Today, we start the Purpose For Your Pain series with Alyrical from Afromom. I received her piece, and I immediately knew this mom is a survivor full of faith and belief. What she has been through, and emerged from is astounding. Can you imagine losing your sight? Well a lot more was in store for her than that, as her story will tell. Alyrical is a mother of courage and strength, who writes her stories on her blog.  She is an open book and loves sharing her family’s life and adventures. She and her family are embracing the abundant life God blessed them with, while choosing creative, family-centered, and  faith-filled living. All mixed in with a little crazy of course. She hopes to make readers feel like they are one of her neighborhood friends visiting with her family. Don’t forget to connect with her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat: Alyricalart.  FAITH AND JOY IN…

There’s a Purpose for Your Pain continues with another post on miscarriage by Angela Audiss over at Anchoring Angela. Angela is my hero the way she outlines scripture and walks us through finding joy after terrible pain. Angela is a mommy on a mission to bring love and joy to everyone under the sun. What a beautiful mission! She is also mommy to baby boy, Oliver James (one of my favorite names!), lover of coffee with way too much creamer, blogging, books, playing music, family, and Jesus. She originally published her story here, and has given me permission to share it with you all! Don’t forget to connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest.  Dealing With Miscarriage Miscarriage is a physical, emotional, and spiritual battle. There are things that I never understood before I had my first miscarriage. 17 days ago, I had my third miscarriage in two and a half…

Its Monday again,and we are continuing, There’s A Purpose for your Pain guest series. Today we have Hannah Bowie-Mclean, blogger at Teacups and Pearls. She is a pastor’s wife, church leader, mum and passionate foodie. She believes that whether physical or spiritual, food is nourishing not only to our bodies, but also to our souls. It brings families together, encourages conversations, is an expression of love and gives us the energy we need to face life with renewed vigour. Along with an abundance of delicious recipes, Hannah’s blog satisfies your soul and feeds your faith – dig in, fill your plate and go back for seconds! Her White Chocolate Cigarello Birthday Cake looks absolutely amazing and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Hannah sent me her story, that she originally wrote on her blog, with permission to republish it here for our series. I immediately found myself relating with her story. She…

I have a surprise Purpose for Your Pain piece to take you into your Sunday! I originally intended on only publishing this series on Mondays, but I stumbled across Kailey-Michelle on Instagram, and her deep, joy-filled caption caught my attention. I perused her blog, Seeking Grace. Kailey-Michelle shares a depth in her faith I don’t see much of. She is raw and rare in her articulation of her intimate relationship with God, and her story below brings to light the heavy weight that painful and unwanted experiences throw on our relationship with God. Its for a purpose, and her story illustrates this perfectly. You can also connect with Kailey-Michelle on Facebook and download her Gratitude Challenge Worksheet. Kailey-Michelle is also a mother,  passionate curator, writer and wife. She’s a visual story teller, where her events are her art form. She’s a follower of Christ, and wishes to share his Grace. She shares her heart.  She is…

This is probably, absolutely no surprise to anyone that I am doing a gift list for the Starbucks lover. I mean, literally almost all my photos have a Starbucks cup in them, and I find any reason to go there every time I get in the car. If I’m late, that’s why. Totally worth it. Everything else comes after your favorite coffee right? I am especially addicted during the holiday season because I love eggnog. It is so good to me, and so good in my coffee. Yumm! So, I have compiled a list of beautiful and fun items you can buy me the Starbucks lover in your life. Starbucks Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Traveler Tumbler  Starbucks Red Ombre Sequin Venti 24 oz Cold Cup Starbucks Gold Coffee Mug Womens Classic Logo Shirt  this post may contain affiliate links

The series, There’s a Purpose for Your Pain is launching with a second guest feature. In addition to Sarah Inman, we have Xavia Omega, blogger at The Messiful Mama. Xavia came to me with the piece below, and I immediately found myself mumbling, “been there,” and chuckling as she walks us through some of her messier moments as a mom. Xavia and I both work to “celebrate the mess,” as she puts it. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram, and please don’t leave here without checking out “‘I’ve Got Glitter In My Panties’ and 6 Other Phrases That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do.” I will let you read her introduction and continue to the feature, where you’ll take a walk with her and her children through some typical, painful moments where you doubt yourself as a stable mother. Hello! Xavia aka The Messiful Mama, here, empowering moms…

I am so excited to launch this series with Sarah Inman’s story. She is the founder of Career Renovations by Sarah, a mom and wife. She has a passion for helping others find the job of their dreams. Her story of pain and joy almost brought me to tears. It is a profound piece that illustrates the struggle, guilt and triumph we as mothers go through. Please read her story below, and don’t forget to read one of my favorite blog posts by Sarah, Top 5 Ways to Show Employees You’re Thankful. Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest too! I have a confession: I don’t really remember the first two months of my son’s life.  Like, at all. There are a few moments of clarity that shine through now and again, but outside of photographs, I can’t really visualize what my little guy looked like…

I am very excited to introduce this series, and host some fabulous guest posters, who will be sharing their stories of pain and joy. Check put my video below for a personal introduction 🙂 Joyful Messes is more than just a mom blog. My vision is to share encouraging stories of pain, growth, learning and struggles where those immersed in the difficult times have emerged with a deep-rooted joy. Life is messy. Mommy hood is messy. Marriage is messy. We’ve all had our moments, and to be vulnerable enough to share the dark times takes incredible courage. I really look forward to sharing the amazing stories, and you can look for them every Monday starting the first week of December. I hope to kick the Holiday season off with pure encouragement to those who need it!

Perfectionism. A sneaky little B- that looks oh so appealing and attractive, yet causes so much destruction. Its tricky. Perfectionism  can enter your mind in the form of images you create, or saw and pursue. The pursuit, the dream the taste of having the perfect body the perfect nursery decor, the spotless home…I’m sure you’ve jumped in the perfectionism limo at least once. I know I have. But, we forget it’s unattainable. We fixate on the perfect picture in our mind, then hit the ground hard when, after trying and trying, we can’t get there. Something un-perfect, or messy gets in the way. Did you know that perfectionism is a form of distraction from our insecurities or pain? Yep, it means you’re semi-screwed up. No, not really, but it stems from pieces of your soul you haven’t yet been able to heal. How do I know? I’ve spent over a year…