Welcome to 2024 :: Cultivating Aliveness

 Welcome to 2024 ::  Cultivating Aliveness

2023 brought A LOT of growth for our family and various challenges (again a normal year for us): 

• Mark began his podcast "Mental Health and Ministry" and has interviewed several people. It has been life-giving for him and frankly he's really, really good at it. He discusses depression in ministry and how to support someone who is struggling. 

• Kara completed one year with Cincinnati Children's in June with pioneering the Moving Beyond Depression program working with postpartum mothers and mothers of 0-3 year olds with maternal depression. It has been exciting and exhausting and she did put herself to the side along the way. Her self-care has had good rhythms and not so good rhythms. In the end, she is ready for a recalibration of serious magnitude and to pursue vitality.

• Ian began 9th grade and began playing soccer last spring FOR THE FIRST TIME, ran Cross Country again and in his free time enjoys playing computer games, at one point playing chess, rapping songs and working out. He did start a McDonald's job in the summer and did really well, but he learned that working in fast-food is not where he wants to be, but it really helped him grow as a person. "People are mean mom!" "Yes, yes they can be," I agreed.

• Elijah began 5th grade, remains fascinated by dinosaurs, played soccer again and specifically Goalie position this past Fall, and enjoys playing Roblox, Fortnite and Nitro Typing in his free time.

• Katie is 8 years old now, still loves to cuddle in your face, bait Ivy into take her raw-hides so she can grab them back and continues to love car rides.

• Ivy is 3 and a half years old and plays like a puppy with zoomy fits and then long naps. She still sits like a princess and growls like a bear. She is remains submissive but her growl scares things away.

• We are very grateful for God’s continued faithfulness, peace and His humor. We have seen so much growth in both of our boys and in ourselves. We look forward to see how His hand works this year. Much Love to you! 

• The Messmores

2022 Word of the Year

I would like to welcome 2022 with cordial high five. 

Thank you for showing up and being present in humanity.

The Word to embody 2022 is...

I chose this word for 2022 because it kept popping up in my head and I feel a need to simply sit with it and figure out what that actually means. It's not just nutritionally (which has often been a focus for many years for me) but internally in my brain space...in my heart and moreso in my soul. Nourishing our soul while not going too deep into ourselves and helping to nourish the souls of others. 

2021 proved to be a challenging year as many of my friends went through various hardships and transitions. Walking with others in pain and in transition is no easy task. It is a day by day surrender of my will and my ambition. I will not say that I did it seamlessly nor unselfishly, because I am human. I feel that God chose to use this time, to show me various areas of my life that needed to be worked on and discussed. Boundaries has been one of the biggest conversations I have had with God. 

The question of, where do I begin and where do I end? What is doable for me at this time to give? How might I navigate deep friendship while remaining myself. There is no easy answer and many times I felt that I had fallen short. But there is grace.

So yes, this is a stART.

YEAR 32

I've heard that imitation is the best form of flattery & it is something that I do take from others. Thus, I will flatter a blogger that I enjoy reading (www.martawrites.com) - she is a new momma with her second boy - just as I will be soon & she embraces life as it comes. She is a graphic design person and I've found that I love looking at other people's works of art - although my work of art is in working with people and in conversations & perceptions. I've snipped portions of her latest post b/c it totally applies to me as well & she ironically just turned 32 as well!)

birthdays are my favorite time to resolve to be a new, shiny person.

am planning toenjoy the best things in life.
figure out how to get this baby weight off.
(any good workout tunes suggestions?)
care more about what i put into my body.
it'll be the last one for a long time.
am hoping to write in my blog or my notebook a lot more often.
more lunches with mark.
more long chats with "sisters" on the phone.
less time in front of the tv (we do this pretty well already).
more eating good healthy breakfasts.
finding opportune times to exercise.
will try not to avoid hard tasks.
i hope to be the type of person i hope my kids will be.
discipline with a lot of love.
go on more date nights! (try new restaurants!)
eat excellent desserts.
bathe in bubble baths.
feel less guilty about what i haven't gotten to yet.
participate in some kind of athletic event with friends on their bucket lists.  (totally all mine)
support mark in all of his!
learn a new skill: renegade sewing perhaps?  (again totally mine)
find ways to make someone smile.
build family traditions.
celebrate holidays!
be optimistic!
remember to read scriptures and apply them to my life.
start handmade christmas gifts early (like now).
try hard to remember others and serve them.
pray and communicate with God.
be kinder and ready to listen.
make others feel important.
live without regret.
be genuine.
be more obedient in God's calling for my life and mission.  (always a tough one)
make good decisions. (be more decisive!!) & intentional
make time to write sincere thank you notes.
enjoy this new season of life without fear or regreat & embrace this time.  (me again)