Season 1 Finale: Staying Present in the Busy Seasons

Hey y’all, welcome back to Holy Ground Parenting.

In this Season 1 finale, we’re talking about something that feels especially important in this season of life—staying present.

Between end-of-school events, birthdays, tee ball, vacation Bible school, bringing Pearl home, and all the chaos of what many parents jokingly call “Maycember,” life has felt very full lately. And in the middle of all of it, I’ve been reminded how easy it is to become so focused on managing life that we forget to actually live it.

In this episode, I’m sharing why I’ve decided to take a short break from the podcast after this week, the importance of slowing down and making memories with our families, and the reminder that not every season is meant to be rushed through.

We reflect on Psalm 90:12 and Ecclesiastes 3:1 as encouragement to be intentional with the time God has given us and to recognize the beauty in each season—even the busy ones.

I also just want to say thank you.

Thank you for listening, for sharing this space with me, and for allowing me to hear pieces of your stories along the way. One of the most meaningful parts of creating Holy Ground Parenting has been realizing how many parents are carrying similar struggles, hopes, fears, and victories—and how powerful it is when we remind each other that we’re not alone.

This community has meant more to me than I can fully put into words, and I’m so grateful for every message, comment, prayer, and story that’s been shared over the course of this first season.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or like life is moving too fast, I hope this episode encourages you to pause, breathe, and focus on what matters most.

And while the podcast may be taking a short break, the Holy Ground Parenting Facebook group will remain open so we can continue encouraging one another along the way.

Thank you for being part of Season 1 of Holy Ground Parenting. I’m so grateful you’re here.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Hey y'all. Welcome back to Holy Ground Parenting. I'm your host, Marie Kennedy, and I'm so glad you're here. We made it to episode 12, which is the season one finale of Holy Ground Parenting. Wow, I cannot believe I'm already 12 episodes into this. It's kind of crazy because when I first started this, I really didn't know where I was going with it. I didn't really know what I was doing. I just felt the call to get our story out there and to start this, to connect with other families and hear other perspectives and hear other parents that are going through something similar so that maybe I could learn from you guys. And I have, and I appreciate that. And so I'm I'm so glad that I've done this and put myself out there in this way and put our story out there in this way. And and that's led to some amazing connections and some uh amazing uh friendships. And I'm so thankful for for that, and I'm so thankful for all of you for for being here week after week and dealing with our craziness and our our you know crazy season. And and so I really appreciate that. So I can't think of a more fitting topic for this moment than something that I've been feeling really strong lately, and that is the importance of staying present, and so that's why the title of today's episode is staying present in the busy seasons. And our scriptures for today are going to focus around uh Psalms 90, 12 and Ecclesiastes 3:1. And I chose these scriptures just to kind of help reinforce the theme of today, which is going to be that life gets really full sometimes, especially in this month, this season of May. Uh, and I just don't want to miss it while we're living it. And if you're a parent, which if you're listening to this, you probably are a parent. Uh, but if you're a parent, you probably know exactly what this time of year feels like. Uh, you know, people call it May Cember because it really does feel like December, you know, how crazy everything gets around the holidays. Uh, it's the same way here. We have, you know, the end of the school year events, we have different activities, different birthdays and sports and vacation Bible school, and it's just a really full season and a really full time. And with that, it can just get very overwhelming. And for our family, this month is especially full because this week we're bringing Pearl home. Yay! We're so excited, we're so ready for her to come home. Uh, but we're bringing Pearl home, and we've got all the end of the year things, and like I said, celebrations and schedules, and just a lot of moving pieces. And I found myself feeling that pull to like keep up with everything and document everything and stay on top of everything while also trying to stay present, and then on top of everything else, last week we had the stomach bug plow through our house and wreck, you know, our whole week basically. And so it's just been kind of crazy trying to keep up, but at the same time, I don't want to miss anything. I I've really felt the pull and I feel really strongly that I don't want to be so busy managing life for everybody that I'm not actually present in it. And so that's where I started today's episode. That's where I started thinking about it and praying about it and trying to figure out where I wanted to go with this because I knew that I would probably want to take a break in the summertime, just because the summertime is typically a really busy time in general, but also like for my work, my day job, and for Steven's job, we're we're typically pretty busy in the summer. Uh, and so I knew that I would probably want to take a break somewhere uh in in my life. You know, if there's an area that I can kind of compartmentalize and take a break from, it would be this podcast because while I do love doing this and it's so like cathartic, I feel like for me to just talk to y'all every week, uh, it's also something that I can, I feel like right now I can set down for a little while and and have a little break from in order to help manage some of the other stress. Um, so our scripture, our main scripture that I wanted to focus on today comes out of Psalms, and it's Psalms 912, and it says, Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. And I think part of that wisdom is just learning how to slow down enough to actually live the moments that we're in. And I for me personally, it's so hard for me to slow down sometimes because I want to I want my kids to have all the memories, I want them to do all the things and have all the fun. And it's like there's part of me that there's like the part of my brain where I like sign the kids up for all these things, right? T ball, vacation Bible school, uh, dance class, you know, whatever I can get them into. I, you know, I sign them up, and then it comes time to do it, and I'm like, oh man, I really did not think that through. I really did not think about this. Like, we have so much going on. Why did I put this extra stress on myself? And I think that a lot of people feel that way. You can get so caught up in doing all the things and making all the memories and having all the opportunities for them to go experience different things and do fun things that it's hard sometimes to slow down enough and and be present. And one thing that I that kind of brought this to a realization for me or kind of made me refocus on this, is that our kids they don't measure this season by how organized I am. Like they don't remember every single event that we went to or every single activity that I signed them up for. They don't necessarily care. I mean, Evie loves going to T ball. She, you know, she has had so much fun doing T ball this year for the first time, but it's not like I I don't think her whole week would be ruined if we missed a T-ball game, for instance. Um now, one thing that she does remember that we didn't do this year, I didn't sign her up for dance this year. We've done dance the past couple of years, and I just needed a break from dance this year because it gets kind of crazy, especially like like with ABA, and I knew we were gonna be doing the service dog stuff, and so I was just like, it's just too much. But I will say, every single time we drive past that dance studio, she talks about going back to dance and talks about I want to go to dance. So they remember the fun that they had at that event or doing that activity, but they don't necessarily remember how organized I was, or you know, the every single week go into practice or go into class. Um, they they more remember how we show up or how we made them feel or the memories that we create in the middle of all of that chaos. And as as we bring Pearl home this week, I don't want that memory or that moment to feel rushed for me or for anybody else. If you know, for Evie, I don't want it to be rushed. I want I want everybody to be present for it and really take it in and let it be what it is. And so when I read back on that verse in Psalms and it talks about, you know, teaching us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom, I really take that to heart because we never know what's the next day holds. You know, we may plan and and we may sign up for all these different things and plan to do all these different things, but you don't ever know. You you never know what could happen. And so it's really important every day, I feel like, to be present in the moment. Now I I'm definitely do not have this down pat. I I definitely have to actively work to stay present sometimes, especially like I said right now, because I can get so caught up in like, you know, making sure we've got teacher gifts and you know, we've got stuff ready for Pearl to come home. And, you know, do we have uh crates set? You know, I had to get the crate set up for Evie's room and uh get all the all the things, all the treats set up and and everything. And so I can get so caught up in the planning and the doing of of all of those things that I forget to just be still and be thankful. And one thing I feel like, because I like I said, you know, the kids had the stomach virus last week, one thing I feel like that did for me for this week was kind of helped me slow down because I didn't really have a choice. Everybody had to slow down because they were sick, and so I remember one night last week just rocking Jack and thinking, you know, thank you, God, thank you for my babies, thank you for this moment. It's been a miserable week, you know. Everybody was kind of miserable. Evie was sick of being in the house and and didn't really want to eat, Jack didn't really want to eat, and I was like, it's a miserable moment, but God's still in control, and I'm still I'm still thankful that I've got my two babies here, and this is just a minor thing that you know they're gonna get over in a few days. It doesn't feel minor all the time, you know. The stomach bug definitely did not feel minor, uh, but I'm still thankful that I have them to rock because that's not always the case for everybody. So I think it's really important. I don't know why I'm getting emotional over the stomach bug, but I think it's really important to take a beat and and pause and and be in the moment and just be grateful for that moment. Oh goodness. Wow. Did not expect to get so emotional. Oh, okay. So that's actually why part or part of why I decided that, you know, after this episode, I'm gonna take a short break from the podcast. And again, it's not because I don't love this space, because I do. I like I've said it's so cathartic for me to be able to talk to y'all and to just kind of get stuff off my chest, my my chest every week because it makes me feel makes me feel good knowing that I'm not the only one out there going through this journey. And I just appreciate being able to do this, but I also want to practice what I talk about, and I really want to be present with my family in this season and really just soak it in and be thankful and be grateful and and I feel like that's a way for me to be closer to God as well. Because if I'm just so busy like going and doing and trying to do all these things for everybody else, I feel like I'm not really taking the time to stop and appreciate what God has given me and what he's blessed me with. So uh our other scripture, sorry, let me get back to my notes. Our other scripture for today comes from Ecclesiastes, and it's in Ecclesiastes 3, 1, it says, for everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. And like I said before, I I felt such a pull to start this podcast and and enter that season, and now I'm feeling that same pull to put it down for a little while. I feel like I really had a calling to start this and to to get our story out there and to to talk about autism and special needs and and our journey so far and and connect with you all. And I've made some great connections and I love each and every one of them. Um, but I but now I also have that same pull to put this project down for a little bit and and like I said, really connect with my family. And this isn't goodbye, it's just a pause. And while the podcast will take a break, um, I'm going to leave the Holy Ground Parenting Facebook group open. And so it's still gonna be there. So you're not losing the community. We're still gonna connect. I still want to encourage you to share your story, share your wins, share your losses, share what works, what didn't work. Please feel free to use that Facebook group as um a support as a as a community, because that's what I'm that's what I mean it for. That's what I mean all of this for, is to be a community for us to connect and and you know, be there for one another. And that was one of the reasons why I started it was because I didn't want to feel alone on this journey and I I didn't want others to feel alone either. And so I want to gently encourage you if you're feeling stretched out in this season too, it's it's okay to pause. It's okay to say no to some things, it's okay to choose presence over pressure. Oh, sorry, that's my icemaker going. And like I said, even though we're taking a break from the podcast, I'd still love to hear from you. What helps you stay present during your busy seasons? If you have any tips or tricks to remind yourself to be mindful, what are those? What helps you? What helps you stay engaged during all this chaos? I know that busy seasons are gonna come and they're gonna go, but the moments that we live inside them matter more than we realize. And that's what our kids remember. So today, before we go in prayer, I just want to remind everybody that you're doing a great job, and you are doing God's work by being there for your kids and being mindful, and it's okay to give yourself a little break. So let's go to God and talk to him about it. Father God, thank you for the gift of this season. Even in the busyness, the full schedules, and all the moving pieces. Thank you for the moments that matter. Lord, please help us to slow down. Help us to be present, not just physically, but fully, to notice the small things and cherish those ordinary moments that will one day mean so much. When we feel overwhelmed or we feel stretched too thin, remind us that we don't have to do everything. Give us the wisdom to know what matters most and the courage to choose it. Help us to release the the pressure to keep up and instead rest in the life that you've given us. Be with our families in this season, in the laughter and the chaos and the celebrations, and even in the hard moments, too. And as we step into a pause, Lord, we trust that you are still at work in our home, in our children, and in our hearts. Thank you, God, for your presence in every moment. In Jesus' holy and precious name we pray. Amen. Thank y'all so much for being here with me on season one of Holy Ground Parenting. It truly means more than I can put into words that you've spent this time with me listening and sharing and being a part of this community. As we step into this next season, I'm gonna take a little time, like I said, to be present with my family and soak in all the moments that this summer's gonna bring. But again, this isn't goodbye, it's just a pause. You can still find connection and community in the Holy Ground Parenting Facebook group. And I'd love for you to join us there if you haven't already. And if this podcast has encouraged you in any way, it would mean so much if you left a review. It would help other parents find this space and remind them that they're not alone on this journey. Until next time, take a deep breath, slow down, and don't miss the moments that are right in front of you. I'll see you soon. And bye bye, goodbye, goodbye.