HEY Reader,

Packing for vacation tends to bring out the absolute worst in me.

Add in the fact that I’m packing for a potty-training three-year-old… I am so worried about running out of clothes! And it’s not like we can just run to the store and buy more, because we’ll be on a cruise!

Even though we cruise pretty frequently, I still get overwhelmed by everything I have to do.

As I started packing for our seven-day cruise, I ran out of clean clothes for both boys very quickly. I reminded myself that I can do laundry on the ship, but who has time for that on a trip??

I got so frustrated with myself and my overreaction that I broke down crying, asking, “What is wrong with me?”

Maybe you can relate. This isn’t new for me. I prepare as much as I can with lists, itineraries, and plans. Yet every single time, the packing monster emerges.

I collapsed and asked God to make the storm stop.

Because honestly, why? This isn’t life or death. It’s packing for a trip. It shouldn’t make me crash out, but it does. Every time.

When we condition our minds to dread certain things or stress over certain chores, it rewires our brains to think we’re under threat. I was determined to start rewiring mine when it comes to packing. Not so I’d suddenly enjoy it, but so I wouldn’t turn into a ball of stress every time I opened a suitcase.

Will I get it right every time? Probably not. But my goal is to not overreact and just get it done.

And that rewiring? It comes with a lot of renewing, the kind that can only come from God.

Paul writes,

That transformation isn’t a one-time event. It’s ongoing, and God isn’t only interested in renewing our minds for the big battles. He cares about the small things too, even the ones that don’t really matter, like whether my kids have enough shorts for a week at sea.

If He can renew my mind over a suitcase, He can renew it anywhere.

I hope you’ll take the one thing that brings out the worst version of you and bring it straight to God, so you can start working toward peace instead of chaos too.

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NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Does your child run straight to you the second they get scared?
Want to point that instinct toward God, without telling them their fear isn't real?

This episode I share a sweaty, very lost corn maze story with my boys, walk you through the Carry Me Through learning game, and a family prayer your child writes in their own words.

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LESSON PLAN

This month's lesson plan is all about faith over fear. It won't make every scary thing disappear for your little one, but it teaches them that God covers them and carries them through it. Simple weekly activities help you Teach It, Act It Out, and Pray It together (TAP).

Here is the Faith Over Fear lesson plan for episodes 91-94!

Now, go be mighty mom!

P.S. — If you haven't already, join our free Facebook group where I share all the lesson plans and more!