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Ten things I love // vol. 11

July 14, 2016 · 5 Comments

Welcome to the world, dear baby Whitley!

April 20, 2016 · 16 Comments

ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie has been writing online since 2008 to inspire women to pursue the adventure of life. Her blog writings are centered around faith, simple living, motherhood & cultivating joy. Maggie and her family live near Detroit where she home schools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laugher over the challenges & delights of motherhood.
"Inspiration is all around you."
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maggiewhitley

joy in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨
MI ⇢ MN ⇢ CA ⇢ MI

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What I’m reading. I’ve been savoring this book slowly as Gloria sure knows the bible and how to bring us along as she digs in deep. Another book of hers, Missional Motherhood, is just as balmy 💓📖. What are you reading right now? (For more book recommendations see #mwdreads)

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All day, after my exhaustion felt unbearable at times, God delivered this tonight to my front door. At the end of the day, when my work still was not done, yet the sun had gone down and I was wishing the same for myself, God delivered this night light to me. I’m so glad I witnessed it. A little slice of comfort for my heart to help me push through the rest of my mothering work. My children have been sick with respiratory colds, even little Landon has a double ear infection. The last two weeks I’ve watched the clock hands dance from 1am to 4am. My body is so tired, yet my work is rarely “done” as someone always needs me. Don’t we all need a mother, all the time? A comforter to gently lead us to the next part of our day, whether morning or evening. Mothers are needed. I have gathered strength by keeping my eyes turned upward, not with my strength but with His. So tonight I’m putting myself to bed during the 9 o’clock hour. Freshly washed bed sheets and clean pajamas, Lord please revive my tired body so I can continue my mothering work with a gentle spirit. Amen and goodnight. 💓🌙

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Last week the plague of the coughs blew through our home and we all felt sort of BLERG. 💨😩This week we’re feeling much better and so extended recess outside resumes! In between subject lessons I have my children play outside. 🌾🍃When they struggle to find something to do I give them little prompts: time to make nature stew, create a collection of leaves or petals, there’s a storm coming and the only way out is to swing really really high.➕You know, many have questions for me on homeschooling and here’s the baseline on why we’ve chosen this: it’s a natural opportunity to spend more time with our children (I really like being with my children) and homeschooling gives us a pleasant rhythm to our week. 💓It helps us include our children with learning, resting, creating, tidying up, and playing. Simplified: we actually live with them (vs. talking about living life). It’s pretty great.

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From my journal last week:
“I am pulling from the depths of my basin,
pulling the crumbs from the bottom to my heart
with full hope they will be enough.
They aren’t enough, but Lord you are enough.”
💫

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Last weekend I delivered this tiny plush house pillow to a little girl celebrating her first birthday. 🥳💓🌿1️⃣🎂🎀🧵🏡 This may be my favorite thing to sew right now...

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I woke up this morning with a dozen things on my mind, including a dozen emotions, and none of them were helpful or truthful. The thing about raising children is it’s not an easy, fast, clean, guessable act. It’s not always rhythmic or predictable. Motherhood begs us to see through the difficulties of personality so we can see the heart, which often just wants to be loved, comforted, communed. Motherhood is hard because it’s the most rewarding role, but we have to put aside our selfishness so we can put on a shawl of servant hood. Wrap yourself in servanthood and see your children come to you. It may take time, and if it does take time perhaps it’ll be all that more rewarding and meaningful for you. Be a servant. Be a glimmer of sunlight. Be a beam of love. Be a mother.

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My swan has been mum’d 💜🦢🤗 isn’t she pretty??!

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When I was their age, I was obsessed with babies. Nothing has changed. Except everything. 💓🌷🎀 *smooch smooch*

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So, my baby boy is suddenly acting like a little boy, climbing on sister’s art desk chair and squealing with pure delight when I say, “Landon...” and now he climbs on top of the desk and attempts to touch my plant. Does this mean he has a love for houseplants like mama? ONE CAN ONLY HOPE 🖤🌿🖤 PS. I took a week off instragram and it was really really refreshing for me. Perhaps one of the easiest weeks with my children, which is saying something considering my four children are just •five• years apart in age. Social media is wonderful and has the opportunity to connect us, however it works best when we prioritize its role in our life. Thoughts?

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Plants are for sure my favorite decoration. Here I’m retraining my Monstera by moving it away from the light a bit. The stems and leaves were straining to look out the window, and I wanted them to be visible while in our home. Moving plants is only something I do when the plant tells me it wants something different. I read somewhere that it’s important to place plants where they will thrive in our home, not where we want them to thrive. I couldn’t agree more. So give my Monstera a few days and the leaves will move outward towards the center of the room. Nature is a great teacher. 🌿👏🏻

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🌼 my Marigold girl with our Marigold blooms. I can’t believe today is the first day of autumn. Summer, you were so good to us. 👏🏻🌤💕🛶🍦🧺🎀🦓🦚🦆🚌

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For the longest time, when asked how long I intend to homeschool, I responded, “I’m not sure, we’ll take it year by year”. And although the ‘take it year by year’ concept rings true, I do feel strongly that this is what I’ve been made to do. My desire is to commit to educating them. I enjoy teaching my children so much, I enjoy the personal learning *I’ve* had, the closeness of each family member. Why assume they need to spend their day away? Why assume I can’t do this? Why assume it wouldn’t be a natural fit for our family? As their mother, I’ve been gifted four children (one not pictured ;)). I am capable. I can learn new things. I can grow and succeed. I see the light that sparkles inside them and it’s incredibly encouraging and inspiring. It’s more than OK that I enjoy this time with my children... it’s refreshing!

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Perhaps my very favorite corner of our home? At least in the living room? No, I can’t commit to that. There are many favorite corners, the ones where my children’s toys and books collide with my plants and books, with my husbands books and of course a pair of abandoned socks ;) I just really love tinkering with our home. Moving plants (as limited as possible) as I figure out the best location for them to thrive. My Prince of Orange philodendron needs more sunlight so I’ve swapped it with my Monstera who was getting too much light and was always turning its leaves to face the sun. Facing the sun. What a glorious problem to have. I can keep my face towards the Son, too ~ it starts with calming my heart and quieting my voice. Resting in that as the kids finish up recess outside. I hope they’re getting dirty and creating a new game. Parenting can be like reliving childhood if we let it. So face the sun. Face the Son. Tinker until things feel right. Amen.

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My love for running started over 4 years ago when I was a mama of just two young kids. Max was 2 years old and Natalie was about 5 months old, and we lived in Los Angeles. Remember that?! Our daily neighborhood walks we’re not satisfying my need to GET OUT AND MOVE! So one day I wore workout clothes and brought extra water and snacks for the kids, and I began to run. And then I ran for 4 miles nearly every other day. And I felt so strong. It wasn’t about the weight loss, although that came, it was for sure about having my legs take me for miles around the city via the stroller without me needing to stop. My babies were well cared for and while they were touring the city I was caring for myself. It was so good. I haven’t run much since we moved back to Detroit. But we also had two more children! But I’m running again. Zack superbly holds down the fort while I run alone. The kids give him a tour of their day while I run our neighborhood solo. Max is now 6.5, Natalie is almost 5, Marigold is 3.5 and little Landon in the window (👋🏻) is 15 months. I think he’s trying to escape and come with me? Baby boy, these 45 minutes of running go by in a flash. The first mile is always the hardest for me. After that, it’s a steady beat of step & breath. A glorious beat; so familiar and strong.

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There’s a cup of decaf on the side table next to me 🙌🏻☕️📖 I’m finally sitting down to finish my bible study that’s due tomorrow morning. Just ask my dad, this is totally my story: Maggie waits until the last minute to finish her projects ;) But in all honesty, I know it’s difficult to get things accomplished when my tribe of little people are awake so I often wait until evening to do some work. It’s hard for me to concentrate if it’s not quiet. Anyone with me??! This week we’re studying Philemon ❤️💬PS. tell me what you’re reading this week!

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We spur each other on when in a rut, we encourage each other during hard seasons, we enjoy serving one another, we enjoy hot cups of coffee in the morning (or afternoon) and cold beer in the evening, we enjoy accomplishing things, teaching our children, spending time away from each other so when we reunite there’s much to share. We enjoy our marriage. What richness we have, Zack! 😘 Can’t believe we’ve been together for 15 years! Lucky us.

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breakfast is served! 🍳🧺👩🏼‍🍳what are you serving this morning? and by the way, I’m so glad you’re awake. do you see the beauty around you?! 🌤 #riseandshine sunshine!

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One of the neatest lessons I’ve learned through motherhood is how to have joy alongside the hard. 👉🏻Don’t fight having joy, mamas. Don’t fight the “witching hours”, redirect the difficulty with doing. Bring your kids alongside you as you grill dinner. Bring your kids alongside you as you change another diaper, continuing the story-telling as you powder bottoms. 💓Don’t let the difficulty of another diaper dismiss your joy. What if this is what you were born to experience? What if this is how you were created to spend your time? What if loving others is the best way to show God how much you love Him???? Sister, have joy. Find joy. Simplify to experience joy. Say yes to having joy WITHIN your motherhood experiences instead of joy OUTSIDE of your motherhood experiences. 🧺Have joy as a mother while homemaking and invite your friends over. Share your hurts. Ask for help. Describe your feelings. Be together. Seek joy and you will find joy. It’s buried within, waiting to be noticed. 🌾

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Tonight I ran for the first time in... 3.5 years?! I can’t even remember. I may have run in between babies 3 & 4 but like I said, 🤷🏼‍♀️I cant remember. What I do remember is how AMAZING my body feels right now. (Like, I wanna go for another run but I don’t dare lol.) I remember how amazing it felt during my run when I pushed myself through the burn in my legs and tightness in my chest. Hearing my shoes tap the concrete while Bauer’s paws tapped alongside me kept the beat my soul so desperately wanted to hear. I have missed running. The freedom to just GO!, man I really have missed it. It’s powerful when we say, “I’m important enough to take care of my health.” 💫 Do I hear you saying that, too?! Girl, you got this. Get up and run.

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devotionals written by Maggie:

the (in)courage Devotional Bible:
Proverbs 14:1 and Lamentations 5

31 Days of Prayer for the Dreamer and Doer:
on Simplicity

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