Good morning, friends! I haven’t done a Monday Musings post in quite a while, but I have been wide awake (for some odd reason) since 4:59 this morning and I realized I haven’t shared too much about life lately here on Coffee Date With Kate.

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My best friend of 13 years had her first baby on October 18th. Her name is Madalynn Faith Vaughn, and she’s 6lbs and 13 oz of pure sweetness. I’m so in love already! There’s something so special about watching your best friend become a Mama!

Grayson wasn’t planning on going on the annual men’s beach retreat with our church this year, but at the very last minute it worked out that he was able to go! I was so happy for him to be able to get away from teaching and coaching and grad school work for a few days and just enjoy some golf, fishing, seafood, and fellowship with the sweetest group of men. While he was gone, Landon and I spent a few days in the mountains with my Mama and we had the best time. We pretty much just ate the whole time (ha!) and it was so nice to spend a few days in our favorite place. Landon adores my Mom, and we still aren’t exactly sure what he’s going to name her, but it’s starting to sound like GaGa or GiGi, I think because he’s trying to say “grandma” and that’s how it comes out. So cute!

It seems like after we got Landon’s hair cut for the first time this summer, it has just been growing like crazy. He’s always had a lot of hair (he takes after his Mama), and I love his little curls, but I like for him to look neat so we decided it was time for another hair cut this weekend. Some suckers and Moana songs on youtube kept him pretty still, and he looks like such a big boy! I think with his hair cut short, he looks so much like Gray did at his age.

My Bible Study group is currently doing a book study called Nothing to Prove (by Jennie Allen) and it is so good! I would definitely recommend it! These girls are such a blessing in my life, and I am so thankful for the sisterhood we share. There is nothing like girlfriends who love the Lord, hold you accountable, and speak truth into your heart.

Lastly, can we just talk about how big my baby is getting? He looks like he’s about to go off to college and my Mama heart can’t handle it! He is learning new things every day, can say so many words that he surprises me all the time, and is so affectionate. He comes up and gives hugs all the time without ever being prompted, loves to snuggle, and is totally and completely obsessed with music. He shows such interest in the piano and drums, it’s almost like we have a little Beethoven on our hands. I’m starting to see what a big responsibility we have, as parents, to shepherd his little heart and foster creativity and a passion for things that he shows an interest in early in life. Being his Mama is the greatest gift and I’m so thankful that Jesus has entrusted us with raising him. What a privilege!

I’m excited for my cousin’s annual Halloween party tomorrow and then I’m heading back to the mountains with a friend for a few days to enjoy the cold weather (they got their first snow of the season in Avery County this weekend and I am so jealous)!

I hope ya’ll have a great week!

The Devil knows exactly how to plant seeds of doubt and insecurity in our minds, doesn’t he? For instance, one morning this week, I took Landon to toddler time at the library. The little room was extra crowded with toddlers and Mamas, sitting both in chairs along the walls and indian-style on the floor. Right before the sweet lady who leads the half-hour came into the room, Landon, who had been sitting at my feet beside the diaper bag stood up and tried to take a step. His foot had accidentally got tangled up with the diaper bag strap and when he tried to take a step, he face planted and busted his lip. I scooped him up, he was screaming, blood was pouring out of his little mouth, and soon enough, blood was all over my tshirt and his little overalls. All the other Mamas looked at me, some in horror, some with pity, and I ran to the bathroom to clean him up. We went back in when I had him cleaned up and the bleeding had stopped, but by that time, he was getting sleepy and just wanted me to hold him, so there were more tears and he wasn’t very interested in the Halloween themed activities of the day. The lady from the library had planned a cute, low-level involvement craft for the kiddos to do – a silly looking monster with googly-eyes on a popsicle stick.

Did I make the craft with Landon? No. He’s 17 months old. He would just try to eat it. He doesn’t need a paper monster on a stick. But as I was sitting there, bouncing him on my knee with blood all over both of us, I noticed a Mama in the corner with two small children, maybe ages two and three AND a tiny baby who couldn’t have been more than six weeks old snuggled in a car seat carrier. This Mama… superMama… was not only wearing JEANS and a sweater (in contrast to my running shorts *that have never been ran in* and tshirt and ball cap) but lo and behold… she was in the floor with her two toddlers, making googly-eyed monsters on sticks. Ugh!

And that’s when the Devil’s lies creep in. You can’t even handle one child and look at her handling three! Look at her, all put together and not one of her kids is bleeding or crying… and you can’t even take one child to the library without blood or tears?  

I honestly wanted to run out of the library crying. But, instead, I just hugged my boy tighter and spoke truth over myself. The Devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. We already know Who has won the battle, so we have to choose everyday to live like we know. We have to choose to live like we’re His. We have to pray for discernment when the Enemy’s lies creep into our minds and we have to cling to our Father’s promises for a hope, a future, and know that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Sometimes, kids are scared of the monster under the bed, but if the truth was known, I think a lot more of us “adults” are living in fear because of the lies we are allowing ourselves to believe. Fill your heart and your mind today with truth. Go ahead and tell Satan that he doesn’t need to feed you thoughts that you aren’t enough, because the truth is… we aren’t enough. But Jesus is. His grace is sufficient for you, it’s sufficient for me, and it’s more powerful than all the googly-eyed monsters of inadequacy that might be hiding under your bed or in your heart.