40 days Gratitude Challenge

Hi friends! I've decided to dust off the blog and put it to good use. I'm so glad you're joining me in this gratitude challenge!

Our first day is tomorrow! Are you ready? I am! I'm praying that this will be such a life changing time in our lives. I think the Lord will move and stir up our hearts and we will be drawn to Him and see His workmanship in all things. 

We finished up our last day of school Thursday and had a celebratory day Friday. I feel like I have a weight lifted off of me and I'm free to spend time doing the stuff around my home I've fallen behind on, but what I'm most excited about is not having to rush through my time with God in the mornings. 

This challenge is something I really need right now. This last year has been hard for me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So taking 40 days to focus on me and my relationship with Jesus, and not having to feel that #momguilt will be ah-mazing! Well, let's be honest, I'll still feel that #momguilt, but maybe not as bad. Ha! 

I want you all to know that this challenge doesn't have to be profound. The things you write down everyday don't have to be these glorious huge things. They can simply just be gifts that you're thankful for. 

•Lord, thank you for the amazing dinner we had, and the ability to prepare it for my family. 

•Lord, thank you for a messy home, because there are children here, children you blessed me with. 

•Lord, thank you for the laughter that fills my home. 

•Lord, thank you for the birds chirping, because they make me think of you. 

Those are just a few. I'm quite sure that I'll see some things repeated in my book, and that's totally fine! That just means I'm really grateful for those things! 

Don't fret about things to write down. The Lord will lay them on your heart. I'm very excited to just be still and listen. 

I think we'll all be amazed at how quickly our notebooks fill up! 

You can leave a comment here or on my Instagram page and use the hashtag #summergratitudechallenge. I'm very excited to follow along in this journey with you! 

Instagram @erica.gorham

Periscope @ericagorham

See you there, friends, and have fun!

Give Yourself A Little Grace

Grace. I'm soaking in the sweetness of these 5 letters lately....

I had a blog post typed up for you, and then life happened and the post changed direction. We are in the last five weeks of homeschool and can I just say how READY I AM for summer?!!! R.E.A.D.Y. 

Sometimes life can just make you feel a little stretched and frazzled. Anybody else feel a little stretched thin sometimes? I spent my weekend filling up my tank, because it's been low. Way low. I'm refreshed and rejuvenated since I took some time to really invest in me and fill my soul. 

The words Grace have meant so much to me lately that I decided to hang the letters on my wall where I can see it from every angle in my living room/kitchen area. They are a sweet reminder that on the hard days, the days where I may feel like my bad moments make a bad mama, I have this sweetness of Grace covering me. 

I don't have to be perfect all the time and have everything together. I'm being humbled and learning that sometimes it's really okay to hit that roadblock and not know which direction I'm supposed to turn. I'm learning to be still and listen. 

I just want to encourage you today that bad moments don't make bad mamas/wives/girlfriends/friends, etc. We all need to allow ourselves Grace, and the opportunity to grow. I don't know about you, but I haven't done much growing when I think I already know everything. I like to know that I'm not alone in the beautiful chaos of this life. That things don't have to be "perfect" all the time and we can still be happy! 

I know some of you may not have children, but I'm sure you've still got a plate full with this crazy thing we call LIFE! When we reach that place where we say, "Whoa...what's happening here?"  It's okay to step back and give yourself Grace and Be Still.  

Have a wonderful week, friends. We have so much to be thankful for. Let us strive for less perfection and a lot more love and kindness. Give yourself the Grace you deserve and not feel guilty for not being "perfect", whatever that is.  

Until Next time, 

Erica  

Living With Intention

A couple weeks ago I felt God give me a little nudge and a thought for a potential name change for my social media identity. I guess what I have now is too boring? ;) 

I feel there have been so many changes that I've made in my personal growth in these last few months, that maybe it is time for a name change. 

6 1/2 years ago I became a mother and thought I would be able to remember all of the memories we created. Fast forward to now and I can't even remember last week. I remember the big things, but not the little things that make up our days. Those little things is what makes up my life. 

The new words that the twins have learned how to read. How M got over her fear of riding her bike, how C is saying a new word everyday. How T taught herself how to shoot hoops. I want to remember them. This is now. 

Staying home and raising 3 kids all while homeschooling is no easy feat. God doesn't give twins to be parented by the fainthearted, much less homeschool them--together. While I'm not a single parent, I'm still the one doing 80% of the parenting around here, since I'm the one with them 24/7. It just comes with the territory. I'm totally okay with that, because this is what I've been led to do...but somedays we are in the trenches. Deep. I'm not going to hide it. What's the point? Why would I want to give the perception life is peachy keen and my house is always perfect? Uh. Not hardly. 

We still have days where I count it a success that all three kids are still alive when I shut their door at night. Can I get an Amen? 

There is more to this everyday life than just making it through the day-and sometimes trenches. There is purpose. There is purpose in the good, bad, and the ugly. There is purpose in the trenches. There is a bigger picture. There is growth to be had. 

I want to live my days with intention. I want to go to bed at night and know that even in the midst of the good, and the bad days, I did my best. I have been called to do extraordinary things. I want to be intentional with what God has given me, and I want to remember the moments. All of them. 

I want to spend my days more focused on my daughters' hearts than whether or not the dishes are put away. I want to feed their interests, and their self esteem. I want to grow with them. Everyday we have the opportunity to grow and change. I don't want to stay the same. I want to be an intentional mother. Focus on the now, today. This is it. 

This is a process. I can't just make it happen overnight. I wish I could, but that's not the way life works. I know we're still going to have good and bad days because that's life, and it's a beautiful messy life that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I decided that I needed to document my days so I can reflect back upon them later. 

I ordered this cute little Mom's One Line A Day memory book from amazon. I can jot down a quick line before bed about the most memorable and most important moment of the day. I really like that it doesn't need to be much. Short and sweet, just how I like it. 

The next two things are a planner and a journal. My intentions for the planner is to write down the scripture I read that day that spoke to me the most. It's already dated, so I will be more eager to pick it up and write a quick note. The journal is just for anything else I need to write about. I'm TERRIBLE at journaling, but I have hopes that these two tools will help me to stay on course. 

Back to the name change idea....

I've been a little skeptical of the name that was put in my head. I wasn't sure it made a lot of sense. I've thought a lot about it these last couple weeks, and the more I think about it, the more I think it seems fitting at this point in my life. 

          Intentional Erica 

Give me some feedback....what do you think? 

I would also really love to know if you journal and what you use. Anything specific to make it more fun? 

Until next time..XO 

Erica