Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

I know how hard life has been for you lately.

You’ve been overwhelmed and underprepared for how chaotic things have gotten, and you’re fighting for the ever-elusive sense of control that could make you feel normal again.

The unexpected has been closing in from all sides, and you don’t know how much more you can take.

You’ve been holding on for so long, and your grip is giving out.

But, please. Hold on just a little bit longer.

Hold on in honor of how far you’ve come.

Even on your weakest days, you persevere.

Look back at where you started so you can really appreciate how much you’ve overcome.

You have made it through some really trying times, even the ones you never thought you would.

And, you’re going to make it through this time, too. Because that’s what you’ve always done.

Hold on and remember what you’re fighting for.

RELATED: Dear Mama, I See the Tired in Your Eyes, But Hold On

Remember the goals you’ve made.

Remember the people who love and support you. Even when you’re faced with setbacks, never forget what you’re meant to accomplish.

Don’t let those dreams be just a subconscious thought. Let them be awake and alive in your present moment. And, let them motivate you to keep going.

Hold on to the faith that, although it doesn’t feel like it right now, things will get better.

Have faith in your strength and know you have an unwavering power inside you.

You have the power to overcome. You have the power to persist.

You have the power to be hurting and scared and broken while still courageously pressing onward.

Because having faith is just trusting in yourself enough to know you can outlast the pain.

Hold on to hope that your spirit won’t be defeated by your struggles.

Don’t allow any circumstance to subdue your spirit. Have hope you can find a glimmer of light in the dark hours.

Because hard times are going to come, but they aren’t your home.

They are just a temporary stop on your way to your true destination.

Don’t forget the pain is temporary. So, feel it, let it have its moment, and then dismiss it. Because you’re not meant to live in it forever.

Hold on because you know giving up is not an option.

Keep holding on because you’re a fighter, and that’s all you know how to do.

Keep holding on because these challenging times can’t defeat you.

You have always been and will always be stronger than your circumstances.

So, to the weary soul who is losing the will to keep fightingjust keep holding on. You’re stronger than you realize.

RELATED: When You Don’t Feel Like Choosing Joy, Choose it Anyway

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Jessica Grillo

After suffering the loss of my sister and mother in March, I started writing about my personal journey through this lonely and brutal process . I found my voice, I found my truth , but most importantly I found healing in the words that were flowing from my soul.

Be the Friend Who Meets You In Your Mess

In: Friendship, Living
Two mothers push strollers outside

Be the friend who doesn’t look at the baseboards, the friend who overlooks the dirt. Be the friend who comes to sit and chat at a messy counter still piled high with breakfast plates yet to be cleaned and junk mail yet to be sorted. Be the friend who explains to her husband every week that the extra $20 out of the budget went to a couple of sisters who needed a surprise coffee and a smile delivered to their door. Be the friend who sees your messy bun, unwashed face, and sweatpants and says, “Girl, you look cute,” and...

Keep Reading

Do They Notice My Self-Doubt as a Working Mom?

In: Living, Motherhood
Woman taking a selfie in a bathroom mirror holding a coffee cup

At the office, I forget yet another small detail. Later, I am asked a simple question, something I should know the answer to, and I respond with “I don’t know” because it didn’t even occur to me to have that information on hand. I feel incapable of planning much ahead and insecure about my ability to read through the fine print. Another day of work is missed to be home with a sick baby, it’s been a difficult winter with illness striking our home, including a round of influenza for me. Meetings I was supposed to lead are covered by...

Keep Reading

Having Kids Shows Who Your Real Friends Are

In: Friendship, Motherhood
Mother and child walking through forest, color photo

Any mom, typical or special needs, will tell you having kids is the fastest way to tell who your real friends are. When your child is born with special needs this process becomes even more severe and obvious. At first, people visit and want to hold the baby, but once the delays kick in slowly people start to pull away. Disability makes them uncomfortable. That’s the truth. They hope you won’t notice, but you do. Honestly, most stop trying altogether. It’s not just friends who act this way either, sometimes it’s family too. That hurts the most. As a parent...

Keep Reading

Hello from the Other Side of 40

In: Living
Woman holding up 4 and 3 fingers on her hands

Facing 40 birthday candles? Let me tell you why your future is even brighter than those birthday cake flames, but first, I’ll also tell you—I get the big deal about turning 40. Facing that lofty milestone wasn’t fun for me. The dread started early when I was a young 37, and a sibling turned 40. I’m next! I realized, and I pouted and whined at the thought for the next three years. All of that bad behavior couldn’t keep me in my 30s though, and honestly, it left me a little embarrassed. Though this earthly tent is showing obvious signs...

Keep Reading

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk about How Hard Adult Friendships Are?

In: Friendship, Living
Woman sitting along on couch looking at smartphone

The scary thing about friendship is it’s completely disposable. You actively choose to remain friends. It can dissolve at any time. No one can force you into it. In marriage, you are bound to one another before God. As a parent, you have a familial obligation to your child. But friendship? That comes completely free and clear. You intentionally let them in, let them see your underbelly. Your messy house. Your imperfect marriage. Your rebellious children. Your weirdness, your quirks, your sin. And they can walk away at any moment. Oh, there are a few exceptions. Maybe you work together....

Keep Reading

The Last Text I Sent Said “I Love You”

In: Friendship, Grief, Living
Soldier in dress uniform, color photo

I’ve been saying “I love you” a lot recently. Not because I have been swept off my feet. Rather, out of a deep appreciation for the people in my life. My children, their significant others, and friends near and far. I have been blessed to keep many faithful friendships, despite the transitions we all experience throughout our lives.  Those from childhood, reunited high school classmates, children of my parent’s friends (who became like family), and those I met at college, through work and shared activities. While physical distance has challenged many of these relationships, cell phones, and Facebook have made...

Keep Reading

Being a Hands-on Dad Matters

In: Kids, Living
Dad playing with little girl on floor

I am a hands-on dad. I take pride in spending time with my kids. Last week I took my toddler to the park. He’s two and has recently outgrown peek-a-boo, but nothing gets him laughing like him seeing me pop into the slide to scare him as he goes down. He grew to like this so much that he actually would not go down the slide unless he saw me in his range of vision going down. When it’s time to walk in the parking lot he knows to hold my hand, and he grabs my hand instinctively when he needs help...

Keep Reading

Finding My Confidence in Learning to Enjoy Exercise

In: Living
Woman at exercise class, color photo

This picture is of me, noticeably overweight, attending a silks class. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I looked noticeably out of place in my XL frame, compared with the other women in their size two Lululemon leggings. At one point, before we began, I actually quietly asked the instructor if there was a weight limit. She reassured me that people a lot heavier than me had hung from their ceiling on those silks. Before we started hanging from the ceiling, the instructor had us all sit in a circle and introduce ourselves and our goal for...

Keep Reading

Dear Mom, Until We Meet Again

In: Grown Children, Living
Daughter hugs elderly mother from behind outside

Mom, I pray to the stars that someday, somewhere we pick up where we left off. Before the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Before your life, my life, and our family’s life changed forever. If we meet again, will you appear just as I remember you before this awful disease took over? With ebony black hair, vibrant blue eyes, and a gracious smile. Will you look at me and know I am your daughter? Will you refer to me by my beloved childhood nickname? RELATED: The One Thing Alzheimer’s Cannot Take Away Will you embrace me in a warm hug and tell me...

Keep Reading

Somewhere Between Wife and Mom, There Is a Woman

In: Living, Motherhood
Woman standing alone in field smiling

Sometimes, it’s hard to remember there is a woman behind the mom. At home, you feel caught between two worlds. Mom world and wife world. Sometimes it’s hard to balance both. We don’t exactly feel sexy in our leggings and messy mom bun. We don’t feel sexy at the end of the day when we are mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from being a mom all day. The truth is we want to feel like ourselves again. We just aren’t sure where we fit in anymore. RELATED: I Fear I’ve Lost Myself To Motherhood We know the kids only stay...

Keep Reading