The pictures were stunning. Of course, I immediately posted them to on my social media page. As for printing canvases for my home, it really took a long time to decide which ones to choose. Life gets busy.

Over the rest of that year, things just got complicated. Kids big needs became bigger. Emotions ran higher (for everyone), small problems seemed impossible to solve.

Instead of seeing those beautiful pictures and trying to decide the right ones to display in our home, I began to see them as a lie. This wasn’t us. These beautiful, breathtaking photos were not an accurate depiction of our family. I didn’t want to display them because I didn’t feel attainable to be that perfect family. Oh, how Satan loves to tell us lies.

I am sad to report that I let him tell me that lie. I let myself believe it. You know what? I am learning how to discern when it is Satan and when it is Heavenly Father.

Satan’s whisperings always come with a heaviness. There is a sadness that is left when I start to believe him. A loss of hope. His lies make me feel like giving up. God always tells the truth. But He does it in a loving way. This is what that looks like:

Satan: “That picture is beautiful! (The small truth he gives) Too bad, it isn’t real. You all dressed up for that photo and you are posing for every picture. It is a pipedream! Oh well, you can try to pretend I guess…”

Did you catch that? He told a small truth, and then began to destroy my dream. Word by word. Destroying my hope.

This is what God tells me: “There is such beauty in the details. Look how happy this child is in nature! Look at the beautiful earth all around you. I made that for you to have joy in. I don’t care what you look like, I love you always. Look how the child that doesn’t smile and look at the camera is really trying to do that today. Your husband is so happy you let him wear a soft t-shirt and pants. He did not want to dress up. He knows you understand and love him. What a special day you and your family will get to remember as you do this activity together. See how the family patiently and lovingly works together to get the little one around slowly. How beautiful it is to watch.”

Do you see how Heavenly Father gently and consistently encourages, how He helps me to see the smallest of victories? The beauty in every detail.

I need to listen more to Him than to Satan. Sometimes, Satan is just louder. He really wants to get my attention. Sometimes I fall for his words. I’m trying to be more aware of this.

In the last several months, people have complimented my family. I get told that our family is beautiful. My worry is that people will see us and think that we are something that we are not. So, I make sure to tell them that we are a hot mess, or something like that.

A few weeks ago, at church, a woman told me that our family is beautiful. I responded that we were showing up at our best today. She laughed as only another mother can, and said more earnestly, “no, your family is REALLY beautiful.”

This had me stop and really reflect on how I respond. I have been going about this all wrong. Every family is a “mess”. That is the normal of this world.

I need to let our family stand out. I need to realize that one of the reasons God put our family together the way that He did, is for us to be a beacon. Just like the earrings I spoke of in my last post, Praying about Earrings. Our family can be a topic of conversation that I might need to have with someone.

I am happy to tell you that after struggling with the feelings of what Satan was telling me about those pictures. I finally came to the conclusion that even if we aren’t “beautiful” all the time, I know that we are becoming something beautiful.

I picked out my most favorite pictures and got them printed on canvases and hung them in our entry way. I am no longer intimidated by their seemingly impossible standard. I am now inspired to become even more beautiful as a family than those images are.

I have a sign in my home that says: Welcome to our beautiful chaos. It speaks from my heart about our family. We live in a very organized and structured chaos. But. It. Is. Beautiful.