I’ve been struggling with the burdens of friendship recently. I believe passionately in community. If you follow me on any platform, you might’ve noticed. I started this blog, a Mothers Ministry, and a neighborhood Bible Study to help encourage women and build community for myself and others. I feel strongly that we need a village, a solid reliable community, to do this earthly life.

Yet I am learning the hard way when you’re far from family in a new area, sometimes you have to build your own village . I want to be obedient to the call to build community for women, particularly mothers, and be an encourager as the Holy Spirit leads me.

My husband and I have been involved at our church for 10 years, and a year ago we began hosting a weekly small group. It’s been good for us because we’ve been able to get to know new people and make new friends. We’ve been helped by our group and we’ve been able to help others.

But, still, people are messy. And when you deal with messy people, life can get messy, too. Hence, burdens!

Who is the boss of your body? The one thing that really brings out the mama bear in me is the thought of someone abusing or molesting my children. On the wings of the #metoo movement, and with all the sexual assault in the news lately, it makes me relive my own experiences as a child and strive to do everything in my power to protect my children from any harm or wrongdoing. This book “God Made ALL of Me” was recommended months ago in a Twitter conversation between a co-author and Beth Moore, and I bought it immediately. I wanted to prepare myself to protect my children long before there was ever a need. I wanted to be proactive, rather than reactionary or defensive. I didn’t want to wish I had read this book after something happened, or worry that it might be “too late.”

In September 2015 I began attending a MOPS (Mothers of Pre Schoolers) group near my house. It was hosted by a local church, but not the church we called home. I attended for about a year (well, 2 semesters), but in May 2016 when the year ended, the leader stepped down and a new leader could not be found (and MOPS appeared to have taken several steps away from their roots as a gospel-centered ministry), and the ministry at that church disbanded. It was then that I began to realize I couldn’t possibly be the only mom at my church who felt the need for this vital ministry and fellowship.

Happy NEW Year! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

* / / b e h o l d / / * . . The old has PASSED AWAY. The NEW has come. Bye, 2017: good, bad, ugly, indifferent. Bye, old you: broken, shattered, torn. BEHOLD: newness. New you, a new creation in Christ. New year. New possibilities. New opportunities. Newness. Because of HIM. Praying as this year closes and the new one comes, that you learn His new mercies every morning. His great love for you. His fullness. His grace, upon grace, upon grace. New. Because of Him, newness comes. And soon, one day, eternity with Him. No crying, no tears, only joy. Until then, behold. . . #theoldhasgone #newhascome #newyear #newcreation #becauseofjesus #grace #mercy #believe #faith #happynewyear #2018 #behold #resolution #bibleverse #hny #nye #newyear #newyou

A post shared by cαιтℓιη ✿ wαℊηℯr (@caitielin34) on Dec 31, 2017 at 10:56am PST

What newness are you seeking this coming year? Are you a new creation?