Her arms swung around me, clutching my neck. Leaning in close, almost nose to nose she declared, “You’re the best mommy in the whole world!” My heart melted like it usually does when she makes such statements. What mom doesn’t love to hear her child declare such love?! I breathed a deep sigh and whispered, “Mom loves you sooooo much!” “Me love you too.” she hoarsely whispered back.

I have these exchanges quite often with my children. But this particular time, I had something else going on inside of me as my daughter was so boldly declaring her devotion. What she didn’t know is that deep down I wasn’t feeling like “the best mommy in the whole world”. This mom, thankful for her daughter’s words, felt like a mess. After a very stressful season in my life I had let the nagging voices of doubt fill my head and began to question whether or not I really was a good mom at all.

I was tired.

I was feeling worn out.

I was struggling to keep up and keep it all together.

Most days, as soon as I took the last sip of my morning coffee, I was longing for bedtime. I was fully aware that I needed to make a change.

That change would need to begin with ME.

John 3:30 is my life verse:

“He must become greater, I must become less.”

This verse God has woven throughout my life right from the very beginning of when I first became a Christian as a teenager. I knew that I needed to follow HIM, not myself. I need to walk by faith, and not by my feelings. I have had to stand firm and hold on steady to this verse because it is a daily battle to surrender my will to His. As a mom, it is no different now.

Owning your life has to be a daily, step-by-step surrender to the One who orders and owns your steps.

You see…we all have hard times in our lives. We all have extremely trying seasons that can last months, years or even a lifetime. Not one of us is immune from trials. But there is one thing that we can all do. We can choose how we will face the life we live each and every day. We can choose to own our life.

God has given us each a unique story and purpose to live out. As moms, a huge part of our stories are the lives that we pour into every single day at home. Will you live that story? Will you own it and glorify God through it? What kind of legacy will you leave?

We can’t leave a legacy if we don’t first live it out.

I live each day in awe of what God is doing, praying that He wouldn’t waste one ounce of my story, but use all of my life to glorify Him. I am His at home and wherever He calls me.

Friends will you join me in this adventure of owning your life? My dear friend and mentor Sally Clarkson has inspired me in such an immense way to hold fast and be strong, seeking God’s will and way each and every day. In the pages of her new book, Own Your Life, you will discover the wisdom that she has passed along to me and countless others. She is a living example of what it looks like to own your life for the glory of God and I would love nothing more for you than to learn from her.

We will be kicking off our brand new book club with Sally’s book on January 15th and I would love for you to join us! All of the info and sign up instructions are here.