I love to write. I didn’t discover my love for writing until about 10 ears ago when I was desperately looking for some way to release all the feelings and emotions that I was carrying inside. I very quickly discovered the beautiful healing and the peace that can come from putting my thoughts and feelings down on paper. Then, through my writing, something happened. I started to see the world differently. Everywhere I turned there was a story, a moment to capture, a tender mercy, and miracles. I began to see God’s hand in everything. Every tear, every moment of laughter, every head turned downward, every tragedy, trial, milestone, achievement, everything. Over the last few years, I have lost that sight. I have allowed my busy life to blind me from those precious moments. Slowly, feelings of not being adequate for the tasks at hand, feelings of not being ENOUGH, have crept into every crevice of my heart.

As I have allowed myself to believe these feelings had to be true, I felt JOY sucked from my heart and from my home. I long to have it back. I have decided that now is the time in my life for me to begin my journey for JOY. I deserve to be happy. I want to rejoice in the precious, timeless moments that my Heavenly Father has given me with my family, and I want to believe that I AM ENOUGH FOR JOY. I am enough of a mom, enough of a wife, enough of a friend, a leader, a sister, enough of a woman to have Joy in my heart every second of every day. I AM ENOUGH. Join me on my JOURNEY FOR JOY.


Monday, January 6, 2014

Basketball Boys - January 6, 2014

I couldn't help but smile as I stood in the kitchen and listened to the laughter down the hall. The last few weeks I have found myself very low on patience, easily annoyed and frustrated and always tired. When mom is off, everyone is off. As a result, laughter is a sound that has not been heard in our home as much as it used to be. I realized tonight, standing in front of the stove, that I miss that sound.

I listened with eagerness and longing.  Parker had taken Canyon into his room at the end of the hallway and I could hear balls being thrown at the basketball hoop in the corner.  Parker would cheer him on and encourage him. Canyon would giggle when the ball would fall on his brother below. My heart was so warmed by what I heard that I stopped what I was doing, grabbed the camera and quietly made my way down the hallway to capture this moment.



As I carefully stuck my head around the corner, my smile returned as I watched this interaction between brothers.  Parker hadn't been asked to entertain his brother. He wanted to be in this moment. He created this moment. Canyon craves this kind of time with his siblings. It melted me standing there watching them create a memory.  I snapped a few pictures and returned to the kitchen.


I continued on with the task of getting dinner ready for family, but something was different. My whole being felt lighter. I felt joy.  I realized that I need to allow more of these moments to distract me. I need to not only provide my children with opportunities to laugh and create memories, but I need to be humble enough, patient enough, loving enough to recognize these moments when they come.  They will grow so quickly and then I will find myself standing in the kitchen with empty hallways and empty rooms. All that I will have then, is the sound of memories captured in my mind and heart.

I want to capture every moment. I am grateful for Parker. Tonight, he reminded me that sometimes you just need to let things go in order to make room for joy and laughter. I am grateful for Canyon and the innocence and sweet spirit that he brings into our home.

Tonight,  I am grateful for the lingering sound of laughter, echoing down my halls.

Love, Juli


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)