In the past few weeks I have really been focusing on encouraging Jimmy and the kids. I think daily encouragement can be a game changer for anyone, including myself. It isn’t always easy to encourage others when things aren’t going the way you hope they go. This was very true of myself and this past week. There were days I was just drained emotionally and encouragement was the last thing on my mind. To be honest I needed encouragement. I had to dig deep to encourage Jimmy and the kids. I also found ways to encourage myself or looked for encouragement in the kids’ behavior. It was like God knew I needed more and at the perfect time both my sisters sent me encouraging texts. 

While I do feel we made a shift in our household and our kids are doing pretty good. There are days when they are angry or sad and aren’t sure how to work through those emotions. And the temper tantrums come out. These are not always easy to deal with, but we are learning how to deal with them individually and tag teaming as parents is huge in this. We were talking to one of the kid therapists and they said the kids have a right to be angry and they don’t know how to deal with it. We will learn how to deal with it together. We know God is in control and He will help us through the hard times. 

Sometimes encouraging can change their perspective on what is going on and look at things differently. As moms we should be encouraging each other, spouse, friends and family. I know when my sisters sent me an encouraging text, it changed my attitude about things. It made me look at myself and think, am I doing the best job I can? Are there things I could change and encourage them more with? One thing I am constantly learning is to talk to someone if I feel like I am struggling. A smile or just a listening ear can mean a lot. Also it is okay to celebrate your wins. Like my kids were cranky and overly tired one day. I was telling my sister this and she goes at least they all were cranky the same day. This made me laugh. And it gave me a different attitude towards them today. 

Our challenge is to encourage others throughout the day and be kind. You really don’t know what someone is going through. As moms, I feel like we need encouragement from each other. Even when things are good, we still need encouragement. How can I encourage you?

 Love from the Kitchen ????

Billie-Jo