0:00Episode 4,021, stay on track. Moms, it's time to rediscover, rejuvenate, and renew who you are in mind, body, and spirit. Welcome to Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie, the show that help you do just that. Here's your host, Certified Life Coach, Personal Trainer, and Nutritionist, Christian Wargo. Happy every day, it is Friday, and it's another reason to celebrate. And I know maybe if you are going through holy week, you're like, Christian, this is not really a good day to celebrate, because it's good Friday. I get that, but hear me out, stay on track. For those of you who are brand new to Create Your Now, welcome to this incredible family. I'm so delighted of your presence. If you already haven't had the opportunity, you want to head on over to CreateYourNow.com, where you can learn more and sign up for the Kisses newsletter, the Keep It Simple Strategy, everyday solutions, to live, love, and impact. With this episode is brought to you by AIM,

1:00Inspiring Connection, and Community. Defeat is often felt in the stillness of the storms. The quiet moments when exhaustion just weighs so heavy. And worry swirl about whether we're truly meeting our children's needs or not. Parenting is overwhelming, it is. I don't care what age your kids are. You could be in your 70, 80s or 90s, or if you're blessed in your 100s, hallelujah. You could be sitting here having the same struggles that you did when you were in your 20s and 30s with your babies. From sleepless nights to unexpected meltdowns, to the endless, what comes next, Lord? What do I do? All this questions. The journey demands more than just energy. It demands heart. And regardless of the stage our kids are in, staying on track is not optional. It's required. And when wearingness and fear try to convince you to run or hide, remember this,

2:02you're doing the best you can. Don't feel sad or mad at yourself when you're like, I really screwed this up. Parenting was never meant to be easy, otherwise everyone would have dozens of kids. No one would not want to have kids. If it was easy, but you see it's not. Parenting is a path for those willing to sacrifice to endure trials and to keep choosing love every single day. And of course I can't help but look at this in regards to Good Friday, Holy Week. I hope that these episodes this week have been blessing you allowing you to dig deeper, God's way, putting a heavenly touch to it. Sometimes we need that just deep dive. And this truth echoes, right? The greatest story of sacrifice and steadfast love we know.

3:06God sending His Son to die in the cross for us. Today is Good Friday. Christ death. And Christ death was the ultimate act of surrender, done out of love for broken humanity. And just as He bore the weight of pain and rejection, we bear our own struggles as parents. It's the real deal. Don't you think God would have wished she could have done something differently than sending His Son a part of Himself? It's one of those things though that when you start to think too logically, your mind gets all tangled up and I don't want you to go there. What I do want you to hold on to right now is that God doesn't leave you alone in the storm. He understands your pain deeply and holds the promise of victory beyond the trials. Hebrews 12 verse 2 reminds us fix our eyes on Jesus,

4:08the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Like Jesus, we face challenges with an eye on the hope and joy ahead. There is something on the other side. Our sacrifice and parenting is part of a greater story, my friend. Listen up, Mom. This part of the greater story is one of redemption, grace and purpose. It's not just about being, I'm just a mom. No, you're more than just a mom. Dad's you're more than just a dad. Parenting is sacrifice, as shown by God Himself. So we've got to honor that and stay on track. That is your kiss to keep a simple strategy. Stay on track.

5:08Don't sit there to allow yourself to be derailed. Don't sit there and allow yourself from what the world is telling you to say, oh, no, no, no, no, you're not doing well. In fact, you're doing horrible. Go put yourself in the corner. Go feel bad for months at a time. Now, sometimes we yell out of turn. That's called life. But there's also something that can follow that. If you are out of line, you can say, I'm sorry. A lot of times as his parents, we just beat ourselves up over and over again, because we think we have to have all the answers. I'm here to tell you, Mom, you don't. You don't. But there is one person who does your Heavenly Father. And he had all the answers when he sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.

6:08And what we recognize today as good Friday. So what does it look like for you to stay on track amongst all the chaos, the exhaustion, the celebrations, maybe you've got a graduate coming around the corner or someone in the family who's graduating, whether it's kindergarten, high school, college, everything in between or beyond, right? People are going back to school now and getting their masters and their PhDs to further their education. But that can bring a lot of heaviness, a lot of preparation, but you see preparation requires presence. And that's why you got to stay on track. What does it look like in real life? Number one, lean into God's strength daily. When your own reserves run dry and they're going to, head on over to Isaiah 4031. I love this verse. One of my favorite verses, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will store on wings like eagles.

7:09They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be famed. Let God's strength fuel you each day. Talk to him. Pray. Get into his word. Read the scriptures and have honest surrender. And let me tell you, Mama, that's going to keep you steady at it. When you lean on God. When you try not to do all the things by yourself and we do it, I know. Been there doing that, not good. We all need the reminder, lean in, lean on, because God's got you. Number two, set small clear intentions. Parenting is not about perfection. It's about consistent forward motion. Consistency is the key. Decide what one thing you can do today to encourage your child. Or to reinforce your values within them.

8:12Simple, achievable goals prevent overwhelm and it creates momentum for you. It's like, I think I can. I think I can. I know I can. I am doing. I am, oh, this is getting better. And even though it still might be a hard climb, you have momentum. And with momentum. Comes what, victory, triumph over the trials. So set those small clear intentions. You don't have to have all the answers. Just one, maybe two. And if you have multiple kids, maybe you set them up for each child. You can also give yourself reminder notes. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Because sometimes we allow all the things to weigh so much on us that we can't even get up in the morning. And that snooze button has nothing to do. It has more to do with the heart than it does with I'm just too tired.

9:13Just be careful what you're allowing yourself to be led by. The world or God. And finally, number three, celebrate tiny wins and extend grace. Every moment of connection, every step forward counts. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Big ones, small ones, medium ones, extra large ones. Maybe ones that you're waiting for. Count them as a blessing. Celebrate those small victories quietly, but intentionally. You don't have to sit there and go on social media and say, look at me, look at me. Because what happens when you're not feeling that great and things are going not so great, then you're like, I have nothing to report. And you're like, look at me, look at me. Failure once again. No, you're not. So celebrate the big and small victories.

10:13And when you stumble, offer yourself grace as God so often does for us. Mama on this good Friday, remember the cross is more than a symbol of sacrifice. It's a promise that after every storm, resurrection comes. It's the moment everything changed. The triumphs waiting for you and your family, I promise you they're within reach. I don't know what they're going to look like, but God sees you. And your efforts, though hard, are known and woven into a greater purpose. You're writing a story with your Heavenly Father. You're not alone. Keep going. Keep trusting. And stay on track. Go in peace. Be present. Be incredible. Be you. Do your Heavenly Father, Lord, we just pause in this moment to remember

11:20what you did for us sending your only son to die on the cross, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for seeing us, for who we are and who we are becoming. We honor you this day and every day. And Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I love you so very much. I cannot wait to see you on the other side. Blessing tags and lots and lots of love. We'll talk to you real soon. Have a glorious blessed Holy Week. Happy Easter. Bye-bye. Feeling inspired and ready to train for life and love your journey, visit createyournow.com for more incredible resources to help you along the way. We'll see you next time on Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie. And remember, always be sure you consult your physician before beginning any health and fitness plan. And remember, always be sure to visit createyournow.com for more incredible resources to help you along the way.