to worry about is styling it everyday. My last pregnancy I actually decided to try washing my hair every two weeks and to my surprise I actually have less breakage and dryness. If I really need a quick clean, I refresh my hair by using dry shampoo and I keep it lightly oiled every two weeks. I twist my hair every night before bed and sometimes I leave those twists in and just style my hair with them still in. Hair clips, head bands and hair jewelry are fun ways to style your hair quickly.
3. Planning less school work
We homeschool all of our 5 kids (yes including the baby 👀😂). When I know things are about to get intense with our schedule, I make a plan to either focus on math and reading or we do much more relaxed homeschooling days. Either way our children are learning and this was actually something I had to warm up to. I had the biggest fear that I was letting my children down but every year I saw that those moments never hurt the outcome of their education. They were still learning and succeeding in every area of their studies.
If you have kids that attend public school, make it a point to get any homework done quickly well before the time they need to turn it back in so you’re all set for the rest of the week.
4. Self Care is Self Love
In order for me to be my best for my family and have the energy to put into my businesses, I have to take time to take care of myself and reset even among a busy week or day. One of my favorite ways to do that right now is curl up on the couch after a long day and eat a bowl of chips! I have no idea why I’m so in love with chips these days but they are my jam and make me happy! If there are no chips to be found I love soaking in a hot bath filled with oils. Not only is this relaxing but I love the way it makes me. Beautiful, lovely and powerful.
5. Staying Connected
This year we made a pact to learn baseball. So every week we get our gloves and gear then head out to the yard and practice. Even when we went to Nashville for a business trip, while I was gone their dad practiced baseball with them. We just brought the gloves along with us. As parents it was on our hearts to teach the kids to swim so we made sure this year our vacations were created around the ability to have access to a pool or a lake. No matter what I make sure I am connecting with my family even when I’m working.
6. Staying on top of the boring tasks
I don’t have an assistant so I am a one woman show on most things. I’m thankful that God gave me a love for order. Because often small things mounting gives me great anxiety and therefore I try to do small things to keep them from ever reaching the point of chaos. I make a list so I can go over the small things to at least do something to achieve that. For example this would be my list:
— Clean out Inbox
— Make necessary folders for emails
— Review product info and prices
— Organize my desk (this is the hardest by far for me!)
— Clean out old videos and unused product photos
All of things are not necessarily fun but I know I’m crushing it when I can comb through things and keep the boring stuff from over flowing. If I don’t get too much done in that week I am glad I at least got a few small things dealt with. There’s nothing worse than having a full mailbox to deal. Nothing worse than having to deal with low storage or tons of pictures taking up space on your computer slowing it down when your trying to get something important done.
7. Keep Faith the center of it all
My family and I are serious about our relationship with the Lord. Every Sunday we take time to read the Bible, pray and discuss our thoughts on everything under the sun through a faith perspective. Keeping God the center of our lives keeps peace, joy and healing in our home. Without Him I would never have the wisdom to stand in all that I am trekking in during this season of my life. Without Him I would climb mountains and jump for the stars leaving my family behind as I pursue accomplishments without eternal success. God is always there when I feel like I’m falling too soon and too often. He’s always there to help me breathe and wait patiently for the things that are out of my hands and He keeps my eyes focused on what matters the most no matter how my week has gone. I know because of whose I am, I am loved seen heard and known.
Don’t ever forget to pat yourself on the back when you do have days where you have truly won a battle in life. And if you feel like you’ve been loosing too much lately, take my advice and try some of the things above to score some wins. But always remember that not everyday is meant to be the same as another. Even in the days you feel lack there may be a reason for that. Maybe it’s calling you to just rest so you have the strength on the days ahead that you’ll need that power to overcome and conquer!
Easy Breastfeeding Advice: Skip These Foods! Your Welcome!
Need a quick list of foods to avoid during breastfeeding? We got you!
These foods can be irritating to the baby and you. Some of these foods may not bother you and therefore disregard. But If you’re exipirencing sleep disruption, try elemenating caffeine. Alcohol in general should be avoided as there is not yet any scientific evidence that any amount of alcohol is safe for breastfeeding. Pin, screenshot and save for later!
Dairy
(yogurt,milk,cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream)
Caffeinated drinks or foods
(coffee, energy drinks, supplements with caffeine in them, dark chocolate)
Egg yolks
Alcohol
Onions
You prayed, But He Didn’t Answer
This is probably one of the biggest concerns I say many Christians have with their walk with the Lord. I see and hear questions like “What if He doesn’t answer me?” ‘Why do I pray but don’t receive what I pray for?” ,”Will He even hear me?” and even “Why don’t my prayers work?.” First I want to say, God hears everything we say and He sees everything we do, so you don’t ever have to guess if He hears you. The Word is full of stories of people crying out to God and Him answering them. There are also stories of people who say things against God in their heart and He punishes them. Even still, there are stories of how the Lord waits long periods to fulfill promises and answer prayers but yet He still does it. I was watching a video last night talking about this a little. How in the waiting season we think God is doing nothing when all the while He is preparing us and refining us to be able to do the very thing we are asking for. When you think He is silent, He is working. For the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16) therefore we know it will not go unnoticed by Him. The problem is how many of us are praying unrighteously or living a life of disobedience yet we are expecting something from a Holy God.
I could sit here and only give you the happy stuff which is the promises, the goodness of who God is and tell you how faithful He is to those who trust in Him. But today I also want to ask you hard questions maybe you haven’t asked enough of yourself. On your end are you doing what God has told you to do? Are you still committing acts of sin? Have you been giving into temptations that have taken you off the course that God has set you on? Take a moment to take your eyes off the question of why you haven’t received what you asked for. Because let it be known, God will never ignore His children and He will answer in His perfect timing. But sometimes we are keeping ourselves from receiving what we are asking for by trying to make our prayers become a reality (manifesting) or jumping back into things we shouldn’t be in instead of being faithful in the waiting. I often think about Sarah and Abraham and how God gave them a promise and then they intervened by taking it into their own hands. Both Sarah and Abraham committed an act of sin because they lacked the patience and faith in their God. I wonder sometimes, would it have taken as long as it did for Isaac to come? Would Sara have been that old when he was born? Sara was barren, having Isaac in general would have been enough of a miracle within itself! Sometimes our answers are far off and need to be for a reason and sometimes well, it’s our fault it’s taken so long.
So what can we do to make sure it’s not the latter? First step to is to walk away from the sin that is binding you and cast down every temptation. Take back authority in your life, submit your flesh unto the Holy Spirit and then comes the waiting. In the waiting we must be faithful to the Lord in all that He has placed in our hands. What I mean by that is, whatever you are holding right now that is yours focus on that. If you have prayed for a new job, do the best of your abilities in the one you already have for God’s glory. If you don’t have a job and want one take care of your home, children and yourself and focus on your relationship with the Lord until your opportunity arrives. If your praying for healing of a sickness or disease, rest and have faith God heard you and is working on the solution to bring you full healing. Praise God everyday for the prayers already answered, for His provisions and protection, for His undying love and favor over your life.
Lastly, your faith alone will determine what you receive and don’t receive. The Lord has already told you, He withholds no good thing from those who love him (Psalm 84:11) and Jesus said simply just ask (John 14: 14) so all that is left to do is believe (Mark 5:36). Do you believe that what you are asking for God will give to you? Do you trust Him to deliver those very things you ask for in His timing? And do you believe His timing is perfect and never too late? Only believe and what you ask for you shall receive.
For The King!
Johnnatta
The Power Of Fathers
Everything changed when your little baby was born and I bet your mind is racing with questions and wonder all at once! What do I need to do to protect them? Will this change things between their mom and I? How do I as a dad bond with my baby?
Dad’s matter!
We’re here to answer in part the last question. Over the generations society has failed in educating and advocating for father’s when it comes to bonding with their babies. All too often they are treated as the extra person in the room. But you’re not! You are just as important as mom is! Father bonding can look similar to how mom bonds but when dad’s do it he adds his own uniqueness to it. That is because men are greatly different from women, physically mentally and in personality. Here are some suggestions that you may have heard of but with a twist toward how dads may do it. And feel free to add more onto the list!
Skin to skin with dad
Skin to skin refers to when you place a baby up against your bare chest allowing your skin and baby’s skin to touch underneath a blanket. It isn’t just a great way for Mom to bond with baby and enhances both her health and babies health and recovery but it’s great for men too!
According to this study Effects of Father-Neonate Skin-t o-Skin Contact on Attachment: A Randomized Controlled Trial men and babies benefit from this special time, increasing you and your baby’s attachment relationship. Try skin to skin when Mom needs a rest postnatal or right before bedtime! Tell your little one about your glory days, you’re favorite football team or the day you met mommy. If you’re not quite sure what to say yet just know at newborn stage you’re presence is enough. Just resting in the silence with your baby gives them all they need.
Burping after breastfeeding
If your baby is bottle fed, feeding your baby is one way to join in on bonding time. But when mom breastfeeds for obvious reasons you can’t quite help with that. But when Mom is done breastfeeding you can take the baby to help them burp after each feeding of both breasts. Mom feeds on one side, you burp baby, then mom feeds on another side, then you burp baby. Burping is always seen on television as the calm before the storm of vomit. But take it from the baby’s perspective how comforting and relaxing a nice massage is! And your strong but gentle hands are much different from moms. This aides in helping baby identify you uniquely. Don’t underestimate how smart they are, the more you have physical touch with them the more they’ll attach to you and know your their daddy!
Morning Praise
Far too often we forget how powerful praise and affirmations are. Especially as parents. Taking a moment to send up praises, thanksgiving and worship to God every morning brings in a sunshine for the day even cloudy days couldn’t hinder! From the moment I knew I was carrying my little ones I praised God every morning. When they were born I sang a little hymn as I got them dressed for their day or began breakfast. Your baby will treasure their daddy’s praises and foster a sense of humbleness and thankfulness as they grow up. Even if it’s just a few words of thanksgiving, it’s bound to bring memories for years to come!
Diaper Idol
When it comes to men they have a great ability at making the most random things fun. Even changing diapers! Some babies absolutely hate getting changed but when dad turns into his own rock show who can resist? Or even a play by play of a basketball game. It’s bound to be the funniest clean up ever! Hearing your voice and your own personality helps baby to feel bonded with you specifically. And the caregiver aspect of diaper changing lets them know you are there to fulfill their needs just as much as mom is. That double sense of security is everything for an infant!
Nap master
Babies take a ton of naps and so there is plenty of chances for you to hold baby and help them drift off to sleep. Dads can either implement skin to skin and rocking the baby to sleep, singing a lullaby or reading the baby a book. Though it may seem silly that a baby would care about all of this remember, your baby is bonding to your voice and presence, not the story of a book.
Pushing the stroller
Moms enjoy being hands on with their babies but sometimes they need a moment to just be in their own autonomy. Whenever you go out put baby in the stroller and push the stroller. When it’s time to head back into the car give your girl a kiss, open the door for her to get in, then put that sweetheart of yours back in the car seat as well. It’s not embarrassing to be a father in public. It’s a great honor and only you can do it!
Tummy time play
Tummy time is a very important aspect of infant development. Tummy time not only helps strengthen babies back and neck muscles but also ensures that they do not get what is called “flat head”. You can either do tummy time on your chest of flat on the floor. Infants do not always enjoy this exercise but with your dad skills you can make it more enjoyable. Root on your little one and make a game of it! Put baby down on their tummy for about 5 seconds pick them up and tickle, giggle or give them a swosh right back down on their tummy again. Do this for about a minute and then allow your baby to do tummy time on their own for the remainder of the time. We never did tummy time for ten minutes. We just did 5 minutes on the chest at one point in the day and about a handful of minutes on the floor. At the end of the day the goal is just to make sure baby isn’t on their backs for too long. And adding a fun element will help baby not feel so stressed out.
Dinner champion
This is an obvious one but taking up the first night feeding is a great way to bond with baby. It’s soothing and relaxing to a baby to have a night routine and it’s a beautiful thing that the baby will eventually associate their daddy to their nighttime feedings when you do them every night. How awesome is it to give your baby that security knowing it came right from their papa!
Bedtime Prayer
One of my favorite ways my husband has bonded with his children is bedtime prayers. There is something beautiful and unique about a father praying with his baby. You can actually start this when baby is in the womb before they are born. And once baby is here keep up the tradition in leading in prayer with you, mom and baby. Once your baby begins to sleep in their own bed continue to say a prayer before you lay them down. As your little ones grows they will join in on that prayer with dad. It’s a special precious time that is yours alone together with God!
Car rides with Daddy
Many people have found memories of when their dad took them on car rides growing up. Don’t think your baby doesn’t notice when it’s just you two alone. They definitely do! Having that alone time out and about doing things together is a perfect way to bond with each other. Remember this isn’t just about baby bonding to you but you bonding with your baby. The more you interact (especially alone) with your baby the more attached you feel as a father. And if your baby is breastfed, contrary to what you may think baby doesn’t have to stay with mom always. You’ve got two hours before the little one needs to be fed again if they are exclusively breastfed and a quick trip is perfect for bonding time out of the house. Pick one thing to do that’s takes less than an hour including driving time. Grocery shopping, heading to the bank or a trip to the post office offers short ways to spend some time with your baby. Of course if they are bottle fed or mom pumps all need is formula and enough breast milk to feed your little one and you could take baby off mom’s hands for even longer. But don’t leave for too long Mom needs bonding time too!
As you do activities with your baby, communicate with your baby and care for your baby the more you build memories and attachment you both need in this new walk of life that is fatherhood. We hope these ideas are a good jump start to creating a long lasting bond with your baby that is unique and yours alone!
Thank YOU To Helpful Dads!
“What is wrong with me?” I cry out. My husband asks am I okay. I tell him that every night I’ve been feeling sick.. He says, “Go sit down and let me take care of this” . As he continues to prep and cook dinner, I without one second of protest walk into my room and tipped toed fall onto my bed. As I lay I can feel the pain and nausea melt away minute by minute. I’m exhausted. I’ve done too much on too little sleep. As I lay back I’m thanking God for the help my husband gives me. Without his willingness to help me whenever I need it, I don’t know how I could get through my days.
To my brothers, fathers. husbands and all that you are to the women in your life,
Rather she says it or not she needs you. A little help goes such a long way for us. Some of us (me included) enjoy being a mom and doing all the things that come with it. Sometimes that joy can blind us to our own exhaustion or even pain. We need to be seen too sometimes. We need for someone to see our needs before we know we need help like we do for everyone else every day. I’m not saying read her mind or she shouldn’t ever have to vocalize her needs, but be proactive sometimes. We need someone to step in and just stand beside us so we can have help too. And guys, please if you can do it within 15 minutes of us asking that would be great! Even if it’s to dry the dishes or prep the food. We need you. Can you bathe a baby while mom cooks? Or help your son fold clothes properly so mom doesn’t have to fix it later because… he’s learning. She would love to finish a chapter in her book instead of going back over the laundry later to make sure it fits properly.
To you it may just look like a stack of cotton towels, but to her, it’s her home. A home in which she has worked years to create and she is proud of every bit of it. As man and women we have different perspectives on life. That’s what makes us work so well together when we humble ourselves and be each other’s help mate’s. Thank you to all the men that do this already, keep it up dude! This life can throw the worst curveballs and she will always need you! But for those of you that don’t quite know what to do, from a mother and wife I hope this little letter helps you see her a bit differently.
Your help changes everything in a day.! This life is so short to live it stuck in traditions of old. The past holds many treasure but also contains harmful cultures we shouldn’t be so quick to return to. This generation is changing things for the better! Let’s keep that going because a family that works together is so much stronger than ones that work among each other but separate. We as the new generation of parents can do it better and reap the rewards of a home with partners. And how much more will our children benefit from seeing both mom and dad working together for the common good of their lives? The rewards are powerful and endless! Thank you to all the dads that truly gets this!
Let Us Be Determined
I grew up in a small town in Cincinnati Ohio. There wasn’t much there but friends, families and community. In elementary I wanted so badly to beat the school record for climbing rope. While everyone dreaded it every year, I was excited to try it again. One year our teacher (mostly likely wanting to inspire us to have fun) told us that the record had been held years before we were even born. This peeked our interest. All of a sudden I was determined to break that record! The third try I studied the way every person climbed and especially those who made it. I took note the shoes they wore and the way their hands gripped the rope. But when it came time for me I failed only reaching halfway. I was frustrated. My secret goal was hidden from my class because now this was something personal. The next year I was determined to beat that record. I showed up with the right shoes and the mental notes in my head. As soon as I heard the word “GO” every grip was intentional and I made sure to maintain my speed. At the top I pushed myself harder than I had ever done. At the least I would reach the top of this thing! My class was cheering as I did. I finally reached the top! But I forgot to to watch how everyone slid down and I ended up burning my hands. Thank goodness I had jeans on! As soon as my feet hit the floor my gym teacher called out that I had beaten the old record that had stood there since before I arrived at that school! I was shocked and so proud! It was the first time in my life that I realized that I had the power to do what I set my mind to do. I may not always win but my greatest victory was seeing that my hard work produced character and belief in myself.
But in Christ I ALWAYS win.
Brothers and sisters when we see people being bold in ungodliness and determined no matter the backlash to continue to attack and disrupt what is good, why don’t we fight back? Why are we not as determined as they are when we have the wings of thousands upon thousands of angels behind us pushing us forward to do amazing things to combat the darkness? We have the gifts to give children something better than what is in front of them. We have the strength to go the distance because our faith doesn’t rest alone in ourselves but a mighty King that has already over come it all! Rise up I say and be determined to do something instead of shaking your head in disgust. Rise up and allow God to change you so He can use you and watch lives get changed. You can believe in yourself because He is there in you!
God is calling His people out. Come forth and share your gifts! Be apart of the life giving saving grace that is in Christ. Share with the world the light of God through who He made you to be. Be determined to shine and do not fail in doing so! No darkness can overcome the light. Because he has overcome the world you too are an overcomer!
Be bold lions and lionesses of God and go forth in His love. It’s not over yet and He’s not done. Not with the world and not with you!
Shalom
Johnnatta
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