Nicole O'Meara | Blog — Nicole O'Meara

Book Reviews: The Connected Parent & Hands Full

The Connected Parent provides real-life applications for concepts taught in The Connect Child. If What I loved most about this book is the hope that is found between the pages. These are tools that work! The wins that Lisa shared (and some losses) encouraged me to keep going, to not give up on these tools, and to keep hope alive.

No matter what your hands are full with, Momma, you need encouragement. Encouragement is exactly what my friend Brooke Frick provides in this book, Hands Full: Thirty Days of Encouragement for Busy Moms.

If you think you don’t have time for self-care, or you haven’t read a book in a year, this is the book for you. If you only have time to read three pages before you fall asleep, choose this book for those three pages. You are not alone in your full life, friend. Be encouraged because God is the one who filled your hands and he will enable you to carry all that you must in your motherhood journey.

Book Review, BlogNicole O'MearaSeptember 12, 2020book review, adoption, motherhood, TBRI, devotional Comment

God in the Age of Compassion Fatigue

Compassion Fatigue is defined as a condition characterized by emotional, physical, and spiritual exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others. It is not a disease; it is a set of symptoms, most notably exhaustion, depression, a strong feeling of helplessness, and chronic stress.

Not only do we not want our caregivers to experience Compassion Fatigue, we don’t want to live life without compassionate caregivers!

Compassion Fatigue is real because humans are limited. No matter how kind and compassionate a person is, no matter how healthy their self-care routines are, every person has a limit to their compassion. But God is infinite. 2 Corinthians 1:3 calls God, “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” God will never experience Compassion Fatigue.

BlogNicole O'MearaSeptember 7, 2020undiagnosed, chronic disease, caregiver, pandemic, compassionComment

Practice Remembering: Help for Isolation-Induced Thinking

I’ve noticed a fascinating thread through sanctifying life events: isolation. If I told you the story of each of those events (and perhaps I will one day), I would tell you that circumstances forced me to go through pieces of those events alone. And in each event, that aloneness drew me closer to Jesus, because He was the only one who could truly, fully be with me for the duration. As He drew me near to Him, I learned more about Him and that knowledge changed me.

That’s the crux. Sanctification happens when we learn more of God’s character.

BlogNicole O'MearaJuly 21, 2020grace, chronic, undiagnosed, pandemic, sanctifiation Comment

Finding Peace When Things Can't Be Fixed

There will always be things out of our control. Things we can’t fix. Since my lungs bled, it seems my family has been in a Master Class on “Things That Can’t be Fixed.” Broken blood vessels. Weak lungs. A pandemic that sent us into isolation. And now, as the state re-opens, we must stay home because that’s the safest choice. There’s really nothing we can do about that.

So what can we do?

Here are four things you can do to find peace and hope when things can’t be fixed.

BlogNicole O'MearaJune 27, 2020hope, peace, praiseComment

Planning an Altar of Praise

I was hoping to find an example of a Biblical character who weathered their quarantine with faithfulness and steady joy. By far, the story that resonated with me the most was the story of Noah. Noah and his family were “quarantined” on the ark for their safety and preservation of life. There are many parallels between Noah’s quarantine and ours. Monotony, worry thoughts and waiting.

But, let’s not forget how the story of the flood ends, and I don’t mean the rainbow. I mean the altar. Noah’s first action after disembarking was to set up a stone altar of praise to the Lord.

BlogNicole O'MearaMay 29, 2020blog, storm, Noah, praise, pandemic, quarantine, patience, waiting Comments

Book Review: The Promise is His Presence {BONUS: Video Conversation}

Author Glenna Marshall, a Christian living with chronic illness, struggled to feel satisfied when so much of her life wasn’t the way she thought it should be. Sitting on her couch with the Truth in her lap, she believed God was good, she just wasn’t sure He was good to her. What other reason could there be for her missing pieces?

She went on a quest for an answer and it led her to Jesus. Only Jesus.

The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough is her journey to finding satisfaction in God alone.

I read The Promise is His Presence earlier this year and it resonated so deeply with me that I reached out to Glenna and asked if I could interview her. She said, yes! So, this book review is even better with a BONUS video conversation.

Book Review, Blog, VideoNicole O'MearaMay 27, 2020book review, Soul Care, chronic diseaseComment

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