{Podcasts I'm loving}

 

Guess what?!?! I don't listen to music when I run!

I know, must people do pumped up songs to help them push through. I've found I love podcasts. They cause me to think and to grow and almost help me forget I'm running (sometimes...hahaha).

So today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite podcasts.

1. Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey - I love Jamies Podcast. She talks on hard issues that are relevant to our daily life and points us back to Jesus.

2. Straight Up with Trent Shelton - Former NFL football player. tells you how it is. Great for motivation.

3. That Sounds Fun - Annie and her guests will make you laugh. She also talks about hard issues and points to Jesus. I love her Enneasummer series. 

4. SHE podcast - Jordan covers actionable advice on cultivating healthy relationships, creating a successful brand and business, embracing body positivity, improving money management, and empowering your faith – all wrapped up with tailorable, tangible takeaways.

5. Risen Motherhood - Encourages, equips, and and challenge moms to bring the gospel to their everyday lives.

6. Journey Women - Hunter along with Christian leaders about gracefully navigating the seasons and challenges we face on our journeys to glorify God.

7. Daily Grace Co - Is all about equipping and encouraging women to seek God in His word.

8. Made for This - Short. Fun. Truth. Real conversation about the struggles about the struggles we are facing and the God that sets us free.

9. Grove Podcast - is designed to encourage women to become ROOTED in the unfailing Word of God, to choose to FLOURISH where we’re planted, to walk in FREEDOM in Christ and truly live, and to offer our lives as SHADE to the people who intersect our paths in our city. 

10. Real Marriage - the good, the bad, the ugly. The Driscoll's talk about all things marriage.

Now for the business podcasts.

1. Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast - Craig teaches you to categorize every task into tiers that make you more efficient and effective.

2. Christy Wright Show - Will fire you up to break through what's holding you back, inspire you to create a life you’re proud of, and help you build confidence in yourself and the God who created you.

3. The Jennifer Allwood Show - Listen in for business strategies and interviews with small business experts to help you build a business and a life that you love.

4. Stop the Hey Girl - Kayla Ybanez is an Instagram and Business strategist for online coaches who want to build their business without using age-old strategies like icky "Hey Girl" cold messages!

5. My Vertical Upline - This weekly podcast will give you the mindset, strategies, and skills you need to build the network marketing business of your dreams.

6. Lead Stories - Co hosts and executive producers Jo Saxton and Stephanie Williams O'Brien tell tales of leadership and life with the aim to encourage, equip and empower. 

7. 6 Figure Influencer -  learn the tips, tricks and ways to step into your own version of the 6 Figure Influencer.

What about you? What are some of your favorite podcasts to listen to whether running, driving, doing household tasks?

{Day Spring Planner}

If you follow me on social media at all, you know I am a Type 3 on the enneagram, type A, planner! I love it, most of the time.

One of the things I really love is a good planner. Seriously, I buy a new one every 6 months because they make me happy! BUT in the world of planners, it can be overwhelming. There are SOOOO many options!

Recently, Dayspring, sent me a planner to try out. You guys, it's beautiful! (There are also some fun other patterns)

Here are the deets:

•         Standard Size 8”x19”

•         2mm Hard Front & Back Cover

•         Large Spiral Bound

•         Monthly Tabs

•         Elastic Band

•         Monthly Devotional

•         Monthly reflection

•         18-month (Starts July 2020)

•         $49.99 (Which is really afforadable)

Some of the things I love most. 

1. THE MONTHLY DEVOTIONAL

2. I love the simplicity of the weekly layout, you can organize it how it best fits your life. 

3. There is a GOAL SETTING section! This is gold to me! I love setting goals and now it's tied to one place!

4. Probably my most FAVORITE section....GRATITUDES....one of my daily habits is to write out the things I'm thankful for daily! Now it's right in my planner and not a separate notebook!

5. There are some really fun inserts too

I would love for you guys to go check it out and SNAG one for yourself. Plus, it would make a great gift!!!!  Oh and they have other fun stickers and inserts you can add! I'm all about that!

He is the Anchor

Do you ever have one of those moments where your sitting in the car alone (if your a mom this is probably rare) have no idea of your surroundings, you are just worshiping (as I type this, I'm thinking this is a little scary, but God was protecting me)! It happened to me on Sunday. I had just gotten done listening to a sermon podcast, so I turned on some music and I was in total worship. Ironically, "Cornersone" was playing and God spoke to me.

God has used this song to speak to us during some major trials in the last 3 years and it's also Lia's favorite song. I know that is crazy to say, but it was the only way I could get her to sleep for a period of time and the minute I would play it she would calm down and sleep, and now she starts singing and lifts her hands (she worships).

Anyways, this isn't profound, but, I needed to hear it. He said, "Ashlee, right now things are going good and you are seeing my blessings, guess what, I'm still your Anchor, I'm still the one holding you together."

He isn't just my anchor when things are rough or difficult, but he is our anchor when things are good to. It's easy for me to say and plead for Him when things are difficult, but I needed that reminder to plead for Him when things are good.  

2016 Goals

Well, my blog has somewhat been neglected, but I do love this place to share my heart and share what I'm learning! 

Here are my goals for 2016: 

* Daily Bible Reading Plan

* Spend time each day praying for my husband and daughter

 

* 366 days of Shakeology

* 1 photo everyday with my DSLR

* Blog more 

* Help 100 people to a healthier lifestyle

* Help 10-15 people start a online fitness business

* Pay off our student loans

* Run a half marathon

* Only 1 soda per day (I know, it should be less) 

I'd love to hear your goals!

Giving It All Away

I recently purchased the devotional "Jesus, I Need You" by Zondervan

They are quick 2-3 minute devotionals. Today's topic was "Giving It All Away". 

They write: "Jesus, I have a confession to make. I feel afraid to entrust everything to You. I know that You love me and want only the best for me. Still, it's so hard to give up total control of every aspect of my life....Help me give You my everything." 

The truth....

I've learned this lesson over and over again....

I'm a control freak...

In my heart and mind, I know I don't control everything, but in my heart, I want to. 

The truth is...my desire to control really comes out of a spirit of unhealthy fear. Fear that life isn't going to go as planned, fear of failure, fear of the unknown. 

I need to work on giving up control in my marriage, parenting, my future, my walk with God, my work, and my relationships. 

The truth is...control sucks the life out of me. It takes up so much energy, trying to be perfect and trying to hold on to everything. 

The truth is...I'm really saying and portraying that I don't trust God, I don't trust my husband, I don't trust my friends and family...

The truth is...I've sinned against all of these people. This is not my desire....

The truth is...I do trust God
I do trust my husband

I do trust my friends and family

The truth is...I will try to let go!

{Time}

I get asked often what I miss most about Haiti. The number one answer, is the people, our friends. Part of what makes that question so easy to answer and why the people, is the way of living in Haiti. Even though we were busy and there was always a lot to do, it felt that often time stood still...Our evenings weren't spent running from one activity to the next, but they were spent in the community playing soccer, walking, or hanging out on the porch with our friends. Haiti is very community based and you are always free to visit a neighbor, stop by, sit on their porch, talk, and visit. I miss people stopping by our house, I miss the neighborhood boys that would come and play, I miss all of those things. I miss time....

It's no question, getting time in the word was more difficult when we moved home from Haiti, but it has been extremely more difficult since having Lia. I've been told that I'm being to hard on myself. While that may be true, my soul craves that time that I've lost. My soul misses the oneness with my Savior. I know that at this point in time, I'm probably not going to be able to get in hour in during the mornings (until Lia starts sleeping through the night), but I know that some changes can be made. 

* Take the first 15-20 min of morning nap time (I very rarely have appointments scheduled at this time) 

* Listen to Christian music while working, instead of having the TV on. 

* In the evenings about 30 min before we go to bed, I love to lay in bed and watch Netflix, I've been feeling a very strong conviction that this time could be better used, so I'm now watching a sermon, or a part of a sermon each night before bed. 

Yes, time is hard to come by, by my priorities needed adjusted! 

I'd love to hear what you other moms with littles do to get time in the word in....

{25 Days of Christmas} - Day 9 - Dear Lia

Dear Lia -

It's your very first Christmas. This year and next year it won't mean that much to you. You may not even notice that it was different than any other day, other than your cousins will be around for you to watch and there will be lots of boxes and bows for you to look at and play with.

I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. With all of the twinkle lights, the music, the spirit in the air and giving gifts. I can't wait to experience one of my favorite times with you. I can't wait to see Christmas through your eyes.

BUT...

Before you get caught up in it all, I want you to pause.

I want you to pause and to learn why Christmas is so special.

Yes, it is true. The twinkle lights, the music, the spirit and the gifts are all wonderful....BUT, they are not why we celebrate the day.

We celebrate the day because of Jesus. We celebrate and can have joy, not just because of His birth, but because He redeemed us. We are sinners and He has set us free. It's because of the Cross that we celebrate Christmas. It's because our Redeemer paid our ransom.

Don't forget to pause and remember.

Choose JOY during the season, because you have much to be thankful for.

I'm A Work In Progress

There is nothing like getting married or becoming a parent for the first time that makes you realize, I don't have it all figured it out. 

 Being wrong is something I don't like to admit and I especially don't like to admit that I don't have it all together. 

When Claudy and I were first married, it was like a mirror was put in front of my face that helped me to recognize a lot of my faults. It was like I could finally see things in my own life that needed worked out. Just when I thought I was through the pain of "change", we had a baby. Suddenly, another set of faults as appeared....

It's painful!!!

But it's good!

I know God is using both marriage and parenthood as a way of refining me. As a way of humbling me. It's in those moments, that I know I need to keep seeking him, I know that He isn't finished with me yet! There is still more work to be done!

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Phillipians 1:6  

{Beautiful Things}

Picture from here - Words by me :)

My favorite flower, the peony, blooms in the spring.

AFTER

Its weathered the hard winter. 

It's an example of a beautiful thing that came after a difficult moment.

When I look at my life and the most beautiful moments. Most came after some of my most difficult moments. 

Winning in sports, after months of hard training

Getting into the education program, after having to take remedial English courses

Understanding true forgiveness, after confessing my sins to those I sinned against.

 Wining  the UMAC conference our senior year, after starting out losing 10 games in a row. 

Our life in Haiti. 

Marriage, is filled with beautiful moments, usually after some refining. 

Lia Marie, after months of pregnancy and labor. 

There are many more moments that I could talk about. Being new parents is hard. There are many difficult moments, where decisions need to be made. Sometimes we agree on how we should handle those moments, other times we don't. We hurt each other in the process. When we give each other grace and forgiveness, there are beautiful moments that come after. 

 This is one lesson that I want Lia to learn early in life. While I would love to protect her from hurt and pain of this world, it's something I just can do.  It's important for her to learn that beautiful things can come out of difficult moments. Even at 3 months of age she is learning this. Whether its rolling over, crying during nap time, etc...there are some things, that if I help her through and make them less difficult, aren't nearly as beautiful as when she experiences the hard moments. 

Keep pressing on in those hard moments, beautiful things are coming. 

{Blog-tember} - I'm Passionate About...

I'm passionate about...

...Jesus

...Always saying yes to God
...My marriage

...Family

...Friends

...Living life to the fullest

...Smiling
...Haiti
...Missions

...Being positive

...Teaching

...Sports

...Seeing others succeed
...Laughing

...Living a disciplined life

...Quality time with people

...Photography

...Running

...Watching the sunset

...Being around a dinner table with others

{Fearfully and Wonderfully Made}

We had our 20 week ultra sound this week. We found out...

We are so excited to know more about Lia. I've heard other women talk about it, but it's true, there is so much wonder and amazement that comes with carrying a child. As her mom, I catch myself wondering about her. Will she be an extravert or introvert? Girly, girl or tom boy? Will she have straight hair or curly hair? Will I be able to do her hair? Will she be dark like her daddy or will she look more mixed? Will she have her daddy's eye-lashes? Will she like to run? Etc... the questions play in my mind. I wonder about the things that make her, uniquely her. 

What amazes me. God already knows! He knows all those details. He knew them, when he knitted her in my womb. He knows every tiny little detail. The best part of all. He created her perfect, in his image, a reflection of His glory. There is no flaw in the way she was made.She was fearfully and wonderfully made.

As an adult, I needed this reminder. He thinks about me the same way. He created me the same way. I am perfect in his eyes. There was no flaw in the way I was made.

{The Lies I've Believed}

I didn't expect it. It shocked me. I definitely thought I would remember the lessons I learned and that they would last a lot longer then they did. 

Over the last 5 months of living in the United States, I've been believing a lie. Like most lies we believe, it's affected my relationship with the Lord, with my husband, with my joy, with my contentment, it affects most aspects of my life.

I've believed the lie that I'm in CONTROL. 

I'm so ashamed to even admit it. For 2 + years, I lived in a country where everything was out of my control: food, water, power, safety, finances, independence, relationships, etc. everything. You would think that living like that for over 2 years, I would remember what that was like and that I would have learned the lesson. But, here I sit having to admit, that I have fallen to the lies. I've believed that I'm in control. 

I've believed that I can control our finances, that I don't need to pray before entering a car (after all there are rules here and accidents never happen), that I'm safe from bad things happening, that relationships just fall into place and there is no brokenness in them....basically I've believed that life is perfect here and I've lost my dependency on Christ, because I've believed I can do it all. And then it happened. 

It happened two weeks ago, I got that deep feeling of hunger and thirst and God slapped me in the face. I was wondering why I felt so much discontentment, why "it" was never enough (it - means a lot of things). 

And then he told me. I've stopped seeking him. 

When I stopped seeking him everyday, our relationship had grown distant...and all that "control" wasn't enough. 

I've had to make some changes.

I've committed to getting up early in the morning and spending my first moments with him. I've committed to laying everything at his feet each day. Through the process, difficult things have come, but I have peace, knowing He is the one that sustains. He is my rock.  
He is in control and I'm not. 

Psalm 62: 5-8

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests mysalvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God isa refuge for us.

{I wish I could tell you}

Little One...

I watched you today...

My mind and soul hurt for you as I witnessed you do something that you didn't even realize. Your society has perverted your mind...you know how to move your body, how to dance in ways to draw attention. Only, at this age, you don't yet realize the attention that you will receive.

You see, little one, I watched you today...

I watched 3 men over the age of 20 watch your body move. It wasn't your intention to make them lust..but it did. They watched and cheered as your body shaked..

I wanted to stop you, little one...

 

Today, little one, I wish I could tell you...

* Your beautiful the way God created you to be....

* You don't need the attention from others to be satisfied. Jesus is the only one that will satisfy you.

* You don't need to advertise yourself to be loved. You are loved...you are loved by your creator and you are loved by me.

* The yearning in your heart for someone...that comes from the Lord...seek him, not others.

Little One, I pray for you...

* I pray you will know and understand the love of your Savior and Redeemer.

* I pray your needs will be meet, so you don't sell your body to support yourself.

* I pray you will save yourself.

* I pray that you grow to be a warrior for Christ...

You are loved, little one.

{Everyday in May} - Chosen

Today's blog prompt was to talk about our worst traits. While I have a lot of traits that are bad and drive me crazy. I have spent too much time in my life focusing on those. I want to focus on a good trait, one that I don't deserve, but a label I have because of Christ's redemption...

I am Chosen.

Dictionary.com defines chosen as "selected from several; preferred"

The Bible mentions the word chosen 118 times and in 115 verses. 

Colossians 3:12 says, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience," 

1 Thessalonians 1:4 says, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you," 

James 2:5 says, "Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom,which he has promised to those who love him?"

1 Peter 2:4,9 "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious...But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

I have been studying this for several weeks now. I'm in awe. God has chosen me! I will never fully understand this or be able to fully grasp all that this means, but God loves me and has created me...I screwed it up...He redeemed me and sees me as PERFECT!!!

WOW!!

{Everyday in May} - Lessons I've Learned

I guess I missed yesterday in our series. I didn't really have anything to rant about, which isn't always the case, but...I guess I couldn't think of one yesterday!

1. Take Risks:

 I have heard a lot of people say, I could never do that or it's not safe...

Not that I think you should always do the crazy things, but sometimes amazing things happen when you take a risk. It's like when God asked the Israelites to step into the water, there was a risk involved. 

2. Follow Your Dreams

Many times in my life I have listened to people tell me they wished they would have done something, or moved some where. It was why, when I was graduating college...I decided to go. Do it now...don't wait. Don't hold yourself back! 

3. Love Hard

I've had no regrets for loving people. I have been hurt, but I've never regretted loving people. It's scary. It's scare to love people, they have so much power to hurt. Sometimes loving people hurts because you hurt for them, hurt for their pain. Don't lose out on life, because you are afraid of being hurt

4. Don't Waste Your Life

Life is fast, we are here for a vapor. Don't let it pass you by. Serve the Lord, Serve others, Love Well

5. Travel 

Step out of your bubble and see the world.  See how others live. Experience other cultures, other places, learn languages. 

{Everyday in May} - Favorite Bloggers

Proverbs 31 Girl

Meet Allie

Allie and I were roommates our freshman year of college at Northwestern. We always knew how to have a good laugh and we grew alot our freshman year. I'm blessed to call her friend, even though we haven't seen each other for years.

Allie starting blogging a few years ago about DIY things. She and her hubby have done some awesome things to their farmhouse.

I love reading her blog and seeing all of the creative things that she does.

Allie doesn't only talk about DIY things, she also talks about her faith. Even though I live from a far, I have learned so much through their families journey and her incrediable faith and hope in the Lord. Her ability to praise the Lord in ALL circumstances!

Thanks Allie for sharing your heart with so many of us. I know that we haven't seen eachother for ages, but I so appreciate your friendship and watching you continue to grow!