Tag: Bible Study

Friday Favorites {4.16.20}

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Happy FRIDAY!!! Oh my goodness, we’ve had a busy week. And our weekend is just as crazy with four soccer games. We are almost at the end of the season and I am so excited to finally have a short break. Summer can not get here fast enough!

I’m linking up, as I do every Friday, with Erika and Andrea for our Friday Favorites. I didn’t take many pics this week as it was so busy. But here are a couple of my faves for the week!

Grab your coffee and let’s do this!

Oh my goodness! I’ve got to share the last two books that I read. They are so so good. Both of them are psychological thrillers and are probably two of my favorites that I’ve read so far.

The first one is The Perfect Marriage. Y’all! I could not put this book down. Especially towards the end! It’s about a very successful defense attorney and her husband. He finds himself accused of murder. He’s on trial and she chooses to be his attorney. There are so many details, but I don’t want to spoil a single one.

The next one is The Silent Patient. I devoured this one. It is about an artist who is accused of murdering her husband. She is a painter and when police come to the scene of the murder, they find her with a painting, slashed wrists and mute. After going to trial, they send her to a psychiatric ward.

A psychotherapist is very intrigued withher story and applies for a job to hopefully become her therapist. He gets the job and starts his journey to get her to speak. No one knows what really happened on the night her husband was killed except for her. It’s so good, y’all!!

On Tuesday, we went out to dinner to celebrate one of my very best friend’s birthday. We tried a new place called, Chucks Fish in Athens. Y’all! It was so delicious!! If you are a sushi fan, I am not, but it if you are you should really check them out! For those of us that don’t love sushi, they have a lot of other options. I ate the special with was a blackened mahi-mahi and it was delish!

I bought my friend the prettiest necklace. I loved it so much, I bought myself one too! Do you ever do that when shopping for a birthday gift?! No? Just me? Ok. Ha!

I bought it at our local boutique, Polished Chic. They have the cutest things. I also bought this dress that is now a fave!

I love that I can wear it with sneakers!

I am back to running again this month! Last month, I walked five miles about 5-6 days each week. It was wonderful. But this month, I’m adding in more runs.

I’m going through this mini mid-life crisis, I think. I’m reflecting on so much and re-prioritizing some things in my life. I’m coming to terms with so much and realizing how to be a happier and healthier version of me. I know this sounds vague, but I promise I will share more soon!

This watch band is probably my favorite one I’ve ever bought! It’s from Amazon. I love that it’s clear and it’s protective of my screen!

I was in Mary’s room to make her bed and noticed some sticky notes over her nightstand. I got closer to read them and they were bible verses and affirmations. It made my momma heart so happy!!

We got to spend a little one on one time with her and Jojo yesterday. We ate lunch and just talked to them about their goals for the future. It was a sweet time. They are growing up so fast and I just want to make sure that I enjoy every minute!

Last, but not least! As you guys know, I am a Real Estate Agent. I have always done more of the behind the schemes, operational, marketing stuff. But this year, I am trying to force myself out there and take on a couple of clients. I am really loving it, but it’s definitely out of my comfort zone.

Every week, I’m going to try and share one Real Estate related favorite.

This week, our new listing takes the prize! Its a beautiful 50 acre farm in Watkinsville. The pictures do not do it justice! You can click here, to view the listing.

If you are looking to buy and/or sell, I would really love to help you! Our team is pretty amazing. We strive to make your home buying process as smooth as possible!

And that’s it for the week! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!

XO

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you so much for supporting my blog!

Throwback Thursday {4.9.20}: Pray First

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Morning, friends!! Today’s Throwback Thursday is one that I needed to go back and read today. It’s all about Praying instead of worrying. I am a worrier for sure, but over the last year God has taught me to turn my worries into prayers. He’s in control of every situation in my life and I just trust that His ways are the best ways.

I hope this short devotional encourages and challenges you today!

Pray First

Mark Batterson says that the way to praying without ceasing is to turn everything into a prayer. From the big problems in our lives to our hopes and dreams. But also in the mundane and in the simple things. As we bring everything to Him in prayer it becomes a way of life and our life becomes a continuous prayer.

He says that there’s good news to being a worrier by nature because in the Bible, Paul tells us to not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  When a worry enters your mind, take it to God in prayer.  When you start to feel anxious, take it to Him in prayer.

We can pray for our children as we fold their laundry and we can pray with them as we tuck them in at night.  We can pray as we walk or run our neighborhood.  As we go by each house, pray for the people who live in that house.  We can pray in the car on our way to work or to run errands.  We can pray anywhere!

This is what God wants.  He wants to have a constant connection with us.  He wants us to turn to prayer and choose to take everything to Him first.  What would happen if as soon as we wake up, the first thing we did was pray instead of pick up our phones?  This really convicted me.  I am so quick to turn my alarm off and then my fingers naturally go to social media.  What would happen if we prayed instead?

Mark Batterson shares in Draw the circle that,

“The reason most people don’t feel intimacy with God, is that they don’t have a daily prayer rhythm. They may have a weekly rhythm of going to church, which is wonderful, but doing so in and of itself won’t produce intimacy with God. Can you imagine talking with your spouse or child once a week? God wants a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute relationship with you.”

Today let’s focus on praying first. In everything, let’s pray and take it to Him first.

Have a great Thursday!

XO

Let’s Look:Inside our Fridge & Pantry!

Published on by Maggie Eterno2 Comments

Morning, friends!!! Goodness, we came home from Spring Break and hit the ground running. So much going on this week that I’m just taking it an hour at a time. It’s been a bit overwhelming, but I try not to think about what’s ahead too much and just focus on the present and the task at hand. Do you ever have weeks like that? So much to do that you can only take it a day at a time?

We will get there, friends! The weekend is upon us and although it is equally as busy for us, I’m looking forward to it.

I didn’t blog yesterday…. honestly I was struggling a bit getting back into the swing of things. It always takes me a bit to adjust after a week off.

Today is the Let’s Look! Every month, I link up with Erika and Shay to “look” at a certain aspect of our lives.

In January, we looked at our coffee bar areas. 

In February, we looked at our love languages.

In March, we looked at our perfect night in.

I’m not going to lie, this month’s topic isn’t my favorite. Currently, I’m on the struggle bus with this aspect of my life, but here we go.

My fridge… nothing glamorous at all. I thought about making it all pretty and tidy for y’all, but nope…I’m just keeping it real.

Nothing special at all! We always make sure that we are stocked up on eggs, yogurt, fruits and veggies. Jojo loves the Core Power protein shakes by Fairlife so I make sure I have plenty for him. And of course lunchables and fruit cups for lunch!

And then the freezer…. I don’t typically freeze my meat. I buy it fresh and cook it within a couple of days. If, for some reason, we don’t use it then I freeze it. But two staples in my freezer are frozen pancakes and a Dijourno, ha! The kiddos love the pancakes for a quick breakfast and the pizza is an easy dinner when we are super busy!

And then there’s my pantry. So quick story. I have an organization system. Nothing complicated as I have learned with kids to not over complicate being organized. But, there’s a method to the madness that is the pantry. A couple of weeks ago, Mackenzie decided to “help” me clean the pantry and she moved everything around!! EVERYTHING!!! I had to bite my tongue and say thank you because the girl spent an hour cleaning and organizing. So nothing is in its place at the moment and I don’t have the time to put it back the way it was.

But you know, it’s like when your kiddo makes their bed and it’s not exactly the way you like it. You don’t go behind them and “fix” it. You tell them good job because that was their best work. So for now, we will keep it the way it is until I have some time to organize it back the way it was. We added the counters back in December and I love them! I haven’t had the time to really organize all of the drawers and cabinets. It’s a summer project! Do you have certain projects that you put off until summer? Or is that just me?

And that massive crate does not stay there normally. Poor Georgia was spayed this week so we needed a big crate for her since she has the cone of shame….

Bless her…

So anyways! Nothing to exciting here today, folks! I hope y’all are having an amazing day!! I have so much that I want to share with you, but I’m trying to organize it all in my brain. I will get it together, I promise!

If you are a blogger and want to join us next month, here’s the schedule of topics.

Have a great Wednesday!

XO

Friday Favorites {4.2.21}

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Happy Friday, friends!!! I hope you had an awesome week! My kids are officially on Spring Break and I’m so excited to spend the week with them.

As of today, Joseph and I are going to do our best to truly be “on vacation” and really focus on our family. I’ll be on Instagram here and there, but as far as the blog, I’m going to pause it until Monday, April 12th while I hang with my crew.

But before I go, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites! Let’s do this!

We finally got to hold the newest member of our crew!! Y’all, Luka is the sweetest baby!

I always love sharing products with you that I love. I especially love finding affordable options and these two are currently some of my faves.

This setting spray is awesome! I spray it once I’m done applying my make-up and it sets it for the day. And this mascara is the bomb! I recommend using a lash primer first!

Last Friday I shared these leggings and told you how much I love them!

Well, I bought them in a different color and y’all! I love them, too! These were only $26!

Seriously, if you are looking for an affordable alternative for leggings I recommend you try these.

I’ve been eyeing these sandals for spring/summer. When I saw that they were on sale, I decided to finally click add to cart!

I LOVE them!

And last, but definitely not least….

Today is Good Friday and I couldn’t go without mentioning it. It’s the day that we remember the sacrifice that Jesus paid for us. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life.

He is the reason I can get through the good and the bad days. If you’ve never placed your trust in Him or if you have any questions, I would love to talk with you. Send me an email to: myeterno@gmail.con or a direct message on Instagram.

If you are looking for a Good Friday Service, we will be watching online, here. And if you need an Easter service to watch online, here’s a link.

I pray that this Easter weekend will be like no other. I pray that you will be able to feel the love that Jesus showed for us the day He took our place on the cross. I pray that if you are in the middle of a crazy season, that you will choose to trust in Him.

I hope you have an amazing day and week!! Happy Spring Break, friends! I’ll see you back here on April 12th!

XO

What’s Up Wednesday {3.31.21}

Published on by Maggie Eterno5 Comments

Hi, friends! On the last Wednesday of the month, I link up with Shay and Sheaffer for a fun link up. As Shay says, “It’s a little food, a little family, a little what we’re wearing, a little what we’re doing, a little what we’re watching and a little bit of everything else all in one post.”

It’s also the last day of the month! What?! I love this time of year. The beginning of spring, the end of the school year, summer! I can’t wait!

But back to What’s Up Wednesday! Are you ready? Grab your coffee and let’s do this.

1. WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK:

I have nothing fun to share here. Our lives have been so crazy this month and sadly, we’ve eaten out more than we like to do.

So what have we eaten? Chick-fil-A! Lol!

2. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

I’ve actually thought a lot about this time last year. I know there was so much uncertainty and anxiety around the world, but there was so much peace in our home.

We truly handed it over to God and He was so faithful. I miss our days at home with nothing on the calendar. We took walks everyday, we had movie night every single night and ate dinner together every evening.

Last Easter, we sat in our pajamas on the couch and watched the service online. And every night leading up to Easter we talked about what Jesus was doing that day. We watched Passion of the Christ on Good Friday and completely experienced a Holy Week in a whole different way.

It is true what the Bible says that what the enemy means for evil, God turns it for our good. Goodness comes from our adversity.

I am so thankful for 2020. It brought my little family closer. Today, we still have movie nights and my kids would rather spend time with us than be out and about with friends. We do more as a family and I have 2020 to thank for that.

3. WHAT I’M LOVING:

Joseph and I have been working together for a couple of years. But I’ve always handled the operations and marketing for our business. Lately, I’ve been getting myself out there and actually showing properties to clients. We’ve also tag teamed a lot lately and helped our clients together. It’s been really fun!

I’m excited to continue to venture more into the agent side of real estate. I do have the best trainer teaching me his ways so I’m a lucky gal!

If you’re local, I would love to help you! Send me a message and let’s connect!

4. WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

Oh man…these kids are running us ragged, ha!

Jojo is finishing up middle school golf and playing for a league. So we are busy every day with him.

Mackenzie is deep into the soccer season. Practices and games every week and weekend!

And she also started golf! So we have that once a week.

And our bear, well she’s had a lot more time on her hands. Her sport doesn’t start until late summer so she’s enjoying her time off!

She’s staying active by walking our dog, Georgia and yesterday she decided to go for a run after her walk! It made my runner heart so happy!

5. WHAT I’M DREADING:

Laundry. Need I say more? Ha! Laundry has been the thorn in my side for weeks. Ugh.

6. WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

I’m working on a couple of real estate projects and just trying to keep my head above water with chores at home. This season is so crazy for us and I’m just trying to stay positive.

I’m also working on a couple of fun blogging things! It’s still in the early process, so I’ll share more soon.

7. WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

SPRING BREAK!! Woohoo! Anyone else?!

8. WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

I started watching Ginny and Georgia and it’s so good! I’m so slow when it comes to watching series so I’ll get to the end eventually. But I am loving it so far! Have you watched it?

During quarantine, I joined a book club in my neighborhood. I read the most I’ve ever read during that time because hello, there was nothing else to do lol!

I’ve missed the last couple of meetings because kids sports and also, I haven’t been able to read the book of the month. It’s been so frustrating because I love reading.

I’ve been walking everyday and thought that I would give Audible a chance. And y’all, I love it! I “read” the book in under 48 hours! And it was a good one!

If you love a thriller, this one is good! I’m excited about finally making it to book club next month and actually reading the book.

9. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

Oh y’all! This song right here has been on repeat since Sunday!

Soooo good!!

10. WHAT I’M WEARING:

Well… let’s see. Lots of leggings and T-shirts lately. I have not gotten dressed like I normally do. I think because we’ve been so busy!

But speaking of leggings, these right here are amazing! If you are looking for a less expensive option then these are it. They have that buttery soft feeling and totally remind me of the lululemon align leggings.

I have them in black and just ordered these! I love the blue color.

I am also wearing these denim shorts from Target on repeat. And this sweater! I have it in two colors.

I also splurged on these beauties!

They will definitely be a staple in my wardrobe this spring and summer. And they are on sale!

11. WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

We are headed to our favorite place, HHI!!

12. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

We are headed to HHI so definitely looking forward to some family time. It’s been much needed. I’m just praying that the weather forecast stay the way it looks right now. I’m also looking forward to the end of April, ha! It means that May is almost here and that means the end of the school year and start of summer!

13. WHAT ELSE IS NEW:

Nothing else, really! I’ve covered it all!

I hope you all have an amazing day!! Thank you for reading!

XO

Friday Favorites {3.26.21}

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Happy Friday, friends!! I hope y’all had an awesome week. These weeks just seem to come and go so fast lately.

I have a fun Friday line up for you today. Let’s get started!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika.

First things first, how cute is my precious new nephew?!!

I can not wait to finally hold him!

While my sister was in the hospital, I spent some one on one time with my sweet niece.

We went for a walk…

watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse…

tried to put our head through the soccer goal…

and watched the tree guys take down some trees.

We had a GREAT day!!

I also have to tell you that these denim shorts are by far my favorite shorts right now. They are American Thread by Target. They fit true to size with a little stretch for comfort.

So not only am I loving these denim shorts, but I’m also loving the sweatshirt that I’m wearing in the pic above! I also have it in this color…

It’s the perfect sweatshirt to transition into spring.

If you know me, then you know I am a devout Lululemon fan. So when these leggings were being compared to their Align leggings, I had to see for myself.

Y’all! I love them! They have the buttery soft feeling and for true to size. I did read in the reviews that if you wanted a little more compression to size down. I stuck to my normal size and have been very pleased. I’ve already bought them in another color!

Wednesday evening, Mackenzie was asking about waking up early to do her quiet time. I told her that she could do it at night instead of waking up earlier. She already wakes up at 6 am.

Yesterday morning, around 5:45 am, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked back and it was my sweet bug coming over to join me and do her quiet time.

So many times as a parent, we wonder if they are listening to us. But yesterday reminded that they are watching us and sometimes our actions are louder than words.

When I shared this pic on my Instagram, y’all asked me what she was using for her quiet time.

We are currently using this book.

I’m going to try and find some different options for children/teen devotions. I’ll share them once I find them!

Oh! One last thing. If you didn’t checkout my blog yesterday, make sure you do! I shared a couple of my favorite Amazon dresses. You can read all about them, here.

That wraps up my week! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

XO

SHOP THIS POST

What Are You Picking Up?

Published on by Maggie Eterno1 Comment

Morning, friends!! Today I want to share a devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries by Arlene Pellicane.

I read it this morning and talk about conviction. It’ll only take a couple of minutes! You can read it, here.

I am so guilty of this and truly needed to read this today. I hope this challenges and encourages you today.

Have a GREAT Monday!!

XO

Throwback Thursday {10.12.20}

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Morning! Today’s Throwback Thursday is from last October. If you are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, I hope this encourages you today.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

This weekend I finished The Fight to Flourish by Jennie Lusko. I know I sound like a broken record, but I loved this book so much! As I finished it this weekend, this journal entry Jennie shared really spoke to me. And I think it will speak to you, too.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Jesus defeated the power of death. But on THIS day, death will die.

Today:

  • Have confidence in Christ.
  • Walk close to Jesus.
  • Don’t let anything be wasted.
  • Be a good wife.
  • Be a fun mom.
  • Take your role seriously, but not yourself.

Lord, have your way in me today. Open my eyes to see how you see.

This is my prayer for today and I encourage you to make it your prayer, too. Lord, help us be confident in you, walk close to you and make the most of every moment we have. Help us be the wives and moms you call us to be and to have fun while doing it! 

If you are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed today, stop and breathe. Girl, you are doing an amazing job! We are so hard on ourselves and we are our own worst critic. Today, see yourself as Jesus sees you. You are special, loved, His masterpiece, His daughter. You may not be strong, but He is. You may not feel like you are enough because you are not. No one is. But we serve a God who is more than enough!

Rest in Him, embrace your journey, love those around you and stay close to Jesus.

XO

Monday Musings: A Blessing For You

Published on by Maggie Eterno4 Comments

Good morning, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours was truly wonderful!

This morning I was catching up on my Bible reading. I wasn’t able to read my chapters this weekend, so I had a couple more than normal to read. If you’ve ever wanted to read through the Bible, I am loving The Bible Recap. I know I’ve shared about it before and I’m sure this time won’t be the last.

One of the things I’ve noticed so far is that God continuously reminds His children of what He’s done for them. In Deuteronomy 5, He reminded them of how He brought them out of Egypt, the land of slavery. And then in chapter 8, He reminds them of how He led them through the wilderness for 40 years.

This isn’t the first time He reminds them. We’ve seen it all throughout scripture how He constantly reminds us of who He is and what He’s done for us.

I’ve done a lot of remembering myself lately. Especially thinking back about this time last year and how uncertain everything was. Yesterday as I heard the song, The Blessing, I was reminded of how God truly took care of us.

This song is so special to me. This blessing, these words were spoken over me daily by my daddy. He prayed this over us and anyone he knew. Every prayer he prayed, he closed it out with this blessing.

When I first heard the song, it was a couple of days before the world shut down. Such perfect timing because it was my saving grace during those days to come. I remember running our neighborhood with this song blasting in my ears on repeat as I fought back the tears.

As I listened to the song yesterday, I thanked God for His blessing in my life. In the most uncertain of times, His presence went before me, beside me and all around me. He was for me not against me. And today, all of that remains the same.

Things were so crazy a year ago. No one knew how things would turn out. But God did.

I don’t know what your year was like, but I encourage you to think back and look for God in all of those moments. Remind yourself of his goodness. Don’t forget the way He brought you through.

I think that’s why He constantly wants us to remember what He’s done. We tend to forget, especially when we are going through hard times. As humans, we focus on the now and when the now is hard we can’t think of anything else. When we remember, our trust is strengthen because we know that if God did it then, He will do it again. He is our unchanging God. Always present and constant in our lives.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

He is for us. He is not against us. He goes before us. He protects us. He wants what is best for us.

So today, I invite you to receive this blessing. I love how Kari Jobe said, It’s the heart of the Father for His kids. This blessing is for you. For your children and their children.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

I love you, friends!

XO

Be a Good Friend Mags: Session Five

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Good morning ladies!

I normally try to kick off the week with a video post, but that is not going to happen.  Let me give you five words….Kids are out of school. Ha!  Everytime I tried to start the video there was a scream or a fight beginning between the kids and then I would hear a “MOMMMMMMM!!!!!!”  So I gave in and decided to write a post instead.  The screaming and “Moooommmmmms!” are still happening, but at least now you can’t hear them. Let’s just say all electronics have been taken away and they are in their rooms indefinitely!

I really do enjoy my kiddos being home.  This morning was so amazing.  We turned the fireplace on and the girls played nicely while I read and watched session five’s video.  But then they turned into evil monsters and decided they were going to hate each other for a couple of hours.

But such is life with kids right?

Enough about that, let’s kick off session five!

I am so excited for this week.  I always struggled in the friendship department.  For years, I would beg God to give me a friend.  A person who I could hang out with, be close with, do life with.  I went through a very lonely season a couple of years ago.  I didn’t really have any close friends and I remember dropping Mary off at Pre-K one morning and crying the whole way home.  I specifically remember asking God to help me be ok with being alone in the girlfriend department.  I remember repeating through my tears, all the way home, “You are enough, You are enough for me God.”

And that season lasted a couple of years, but God truly worked in my life, teaching me to enjoy my husband and my children.

But as women, we all need our girlfriends.

In the last couple of years, God has brought some pretty amazing women into my life.  For years I tried to force friendships.  I would put up a front and pretend like I loved everything you loved because then I felt like you would think I was the best person in the world ha!  If you loved pink, I loved pink.  If you loved to craft, I loved to craft.  Newsflash…..Maggie IS NOT crafty!

During that lonely season, God taught me to be ok with me.  He taught me to be happy with the life He blessed me with and be content with what I had.  It took many years, many tough lessons, but I finally learned to be content.  Now that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with contentment, because one of my biggest struggles is comparison and jealousy.

I loved Melanie’s video and I took a lot from it.  It is so important to have friends.  People in our lives who we can relate to and feel normal around.  People who know the real us and still love us.

God places people in our lives on purpose.  Just like He brought David and Jonathan together, He does the same in our friendships.  I loved how she made mention that Jonathan not only chose David over his father, He chose David over himself!  Wow!  In this season of life, God is really teaching me to be selfless in my relationships.  As a wife, mom and friend.

Being loyal and trustworthy is so important when it comes to friendships.  We’ve all been burned.  Even Jesus was hurt by one of His disciples.  He knew what it felt like to be betrayed.  I’ve been there too.  This is why I kept that wall up for years.  When I would feel myself getting close with someone, I would sabotage the friendship because I had been hurt so many times. In the last couple of years, God has challenged me to work past this and has allowed me to have some pretty amazing frienships.

Our friendships should be a safe place.  We should love our friends as we love ourself.  This being said, Melanie talked about comparison and jealousy.  We all are unique, we have our own gifts and we are walking our own journey. But with social media these days, it’s so hard to not compare our lives with others.  Melanie says, “And I know for me I never get more distracted than when I start looking at somebody else’s life and what they’re doing.”

Isn’t that the truth?  We can be going about our day so happy with life and what God has given us.  But then with a tap of our finger and a scroll through Facebook we can go from content and happy to thinking we are the worst wife, mom, friend ever.  Why?  Because we compare ourselves with the best version of others.  All while not knowing what they are battling because you better believe they have struggles.  The grass isn’t always greener on the other side…this is something that has taken me years to learn.  We are all human.  Life isn’t perfect no matter how perfect it appears.  We have struggles and hardships.  Every single one of us.

Theodore Roosevelt said it well when he said, Comparison is the thief of joy.

Ladies, do you want to know when I am the happiest?  When I am not worried about what everyone else is doing and I am focused on walking my road.  When I set a limit on my social media time. When I invest in the people around me.  When I try to bless others and make someone else’s day better.  When I focus on my home and getting things done. This is when I’m the happiest.

We all want to know the secret of being happy.  We are constantly reading books about being happy and not comparing ourselves with others but it is simple.  Look to what God gives you.  Walk your walk.  Be happy for others.  Realize that your friends’ successes take nothing away from yours.  You are you.  Focus on what God has given you and realize that the life you are living right now, is the life God intended you to live.  He wants you to be happy with what you have.  Look around, name your blessings, thank God for those blessings and be happy for others.

And lastly, our true friends should strengthen our grip on God.  Melanie says that friends are small everyday miracles that God gives us.  Every person in our life is in our life for a reason.  We need friends who are also walking close with God.  Friends who are like-minded and will encourage us and pray for us.  Friends we can do life with.  Girlfriends that will cry with us, laugh with us, rejoice with us.  Friends who will be there for us no matter the time of day.  Friends who show us the love of God through their actions.

You know…God has taught me so much in the last couple of weeks.  But one thing He is teaching me currently is that He restores.  We learned last week that nothing is too far gone for Him.  He heals us and uses the broken pieces of our life and makes us whole again.  He can do this for you and for that relationship you’ve given up on.

There is nothing more beautiful than letting God work in our lives and our relationships with others.  Nothing, absolutely nothing is too far gone for God.  Maybe you need Him to restore a relationship in your life.  Ask Him to help you.  You may find out that He wants you to work on you first.  This is what happened to me. Maybe there’s something in your life that prevents you from being a good friend.  Like me, you may struggle with comparison and jealousy.  Ask God to heal your heart.  Ask Him to help you be content with the life He has blessed you with.

What is God revealing to you about your friendships?

Dear God, I ask that you will be with us this week as we talk about friendships.  You show us throughout the Bible how important it is to have people in our inner circle.  People who will pray for us and encourage us, but that will also challenge us.  Lord I ask that you will help us look at our frienships and reveal to us what you want us to see.  Help us be better friends to those around us.  Whatever our struggle may be that seems to sabotage our relationships, I pray that in Jesus name you take it out of our life.  Help us focus on the race you have set before us.  The journey you are having us walk.  Help us stay focused on the blessings in our life so that we can be happy for others.  Help us be genuine, intentional and happy for others’ successes.  Thank you Jesus for being the perfect example of what it is to be a friend.  There is no friend like you.  Help us be more like you.  In Jesus name…

-Maggie