THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and more.
A QUARTERLY COLLECTIBLE | Heart & Home Inspiration
THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
0

Laying Down the Pinterest Summer

  • Marnie Hammar
  • July 13, 2022
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

That familiar I should be doing more guilty feeling pulled at me a bit today, like a child pulls on a shirt hem. The tension held in these months of June and July and August used to challenge me as a mama—in my feed, those summer bucket lists and ideas for screen time limits and organized chore lists waved for my attention.

My self-imposed summer angst told me I should be spending all the minutes planning fun things with my boys (and never feel frustrated or annoyed!), OR I should be snatching windows of productivity with less on the calendar (Perform! Strive! Do all the things!).

This year, I see those tempting ‘shoulds’ and hold my ground. This year, I’m setting aside that angsty feeling. Because, while there is goodness in those things, God doesn’t call us to Pinterest or bucket lists or perfectly scheduled weeks.

He calls us to hearts.

When I keep my family’s hearts as the focus, I can better see the truth that there isn’t one right way. There exists no absolutes for how we live this season. There isn’t an award for the perfect Pinterest summer, and there isn’t a prize for productivity in the midst of finding trunks and sunscreen. I can stop letting social media or what others are doing or what I used to think I should be doing boss my family around.

This year, we’re gonna sleep in (yay, older kids!), eat cereal and popsicles at mostly any hour, have the friends over whenever, and just keep on drying the wet towels.

Mama, let’s just love Jesus with our kids this summer. That’s enough.

0
0
0
0
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Marnie Hammar

Marnie Hammar writes to encourage women that freedom isn’t found in perfectly completed checklists, but in knowing God deeper and hearing Him louder. You can find her most often on the soccer sidelines cheering with her hubby of 28 years for their boys (17, 14, & 11). Marnie hangs out on Instagram, on Facebook, and at her website, where you can subscribe to receive a free resource, A Listening Guide and Prayer Map, to help you capture your prayer time as you listen for His voice.

3 comments
  1. teresa says:
    July 13, 2022 at 9:07 am

    Marnie, this helped me take a deep sigh of relief. Thanks for reminding me of this beautiful truth!

    Reply
    1. Marnie says:
      July 14, 2022 at 7:58 am

      I will join you in the sigh of relief! And I needed it again myself, truthfully. Those “should’s” are sneaky. So very thankful Jesus doesn’t “should” us… Thanks for being in it with me, my friend!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Wier says:
    July 15, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    My youngest wouldn’t stop tugging on my shirt hem today, and neither would the angst. Thank you for this breath of fresh air and the permission to say whatever I am doing is enough.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TRENDING POSTS
  • Good manners 1
    We Don’t Talk That Way in Our House: Teaching Kids Good Manners
  • How do i forgive myself 2
    How Do I Forgive Myself for My Mistakes in Parenting in Light of Grace?
  • Personal bible study 3
    How to Transform Your Personal Bible Study Time With An Easy Perspective Shift
  • Valentine’s day with kids 4
    6 Unique Ideas for Celebrating Valentine’s Day With Kids
  • Prayers for a broken marriage 5
    5 Prayers for a Broken Marriage: Praying Scripture For a Hurting Heart
RSS Daily Devotions
  • Find Your Way Free March 23, 2023
  • Seeing Your Samaria March 22, 2023
  • One Day, It Will Be March 21, 2023
  • Called Beyond My Ability March 20, 2023
  • Looking in the Right Place March 17, 2023
VISIT OUR SHOP
  • THE GOOD SHEPHERD | Digital Bible Study $12.00
  • Selah Moments Digital Study Guide | Joyful Life Magazine SELAH MOMENTS | Digital Bible Study
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $12.00
  • Issue 12 | BECOME — Digital Version $14.00
The Secret Society of Salzburg Book Cover
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and exclusive offers for our subscribers.
Follow Us on Instagram

AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM DISCLAIMER | The Joyful Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Every purchase you make through our Amazon affiliate links supports our ministry at no additional cost to you.

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • WRITE FOR US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms
  • ACCOUNT
  • Contact
© 2022 The Joyful Life Co., LLC

Input your search keywords and press Enter.