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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / lifestyle / mamahood / A beach video, plus thoughts on purpose.

A beach video, plus thoughts on purpose.

July 2, 2014 · 9 Comments
Filed Under: mamahood, Vlog


A day at the beach. from gussy sews on Vimeo.

* * *

I have little conversations with myself kinda regularly now that revolve around “purpose” and what I have to share/say. It’s gotten a lot harder lately to define these two things, and sometimes it feels really confusing. Do you ever feel like that?

There’s endless joy in knowing whatever I accomplish in a day will be awesome. There are no real rules right now; I’m just focusing on Maggie. And really, what focusing on Maggie means is focusing on our family, reading a few books, going to the beach, cultivating community within Los Angeles and sharing what’s on my heart — all in between naps of course. It’s a little bit crazy but a whole lot of fun. Daily. And so it’s been an interesting transition, slowing down as a maker to more of a mama; one kiddo to two. It’s filled with challenges and rewards. And little tiny toddler kisses in between :)

 Maxwell and I were at the beach last week (surprise, surprise) and I took some video of us down by the water. This is such a fun age, and I have loved all the stages of his 15 months of precious life.

I’ve watched and re-watched (and then re-watched again) this video and I feel very confident in knowing whatever my purpose is, whatever I have to share or say, it’s all from God. I’ll always have a purpose — you’ll always have one, too — it’s just about having the patience to see it the way it really is.

Pure perfection.

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9 Comments
Filed Under: mamahood, Vlog

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Comments

  1. Kristin S says

    July 2, 2014 at 6:45 am

    OH, Maggie, so sweet!

    Reply
  2. Kari says

    July 2, 2014 at 11:47 am

    That is adorable. Can I ask what you shoot video with? I’m in the market for something new.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      July 2, 2014 at 12:58 pm

      My iPhone! :)

      Reply
  3. paige whitley says

    July 2, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    Thanks for sharing Maggie. Yes I lie awake at night thinking about the day, what I did and what MORE I could have done or what I could have done differently. I think it’s something a lot of moms process in different seasons of their lives. Lately I’ve been up and praying for the lost and lukewarm, the broken and those who think they need no healer. My heart is heavy for the state of hearts, for the lost. I have my little mission field with my boys and my neighbors, friends and church family, and I am doing what I think it is God is wanting me to do; to love and to make disciples. It’s really quite simple when we boil it down isn’t it?!? So why do we make it so hard.
    Okay, forgive my rant, maybe I should blog about it :)
    As always, I love you sister and am so proud of the woman you are becoming!
    Paige Whitley

    Reply
  4. Kate @ Songs Kate Sang says

    July 2, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Oh seriously! Hugs!

    Reply
  5. Nicole says

    July 6, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    SUCH a cute little man you have there, Maggie! I love how he waved right to the camera like he knew he was the star. I think we need more of these videos from now on!! ;) Thanks so much for sharing your heart and your family with us. =)

    Nicole

    Reply
  6. Katy says

    July 9, 2014 at 9:41 am

    I’m so proud of how you are embracing the Mommy role + making that the dominant role in your life. We do need outlets where we can be just “us”! But this tot stage is only a season, it’s goes by quickly. As the babies grow, so will your time to get back to being creative + sewing!

    Once we give ourselves permission to relax + enjoy what is, we can breath again!

    Happy 29th! I just turned 39 on 7.2. Gulp!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      July 10, 2014 at 8:00 am

      You’re totally right about once they’re grown there’ll be more time for sewing. A very good reminder for me to hear… xo

      Reply
  7. Joy says

    July 12, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    Gee whiz. I wish we could be friends and take our kid lets to the beach together! You’re such a sweet mama – doing a great job! xoxo

    Reply

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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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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

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“We are preparing to wind down for the school ye “We are preparing to wind down for the school year with just a few more weeks of intentional table lessons. We will then transition to a lighter learning schedule during the summer months. Today I am grateful for the books and resources I’ve read that have helped keep me in my own lane. (Visit my blog to see a personal favorite.)

Even now, three years in, I appreciate the reminder to stay on the path that was designed with intentional thought just for me.”

✨ see #maggiewhitleydotcom for the full post ✨
I took off my “comparison / contemplation” gla I took off my “comparison / contemplation” glasses last month and it’s been soooooo good. See also: sooooo hard (because life is never and/or). I’ve been writing more, reading more, spending more time outside. Talking to friends faces and smelling their detergent. My heart feels lighter. I’m sharing a few updates on my blog if you’d like to read? 🌾🤓blog reading & writing is a much better pace for me. You too? Link in profile.
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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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?

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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! 🤣👏🏻💓
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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.

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