This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.
Hey Momfriend! I want to share my testimony and my heart behind why I do what I do. I also want to share the exciting journey I’ve been on since God led me to start Toddler Mom Diaries!
First, I want to start by saying that Toddler Mom Diaries is for you! Yes, you! The Christian wife and mom with the desire to please God and do what He has created you to do. I know, it can sometimes be challenging because society is in direct opposition to the Bible and God’s ways. We hear one thing from the Word and another thing from the world. So, we have to make a decision.
So consider this your encouragement and a sweet reminder that you are not alone. God’s way is indeed the best! We will never regret being obedient to Him, even if it means being the “odd one out” or feeling like we are “the only one”. It’s all so worth it because God is on our side.
If you let Him, He will help you. He will strengthen your marriage, guide you in parenting, and fill your home with peace. When we get to the place where everything we do is saturated with the presence and power of God, we have truly found the sweet spot!
LaRissa J and Toddler Mom Diaries
I am passionate about impacting marriage and family for God’s glory. I believe I was made for it! As we see time and time again, marriage and family are under attack by the enemy. The world is trying to redefine it and morph it into something far from what God originally designed.
It’s up to us to stand firm and take a stand for God’s design for marriage, family, and parenting. This is my mission: to help women, all over the world, partner with God in their marriages, their families, and their homes. We are called to be the examples and show the world how it’s done.
Marriage and family are beautiful when done in God’s way! This, my friend, is what Toddler Mom Diaries is all about. I’m going to be an open book, let you “read my diary”, and share with you what God has taught me about Christ-centered marriage, family, and homemaking. We are always learning and growing, so why not do it together?
My Marriage Testimony
I’m LaRissa J. My husband and I have a pretty unique love story. I was living in Florida and he was living in Michigan. Somehow, we connected on Youtube and Twitter in 2012 and didn’t even realize it. We shared brief interactions as creators regarding our Youtube content and that was it. Then we went about our own lives.
In 2016, we reconnected on Twitter about content creation and had a little bit of a platonic conversation since we realized we were both originally from Michigan. The 3rd time’s a charm because my husband reached out to me one more time about an opportunity for Christian creators in 2017. That’s when everything changed!
Long story short, after 2 months of chatting, we began a long-distance courtship with the intention of marriage. We got engaged after 7 months of courting, we were engaged. After 5 months of engagement, we were married!
Another thing that makes our story pretty unique is that we didn’t kiss each other until our wedding day and we were both virgins when we got married. We truly have hearts to please God.
Over the years, the Lord prepared us, provided examples, and taught us what godly marriage and family should look like when done His way. Now, it’s what we are passionate about and we love helping and encouraging others in this area!
Family
My husband and I both grew up in two-parent Christian homes. We both grew up in ministry, established personal relationships with Jesus during childhood, and both of our fathers are pastors. I believe God was intentional about that as it contributed to our beliefs, morals, and ideas about godly families.
Now that we have a family of our own, we have been able to put into practice all that we have been taught and gleaned from godly families over the years!
We have a beautiful toddler princess and we’ve decided to do everything necessary to raise her according to God’s Word. Our birth story is pretty unique too, as I had an unmedicated homebirth. It was an incredible experience because I gave birth to her in the peace of our home, in our bed (yes, it was sanitary)!
There are so many things in my heart regarding cultivating a godly marriage, raising kids for Jesus, and creating a peaceful, organized home in which the spirit of God can dwell.
Marriage & Family Tips and Encouragement
My greatest tip for a happy marriage and family is to keep Jesus at the center of it all. Not in a cliche sense, but actually keep Jesus at the center. Make His word final authority in your life and your home and you won’t go wrong!
And don’t worry, if you aren’t sure what that looks like or where to begin. That’s why I’m here. I desire to help you learn how to apply biblical principles so that you can experience the marriage, family, and home you’ve always dreamed of!
Now, because I am passionate about impacting marriage and family for God’s glory, here are a few little gems that I want to share with you today.
1. As you think about your marriage and family, remember that marriages and families are under attack by the enemy.
I want to encourage you to extend grace and mercy to those in your household, as well as toward yourself. It’s important that we follow Jesus’ example with this. We don’t want to hold on to mistakes, hurts, or faults. We must let it go in order to truly love the way God wants us to.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:12
Keep this in mind when there is miscommunication between you & your husband, or when there is pure chaos in your home. The enemy doesn’t like your marriage or your family, especially if you’re trying to honor God! Satan is going to attempt to knock you off your mark, so don’t get distracted and stand strong! Remember who the real enemy is. Spoiler alert, it’s not anyone in your home.
2. If you’re going through a tough season, in your life, marriage, home, or with your kids, be encouraged! Nothing takes God by surprise.
Seek His kingdom first before all else. This alone is so powerful! When we make time with God a priority…When we make His word a priority it changes things. Not only that, the Lord gives us the grace, strength, and wisdom needed to get through that season. And remember, seasons change, it won’t last forever.
3. You may find yourself in a situation where you can’t see how everything will work out, but I want to remind you that it will work out, so trust God with it.
It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. God is faithful! And no situation is impossible for Him. Not even yours. Are you willing to surrender it to Him and allow Him to lead you? Oooh, I hope that left you with some things to think about! Don’t give up, Mama! Everyone experiences trials, but the question is, how do we handle those trials? So, let go, and let God work it all out.
In the upcoming podcasts, blogs, and videos we are going to dive right into how you can achieve your dreams and goals of enjoying a beautiful marriage and family God’s way! Because when it’s done His way, you know it’s gonna be good!
Blessings,
LaRissa J
Join our Facebook Community!
Christian Wives & Momfriends with LaRissa J
