Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year; however, with all of the busyness of the holidays it can become overwhelming.

With all of our commitments, it’s easy to lose sight of “the reason for the season.”

In today’s episode, I want to share with you 5 tips to have a less stressful, more peaceful Christmas.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Stressful to Peaceful Christmas Blog Post

Ashley’s Facebook

Ashley’s Instagram

Girl of Grace Facebook Group

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

I get a lot of questions about how to lead your child to Christ.  I want to encourage you that this is something you can do. You don't need to be fearful about it.

We should be intentional about teaching our children, leading them, and helping them to accept Christ as their savior because it has eternal consequences. 

There is no better feeling for a parent than leading their children to accept Christ as their savior.

Mark 8:36 says, What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

When I see that verse it makes me think about how you can have everything this world has to offer, but it would be heartbreaking if your children choose to not serve the Lord.

In 3 John 1:4 it says, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

We want to know, not just that they've accepted Christ, but that they're walking in the truth and following the Lord. There is no greater joy to a parent than knowing that their kids are serving the Lord.

More Resources:

Blog Post: How to Lead Your Child to Christ

Girl of Grace Facebook Group

Ashley's Instagram

Christmas is upon us!

You can walk through the nearest store and see twinkling lights on trees and glitter swirls on red stockings. Or you can just walk into your home and let the smells of pine and apple cinnamon fill  your senses.

Think back to your own childhood. Which stories did you love to hear year after year? Was it the three wiseman? Frosty the snowman?

I remember waking up early everyday on the weeks before Christmas and run down the hallway of my childhood home that was covered with family photos.

At the end of the hallway was a wall hanging that was only there during the month of December. It was an advent calendar in the shape of a Christmas tree.

There were 24 ornament "pockets" and one star pocket on the top. Each day my brother and I would take turns filling that day's ornament with a little plastic candy cane.

Looking back, it's warming memory. And I want my boys to have nostalgic memories like that. But what if those memories were intertwined with the WHY of Christmas.

More Resources:

Blog Post: From the Manger to the Cross

From the Manger to the Cross Online Devotions

One of the most important things we can do as parents is to raise thankful kids.

What a perfect time to focus on this topic since this is the month of thanksgiving.

Each day, people are doing their “grateful challenge” on Facebook. I have a friend whose son is consistently doing this throughout the month of November, I always love to read her posts.

A little while back, I gave my two-year-old nephew a toy and he said, “Well thank you very much”. He was so genuinely grateful, so it really got me thinking about promoting gratefulness. How do we have thankful kids?

I want to give you some practical stuff today that you can use to raise children who are thankful in a world that really doesn't prioritize gratefulness.

More Resources for Moms:

Blog Post: 5 Steps to Thankful Kids

Free Downloads for Mamas

Do you look around at others who are doing big things for God and wish you could be the same way?

How can you be used by God? What does it take? What does God look for?

In this episode, Ashley shares from her worship leader's heart about how we can be instruments for God and be used by Him for His glory!

More Resources:

Ashley's Free Printables

Blog Post: Ways to Be An Instrument

Connect with Ashley in the Girl of Grace Facebook Group

When I read the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, I always think, "Would Sarah have responded the same way?" 

As a parent, I want to have faith like Abraham. No matter what God asks me to do, I want to be able to trust Him and say, "Yes, Lord."

In this episode, I share from the story of Abraham and Isaac and give some ways we can parent with faith like Abraham did.

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley's Online Library for Moms

You look at the story of David and Goliath and you long for that kind of victory in your own life.  You want to overcome your giants the way David did, but instead you feel defeated day after day. 

This week I’m sharing from my study of 1 Samuel 17 on how you can finally...once and for all...slay the giants in your own life.

David and Goliath is a story we may all be familiar with, but a few things stuck out to me when I was reading it this time.

Resources Mentioned:

Girl of Grace Facebook Group

Downloadable Resources for Moms

The most powerful tool that you have (after the Word of God) is prayer.

Prayer is powerful. So today I'm going to share a couple of ways you can pray BIG.

I was thinking about this idea of praying big, I started looking at different women in the Bible. I wanted to see what we could glean from their stories and really make their stories our own story.

We can take what we've learned from them and we can put it into practice and really just take the next step forward in knowing the Lord more personally.

In this episode you'll discover:

• how to start a prayer time
• praying with more intention
• how to see God moving in your life
• how to teach your kids to pray BIG

Resources Mentioned:

Pray BIG Blog Post

Ashley's Printables for Moms

Your home is a reflection of your heart. As moms, we’re the gate keepers for our families.

What do I mean by that? As mamas, we’re the ones who allow or deny access into our homes. We decide what toys come in, what movies come in, what attitudes come in.

We set the tone for our homes.

I was blessed with a mom and dad who covered my life in prayer. Not only behind closed doors but right in front of me. Every morning, I would wake up and walk past my parent’s room to see my mom kneeling by her bed. Then I’d walk to the living room and see my dad praying or reading his Bible.

And not just once or twice, but every day.

That set the standard that I use for my own home and family.

Since I’m the “mama,” I made it my job to cover our home in prayer.

You can do the same!

Resources Mentioned:

Blog Post with Verses

Shop Ashley's Online Programs

Let's just face it. Motherhood is an exhausting time. I'm going to put that out there and be real.

It would be easy to sit behind my screen and say that I jump out of bed every morning, ready to take on the day and I'm filled with energy until I lay my head down every night.

But in real life, that's not the case.

In real life, yes, motherhood is joyful adventure and a blessing from God, but it's also tiring.

While, I'm past the stage of feeding babies in the middle of the night (even though, trust me, I remember it well), there are still spelling tests, sight words, stomach bugs, appointments, work piling up, texts to answer, and the laundry.

Oh the laundry.

Is it any wonder that we moms are exhausted and tired?

Last week, my son had one of those stomach bugs and I found myself half sleeping on a recliner, with him in arms reach, for the rest of the night.

I'll admit, I didn't have my regular morning prayer time that day. But when my son was finally able to nap later that afternoon, it got me thinking about where I go when I'm feeling tired.

Where do I find rest when I'm tired?

Where do I find joy when I'm exhausted?

God's Word always breathes life into my tired body and my tired heart. I have verses hidden deep in my soul that I can cling to when my feet feel too tired to take another step.

And I wanted to breathe some of these life-giving truths into your life today. Because, mom, it's okay to feel tired. It doesn't make you a bad mom. It makes you a real one.

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley's Printable Library - Free Downloads

Blog Post - 5 Verses for the Tired Mom