ittakesavillageyall

I'm married to my best friend and have been blessed with two of the most incredible little guys in the entire world. I'm actually living the life I always hoped for…. except in my dreams there weren't bills to pay and stomach bugs to survive.

My earliest memories of childhood include a strong desire to be a wife and mom. I never thought about my wedding day… instead I longed for the day where I would drive a full mini van. My biggest sacrifice and biggest blessing is being a wife and mother. It's the only job I know that simultaneously drains the life out of you around the clock and fills your heart and soul in a way that you could never put into words. It's what I was created for and God continues to teach me who He is and who I am through these two roles.

I'm a dreamer by nature… I love to come up with new ideas and pursue new things. I'm lucky enough to have a supportive husband that lets me dabble with my love of photography and design while he works hard outside of the home providing for our family. When I first thought I might want to do photography several years ago he took out a small business loan and bought me a camera. He is by far my biggest cheerleader and has WAY too much faith in me!

My biggest passion outside of my husband and boys is helping other women love Jesus because He is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has wrecked me, bandaged me, healed me and loved me since the moment I existed. To really know Jesus is to love Him. Being a Christian isn't just about knowing what the bible says, attending a weekly service or just believing in Jesus. IT IS SO MUCH MORE. Knowing Jesus changes every aspect of your life. It makes everything sweeter - even the most painful of moments.

In college I knew God had given me a true passion for women's ministry. I imaged that I would eventually take a job where I taught bible studies and counseled women in a cutely decorated office. As my family has grown and life has happened I found myself wondering if my "calling" was for later in life.

Early in 2015 God reminded me of that very passion and He affirmed that my calling was absolutely for later in life, when my children were grown and gone. But more importantly, that calling was for NOW. It is for my everyday life. I'm not standing on a stage teaching a bible study and I'm not counseling women in an office as I assumed I would be. But I'm sitting on playground benches with other moms laughing about this ride called motherhood (because sometimes if you don't laugh, you'll cry). I'm meeting them at Chick-Fil-A and talking about nap schedules and discipline and I'm crying on the phone with a friend as she walks through a devastating medical diagnosis. Friends, our daily lives are our ministry.

I know that I can't do this life alone and the truth is - you can't either. We weren't created to. I have been lucky throughout my life to always have a strong group of women that have loved me, taught me and challenged me to be better in all areas of my life. Some are near and some are far. But what they each have in common is that their presence in my life has made me a stronger woman. They are my tribe. They are my people.

I believe women need to be truly connected to other women. We need to be known and we need to share our stories. We all need a tribe and so I created The Mommy Tribe. Here I'll be sharing my own personal journey as a Christian, wife and mother. But I'll also be inviting other wives and moms along on the journey to share what they are learning. So this isn't just a blog….  this is a place for women to be encouraged and equipped to know Jesus, love their husbands,  and shepherd their children well.  And if you follow me on Instagram (@themommytribe) you will also see me posting more frequently about stuff I love or even fun deals I find…. because sometimes being a good wife is as simple as finding my kids clothes on the clearance rack. A clearance sticker brings instant joy to my husbands heart!

I'm thrilled you're here and look forward to having you in my tribe!

Thank you Michelle C for this picture of us! Apparently it's time to get some updated pictures of the four of us.