6 Habits of Choosing Joy as a Mama

Original Photograph by Cameron Faye Photography

After my little funkity funk last week, I decided to reevaluate what choosing joy looks like for me...because I wasn't choosing it. I needed to remember how to choose it and  keep choosing it. I know that joy should be a constant to those who know Jesus Christ (Phil 4:4) as Lord because we have contentment in our salvation. This is not our home! We must make sure out thoughts are focused on things above (Col 3:2). Keeping that in mind, I want to make sure I am choosing joy daily and maximizing the potential for Christ to work through me on this side of Heaven. These are 6 habits that I strive to integrate in my day-to-day life in order to keep my mind right. ;) 

1. Open your Bible.The most important and not so ironically also the easiest to kick to the curb. When I make myself (yes, I said make myself--owning it) start my day with a little She Reads Truth over coffee, for instance, it awakens the Holy Spirit within me. Days are a battle sometimes! Spiritual warfare is real! We must arm and encourage ourselves with Scripture daily in order to keep our eternal mindset. It's the Living Word of God (Heb 4:12)! (Side note: I pray that one day I can stop making myself open the Bible every morning and instead find my soul earnestly thirsting for His Truth!)
2. Get after those endorphins.I know,  I know. But when you are used to them, the lack thereof is REAL and it's a STRUGGLE. I seriously am grumpier and feel ickier about myself if I skip a workout. I generally try to work out 5-6 times a week. My one stop shop in town is Hilliard Studio Method. Hilliard makes me feel powerful. The vibe is girl power. Strength. Pushing yourself. I guess you can say I am officially an endorphin addict. (I even craved that endorphin release all through my pregnancy too!) 
3. Be in community with others (and be authentic about it!). Y'all know I'm a BIG believer in doing life with others. When I say "do life" I don't mean do life as pretty as it is on Instagram. Doing life with others invites them into your messy, real, struggling, self. Friends share joys and burdens (Rom 12:15; Gal 6:2). They hold you accountable. They keep it real. These are the relationships that echo the little saying that quality is better than quantity in the friend world. :)
4. When it comes to how you mama, listen to your heart.I didn't realize it, but this was a big one for me in my funk. Honestly, the first 5.5 months or so of mamahood were pretty easy. They were me walking in my dreams come true. Then we approached month 6, and I hit a wall. I started to doubt myself. My brain started telling me ways that I'd failed. (EW!) We all mama differently, and that's okay. That is life! I mean, think about all of the different personalities every human has. There's no way there is ONE way to "mama" with all of our different makeups. That being said, I needed to give myself permission to do things my way--forsaking what others/society might think. My hubby was on board with my heart and my choices, so I granted myself that permission to listen to who I believe God created ME (not everyone! but ME!) to be as a mama. 
5. Count your blessings.Cliche, yes. Does it work, yes. Since coming out of my funk, I've gone to bed every night counting my blessings. I don't mean like this "I'm thankful for my faith, my family, my friends, and my home." Those are givens. I know God sees that thankfulness in my heart. Instead, I tried to creatively count my blessings...maybe like I was counting sheep to fall asleep now that I think about it. I just wanted to hone in on the day to day "isms" I often overlook. I'm thankful for the flannel sheet sandwich I'm wrapped up in. I'm thankful that whenever Mark half wakes up at night he tells me he loves me. I'm thankful that my sister and I are brining little cousins into the world.  I'm thankful for the way Nancy crawls towards me and reaches for me. I'm thankful for organic half and half and stevia in the raw because makes my coffee taste so darn good. I'm thankful for snuggling on the couch while [finally] binge watch Parenthood with my hubby. Be creative! Count your blessings instead of sheep to sleep. :) (1 Thes 5:18)
6. Pray. This one. All throughout the day. (1 Thes 5:17) Do it. And not just in your head! I want Nancy to know her mama prays. How will she know I am in communication with my Heavenly Father throughout the day if I only keep those thoughts in my head? Sure, I pray over her at night, but I want her to see/hear more than that. I MUST model prayer for my daughter (and future kiddos). It's mutually beneficial. It steadies my heart and shows hers my desperate need for grace.
That's my list. What's on yours? How do you choose joy and keep choosing it?