While You Wait...

 What To Do, While You Wait For Orders!!

 As a Military spouse, you are probably used to moving from place to place. Once you finally feel settled, it's time to move again! That's just the way it is in the Military.

 Unfortunately, we have been blessed to stay in one location for 16 years. Even though we are a Military Family, we don't know what it's like to move from place to place, have to meet new friends, and move children from the Home, they are finally getting used to.

 We have had to pick new orders and hope we get the ones we wanted. There has been times when we thought we would have to move our kids from the only home they knew, so we do know what it's like to not know where your going! 

 We are up for orders here soon. Two of our children will graduate High School over the next couple of years. I can't imagine what impact of having to  move, would have on them.  It's hard not knowing what the future holds.

Yet, this is the Life of a Military family!

     It's stressful, nerve racking, and stirs up so many emotions. 

   We have the choice in how we handle the situation, while we wait.

  These are some things you can do, while you wait on Orders..

1) Stay positive: Choose to remain positive regardless of how you      maybe feeling. It's challenging, but being negative will only add    to the situation. So, Stay Focused & Positive! You can do it!  

2) List the Pro's and Con's: Sit down as a family and make a list      of the Pro's and Con's of the choices that are available to you.    Seeing it on paper may change your way of thinking and give you a    much clearer vision. 

3) Make it Exciting: Get your Family exciting about the changes that    may take place. It's amazing how you can turn this whole            experience around!So pump each other up and point out all            the awesome things to do and see in some of the places you can      choose from.  

4) Trust God: We want to be in control of our situations, but the      truth is were not. no matter how you look at the situation. God      already knows the outcome. So, trust in his plan for your            Family! 

 I pray, this encourages you while you may be waiting on Military Orders. The Order's God has pick especially for you!

     

      

Lately, I have had this Uneasy Feeling

 Lately, I have had this uneasy feeling. 

  To be Honest, I feel like I lost my Joy! 

 Yesterday, I asked the kids while driving home if I had changed over the past years. It was a hard question to ask, because deep down I already knew the answer. I tried to remember back to a time when I was truly happy. 

 So, I asked if they remembered the MOM I was 9 years ago.  

 My son said, I remember you were a lot calmer and relaxed and you seemed happier mom. Tears filled my eyes because I remembered and longed to fill that way again. Then he said " Your so worried all the time, in a hurry, and moody."  Mom you just need to go with the flow!

 He is right. I'm worried all the time about nothing! I feel like a Martha, but I long to be a Mary.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one." Luke 10:41

 Most of the time I feel like Life is passing me by.....

 There is always so much to do and so little time. I'm not meant to do it all, but yet I still try. 
I have come to a point where I know change is needed. I can no longer keep going on this way. It's effecting my health, relationships, and who God has called me to be. 

 I know that True Joy and Happiness only comes from the Lord.  "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

So, I have decides to strive to be more like Mary! "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said." 10:39

I will have to create new boundaries where my schedule isn't overflowing, Use my time wisely, creating boundaries, and take the time to sit at the Lord's Feet! 

 Are you more of a Martha or Mary? 

When Anxiety Has a Grip On You

I'm sure we have all experienced some sort of anxiety..

 Some anxiety can be useful. Healthy Anxiety: is response to a pressing challenge that helps galvanize a person to react to a task or issue appropriately and with his best effort.

On the flip side, What if you worried all the time about everything? 

 I suffered my first panic attack at the age of 15 yrs old. Out of nowhere my heart began to race and pound out of my chest, my hands were sweating, and I couldn't breathe. I literally thought I was going to die!

 My sister rushed me to the ER and the Dr. said everything is alright, you had a PANIC ATTACK. I had no idea what that meant. I was only a teenager. He began to explain that I was suffering from anxiety, which led to a panic attack. 

PANIC ATTACK: a feeling of acute and disabling anxiety

 Over the next few years, I took many trips to the hospital thinking I was dying. All panic attacks. I started living in fear on a daily basis. I worried about everything and anything. I felt like I was losing control. 

 My Dr. wanted to prescribe medication, but I decided I didn't want to be on any medication. Instead, I suffered through the fear and anxiety.

 In 1998, I became pregnant with my first child. During the whole 9 months, I felt great! Sure, I worried about many things and had anxiety, but I didn't have any panic attacks. For some reason, anytime I was pregnant, I never had a full on panic attack. Thank you Jesus!

 As time went on, my boyfriend at the time (husband) joined the Military, we got married and moved to San Diego! I was away from anything I had ever known. I spent a lot of days feeling lonely and my anxiety began to get worse. 

 Over the years, I learned to manage my anxiety. I still had it, but I somehow was able to only let it go so far. Still, I was broken inside and didn't understand why!

 In 2009, I decided to seek counseling. I was at a point where, I needed answers. Why do I have anxiety? Is there something I am doing wrong? How do I make it go away? I needed to understand my ANXIETY  exactly for what it was. After, many sessions with my counselor we discovered it was linked to my childhood. I honestly thought I had let go of the past and moved on because I wasn't that child anymore. The truth is "That child still lives in me today."

 In 2011, I accepted Jesus into my heart. I trusted him to a certain point and although I really wanted to fully surrender, I just couldn't. At times, it made me question my Faith. Was I a good enough Christian? Was I truly saved, because if I was I would fully trust God with my life and wouldn't have anxiety. Instead, I trusted God with what I wanted, and my anxiety with the rest. 

 I love how loving and patient God has been with me. The truth is Salvation is a gift from God, that can't be earned. " God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can Boast about it." Ephesians 2:8-9

 Recently, a good friend of mine Vanessa shared her struggle with Anxiety with me. I remember tears streaming down my face because I felt her pain and our anxiety connected us. It's really hard to understand anxiety, unless you have experienced it. I knew God brought her to me for a reason.

 Also, during this time I had a health scare and had to see a Neurologist. We went over my MRI results and Praise God everything was clear. However, he reviewed my labs and asked me if I had anxiety? I immediately, thought to myself " I'm I acting anxious? How does he know?" I said, Yes... He looked at me and said " I would have never known by looking at you. You seem very upbeat and happy." I guess I have learned to hide it well. He explained to me, anxiety causes your oxygen to throw your body off by the way you breathe when your anxious. Sometimes, it effects your nutritional values.

 In that moment, I knew God, God was speaking directly through this DR. We talked about my anxiety for awhile and he said you have learned to deal with this as part of your life, but you don't have to. 
       
 It was time for me to dig deep and face my own Anxiety. It was time to really give it to God and trust him in this place where I have tried to control for so long!

 Today, I am in counseling for my anxiety and I'm excited to start this journey. Although, I know God is my foundation and is the one who will deliver me from my anxiety. It's alright to use other helpful resources. I also meet with Vanessa weekly for a Bible study on Overcoming Worry and trusting God. I love our time together. 

 Everyday, I have to make the choice to trust God. He is my Rock and Foundation!

 There are several types of Anxiety disorders:

Panic Disorder

   Generalized Anxiety Disorder

 Specific Phobias 

Social Anxiety Disorder


If you think you may be suffering from anxiety, I encourage you to reach out and tell someone or speak to your Dr.. You are not alone!

If you would like to reach out to me personally, Please feel free to email me. 




Blessings,
~Tara-Lyn

Love never gives up

What is LOVE... It Never Gives up!

If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. (1 Corinthians 13-MSG)

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incomplete will be canceled.
Finally.... We have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswerving, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is Love.

Trista 

2 Moms and Jesus

Anchored in His hope is a space for moms with a heart for God, Family, Marriage and everything in between. This space is a way for us to get encouraged, inspired and learn how to do what God has called us to do. 

This scripture in Hebrews is an anchor for us as mothers to hold on to God during tough times, to keep us grounded and not going crazy.

Hebrews 6:19
"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain..."

Hello! My name is Tara-Lyn. I am happily married and we have 3 beautiful children. We are a Military family stationed in San Diego, Ca. I love the Lord, my family, and have a heart for encouraging women. You will find me blogging about marriage, parenting children & teenagers, homemaking, and whatever else the Lord puts on my heart!