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Simply Bloom Co.

Where Passion & Purpose Collide

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Stream of Consciousness

Today was a toughie.  Definite crazy cycle going on between Cricket and I.  Both ended up in tears.  Twice.  Was not pretty.  Most definitely not one of my finest parenting days {by a long shot}.

Comedy of errors in getting together with a new friend I just met…running behind, gas light on {country life does not provide us many gas stops…had to drive in opposite direction to fill up…making us even later}, reached for phone…discovered phone was {Lord knows where} at home, GPS was having an ‘off’ day, got lost in Midland, and finally arrived so late at designated spot that other mom & crew had already left.  With no way of contacting her.  Fabulous first impression.

Splash pad was fun.  Ice cream was messy.  Park was dismal failure {due to some serious impatience on my part}.  Morning #1 of hubby’s new schedule – which involves him working from 10pm to 6am, and then sleeping in the morning while I attempt to enable said sleep by evacuating {or implementing the use of duct tape} – an exhausting endeavor.  No likey new shifty.  Shifty shift.  Blah.

Cried to husband about daughter’s behavior.  Cried harder to husband over mother’s behavior in response to daughter’s behavior.  Not sure which distresses me more: her {seeming} delight in constantly pushing the boundaries, or my complete inability to keep it together and not display this ugly side of me I didn’t realize existed.  Scary stuff.  Desperate for change in this area.

Planned trip to Lansing to run some errands tomorrow, while hitting up my besties in the process.  Ridiculously excited to see their beautiful faces and soak up their delightfulness.  I’m so blessed by the women in my life.  Their walk is such an inspiration to me.  Their transparent sojourn through the rocky terrain of parenthood and the constantly evolving adventures of wife-dom, serve as sweet reminders that I’m not alone in my journey.  Their love for Jesus woos me into a deeper awe for the God we serve.  Their sweet, faithful love for me is part of the reason I can bloom where I’m planted…poop and all.  And their constant {and lavish} encouragement is one of the reasons I blog my little heart out when sleep beckons me sweetly.

Speaking of these phenomenal women…check out this stinkin’ adorable bag one of my lovelies made for me for my birthday:

  PKD Bag 006PKD Bag 004

Recognize what she created {printed/enlarged/traced/cut/stitched} on the back…?

Ooh, ooh, ooh…pick me!  It’s a Pink Kangaroo!

Yup, she’s brilliant. 

Does that mean I’m smarter just because I surround myself with such brilliance?

I digress.

Nap time ended {sniff, sniff} and we plundered the garden to sauté up the delicious veggie smorgasbord below: sporting sugar-snap peas, zucchini, peppers and basil from our garden.  Complete and utter {healthy} scrumptiousness!

Dinner 001 Hubby manned the grill, and we cooked up one heck of a meal.  One of the redeeming aspects of this shift: he’s home for dinner each night.  Which does unfortunately mean that I no longer get away with swinging omelets for dinner every night.  Come on now…they were tasty and nutritious.  Albeit a tad boring after a while.

Took the kiddos to the beach in our back yard {the campground behind “our” house has welcomed us to use their 2 acre lake anytime…’tis glorious!} while my hubby caught some final z’s before work.

All in all, a good tough day – doesn’t every day, in essence, have a purpose…even if it is to stretch, refine and reveal?

Good thing I get to try again tomorrow.

Praying for the gumption to kick-start the day with an energizing cycle and put an end to the poopy ‘tude that’s been lingering around here for the past couple days. 

Bring it on, Thursday!

Related posts:

  1. Stream of Consciousness
  2. Shortcake is on the Line
  3. Coming Up For Air
  4. Monkey See, Monkey Do
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Keepin' it Real, Motherhood

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Simply Bloom exists to empower women to embrace their stories, live out their passion with purpose, and leave a legacy of love.
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Hello there! I'm Joy. Speaker, designer, author & coach, and creator of the #weROARproject. Welcome to Simply Bloom Co., where passion & purpose collide.

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Worship and lament were never meant to cancel each Worship and lament were never meant to cancel each other out.
They can — and often do — live side by side.
And the kind of worship that rises in the midst of pain
is a costly, sacred offering God treasures.

#WorshipInTheWaiting #OhGoodGriefPodcast
Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine, it’s r Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine,
it’s remembering who God is, even when it isn’t.
It rarely changes our circumstances,
but it always changes our perspective.

What could shift in you
if you praised God for even one thing
you’ve been tempted to complain about?

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Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hop Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hope we have left.

🎙️ Episode 3 of Oh, Good Grief | The Podcast is live.

In this week’s episode, The Sound of Surrender, we’re talking about what happens when we worship through the wilderness, and the way gratitude reshapes our view of God, of ourselves, and of the desert we’re walking through.

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God is never careless with the pruning knife. If H God is never careless with the pruning knife.
If He allows something to fall away, we can trust His heart,
that it is ultimately for our good,
and for His glory.

#AllisGrace #OhGoodGriefPodcast
Sometimes God prunes what is still alive. Not beca Sometimes God prunes what is still alive.
Not because He is cruel, but because He is kind.

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Trust His heart for you in the pruning. 🌱
He cuts with purpose, and always with love.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered fo I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered for 2023. Held. I thought it might reopen old ache. Instead, it reminded me of the deeper song beneath our hardest seasons: even in the unraveling, we were held.

And as a new year unfolds, that truth feels like a steadying hand.

Here’s to beginnings that hum with mercy...
sunrises, blankets of white snow,
seasons turning quietly toward hope. 

Dream bravely.
Plan loosely.
Take the next small step.
Try again.

Be tender with yourself.
Honor the slow work of becoming.
And step into this year knowing—
you are held.
As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember th As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember this:
God doesn’t prune to prove a point;
He prunes to produce fruit.

Trust the precision and the heart
of the Master Gardener.

What felt like loss this past year
may have been His clearing away of the old
to make room for the new.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
For the person who doesn’t love journaling but doe For the person who doesn’t love journaling but does love growth…the R•EVOLVE Journal was created to make the practice simple, sustainable, and meaningful.

Five lines a day - small enough to fit into real life, yet rich enough to capture the joys, struggles, prayers, answered prayers, and all the quiet in-between spaces.

Some seasons change us so subtly we miss the beauty of what’s unfolding. This little rhythm helps you notice it, and hold it.

All seven cover designs are available on Amazon or in the Simply Bloom Co. shop
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If you live in Central Michigan, I'm happy to connect with you and get one into your hands so you can start journaling sooner.
Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive. Not becau Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive.
Not because He’s cruel — because He’s kind.

🍃 Episode 003 of OGG is live: Making the Cut | When Love Looks Like Loss.

We’re talking about the difference between punishment and pruning, and how the wilderness can be proof of love.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
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