Hi friend,
I've been thinking about this verse a lot this week.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
I shared earlier this week that our middle child was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic mutation. It's so easy for my mind to run straight to the worst case. What if he needs lifelong care? Who takes care of him once my husband and I are gone?
Those aren't unwise questions to think about eventually. BUT sitting in them right now literally does me no good.
So I've been trying to take those spiraling thoughts captive and ask myself one question: is this true? Right now, today? No. We don't know what the future holds. We just know what's in front of us today — helping him, loving him, showing up for him. That's all that's actually required of me right now.
If you're in a season of anxious thoughts too, here's my encouragement: run it through Philippians 4:8. Is it true, or is it just your mind filling in the blanks?
The sword of the Spirit — God's word — is our only weapon in that fight. But it's a powerful one.
This month, here's what it looked like to Multiply the Five:
(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will only ever share things I genuinely use and love.)
FAITH
We're often more affected by the unseen than we realize.
I don't know how I've gone this long without reading The Screwtape Letters, but I finally started it and — wow. It's fiction, obviously, but the way it brings the spiritual world to life, and how much it quietly shapes our everyday thoughts without us noticing, has me paying closer attention to my own mind. Which is probably part of why Philippians 4:8 has been on repeat for me lately.
MARRIAGE
Assumed appreciation isn't the same as spoken appreciation.
My husband and I realized this week that we'd both been assuming the other one just "knows" we're grateful for them, so we don't always say it out loud. Then I watched a situation play out this week (I'll spare the details) that reminded me how much it actually matters to hear it. So I came home and told him directly: I seriously appreciate you.
FAMILY
"Efficient" isn't always the best measurement.
We officially kicked off homeschooling this week! We're still figuring out our rhythm, but so far, so good. It's been a good reminder that I can't always default to looking for the most "efficient" way because efficiency isn't always the right goal. Sometimes the better question is: what actually helps us stay patient, with gentle words, even if it's slower? Slow ≠ bad.
WORK
You don't have to know every reason to take the next step.
If you're a mom who feels stuck trying to reach a specific goal, I built something for you: a free quiz called What's Keeping You Stuck? that helps you figure out what's actually in your way, and sends you free resources and podcast episodes tailored to that exact thing. There's usually more than one reason we feel stuck, but we can only tackle one at a time (which is perfectly OK by the way).
You can take it here: multiplythefive.com/quiz
SELF
You don't have to choose between healthy and delightful.
I mentioned last month I was trying to be more intentional about my health, and I've been a big fan of Just Ingredients protein powder for a while now — especially the vanilla and the creamy peanut butter chocolate. But they just came out with a Cookies and Cream, and WOW. Seriously so good, like an Oreo milkshake. And the Blue Hawaiian electrolytes literally taste like nostalgia — the Blue Hawaiian Punch from my childhood (IYKYK). If you've never ordered from them before, this link will save you $10.
A small encouragement this month
I recently listened to this episode of 1000 Hours Outside, and it was so good — a real picture of how to walk through hard seasons because you usually can't just go around them.
If you're walking through something heavy right now, I'm so sorry. But please know you're not alone. Lean on the Lord, His word, and your community to carry you through it. And if you have something specific you're praying through, I'd love to hear about it so I can specifically pray over you.
You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep showing up for today.
Always in your corner,
P.S. If a friend of yours could use this today, forward it her way. Sometimes we just need to know someone else is walking through something hard too. 💌
