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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / Faith / {a lesson learned}

{a lesson learned}

October 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Faith


Two nights ago Zack and I
were talking about how busy our lives are. I was explaining that it’s not ideal for me to be this busy. I work two jobs, write a blog post daily, and love every second of the buying, selling, and advertising aspect of Gussy. Can I confess something? I’d really like a few little friends to help me with my day-to-day tasks. Little mice friends, like Cinderella had :)

{P.S. Remember Gus the mouse?!}

When we moved-in, almost two months ago now {gasp}, there was so much on our plates. We had to unpack, start a new job/find a new job, get GUSSY back up and running {I took about a month off from sewing}, and try to remember where we live now that we’re in a new city. There are, after all, nearly 400,000 people that live in Minneapolis.

Yikes.

And we are just two of them!!!

Yikes!

Now that we’ve been here 7-ish weeks, there is {surprisingly} a lot on our plates still. I’m not as finicky as I was before about sewing daily, although there is no getting around doing some type of Gussy/sewing on a regular basis. I’m so excited to see what God has planned for us, specifically with sewing. Right now, given what He had planned for us to-date this year, I can’t even imagine what else He has planned…

Can you imagine it? I mean, my goodness! Moving 13 hours away with a weekend’s notice? Bahhh. However… with such short notice one good thing came from it: there was only one way to plan the move.

Whew.

Absolutely loved that part.

So like I mentioned above, I’d really like some little helper friends.

First on my to-do list:

Finish decorating the sewing room/office. If it wasn’t constantly decorated in ruffles maybe I’d notice this sooner than today…? Just a possibility.

Second, buy another chair. With having only two kitchen chairs {and one is broken}, and two office chairs, we’re still short a chair! No, no, there are only two of us. Yes, we do need five chairs in the apartment ;) Maybe I can find one at a second-hand shop?…

Third, hang Christmas lights in the sewing room. How inspiring would that be, to hang something that resembles a glimmer of Hope, when this sewing talent really has become a glimmer of Hope for me. I could most certainly work in an office that looked like this:

{photo found here}

Oh, goodness… I wonder if Zack remembers where we put the Christmas lights…

Another area of our apartment {I believe this is point four} I’d like to decorate is a section of wall that is bare. Naked. Empty. White. Without color. See, there are lots of ways to describe it :) We have a lot of pictures to hang, we are simply missing the right photo frames. I’m really loving the layout of these frames:


{photo found here}

Another topic Zack and I had two nights ago was how some times, just some times, when I stare at my work for too long, for too many days in a row, I start to find flaws with it. That tiny, itty-bitty snip of thread hanging, or the ruffle that went on it’s merry way while I was trying to sew it straight, or whatever… I find flaws that don’t really exist and I start to wonder if I’m doing the right thing, spending so much time and love on sewing my ruffles. I’d like to think I’m doing the right thing. I’d like God to think I’m doing the right thing.

Do you ever have days where you let the devil in just a crack, only to find that BAMMM! The door gets slammed in his face.

Whoopsy. Shouldn’t have let him in.

I had a day like that yesterday.

Want to know who slammed the door?

It was God, and it was amazing. For the last two months I have averaged one sale per day, and to ratio to selling to an unknown buyer vs. a known buyer is growing. People, this is great stuff. This is rockin’ news!!! This new normal is something to celebrate. {Well, I hope it stays my normal.} :)

Back to the door slamming. A couple nights ago I was having a wishy-washy moment of, Do I keep going? Do I slow down? Or _____? Then yesterday, out of the kind of humor God has been showing me lately, He gives me four Etsy sales. Four! Remember how I average one? Yesterday I had four!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See, there are four. A lesson learned: don’t try to diss what God has planned out.

I have nothing else to write… Gussy is not questioning things any more…

“Never look back unless you plan on going that way.” <--- Nope! :)


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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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maggiewhitley

JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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#womenintheword #wearethehomemakers #scripture #dailyintheword #titus2woman #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyawareness
Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️ Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️✨
A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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