Inspiration today.

Here's a collection of inspiring things to start out your week...

• Rain For Roots - a new children's collection of Bible songs that I would actually listen to without kids!  Beautiful, folksy, sweet lyrics.  I play it in the car all the time and it calms me as well as my daughter.
• The answer to life and peace?  Right here.
• On Mothering + Soldiering On - by Nashville mama, Amanda.  Love her blog.  And her honest, nurturing perspective on motherhood.
• Yarn-Bombed Trees in Seattle - yes.  I want these.  In my yard.  Now, just to learn how to knit.
• Enough: Or Why We Should All Be Laughing Hysterically In the Magazine Aisle - for all my girls out there.
• The Happy Mom Manifesto - love this from Ann Voskamp.  "Whenever you want to throw your hands up, throw them around someone instead. Holding someone always helps holds things together."
• This book looks so good.
  
• In Which I Minister Love in the Night - many people love Sara Bessey's blog, and this post of hers could not have hit more close to home for me.  Here's the comment I posted after reading it:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This brought tears to my eyes. As I was reading this actually, my 23-month-old cried out “Mommy Mommy Mommy!” in the middle of her sleep and I went to her tonight with a lot more hope and peace inside of me. So many nights (especially during teething) I feel like I’m losing my mind still night-nursing an almost 2 year old who has never slept through the night. But then other nights I feel just as you – that I’m part of a beautiful tribe of weary, hopeful mamas up in the middle of the night with their babies, and there’s comfort in that. And when my daughter sighs and goes back to sleep contentedly as she did tonight after a few short minutes of connection with me, I know I’ve done the right thing for her. The Lord has refined me during this time in unbelievable ways, and I KNOW I will miss it whenever it ends.

Have a wonderful Monday!