“Finding Joy in the Midst of Adversity: The Importance of Self-Care for Working Moms and the Fruit of the Spirit”

Hey fellow working moms and mom entrepreneurs,

As we all know, being a working mom is no easy task. We often juggle multiple responsibilities, both at home and in the workplace, and it can be easy to neglect our own self-care. I know this all too well, as I recently experienced an injury that forced me to take a step back and reevaluate my priorities.

It all started when I got injured a month before I turned 49. I thought it was just a bad sprain and that I would be back to normal in no time. But as it turned out, I had not only broken a bone in my foot, but also tore a major ligament, requiring surgery. This experience was a real inconvenience for me, especially since I was just getting back into the swing of things post-pandemic in my day job at my local food bank as an outreach coordinator, and in my business as an entrepreneur.

But as I was becoming more and more frustrated with being out of commission, I started giving a lot of thought to who I am and what I want out of life. And what I found is that I knew somewhat of the answer, but it didn’t match up with how I felt about myself. It’s funny how having to sit with yourself will make space for you to really take an honest look at what makes you happy and where you feel unfulfilled.

The time I took just sitting and thinking, laying down and thinking brought me to realize that what I truly desire going forward in my life was Joy. Joy that could be felt and experienced by me and those around me no matter the circumstances.

Once I realized just how important Joy had become for me, and how aware I had become that I hadn’t experienced real Joy in a while, it has now become one of the top priorities and values for my life and business. And as we know from the Bible, Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

So, as working moms and mom entrepreneurs, let’s strive to cultivate joy in our lives, not just for ourselves but for the sake of our families and the people around us. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. And remember, self-care, especially the cultivation of joy, is crucial for us. When we take care of ourselves, we’re better equipped to handle the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship.

Take care of yourself, and let’s strive for Joy in our lives.

“Navigating the Challenges of Working from Home: A Journey to Embracing Flexibility and Productivity”

Working from home can be a dream come true for many of us. No more rush hour traffic, no more dealing with office politics, and the flexibility to create our own schedule. However, as with anything, there can be challenges that come along with working from home.

One of the biggest challenges for me was feeling isolated and disconnected from my community. My work is community-based, and I found myself missing the face-to-face interactions and connections that I had with my colleagues and clients. It was a difficult adjustment to make, but with the help of prayer and positive conversations with friends, I was able to gain a new perspective on my situation.

Another challenge that I faced was keeping myself accountable for deadlines and the quality of my work. When working from home, it can be easy to get distracted and lose focus. I found that setting clear boundaries with my family and creating a designated work space helped me stay on track and be more productive.

Despite these challenges, I have learned to embrace this new way of working. I have learned how to manage my time better, and I have even been able to expand my entrepreneurial endeavors.

If you are struggling with working from home, know that you are not alone. It is important to remember that it is okay to have difficult days, and to give yourself grace and patience as you navigate this new way of working. Reach out to friends and family for support and remember to take care of yourself. With time and effort, you too can become a pro at working from home.

“Patience is the Key: My Journey to Balancing Work and Motherhood”

When I first became a mother, I was young and full of dreams for my future. But as the years went by and I faced the challenges of being a single mother, those dreams started to feel out of reach. I was frustrated and confused about how to balance my desire to grow as a person with my professional goals.

But then, something amazing happened. I met my husband and we started a family together. And when baby number two was on the way, I realized that I had been taking my beautiful life events for granted. I had been so focused on my struggles and my lack of patience with my unique path and process in life that I had missed out on all the blessings that God had for me.

Patience is such a beautiful attribute, but it’s often misunderstood. We think of it as waiting around for things to happen, but it’s so much more than that. Patience is the foundation that allows us to experience and appreciate all that God has for us. It’s the key to unlocking the full potential of our lives and our dreams.

As I reflect on my journey as a mother and a professional, I realize that my patience has been the most important ingredient in my success. It has allowed me to appreciate the small moments and to trust that God has a plan for me.

So, if you’re feeling frustrated and confused about how to balance your dreams with your responsibilities, take a step back and remember that patience is the key. Trust in God’s plan for your life and have patience with yourself and your progress.

Here are two questions to consider:

1. How do you currently practice patience in your life?
2. How does patience play a role in your personal and professional goals?

The Love of God: The Ultimate Guide to Loving God

Who is God and Why Should I love Him?

God is the Most High God, He is the Creator, He is Almighty God. You should love God Because He first Loved Us.

What does it mean to love your God?

Loving God means being open to with all of your heart in order to receive the abundance of His Love and Devotion.

How do we express our love for our Lord?

We express our Love for the Lord by loving our neighbors, the widows, orphans, We express our Love for the Lord by not having any other gods we serve.

How Does Loving My God Make the World a Better Place?

Loving God makes the world a better place because it provides us the ability to see how to love others in a healthy way.

Loving the Unlovable

My frustrations of wanting to just get away from everyone and everything because of feeling unappreciated or unheard have often led to me feeling unloved. Have you ever felt like this? You know the old friend grudge that keeps all the history of everyone I had ever felt wronged you? This of course is one common example of some of the stinkin thinking.  So how could God ever love someone like me when the people in my life I feel can’t love me the way I need?

I have struggled many days in loving myself, family, and friends the way I should. How can I pour from this empty cup? Am I the only person who has felt like this? As crazy as it sounds, I have learned to confess and recognize my problematic ways of thinking specifically with doubt and disbelief. I have learned that when I am open with God and real with myself, this is when I am most authentic and humble enough to hear from Him. At times, it is with the smallest amount of FAITH that I experience God’s love and know he sees me, and feel just how much He cares about the things that concern me.  

I remember as a teen, I went with my mother to visit the sick and shut in. A gentleman stated that I was the apple of God’s eye. At the time, I didn’t realize it was scripture and I didn’t know why he was saying that to me but I never forgot what he said. That wasn’t the first time God expressed his love for me.  Over the years, he has provided not only tangible resources to myself and my family, He has also provided peace and perspective during difficult seasons in my life. Let me tell you something,  the word of God is a great place to begin to investigate how God loves and how both you and I should express love to Him. The word of God instructs us that the Holy Spirit is the antidote to how we can go from being unlovable to lovable. The Word explains, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22-23). With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we are able to renew our minds daily and transform our thought process ultimately leading to a change in how we love. How we love ourselves, how we love one another, how we love God. Although I am a work in progress, being mindful of how the Holy Spirit is operating within me has assisted this formerly unlovable woman into a person who allows God to love on her so that she can pour that love onto herself and others.

Question of The Day?

Will you trust God enough to let Him love on you?

Journal Your Journey

I journal. I am a self confessed journal-er if there is such a word. I love to journal. It is very therapeutic, it is an excellent garbage can for frustrations, dream catcher, record keeper of achievements and memorable moments, and reminder of answered prayer. Most people think you have to journal everyday, every week, but to journal is an intimate exercise, and I have learned that there is no other method than to journal when your feelings are thoughts are the strongest.

I love to journal because no matter my reason it is definite evidence of God’s answered prayer, purpose and provision in my life.

Do you journal? If not why? If you do journal what about?

“Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run”-  Habakkuk 2:2

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.

Francis Bacon

Confession Is Good For The Soul

From time to time my mornings can be filled with confessions and emotions that I have allowed to escape me and lie dormant for fear that it will be uncomfortable and seem weak and depressing for me to share that the author of encouragement for everyday living gets discouraged but the simple fact is I need encouragement.

Encouragement

giving support, confidence, or hope to someone (oxford dictionary)

Yes i said it for all to see and read and know

My life is full of wonderful things family, friendship, faith however there are days that when I really sit with my restless self and quiet myself it is encouragement that I seek.

I seek to give hope so that I may in return feel hope, cheer confidently in order to build my confidence ( you know fake it to you make it), and give support hoping that it would be reciprocated.

My thoughts I share today isn’t merely a confession but a freeing and encouraging thought for me and others like me who read may read a blog, a book, or article on how to know that the Lord sees our intention to heal what is broken and our motivations for connecting with others and He wants us to know that  He can provide the right amount of encouragement, at the right time, for the right reason.

Romans 15:13- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the Power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope.” ESV

Finding myself If I can so can you

Psalms 139:16 ” Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” NIV

It has truly been a journey seeking my purpose in God. Frustration and disappointment would often set in as I tried to fit into my different roles in life. I tried to accomplish many things that I felt would make me feel purposeful, important, but in reality only exhausted me and confused my focus on what God was trying to teach me.

Things like who He is, His thoughts towards me, and His equipping of me to do His will.

My early 20’s I struggled with being a young single mother in the body of Christ. I felt so many conflicting feelings, and most importantly I felt like I had let my parents, myself and God down. One moment of rebellion in my eyes ended so many dreams. This life changing event could not of been in God’s plans. How could I ever accomplish my goals educationally? How could I travel? How could I support the baby? I even aimed my frustration toward the Lord. Lord how could you let me get pregnant? When so many other girls my age had been intimate with people for years.

I know the nerve of me but who else could I blame.

Yes I thought that, and if your honest you’ve had days like that. When your consequences for rebellion was exposed publicly. The same thought came to your mind.

I want to give you a thought. He knew, He cared and that is why He allowed the opportunity for correction.

Looking back Psalms 139:16 puts a smile on my face.

God knew I would rebel; He also provided teachable moments for me to learn from the experience. Motherhood was always His plan for me. I jumped ahead, but that never changed His thoughts toward me for a future and hope. Let me give you example of how God reveals that he doesn’t give up on His established plan for us.

My daughter and I were riding on the infamous parkway east in Pittsburgh approaching the lovely Squirrel Hill tunnels where traffic is always a gaurantee. I don’t remember where we were going this day, but I remember she was in the front passenger seat, and we were singing and sharing a rare moment of mother-daughter time when she turned to me and said ” mom thanks for keeping me”.

Thanks for keeping me just kept going through my mind.

Here my daughter was a child speaking encouraging words to me. The rebellious selfish 20 something young lady who thought she was too far away from God and had messed up too much for Him to ever care about my future. I knew that my daughter’s words came from God.

God used my daughter to remind me of Psalms 139:16 and Jeremiah 29:11. How great is His thoughts towards us.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” NKJ

I confess it has taken me over 30 years in an around the presence of God to finally set aside my selfish ambitions and truly trust His promises that David, Isaiah, Paul and so many others recorded for me to read, recite and remember.

God is in the profession of establishing our purpose. God is in the business of establishing your purpose and mine before we were even a thought.

So have I figured out my purpose? Yes to seek his kingdom first and as I trust in Him; He will direct my path.

The fun part in walking in God’s established purpose for you is seeing how He’ll use you once you step out in faith.  That”s exciting!!!

God did answer questions for me even though I rebelled.

He wants to answer your questions also? What dream have you thought impossible? What support are you seeking that you haven’t received? Have a conversation with Him.

Memory Verses: Psalms 139:16 ” Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” NIV

Jeremiah 29:11 – ” For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” NKJ

Prayer: Dear Lord thank you for thinking of me and establishing a hope and future for me. Forgive me for doubting and rebelling when Your word says that You have established my days and promised a hope and a future for me. Amen.

Strength During Testing

 

It is so difficult to remember on our own sometimes just how faithful, and great God is as a Father. So I am thinking that is why we experience trials. Our trials reminds us, prepares us, and grows us closer to our father.

 

 A few years ago I shared about the experience of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on my original blog and I believe with it being Women’s history month sharing a powerful mind shift moment during a personal trial is a great way to start the celebration of the strength in discovered during one of my own trying time. I am sharing because we all too often won’t share our physical struggles in the early stages of diagnosis. Why?  I am not sure but I know it isn’t helpful to the people you love or you. So, today  I am sharing what I learned a little while ago.

When I was first diagnosed I was desperate for the diagnosis not to be true. I was a pretty healthy child, teen and young adult so to have such a major diagnosis given to you was paralyzing. There is nothing anyone can say to make you feel any better and it is hard for most people to understand the family of auto immune diseases because they are silent and invisible to those looking from the outside. No one could possibly know the storm occurring on the inside of your body. I am sure like most reading this the biggest challenge was that we have our lives despite possible impending disability. I was a mother of three children still needing me and my husband just coming out of the seven-year hump that married couples go through with small children. This was the most inconvenient time to have this happen but it did. It was happening. I cried some days and most I just went numb not really given any care or attention to the questions family members would ask. Then one day after a having a private pity party which I do from time to time I decided to turn to the one who always made me feel better and I prayed to my Father. I figured He made me so He would know how to fix me,

The answer I received wasn’t what I expected but it was what I needed to find my hope and faith to get me to today. I prayed and blew dust off  one of the many bibles in our home and opened up to the book of James Chapter 1

 

There were so many passages that stood out to me in the bible, but the book of James was the most appropriate for my need that day.

 

Stressing, Stretching and Strengthening in trials are all described in the first few verses of James chapter 1. James wanted to encourage the persecuted members of the body of Christ who had been scattered throughout the regions.

 

Like with the body of Christ in James day the text states what is necessary during trails and stressful situations in order to grow is faith, joy,patience and prayer. My thought immediately was how can I have Faith and Joy with an uncertain future? Why did this have to happen to me after 3 babies and a husband? Who can demonstrate patience while waiting on doctors to find a cure? Cried some more and the thought came to me Where is your Faith? Has God let you down before? Are you not alive? fully functioning? The Lord comforted me with the answer to my questions with this all four faith, joy, patience, and prayer are tools to assist in my maturation process in my relationship with the Lord and my witness to the world.

Ladies the same goes for you whether it is Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lyme’s Disease, Graves, Fertility issues, Cancers, Heart Disease, Stroke/Aneurysm, Diabetes, Mental Health whatever it maybe I can confidently say God would not have us lose hope.  The road is challenging and it is complicated but if we believe the promises of God we know this much that he works things out for the good of those who love the Lord Romans 8:28.

 

Rebuilding a Legacy

My husband Felipe Rojas and I had a great talk with our sons last week  about the importance of them understanding the value of being men, Afro- Latino, and Christian. The responsibility to be and manage a heart of gratitude. This came as a result of watching a segment of the television show “The View” on Martin Luther King Jr, birthday.

In the segment Sonny Hostin shared that her father shared that her generation , she’s 49, was the first generation with full rights in America. This got me asking the question what is missing in the African American community that familial legacies are being slaughtered off. Then the my answer came with one simple thought. Our ancestors fought with the Hope of freedom and now we have to continue building on that legacy that was started with HOPE and GRATITUDE.

HOPE and GRATITUDE to strong powerful words that help shape character and dreams. HOPE  meaning the feeling or expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. GRATITUDE meaning the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for to return kindness.  Both words inspired me  along with my husband to have the conversation with our boys. We needed to share the value of our past family patriarchs and the responsibility of all of us currently living to carry the torch.

We discussed the struggle of leaders from both the Mexican and African American heritage struggle for equality and the importance to understand the strengths and struggles of the men of Rojas, Orta, Whigham, Parker families.

We explained that the older generation fought for their rights in Mexico and America everyday by working hard. We shared that both sides of the families had farming in their legacy and some where even entreprenuer. 

We explained that now that the foundation was laid by their great great grandparents using HOPE that they will need to use GRATITUDE and HOPE to continue to move forward as representatives of the 4 families and Christ.

Excited and Nervous always praying seeds are planted .  We can rebuild our legacy and we will do just that with HOPE and GRATITUDE.
#Kingdombuilding #menofhonor #coparentingworks