{we Encourage:Motherhood}

{linking up with Jaime @ Call Me Blessed}

Motherhood is a gift.  I truly love being a Momma and couldn't ask for a better job.  However,
"...from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." {Luke 12:48} So a  lot of days motherhood is just plain hard. Days that feel like they can swallow you whole.  On those days I try my best to press into the Father's word, maybe a girlfriend's shoulder, and sometimes beautiful bits of wisdom pour out of the hearts of the inspiring Mothers I journey with in this blogging community.  Here are some words that have been speaking to me lately.  I hope these womens hearts encourage your Momma heart!  If you have written a post you would like to share, know of an inspiring post, a book that helped you triumph in this area or a scripture that keeps your focus grounded in Him I would LOVE to hear it.

This post  from Grace Laced is rich in truth.

Emerging Motherhood's, Practices of Motherhood

 

Ann's poetic words challenge me always.

My friend, Kat's journey to motherhood is powerful!  One of my favorite posts is here, but really her blog is pretty amazing, devoted to being the Mother God has called each of us to be.

Danielle, this girl is amazing, her heart is simply beautiful. She wrote this post, and it resonated with me to the core.

{Happy Sunday}

Beautifully designed by Stephanie Ackerman at Homegrown Hospitality

{we Encourage}

Read more encouragement here

This face is the face of encouragement.  

If she isn't familiar to you, her name is Rachel and she lives in Heaven.

This sweet girl gave her 9th birthday to Charity Water in the hopes to raise $300 for clean drinking water.  Shortly after her birthday and just shy of her goal she died in a car accident. News of her death and her special birthday wish propelled others to see the faith this sweet girl had to help others.  Her account surpassed any fundraiser Charity Water has had to date.  Tonight it is climbing steadily to over 1.2 Million Dollars. Her original goal to reach 15 people or 3 families with her $300 goal is now set to serve over 60,000 people. 

This precious girl who so briefly graced this Earth has the potential to reach more people in nine years than all the people I know combined. My husband made the comment that it is sad that it took her death to bring people together for others.  While I agree, I think the unique thing about Rachel is that she is the example of what God meant:

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."

1 Corinthians 13:11

More than water, let Rachel's legacy spur you on to listen to that still small voice and follow your child like dreams. What a world we could live in if we were all a little more like Rachel.

{Life Made Lovely}

I'm a big girl, that's not news to most of you.  I haven't always been overweight, but as the babies came so did the pounds.  And as the babies grew, so did Momma.  Not exactly the plan, but soon it was effecting my health and not at all manageable. I have an amazing husband who loves me and has never made me feel less than beautiful, but when he suggested the Paleo Diet...I knew it was time.  Researching it we found it would actually help me with my Multiple Sclerosis too. That is what you call win win folks. 

We spent the weekend ramping up, by eating or tossing the food on the no no list. Picking me out a sweet new set of wheels and rocking helmet to match for some family style exercise.  Stocking up on fruits and nuts, and portioning out our approved snackage.  Making sure all our vitamins were well stocked.  Replacing the batteries in the food scale.  Weighing ourselves for a starting weigh in.  Locating a food diary and prayer, prayer, and some more prayer.  Did I mention prayer?

Funny enough today was a breeze on the diet front.  No caffeine withdrawal headaches yet, although I did allow myself a cup of tea with 2 teaspoons of raw sugar.  And that pic in the right corner was my monster lunch that was super delicious and filling...that one shocked me! {I cheated a little with the veggies, so the fresh produce we had on hand wouldn't go to waste.} Randy was super cute, calling frequently to check up on me and encourage me. I am super proud of us. I am CRAZY proud of myself!  The closest I have ever been to dieting is fasting and I am no champion of that feat either.

I may not be sharing stats and Biggest Loser photo ops, but I will be sure to keep you in the loop of my success...because I WILL succeed!

Remembering this verse to carry me through it:

"Do you not know that your body is the temple the very sanctuary of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received as a Gift from God? You are not your own, 

You were bought with a price purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own. 

So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Amplified

 I'm also sharing a pretty vulnerable post here, on why my kiddos told me I cuss more.  Yeah not my finest moment, but that truth is leading me to Jesus and that is exactly where I want to be.
{100 pounds lighter no less!}

Linking Up:

{Happy Sunday}

This verse was inspired by my friend Hannah's post and some sin God is bringing to light in my life.  I'll be sharing some more tomorrow as a guest poster on my friend Jana's blog.

Hannah also shared this song recently and it has resonated with my heart, I hope it blesses you and motivates you this week.

{Life Made Lovely}

New post here

{Happy Birthday Bella!}

New post here

{Happy Birthday Bella!}

I cannot explain the joy it is to be this girl's mother.  She challenges me in ways that I could never fathom.  She loves passionately and gives freely.  She has a permanent twinkle in her eye and grin on her face.  She is a beauty to behold.

Ten years ago I stared down at her willing my face to show the love in my heart.  I'm a bit of an impatient one and knew months before that she would be a precious baby girl, but when her big brown eyes gazed back at me I was overwhelmed that she was...just as more perfect than I imagined.

I love that our family cherishes her.  

I love that she is a mini me, the constant mother, the rough and tumble girl her Daddy always hoped for.

I love that it was her big brother who led her in the Salvation Prayer at four and her Daddy who baptized her.

I love that she is content to be herself, secure, content, grounded in the Holy Spirit.

I often tell her

{source}

...of course instead of person, I tell her she is my favorite daughter.  She giggles and tells me she's my only one and I nuzzle her nose and tell her she's still my favorite.

This is one of Bella's very favorite songs and I love it's message!

Happy happy birthday Bella Boo, we love you so very much!

{Life Made Lovely}

This season has been a journey.  Aren't they all.  I feel that lie creeping in where I'm convinced I have lost my identity in the mundane.  But the truth is that the mundane is the everyday and the everyday is important.  I was so excited to be able to stay home when we chose to homeschool.  The only problem is I have been trying to create this happy little existence of what I think I want.  When I realized I was already living my happy little existence and sometimes it's many hours in the kitchen.

And in the kitchen I find...

a collection of lovelies to remind me to be thankful,

multiple aprons to spill flour with sweet faces,

a fun framed print from Target (less than $2...be jealous!),

and sweet words I 'borrowed' from Meg to motivate our hearts. 

I have a lot of growing to embrace and I'm ready.

Linking Up:

{Happy Sunday}

{ Check out an update on the blog here. }

{'da blog biggity is a wee broke..}

Hi lovelies!  First off thank you for sticking around
while I have been in a year long writing crunch.  

Second, some cha cha changes have been
unveiled and with it some issues have unraveled.  Opps.

My amazingly talented lovely friend Heather from Life Made Lovely 

unleashed her mad talent on my blog and shop!  

{my ADORABLE shop banner!}

She actually gave the blog a beautiful face-lift a few months ago and then recently did some adjustments to help me create a more cohesive look and brand for my shop and blog.  To do that we changed the name of the blog to Ragamuffin Beauties and I switched the url too.  Heather also added a rad landing page to make me look all
{insert slang dilect here} snazzy and pro-FRESH-ional!  Woot!

In changing the blog name and domain some minor hiccups presented itself and it appears you are probably not receiving my posts...or rather the ONE I've posted since the switch-a-roo. So if you followed www.carlisleclanconversation.com, I beg you to take a field trip over to www.ragamuffinbeauties.blogspot.com

and join in the soon to be more frequent yet just as random fun!

In fact...I'd love it if you would like my FB page, follow me on "The Twitter", 

and pin with me at my new fun addiction Pinterest! 

{and in case you want to...I'm jennilynncar on Instagram too}

And while we're at it  let me introduce to the stranger avatar that has been proclaiming to be your friend in your comment section...

Adorable right?  Although it looks slightly different than my former avatar, 

I thought it was a much better choice than this...

It's sexy, I know although a bit alarming.  Either way, just thought I'd let you know it's me, I'm still here in my technically challenged corner of the web-i-verse.
So what 'cha waiting for...go follow me here:

www.ragamuffinbeauties.blogspot.com

You know you wanna!

You can reach me at my snazzy email addy too: jenni@ragamuffinbeauties.com, give me a shout yo!

{Happy Sunday}