I absolutely love sharing motherhood with all of you. I wish you could all see the messages I receive or the DMs saying how much they enjoy seeing my motherhood realness so I thought I would start sharing with all of you some of my favorite posts from some other fabulous motherhood + lifestyle bloggers! These girls I will be sharing over the next few weeks are gold and I love them all!
Today I will be sharing with all of you my girl Cassie! She is a fellow Lubbock blogger and I seriously adore this girl and her sweet little babe! She’s as real as they come and you won’t wanna miss her post!
This post is probably one of my more vulnerable ones. Growing up I didn’t struggle a lot with insecurities. I have always been very confident in who I am and what I deserve. I never dated jerks, I wasn’t friends with the “mean girls” and I didn’t worry about what other people thought of me. I found my identity in Christ. Wouldn’t you know that the battle with insecurity has set in as an adult. Am I being a good enough wife, mom, friend, daughter, sister, etc? Constantly trying to win at the comparison game.
Blogging has been such a good experience for me in so many ways, but it can become dangerous if I allow it to. It forces me to put myself out there, which I am not always good at. One of the last photo shoots that John and I did (he is my photographer for those that don’t know) I was in such a funk and honestly hated every single picture that was taken. All I could (and really still can) see are my flaws. Things that most people probably don’t notice, but that for some reason or another I am allowing to control my thoughts. Ridiculous things that play NO role in the real scheme of things. Thoughts like “My butt isn’t as perky as it used to be”, “OMG I have love handles?!” “Nursing has ruined my boobs” “Gross. Adult acne” “I wish I had bigger eyes.”
I share all of these things with you because I KNOW I am not the only woman who struggles with these thoughts. Negative thoughts that sneak in and steal my joy and rob me of my confidence. My first thought when looking through all of these photos from this particular shoot was “Trash. Trash. Trash.” Then I got hit with conviction looking at my sweet daughters face.
She doesn’t care that I have mom butt and it’s not perky like it used to be. She doesn’t care about the third eye on my forehead. Do I want her to see a mom that is overcome with insecurities and fear or what others think? Or instead, do I want her to see a mom who is confident and thriving despite her feelings of inadequacy? I want the latter. So I am sharing these photos with you and cringing as I hit “Publish”, because I am still unhappy with them.
I also wrote a letter to Sadie that I hope one day she will treasure.
Sweet Sadie Girl. What a miracle and blessing you are in our lives. You have brought more joy than I thought possible and have filled a gap that I didn’t know existed. My hope and prayer for you is that you know with every fiber in your being how loved, cherished, important and beautiful you are. I hope you strive for excellence in all things, but don’t compare your best to anyone else’s best. You will hear it your whole life from so many people, but you’ll hear it because it’s true. Beauty, REAL lasting beauty, comes from within. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside. You can be the most physically beautiful woman with a body that even Giselle would kill for and if your heart is ugly, it will all be a waste.
Don’t let comparison sneak into your heart and mind. Know your value. Believe in your worth. Don’t sell yourself short and make yourself cheap. You are worth far more than all the riches of this world. You were created by the Ultimate artist and He calls you beautiful and chosen. Your importance is not based on your intelligence, your achievements or failures, your appearance, or your friends. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Make mistakes (little ones, preferably) and learn from them. Use them as stepping stones to grow and become stronger and wiser. Lastly, know that I will ALWAYS be right on the sidelines cheering you on in ALL that you do. You’re my girl forever. Love, Momma
So ladies, I hope that you find today’s post encouraging. Rest in knowing that you are not alone in the battle with insecurities. Know and believe that you are loved, chosen, beautiful and of value.
Sweater: Gap | Jeans: Levi’s | Booties: BP (similar here) | Tote: Street Level | Sadie’s Sweater: Carters (old, similar here) | Sadie’s Pants: Carters | Sadie’s Shirt: Gap (old) | Sadie’s Moccasins: Freshly Picked | Sadie’s Beanie: Old Navy (similar here)
XOXO, Cassie
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Cassie Rea
www.cassierea.com
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Told y’all she was amazing! I totally love every post she writes but this one speaks to so many of you on so many levels! Y’all head over to Cassie’s blog & tell her I sent you!
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