In the busyness of being a mother I have lost my “time” with God.

He became an after-thought because I had so many other pressing issues I had to deal with, mainly my role as a mother, being more patient and loving.

I wanted (and still want) the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control”  but I didn’t search for them. I realized the only way to find these is to find God again. To get back into the Word and to pray more.

The past month I have been reading my bible faithfully every morning through the App YouVersion. I love it because there are little Bible reading plans to give you direction on what to read.

This morning I came across Psalm 14:30, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body…”

The first part of this verse means so much to me. Peace is defined as “freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety” and “tranquility; serenity.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a peaceful heart and a healthy body?

When I am stressed I take it physically – back pain, headaches, even my jaw hurts from clenching my teeth in my sleep.

I would love to lose the aches and pains.

To have a better outlook on life, to be free from annoyance on hard days, less distracted when we should be soaking in the moment, not stressed, free from worry, to go to sleep without so many “mom failures”  at the end of the day.

Yesterday, after countless rambunctious toddler moments, I was feeling the annoyance and impatience of a tired mom. I decided to just pick up the baby and go sit on the couch. Jeffrey, my 2.5 year old, came over and cuddled up to me. When I got up he called out, “mommy, come sit on the couch and hold me.”

So I did. I enjoyed that rare request. It’s amazing how fun sitting on the couch with your kids can be for not only you but them! The rest of the day wasn’t perfect but knowing that even in my impatience my little boy wanted me to “hold him and hug him” meant so much. In that moment I found peace in my heart to get through the day.

My prayer is to always have peace, in my heart, to spread throughout my home.

Can you imagine having a tranquil heart – being serene – a beautiful reflection for our children to imitate?