I remember the day I hit rock bottom as a mom. Tired of struggling with comparison, self-defeat, and my cruel inner critic, I desperately wanted and needed things to change. But I didn’t know what changes were needed until I got brave enough to ask Jesus to show me. I started asking Him to help […] The post How to Become A Confident Mom: Turning Self-Defeat Into Self-Awareness first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

Let’s create a home where our children can grow in the soil of acceptance and approval. A home where our kids know they're loved for who they are and liked for how they are. A home where, whether young or old, our children don’t feel pressured to be the product of their our desires or efforts. A home where everyone’s needs and preferences are honored, and where each person... The post The Personality Potato Bar first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

She sat at the table staring out the window while I got my coffee. Her eyes were distant when I slipped into my chair, and I sensed something was wrong.“Renee, how do you do it? You seem like you love being a mom and I feel like I’m sinking. I have no idea what I […] The post For the Mom Who Feels Like Quitting Sometimes first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

  Startled by the silence, I sat up in bed so I could see the neon red lights that told me it was three in the morning, time to feed the baby. But Andrew hadn’t made a sound. Was something wrong? Or was he sleeping through the night? Wavering between panic and joy, I felt […] The post While You Are Sleeping first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

  I watched his shoulders as he walked up the mountain through the fog, hoping his posture would tell me how he was feeling. Raindrops trickled down his suit coat, and I thought to myself, I will never forget watching my son climb this muddy mountain to wait for his bride. Josh and Brandi had […] The post Somewhere Between Disappointment and Trust first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

I caught myself whispering an unrealistic secret to my heart, “Maybe this will be the year everything goes as planned, and we’ll have the perfect Christmas.” Perfect is what I’d always wanted for Christmas, but in all my years of living, I’ve never been able to pull it off. Perfect looks like peace on earth and in my home for twenty-four hours. A […] The post I've Cancelled My Plans for the Perfect Christmas first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

Hi there!! I am sorry if you received an email with a password-protected blog post last week. I accidentally published the title of a post I’m working on, so let’s just call it a teaser. I’ll be sending the whole thing your way in October. No password required, I promise! And I did have something I’ve been wanted to share with you, today, hoping it might help you the way it helped me! A few weeks ago I took my friend Holley’s One-Minute “What % Introvert Are You?” Quiz. I scored 93%!! And that really surprised me. But the biggest “aha” moment came when I read an excerpt from Holley’s new book ..read more

Be sure to DOWNLOAD my FREE Scripture Prayer Printable.  Enter your email below, click “Please send me the prayer printable!” button, and you’ll go straight to my FREE Printable PDF page. ( I promise to never share your email with anyone.) The post When we pray God’s Word, we pray God’s will. first appeared on Renee Swope ..read more

“Imagine for a moment you are alone . . . no books, no Netflix, no one is home with you (in quarantine). The house is quiet. And so are you. The longer you sit, the more you feel. The silence is uncomfortable. An argument with your husband rises to the surface, the sarcastic comment your friend made days ago still hurts, the discontent and discouragement you feel in motherhood slices open a shameful hole. Longings begin to rise and so does guilt. Guilt over not being fully present with your people shames you, the loss of a loved one aches, the guilt for not being further along in your sp ..read more

I noticed an envelope taped to our front door as I pulled into our driveway. I couldn’t think of anything I’d done to deserve a thank-you note so I figured it was a note of encouragement from a friend. I didn’t even open the garage door; instead, I parked in the driveway, hopped out of my car, and hurried to the front door to read it. Imagine my shock when I discovered it was not a note. It was a notice from the neighborhood police, a.k.a the H.O.A. architectural committee. They had stopped by to notify us that our “front porch columns and windowsills needed to be repaired and painted wi ..read more