03/19/2017

What is Stopping YOU from Pursuing Your Purpose?

(Posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.)

My kids and I ventured out of the house last week to attend a play. The play was performed by a local group of teens from a Christian Theater Group. We know several of the students in the play and I thought it would be fun to come out and support them.

As I sat in my seat, I started thinking about how many lines some of them had to perform. Some of them had full paragraphs to memorize along with songs. Some had one or two lines. Still others didn’t say a word but their presence on stage was noted during important scenes.

I started to contemplate how, when you are in a play, you all have to work together. From the smallest part to the largest – you are part of a team.

You are one of many that when working together you are helping each other in fulfilling your purpose. The purpose is to complete the play and spread the message or the moral of the story.

I started pondering how we each, in our lives, have roles we fill and parts we play. We each are gifted with specific talents. And those of us who are believers, we are each called, in many different ways, to be the hands of feet of Jesus.

“Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

I think about the way God has made each of us unique. Each one of my kids are different from one another, each equipped with their very own personality, their very own likes and dislikes, and their very own talents. Not one is as exactly as the other. That is how it is with each of us.

I have a sister who is a fantastic songwriter but hasn’t truly pursued it in any formal way for a multitude of reasons. I believe her gift for song writing comes directly from the Lord. The way she can string the most beautiful lyrics with the piano line and deliver a truth about God and his Word is absolutely amazing.

Sometimes, though, we don’t use our talents and our gifts in the way God intends. If he gives you something to do or something to say you need to pursue it.

I’ve often wondered what stops us when we have such a huge talent – what gets in the way. I believe the enemy wants us to be ineffective in using our gifts. He wants us to not pursue that which God has blessed us with.

What stops us from pursuing our purpose?

Sometimes it is fear. Thoughts run through our mind like: What if I’m no good? What if people make fun of me? What if I get hurt. You might be just plain scared.

Maybe it’s negative thinking. No one believes in me. I won’t be good enough.

Other times we need to fight off pride. I’m too good to be doing that. What will people think?

What if it is the appearance of sin that stops us from fulfilling our purpose. Someone might think I think I’m better than anyone. I should be more humble and not use my gift.

What if it your problem is disorganization? Let me tell you, that has been a big problem for me. I’m so busy that I’ll put it off until tomorrow. And then I never get around to it.

Maybe you are just so busy you can’t make time for anything but the things that are right in front of you.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

The play ended with the cast sharing the good news of Jesus. Tears ran down my face as I saw 20 some teens sharing the love and forgiveness of Christ with the audience through song. They each played their parts to the best of their ability so that the message of God’s love would shine through.

your purpose

What would have happened if some of them were so worried about what people would think of them that they refused to go out on stage?

What would have happened if some of them were too afraid to say their lines? Or to say them with passion? The message might have gotten lost.

The audience would have been distracted from knowing the truth about God. It’s possible that the leader of this theatre group would put another actor in to cover their part. Because, after all, the show must go on.

I’ve been contemplating how I live my life… how I think about who I am. I am a mom to seven little blessings. I am a writer. I love to sing. I enjoy art.

But what is my purpose? The older I get, this weighs on me more and more.

I know that during this time I need to put most of my energy and time into teaching and raising our children. I know that even if that is my only job, that is enough for me.

That is an important role to play. However, there might be more that God has in store for me. I don’t often talk about this, but my passion and hope (which stretches all the way back to my childhood) is to write a book. Will I ever do that? I have no idea.

Has God given you a gift that you’ve buried in the sand?

Do you let your fears get in the way of your dreams or your callings? Do you ever wonder what your purpose is?

I believe we ALL have a part to play. Some will be to minister to those around us: like our families, our church body and people in our community. Others will have a bigger circle of influence.

No matter what your calling and purpose is, I want to share with you a FREE Webinar that is happening on Thursday, March 23rd.

During this webinar you will learn:

How to declutter your schedule and make time for what matters most (your family, your friends, joy and the dreams you’ve left on the back burner for years!)

The secret of letting go of guilt so you can actually enjoy taking time for yourself… even if you’re “crazy busy!”

How to spend way less time on household tasks like shopping, laundry and cleaning so you can have way more time for what you love to do.

Why most women get stuck in mundane household routines that cause them to lose sight of passions, hobbies and date night. Instead, you’ll learn how to always focus on the big picture and your values…

How to get more organized and feel less overwhelmed through a proven, flexible time management system that you’ll actually STICK WITH long term (really!)

Getting your spouse and kids to do more at home so your household runs more smoothly and you feel more in control and way less stressed.

03/18/2017

Common Labor Induction Methods + What to Ask Your Doctor

Common Labor Induction Methods

& What to Ask Your Doctor

(I’m not a medical doctor. The info I share here is just personal opinion and experience. Please, always consult your doctor.)

I always dreamed of labor being like it is in the movies. My water would break with a sudden gush and then I would yell, “It’s time,” to hubby. Yea — it never once went like that. I’ve had seven births and five, yes, five of them have been inductions! Even my two spontaneous births didn’t quite go like that, though, either.

Last year I shared that there are times when it is time to induce labor. I left off without sharing the common induction methods that are used in most hospitals. I know how scary it can be to face an induction. Especially if this is your first birth – or first induction. You need to arm yourself with knowledge, prepare yourself, and ask questions.

Even though, there are no easy answers and there are no guarantees, if you arm yourself with information you might just succeed in getting that birth you’ve been hoping for.

Having an induction doesn’t mean a horrible and overly painful experience. Know what your options are.

What is your Bishop Score?

First and foremost learn what your Bishop Score is. A Bishop Score is an assessment of how easy it will be to send your body into labor.

It takes into account your cervical dilation, effacement, and what station your baby is positioned in and some doctors used a modified version which adds points for how many previous children you’ve had vaginally. Here is an easy calculator to use when trying to figure this out for yourself: click here.

If you don’t know what your dilation, effacement, station, position and the other info – please don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or midwife.

Once you know that, you will know whether or not your cervix is favorable for an induction. With an unfavorable cervix, your induction is not likely to take without some sort of ripening agent.

As far as cervical ripening, there are a few different choices in this category. Each of these has some risk to both the mother and baby. I have not gone in to or listed all of the risks here. There are numerous articles in which to find this information.

I’m only going into what it will be like during the labor and a few of the more major risks for each item. Please remember to consult with your own doctor because I am not a doctor. This is just my personal opinion and information that I’ve obtained from reading and from my own births.

Common Labor Induction Methods

Prostaglandin Gel

1. My favorite that I’ve used is a cervical prostaglandin gel. Prostaglandins are what your body makes by itself to send you into labor.

This method seems quite easy to me. The doctor or midwife inserts the gel into your cervical area. You rest in the hospital bed for a certain length of time while being monitored (usually 30 minutes) and then you are free to move around.

I’ve used this method twice. I was able to use the birthing ball, to walk the halls, to use the shower or tub and to move around freely without the use of IVs and cords hooked up to me. They periodically monitored the baby’s heart rate and the contractions.

With my first gel induction, labor was a total of 9 hours from start to finish. My second gel induction was a total of 3.5 hours from 1cm to baby. They were beautiful and easy births and I love that there was not continuous monitoring or dealing with cords and IVs.

Cervidil

2. Cervidil – This is a small tab that it is inserted vaginally and it has a small cord attached. The tab can be removed at anytime. You must lie down for 2 hours and be monitored continuously while on this medication. It can be removed at anytime and left in for up to 12 hours.

Many times this is used prior to the pitocin starting. When I had my 3rd child I was given Cervidil at night and left to be monitored all night. I went from 1cm to 2cm over night and then the tab was removed and pitocin drip was started. It was a much slower process than the gel was for me but I do not know if others have the same results.

When I was pregnant last year I found out that Cervidil doesn’t appear to be a choice to women who have had 6 or more previous full term pregnancies. Last time, that was me. I was having baby #7. Thankfully, I didn’t need that drug at all so it was a non-issue. Please check with your doctor.

Cytotec

3. Cytotec is a small pill that is broken up and used vaginally. I didn’t realize that it was being used for induction purposes before a few months ago when my local hospital informed me of this. Cytotec is not approved by the FDA to be used in pregnant women. It can cause uterine rupture in women with a history of a previous C-Section. You must be monitored for 3 hours continuously after it is inserted. There is a huge controversy surrounding this drug, but I was informed by my midwife and other nurses at the hospital that this drug is safe in small doses and with monitoring of the mother and baby. I have never used it and I was quite nervous at the thought of it. There is an interesting article devoted to information surrounding this controversy here.

Foley Bulb Catheter

4. Mechanical Dilation This is also known as a Foley Bulb Catheter. According to emedicinehealth “A balloon catheter, such as a Foley catheter, is a narrow tube with a small balloon on the end. The doctor inserts it into the cervix and inflates the balloon. This helps the cervix open (dilate). The catheter is left in place until the cervix has opened enough for the balloon to fall out (about 3 cm).”

I did not find this to be painful but a slightly uncomfortable experience. It was no worse than a membrane sweeping (probably less painful, actually). It was slightly strange to walk around with this foley bulb there – especially the tubing, but I was able to walk around with it and not have any issues sitting on the birthing ball or walking around the halls of the hospital. The midwife told me it might stay in for up to 12 hours.

For me, it took about 4-5 hours to fall out on its own. However, when it came out it was not 3 cm as we all expected – I was a full 6 cm dilated. I would say this did a lot to get me ready for pitocin, but it did not send me into labor on my own.

Stripping Membranes

5. Membrane Sweep or Stripping the Membranes is usually done in the office. It can be done during a cervix check during your weekly checkup. This can start up labor or cause some dilation and effacement.

Sometimes this will need to be repeated. “The health care provider puts her or his finger into the cervix — the mouth of the uterus — and uses the finger to gently separate the bag of water from the side of the uterus near the cervix.”source This can be slightly painful but it can be helpful in getting your cervix ripened without the use of these other agents.

Breaking the Water

6. AROM or Breaking of the Waters is a way to either speed up labor or get it started in some cases. According to americanpregnancy.org “When the bag of water (amniotic sac) breaks or ruptures, production of the hormone prostaglandin increases, speeding up contractions.”

This is easily done if your cervix is dilated and effaced enough for the doctor to place a thin, sterile hook past your cervix to poke a small tear in the bag of waters. This will result in fluid gushing out. However, this doesn’t really hurt. It may be slightly uncomfortable.

After this happens, you will be placed “on the clock” with delivery needing to happen within 24 hours because of the chance of bacteria being introduced to the area.

The positive to having your water broken is the doctor or midwife can then check for meconium staining in the fluid. The negative is it might make contractions slightly harder and more uncomfortable.

Pitocin

7. Pitocin – This is what most people think of when they think induction. This is also what can be very painful. “Oxytocin is the preferred pharmacologic agent for inducing labor when the cervix is favorable or ripe. Numerous randomized, placebo-controlled studies have focused on the use of oxytocin in labor induction. It has been found that low-dose (physiologic) and high-dose (pharmacologic) oxytocin regimens are equally effective in establishing adequate labor patterns.” (source)

With this method you will be tied to cords and iv tubing. You must be monitored continuously the entire time and be on IV fluids as well as the pit drip. There are risks of hyper-stimulation of the uterus and of causing fetal distress with the use of pitocin, thus the constant monitoring.

With a good doctor or a midwife, they may let you sit on a birthing ball or rocking chair so you do not have to stay in one position during the entire labor. This can make it much more bearable to be able to go without pain meds. I found that if the dose is kept on a slower/lower drip the pain and slowly increased it is no worse than labor without the use of induction meds.

In my last birth, this past December, I had a pitocin induction after AROM. It was no more painful than my births with no pitocin. The nurse allowed me to tell them when to up the dose of pit. I was able to stand, sit on a birthing ball, the edge of the bed and they were about to pull out a squatting bar for me. I was able to go pain-med free. With IVs in place, walking to the bathroom will be a challenge. Also, pitocin makes tub births impossible.

I hope this helps you in making decisions when you are faced with a possible induction. Always remember to discuss your options with your doctor and midwife.

Find out what labor induction methods are available in the hospital that you will be delivery in.

Weigh the risks and rewards for each of these decisions. Remember to do what you feel is best for you and your baby.

P.S. Don’t forget to grab your free Labor & Delivery Bag Checklist! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Printable Labor Bag Checklist

03/16/2017

How to Make Homemade Notecards Easily with Cricut {Cricut Explore Air 2}

How to Make Homemade Notecards

Easily with Cricut

{Cricut Explore Air 2}

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.

I shared with you guys last week all about the Cricut Explore Air™ 2 machine. It’s just awesome. So, I couldn’t wait to get started crafting with it. I decided I needed a fairly easy project to start with. I was really eager to start using the Cricut pens. I had seen them in action at Haven Blog Convention, last Summer, but I really wanted to try it for myself. I ended up starting off making a beautiful coloring sheet using cream cardstock and a black pen.

I really enjoyed it and it was the easiest thing in the world. I literally put a sheet of cardstock on my Cricut Standard Grip page and placed it in the machine. The computer told me when to press Go and the Cricut printed out this beautiful pattern. I actually decided to use some colored pencils and some watercolors. Here is the final result:

When you finally accomplish something pretty. Thanks to my #cricutexploreair2 I made a coloring page yesterday… this is real #momlife . . . . #cricutmade #crafting #momblogger #mommyblogger #coloring #watercolor #reallife #momoftoddlers #momofboys #exhaustedmommy #momofgirls #largefamily

A post shared by Sasha Mills (@suchatimeasthisblog) on Mar 6, 2017 at 10:25am PST

After that, I decided to jump into making something else with the Cricut pens.

Ultimately, I decided on making notecards. Read on to find out how…

Once I set up my Cricut account, I found that they offer a complete library of project ideas. This collection is called “Make-It-Now”. I love these because there are hundreds of projects right at my finger tips. Cricut makes them so easy to use because they are organized by whatever holiday is coming up.

They have projects for Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines Day, Halloween, Christmas and even other more generic projects that can be done at anytime. They also include a category tab which allows us to choose the type of project we wish to work on such as coloring pages, notecards, planners and more.

I knew after making the coloring page that I wanted to see how the Cricut pens work again, so I found a project to get started on. I also wanted to make sure it was easy – because I’m still a Cricut newbie. Each project is listed with a level of difficulty, as well. I chose to make a beautiful note card and matching envelope which was extremely easy.

I started by choosing a piece of cardstock and laying it on the green Cricut mat that came with the machine. It has a sticky surface and fits directly in the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine.

I then placed the mat in the machine and it scored and cut the cardstock into the exact size card I had selected.

Next, I picked a piece of paper. You could stick with the basic white colored paper, but I wanted to mix it up a little bit and chose a beautiful glistening lavender color. The computer screen notified me that I needed to remove my scoring tool and replace it with whatever colored Cricut pen I was using. I put the pen in and then loaded the mat fixed with the lavender paper. The Cricut cut the paper at the same time it is drew the feathers on the front.

Other than the on-off switch and the load button which is directly on the Cricut Explore Air 2 machine, everything else is done on your computer screen.

Lastly, I chose to make my envelope out of a fantastic silver paper. Once placed on the green mat, it scored and cut it into the perfect shape to fit the card. I just needed some sort of adhesive (I choose to use my children’s glue stick) to put it together.

I then decided to color in the feathers, although you could probably leave them blank. I thought it would be pretty to color them in with my colored pencils.

Voila! A homemade Cricut note card. The Cricut Explore Air 2 is so incredibly easy to use and makes projects effortless. I love this and a set of these would be perfect for thank you cards, get well cards, or as your brand new very chic stationary. This was so simple and fun to make!

To purchase a Cricut Explore Air™ 2 machine click this link.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

03/15/2017

The Stress of the Special Needs Mom: Part 2 {Stress and Autism}

The Stress of the Special Needs Mom: Part 2

Post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.

Last year, I shared with you about the Stress of Special Needs Moms in a blog post. I want to share with you more of my story.

My story began with a full term baby being born to me: a brand new mother. I was young and naive but if nothing else, I thought I was ready.

I thought I knew what I had gotten myself into. I had read all the baby books. My hubby and I were so excited to meet our brand new baby boy.

And sure, motherhood, threw me for a few loops. Like when I couldn’t get him to latch on. I was engorged and in pain. I called my sister early in the morning. I called her and begged her to tell me what to do. She had nursed 3 babies and was a complete pro at breastfeeding.

Or when he wouldn’t sleep through the night and I had no idea if there was anything I could do. I tried swaddling, putting him on his back, in a bassinet and realized he just wanted to be held and rocked.

Most of motherhood consists of just figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Because babies are little people and no two people are completely alike in every way.

Being a mom is trying and hard but it is this awesome adventure that I was prepared for. Even for the bumps along the way. Others had gone before me. Like my mom. And my sisters. My friends who were moms.

They had all faced similar obstacles. We could share our stories. We could find encouragement. We could reach over and say – I’ve been there and it is going to be alright.

Until I couldn’t. And they couldn’t. And nothing was alright.

My son started having trouble reaching milestones when he was still a baby. But these milestones weren’t too far delayed. And some kids have trouble. And some boys don’t have great fine motor skills. And some boys don’t talk right away.

But soon, it was every milestone and they were getting further and further away from us.
By age 2 he was so far from where his peers were we knew this wasn’t right. It wasn’t just the milestones. By age 3 the behaviors started. Slowly at first. Terrible threes, I thought. But no, this wasn’t like the terrible threes … this was like something that didn’t make sense.

The noises, the stimming, the darting, the defiance. The language that was there was no more. His attention was gone, his walking was clumsy, there were no words and my world quickly became one of survival.

Most moms were worried about potty training their kids and I was just worried that he wouldn’t try to run out of our house. He had no understanding of simple things. He couldn’t hold a cup. Or a spoon. He gagged on food. He walked only on his tip toes.

He was attention seeking. He stopped sleeping. He would bang his body into things (later we found out that was part of his sensory disorder). His vocal stims and uncontrollable laughter took the place of any cohesive sentence.

You could say that this little mama who was prepared for everything was prepared for nothing. This all crept up on us with very little warning. So I adjusted in how I lived my life.

I stopped having play dates. I was so afraid of what would happen to him or us if we left the house.

I began to feel so isolated and alone. He went to his special needs pre-school and then came home each day.

I had to change his diet because nothing was the right texture. When most kids were learning to read and to count, my son was still learning to potty train. This would last until his ninth birthday.

I felt like my son and I were so misunderstood. I felt like our entire family were outcasts. Like no one would want to be around us. These years were hard. So very hard.

We even looked for help from the school district. He had a great year in kindergarten and we saw some improvement.

That was the calm before the storm…the storm I refer to as first grade. He had moved to a new school and new teacher. This teacher didn’t want to deal with the stimming. She didn’t want any behavioral challenges.

Apparently, he didn’t fit the mold of what a kid should act like. Turns out none of the boys with autism were treated with kindness or respect in her classroom.

We even got notes home of how my 6 year old was a “deviant” and how he wouldn’t be aloud to eat lunch in the cafeteria because of his vocal stims. I cried most afternoons when he came home from school. I cried to read the notes the teacher would write us.

The weight of this fell on me and I could do nothing about it. All of the parents of kids with autism pulled their children from the classroom that year. All of us. A mass exodus.

And through it all I was crumbling. I became just a shell of my former self trying to hold up my world. A world that was being crushed under the weight of this gravity.

Eventually, I stopped taking care of myself. I got little sleep. I began experiencing increased anxiety. Soon, I was diagnosed with 3 autoimmune conditions.

This all happened when I had three small kids. Everything was failing me. I hadn’t taken the time for myself because how could I? I had to take care of everything else.

By the time my son was 10 years old, I was living in a panic mode. I didn’t know any other way to live. As I said before, the stress that moms of autistic kids feel is similar to that of combat veterans. That’s pretty rough, to put it mildly. This isn’t something that most of us recognize when we begin our journey. We have no idea how how fast and high the tides are coming at us. We don’t have time to seek shelter. We are in the eye of storm with no way out.

A few years later, with the diagnosis of a few autoimmune issues that were amplified by stress, I decided I had to see a therapist. I finally got the tools I needed to begin the path to emotional healing. I learned of how to let go of things, how to use breathing to help me stay calm, how to release negative thoughts and memories.

If you are reading this today, then chances are you are in this storm. You probably know, first hand, the unbelievable stress of the special needs mom. Let me encourage you to get some help. Friend, please think about talking to someone. Don’t close yourself off and try to weather this storm all by yourself.

With the help of special needs moms & dads support groups, therapy, prayer, kindness, stress relief & self care I found the help I needed. I came out of the fog that I was walking in for years.

If you are a mom to a special needs kiddo then you know how to fight. You’ve been doing that for a while. You have to fight for him. You have to fight in every facet of his life. But you also have to fight for yours. I recently found out about this (FREE) Self Care Tool Kit which is the perfect beginning for moms going through a battle like I went through.

Please, take a minute and check out the self care tool kit for yourself and start this road to healing.

03/14/2017

MyFreezEasy’s Virtual Freezer Meal Prep Weekend is Starting Soon!

My FreezEasy’s Virtual Meal Prep Weekend

(Contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.)

Have you been wondering about freezer cooking? Are you too afraid to try it?

I’ve written a few times on the beauty of freezer cooking, freezer meals, meal planning and MyFreezEasy which I started last September. It has revolutionized how I cook and how I meal plan!

I was the mom who never knew what to cook for dinner. At 4:00 I was scrambling to find something – anything – to feed my family.

That all changed the moment I heard of MyFreezEasy. Now, I have a freezer stocked full of good, wholesome meals, to feed my family of 9.

I can plan my meals around what’s on sale or what I feel like eating. Each day, I have a variety all waiting for me to throw in the oven.

Dinner is ready in minutes and no meal prep is involved (because I did it all on my meal prep weekend and freezer cooking day which only takes about an hour).

So, last Fall MyFreezEasy ran a free event to help others jump into freezer cooking. For all of you who missed it – don’t miss out again!

This weekend, March 18th and 19th they are hosting a a Virtual Freezer Meal Prep Weekend! YAYYYYYY! Can you tell I’m so excited? I am. I love all things freezer cooking and I think you will too.

You will be able to learn tons about freezer meal prep and even get to make 6 meals to feed your freezer (and ultimately your family.) Don’t miss out! Sign up today. It’s free!

« Previous Page

What is Stopping YOU from Pursuing Your Purpose?

What is Stopping YOU from Pursuing Your Purpose?

Common Labor Induction Methods + What to Ask Your Doctor

Common Labor Induction Methods