This week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me (I know, a woman emotional? Totally out of character).

Maybe I’m the only one but goodness, Monday was HARD. And not for any particular reason either. The enemy is sneaky (and quick) like that. And then Tuesday was going to be better and then it wasn’t and then it was again. (See? Roller coaster.)

But all these emotions got me to thinking. I wonder if anyone else is sitting home on Mondays (or any other day) feeling like they aren’t needed (which, for a mother, how could this even be, because HELLO – mothering), or lonely or unexplainably sad or like they just don’t measure up or wondering how they got to be 43 (FYI – just threw that number out there, ahem) and still don’t always know where they’re going, or worn slap out or a million other feelings or crazy thoughts that trespass on our otherwise delightful day at the drop of a hat (thanks to my 5th grader’s homework for that overused idiom).

So I posted a photo to my Instagram and Facebook and Twitter (insert shameless plug – check) and turns out, some of you – like me – needed some encouragement.

And guess what? My heart soared in the midst of encouraging you. Totally scriptural, by the way.

So I wanted to reach out to my readers here and throw some confetti because you are worth celebrating. Whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re feeling, you’re going to make it. I believe in you. And more than that, GOD believes in you AND empowers you to do all the hard things and enables you to overcome all the emotions and all the feelings (because we have a lot of those, huh?).

Chin up, mama!

I want to cheer you on. Except don’t mistake me for a cheerleader. No, in junior high school when all that started I was not popular enough, coordinated enough, or confident enough (I was in all the GT classes though – fist bump from my nerd buddies). And we didn’t have enough money for uniforms and camp (if we did, I’m sure it would’ve gone towards completing that unfinished sheetrock hiding in my closet). And I was SO AWKWARD. Y’all. I’m not even kidding. (Note to self: Naturally curly hair does not look better all brushed out and cannot have wings. Like ever. Pre-flat iron era, of course).

But apparently none of that mattered for the Pep Squad. Because I totally did that for one season. (Still, all the love to my best friends who were ALL, except maybe one, the most awesome cheerleaders.)

Doesn’t Pep SQUAD sound like something we could all do? I mean, you’re my people, but to think of us as a squad, throwing confetti and giving pep talks and cheering for each other? That makes my heart sing. Yes, I can do pep squad.

More power to the Pep Squad!

So, this is the prayer I prayed for all my mama friends this morning (because nothing requires more of us than this mothering, I think):

Holy Spirit, empower us with wisdom to mother well and courage to trust that You, God, can handle anything (even those years of transition from teenager to adult, oh my). Be our strength when we feel weak, our joy when when we feel sad, our peace when we feel chaos, our hope when we feel hopeless, and our stability when we feel unstable. You are enough for us. You are enough for our children. Remind us to rest in You. Thank You for loving us beyond what we could ever deserve. Let us also love well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

And, mamas, may we lift each other up, cheer loudly for one another, celebrate one another, high five one another, grieve together, laugh together, pray together, and occasionally have lunch together. ‪#‎togetherisbetter‬ ‪#‎mamasunite‬ ‪#‎youaremypeople‬ #powertothepepsquad

I love y’all!!