About Aurie Good

Aurie Good is a pastor's wife, a "retired" youth minister, and probably the most relaxed mom that you'll ever meet! She blogs at Our Good Life with quips about life as a stay at home mom to two girly toddlers, two wild & crazy dogs, and one cranky cat. She is married to her best friend and consider the simple life that they've created absolute bliss! They are currently embarking on a new path of fostering to adopt medically fragile infants and are thrilled to see where God leads them!

When the Line Blurs…..

February 29, 2012 By 3 Comments

 

Gatton Hall 10K Run - July 2011 - The Leading Lady in the Home Straight
Creative Commons License photo credit: gareth1953

I crouched to the ground, balancing on my hands, and placed my feet in the starting blocks. Then I carefully placed my fingers just so, as close to the white line as I could without touching it. I raised my head and focused on the finish line as I waited for the gun to fire.

I was a sprinter. My goal was simple – get out of the blocks fast and never look back. My focus was to run in a straight line without stopping until I crossed that finish line.

When I was in high school, college, and even in my early twenties I was focused on the finish line. The race didn’t matter to me – graduation, more honors, a job, more recognition….I never got tired of racing straight towards the finish line.

Then I got married and that straight path I was on started to blur. I became focused on being the best wife I could, the best pastor’s wife, the best employee.

Then I struggled with miscarriages and that all-important straight path got blurrier still. I quit my job and struggled to find my purpose as *just* a wife.

Then I became a momma against all odds…and suddenly the straight path I was running on was gone. I felt lost and confused – for most of my life I had run straight, and suddenly I had no idea how to navigate this new path which was full of hills, curves, stop signs and dead ends.

I was scared, and feared that I would never find my way to that straight path again.

After four years I still have yet to find that straight path. Instead, I’m becoming more comfortable on this hilly road called motherhood. I don’t get a medal for cleaning up yet another dirty diaper, or keeping up with the laundry, or wiping milk off the floor for the 15th time. I’ve been up and down and all around more times than I can count, and there are days when I long for that straight path and the comfort that came with it.

Until I am smothered with kisses from Bella and asked to play *just one more* game with Sophie – and suddenly this new road is exactly where I want to be.

What path are you running along?

Filed Under: Battles, Emotional, Mental Tagged With: , , , , , 3 Comments

Embraceable You

January 28, 2012 By 9 Comments

I don’t do change well. Resolutions? Not at all. My least favorite thing about a new year are the following words:

Change this…resolve this…..work on this….

I feel that every magazine, every television and radio ad are selling me on change. Changing my weight, my body shape, my clothes. Telling me that I need to buy this gadget, read this book, move to this neighborhood. I need to work more, work less.

It’s exhausting!

This year I am not doing any of it! I’ve decided that instead of trying to fit into a mold and be someone I’m not–

I’m going to embrace who I am right now.

God made me. He knew me before my mother held me in her arms. He knew that I would laugh when I get nervous, that I would break my foot, and that I would accidentally ruin my prom dress. He knew that I would struggle with my faith, that I would love soccer and be horrible at basketball.

He knows my desires, my wants, my fears and my needs. He knows every little itty-bitty thing about me and HE LOVES ME.

How awesome is that?! No matter what – GOD LOVES YOU. Just for being YOU.

This year I would encourage you to EMBRACE YOURSELF. When you are feeling discouraged, or overweight, or ugly – He thinks you are beautiful. He created us IN HIS OWN IMAGE. All things were created beautiful to Him.

Some verses that have helped me:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. ~ Ecclesiates 3:11

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ~ Genesis 1:27

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge and trust in Him. ~ Nahum 1:7

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. ~ Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ~ Psalm 27:1

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ~ Jeremiah 1:5

Embrace yourself this year. Take off the blinders and see yourself as He sees you.

Be you!

Filed Under: Emotional, Mental, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , 9 Comments