We've all heard the saying, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". But, if you are like me, you like lemons. So someone giving me a lemon would be a good thing. But what about tomatoes? What if life throws tomatoes at you? I really don't know anyone who likes that, even if you do like tomatoes!
There are times in life when bad things keep coming our way and it becomes too much to handle. But if we can learn to see the positive in the mess of it all, then it's not so bad. So, when life throws tomatoes at you, make soup! How many amazing soup recipes are out there that use some form of tomato?
- Enchilada Soup
- Taco Soup
- Chili
- Stew
- Tomato Soup
You can also make tomato paste for yummy things like pizza sauce. You can make tomato sauce for yummy home made spaghetti sauce. The possibilities really are endless!
Just think of all the amazing things that can come of one "bad" thing. There's always a silver lining. Something good can come of everything in life, sometimes we just have to look a little harder to find it.
So, when life throws tomatoes at you, make soup! Don't let it get you down. Make a good thing out of the bad. There are too many things in life that can bring us down. Make it your mission to always find the good in life. You may find yourself amazed at how good life really can be, even when nothing seems to go your way.
Remember that God always has a better plan. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was finally getting things all figured out, then there was a curveball (or tomato)...then another and another. It's times like that that I have to step back and try to see the bigger picture. I have to realize that there's more to those tomatoes than just a juicy fruit that stains and leaves messes behind. It's about learning to navigate and choosing to see the best that can come of the situation.
No, it's not always easy. Sometimes it's flat out hard and, if I'm honest, I just don't want to see the good at times. It's so much easier to focus on the bad. Last year held so many rocky moments (for pretty much everyone). It would have been easy to just give up. But instead I chose to look for the good. To see what can be made of all those tomatoes. And you know what? I feel like my family is in a good place. No, things aren't perfect. But where we are now is just another stepping stone to where we are heading. And that's what really matters.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
I've never been one to make new year's resolutions. In my experience, once January is over the new goal seems to be over with it. However, last year I decided to try a word for the year. Honestly, I forgot that I even did that. I remembered it when I was working on my word for this year...then I realized that the word I chose for 2021 was always in my head...all year long. So, I still call it a win.
This year I was introduced to a 5-day exercise to help me determine my word (you can find it here). I had a general idea in mind, but going through the process helped solidify my word. Nurture. Once I saw this word, I knew it was the right one to focus on for the year. Why? Because 2021 brought so much change to me and my family. I feel like now is the time to nurture. Nurture myself and my emotions, nurture my family as they navigate new territories with jobs and growing up, nurture other moms to help them find balance among the chaos of daily life.
I also came away with 2 supporting words: Calm and Happy. My goal is to not only have a calm and happy household for myself, but to share some tips and tools with other moms so that they, too, can have a calm and happy household.
I'm feeling pretty good about my word and supporting words for this year. They will help me to remember my purpose, my goals. Last year seemed like a year of uncertainties and changes. We graduated our oldest from high school. He finished up Vo-Tech and started a new job to help him reach his goals. My husband had to find new work, which lead to us moving from one house to another. Our daughter started her first job and also made a switch to a new job. And our youngest started helping a friend out on her farm. That left me wrestling with the question of "who am I once my kids are all gone?" I'll be the first to tell you that this wasn't where I wanted my thoughts to go. However, it is a new stage of life that I knew I had to meet straight on and not let it get the best of me.
Nurture, Calm, Happy. Yes, that is my goal, my word(s) for this coming year.
Do you have a word for the year? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it.
Here's to a wonderful new year!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
This year has been a year of change for my family. I'm not big on new year's resolutions, so this year I thought I'd choose a word. To be honest, I totally forgot I had done that until I was looking things over and deciding on a word for 2022. But, I also realized that the word I chose for 2021 was always on my mind. The word was "balance". Wow...did I achieve it? Well, that's all a matter of opinion. What I do know is that I was working towards finding more balance in my life and I did...almost...just not without a bit of extra chaos along the way.
We found out in August that the time had come for us to make another move. This move, by far, was one of the hardest moves yet. For one, the house we were living in was the house I had lived in the longest...ever. We had been there for just under 9 years. The record before that was 6 (and that was before I was married). Always before we just followed the next job. This time, we decided to stay put...well, at least in the same town. We still had to move to a different house since the other one was a parsonage.
We did things the hard way. Since my husband has been a full time pulpit minister for the past 13 years, getting back into the secular world wasn't easy. So why did we choose this route? Because of our kids. We now have 3 teens. Our oldest just graduated last May (another "new" for our family this year) and was still attending the area Vo-Tech. Our younger 2 and I are still a part of an active (and amazing!) co-op group for homeschool. We have several friends in the area that we just weren't ready to let go of.
On top of it all, I have also been working on truly launching my coaching programs. My goal is to help as many moms as I can by helping them rediscover who they are meant to be. This better allows them to follow the path God has for them and helps them present their best self to their family and all those around them. It truly is a win-win for everyone!
These changes weren't easy, they weren't what we had planned. But God always has a better plan in mind and if we let him, he will guide us and we will be so much happier! So, while this year has seen its fair share of ups and downs, job changes and financial changes, me needing to find a new version of what "balance" means for me right smack in the middle of the year, it has been a year of good changes. Though it wasn't what we had in mind, it has lead us where we need to go.
All in all, I'd say that the whole year was bringing me to a better balance...mission accomplished! I can't wait to see what the coming year has for us.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
It's been a LONG time in the making, over 20 years! In high school I became interested in psychology. I took all the psychology and sociology classes I could. In college my major was in psychology. I soaked it all in, yet felt there was more to it. I didn't want to just "fix" people's problems, I wanted to truly help them learn to help themselves.
Though I never finished my degree in psychology (I married my knight in shining armor instead), the desire to truly help others never left me. I became a mom and was blessed to be able to stay home with my kids as we raised them. We then chose to homeschool (after they had been in public school for a few years) so that took some of my "free" time and I continued my role as a wife and mom, caring for my family. Now, as the kids are getting older and are all teenagers (one has now graduated high school!) I find that I have a little more time on my hands again. So, I decided to go back to my passion of helping others. However, it looked a bit different this time.
Back in 2018 I was introduced to something called the Aroma Freedom Technique. It was developed by a psychologist and is quite powerful in helping others overcome mindsets that are holding them back. (You can read more about it here.) I was certified in this technique and have loved seeing it transform the lives of others for the better. I realized the power in helping others develop a better mindset.
I then decided to continue my education and have taken several courses for becoming a life coach. I have grown so much during this time and have truly enjoyed working with others moms as they transform their lives. I just recently completed a master life coach certification and am ready to help as many moms as I can. My goal is to help them reclaim their happiness, define their purpose, and help them discover ways they can be who God truly intended them to be, not just for their families, but for themselves! It's an amazing process to watch and I always feel enriched after each session. THIS is what I love doing!
No, I'm not a psychologist, but I AM a life coach. (More on the difference between the two in another post).
If you are a mom who finds herself struggling to find peace and balance around the home, and who has feels you have lost your true identity, I'd love to help!
I'd also like to invite you to my free group where we encourage each other in the day-to-day. You can find it here.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
As mentioned in some of my other blog posts, I am a Certified Aroma Freedom Practitioner. This process has worked wonders on my emotions, as well as many other people I have had the privilege to share the process with.
What is the Aroma Freedom Technique?
What exactly is the Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT)? It is a step-by-step process that uses the power of scent to gently shift your awareness away from being negative to positive. It does this by replacing those thoughts and memories with a new positive outlook and attitude. This results in greater confidence in yourself. When negative mindsets are no longer holding you back, you are free to create the life you desire.
Why am I qualified to help?
The Aroma Freedom Technique, coupled with my training as a Life Coach, has given me a powerful tool that is often used to help others move past blocks that are standing in the way of reaching their goals and dreams. Once the blocks are removed, they can more confidently move forward and achieve their dreams.
There are several branches that fall under Aroma Freedom. I'll go over a brief description of them here:
- Aroma Reset is used for a current stressful situation to help you clear the stress and move forward.
- Aroma Boost is used after clearing a current situation (as in the Aroma Reset) to help you move forward by creating a new vision. This moves you from the present into the future.
- Aroma Clear is used when an Aroma Reset brings up past memories that you need to deal with in order to move forward.
- TMRT (The Memory Resolution Technique) is used when you know there is a specific memory/situation from the past that needs to be dealt with before you can move forward.
- Aroma Freedom is used when you have a goal in mind that you want to reach. You start from where you are currently and look forward to the future.
The Aroma Freedom Technique is something that everyone can benefit from. I offer a variety of sessions, along with my coaching programs. If you are interested, please schedule a FREE 15 minute consult session here.
If you are a mom who finds herself struggling to find peace and balance around the home, and who has feels you have lost your true identity, I'd love to help!
I'd also like to invite you to my free group where we encourage each other in the day-to-day. You can find it here.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
