God continues to amaze me. For those of you who may have watched my live after Maven was born, I shared in detail why the number 818 is very significant to my husband and I.

God continually has this number pop up everywhere, in the most crazy ways. Like sooo many cool God stories that I know I will share in my book one day.

It's the name God gave my husband for his business (that he started many years ago). It stems from Deut 8:18 which talks about how it's God who is the one who gives us the ability to create wealth.

Those who know our story know that we've faced a lot of financial hardship and struggle in our past. We went through losing a home, a car, job losses, having thousands of dollars in debt and yet we knew that we knew that we knew that God had incredible financial blessing for our future. Dreams, visions and ideas we felt He birthed in us that we were supposed to pursue and see come to life.

During our very low times, during the disappointments, job losses, economy crash of 08', threatened law suits, doubts and spoken and unspoken comments & thoughts from people who I know felt we weren't making wise decisions (because you know, in the natural, leaving a job without having another one isn't ideal) God would continue to show us the number 818 - in the craziest ways. It was a reminder to my husband and I to shut out the world and only listen to His voice. God's voice. It doesn't matter what your family may think or your friends. Let them think you're making foolish decisions. Let them make their comments. Let them think you're crazy. Because when God speaks to you, the world's "voices" really don't matter.

Seeing 818 pop up so often was a reminder to our hearts that God hadn't left us and to keep trusting Him and know that one day it will all make sense. One day those dreams will be part of our testimony and that He was going to turn it all around. To keep believing regardless of our circumstances. To know that even when things don't make sense in the natural and don't look like what we believe is coming for our future, to stay the course and just wait and rest in God and trust He will do it in His time. To wait for the miracles and know God will put all the pieces of our puzzle together.



There is a major shift happening in our lives right now. After over a decade of struggle and hardship, God is blessing our businesses, opening up doors, aligning the right people with us, it's amazing. But, we have to MOVE OUR FEET friends. We have to run after our God given dreams. We have to ask God to open doors, bring new opportunities. And then? And then we have to STEP OUT.

I felt God gave me a word a few months ago. I wrote it down quickly....hoped to blog about it at some point but haven't, until now. The word was...

Sometimes we have to step OUT, so we can step IN to what God has for us.

Soooo good, right? Friends, we cannot pray for God to open doors and bring opportunities for financial blessing if we aren't willing to walk it out. Can I get a AMEN?!

Before I joined my social media based business, Monat, almost two years ago, I was praying for God to bring another stream of income for our family. My husband's business, 818, is thriving... but when I was praying for God to open up another door for me financially, his business was just about a year old at the time (so three years ago now) and while it was going well, it was going to take time to build (as most businesses do.) There are big dreams in both of our hearts and I believe God has a huge testimony for my husband and I. I believe our story will encourage many who have walked through some of the same hard things. God turns dreams into realities my friends and tests into testimonies! Can I get another AMEN in the house?!

But we MUST play our part. A bag of gold isn't going to fall from the sky and land on your doorstep. One of the Bible verses I memorized years ago (Jeremiah 29:13) says, 'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.' I encourage you today to seek the Lord, listen for His voice, His leading - and be obedient.

I was saying no to God's nudge to join Monat for 4 months because I honestly did not want to do it. I already did two MLM's previously and they didn't really go anywhere for me. I didn't want to start over. I didn't think one could work for me. I wasn't a salesperson. I am too busy. The list goes on and on. I was filled with fear and self doubt, truly. But if there's one thing I've learned in my Christian walk it's to listen for God's voice and to not ignore it. I knew He was telling me to say 'Yes' to this business because He wanted to do big things through it, so I did it. August 21st, 2017.

Is God calling you to do something and you've been ignoring him? Stubborn and saying no? His ways are always better than ours friends. His plans for us are good. We must learn to step into what He has for us. Even when that may feel uncomfortable or scary. Even when in my case, it was saying yes to selling shampoo. Because what's happening in my business is amazing and a huge blessing and what is coming is even more exciting! I feel major growth coming. A new season. Thank you Jesus for carrying us through the hard seasons and into the new ones!

If you ever want to learn more about what I do and this amazing opportunity please reach out to me through Facebook or shoot me a email! (mommaharrison@gmail.com) I love sharing my passion for this business and my passion to pour into more women and their dreams!

Oh and just another little 818 story for you that happened this morning, which is what stemmed this blog post. I was telling a friend about this awesome app. Five Minute Journal. (It's so great, my husband shared it with me years ago, so check it out!) I went to the App Store to take a screenshot of of it to show her what it looks like.

Notice anything??? 😭

I don't even have the words to start this blog post. I'm extremely sad that I'm even writing it. I feel numb, in shock, and just broken to my core.

















Early last month I saw her mom make a post on FB and it mentioned wanting to get Jackie out of the hospital and into a hospice facility. My heart starting racing and I thought to myself. Hospice??? Why would she go into hospice care. I quickly went to her Facebook and also her page where she updates the latest with her in her journey scouring to read more. I was panicking when I heard the word hospice as I have only known hospice means you are nearing the end and I was like no no no. Not Jackie. She's going to be fine! She's doing fine! She has a UTI but I thought she was doing fine. This can't be right. Most comments I read were saying prayers for her but one mentioned to pray for her friend's family who is saying goodbye too soon.

I completely lost it. I was making my kids lunches getting them ready for school and I went into my food pantry, shut the door and sobbed. I just kept thinking this can't be right, I must be reading it wrong. She can't be dying. Oh God, please tell me she isn't dying!!!

Today, Jackie went to be with Jesus. I can't stop sobbing as I type this. My heart hurts so deeply.

I never heard Jackie talk about death. Not once. Her hope was in Jesus and I know she is with Him and there is so much comfort in that, but oh the sadness I feel today. She was always so positive. She was constantly posting Bible verses on healings and healing podcasts and testimonials and speaking life over her body and this awful disease. Her faith was so so strong.

I know this may sound ignorant, but I truly believed Jackie would get through this. Her passing away truly wasn't even in my thought process. It has completely caught me off guard, somehow.

There is a lump in my throat having to find my hard drives and pull out these photos. It is devastating for me looking through them. She is my age. Mid thirties. She is so young. She loved her family so fiercely, such a good wife & mom. I'm truly heartbroken and at a loss for words. I feel so angry at cancer and that this evil disease ripped away my friend from her family. I just cry every time I think about it. How do you say goodbye to your children at such a young age, knowing the heartache that will come for them without you in their lives? And how do you watch your children say goodbye to you? It wrecks me to my core. Their lives were changed forever today. Oh Jesus, please hold them so close. May they always know how much their mama loved them and may her memories never fade. Give them a peace that only you can bring Lord. Without you Jesus there would be no hope. Give John the strength to carry on and raise their children. Give Him so much grace Father, hold him close as He comforts his kids, while grieving deeply himself. Jesus hold her parents so close, we should never watch our children leave this earth. Comfort her brother Jesus, sisters are so special, how heartbreaking it must be. It's just not fair. Jesus surround them all with so many who will love on them, support them, bring food, encouragement and endless hugs. Jesus may they stay ever so close to you through this dark time and cling to you and only you to carry them through.

As broken as I am right now, I know that God is good. God's plan and will wasn't for HIS daughter to have cancer and suffer and leave her husband a widower and her children without their mother. Just gonna be completely honest....if you believe that, please refrain from commenting a "God must have had other plans for her." "God needed her more." "Sometimes God's will is hard." "God is in control" or any comments like this on this post because it will be deleted. It bothers me to no end to hear people talk like this. You must not know the God I know, because my God is good ALL the time and doesn't give His children cancer! Just like you or I wouldn't give our children cancer to teach them something. (And yes, I know the Old Testament story of Job, in case you're wondering). We live in a fallen world full of sickness, disease, evil and tragedy. This isn't our eternal home. So don't put every tragedy on God like it's His fault. As if He's to blame. Or as if it's His good and perfect plan. I'm just so sick of hearing these false doctrines. Sorry, not sorry.

As I shared above, Jackie told me God gave her peace and that she believed He would use this in her life and in others lives. I do believe that God uses hard things in our lives for His glory if we allow Him to. I do believe He brings beautiful things out of tragedy. I do believe He brings good out of the bad. But please do not mix that up with "This was God's plan for Jackie's life. To die in her thirties of a horrible disease and leave her 4 children without a mother and to leave her husband to raise them without the love of his life." That was NOT God's plan. It's the result of living on this earth and having to endure hardships. God using our trials for His glory and God GIVING us the trials are two very different things. And I believe a lot of Christians have this mixed up - but that's for another post, another day.

Jackie, my life is forever changed from knowing you friend. I'm heartbroken. I'm sad. I cry every time I think of you and John and the kids. But I rejoice and take comfort in knowing you are with your Savior and free of this long battle, but oh how I wish your ending had been so much different friend. I truly believed it would be so much different. I'm still in shock.

You praised Jesus in the storm, Jackie. You truly did. It says so much about who you were and WHOSE you were. Your peace was found in Jesus - the only one who can bring peace during our lowest of lows. God is pleased with you friend. I can only imagine what it must be like to be with him today. Our hearts hurt and grieve here on earth, but thinking of you pain free and whole and hanging with Jesus, it's pretty incredible.

I'll miss you so much, but know one day, I will see you again. What a day of rejoicing that will be. I love you, girl.

Do you ever see something, hear something, smell something.....and you immediately get taken back to a certain time in your life?

Ray holding Lincoln, our 3rd kiddo

The answer to that question is pretty simple...

Earlier this year I felt God asking me to share my story. While I consider myself pretty open & authentic, some things are hard to share with the world and one thing in particular felt very personal. But if I've learned anything in the past decade it's that when God speaks, I need to listen & just do it. (Geez Nike, you really did come up with a winner there.)

Soooo hi, I'm Keri. I'm a Michigander who hates being cold, wife to a cute redhead, stay at home mama of six (yes, I do know where babies come from and yes they are all mine... *insert eye roll here*).

I'm also a professional photographer and because my life doesn't sound busy enough, I joined a direct sales company 16 months ago that is changing my life.

It's funny really, I never would consider myself a dreamer when I was young. My parents weren't ones to talk about going after your dreams. I didn't go to college. All I wanted when I was young was to be a mom when I grew up. That was about it folks.

But about 12 years ago, I realized I am indeed a dreamer. A go getter. A hustler. I left my corporate 9-5 job to start my own in home licensed daycare. The year prior to leaving my job I dreamed about making it perfect. We purchased a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood with the intentions of finishing the basement for my daycare, Keri's Kidz. It was a labor of love. 1800 square feet of space we designed just for kids. A colorful fun space I thought little ones would enjoy and feel happy being in. Cute little lockers for each child with their name on it. It really was a special place.

I've always loved kids. I babysat as soon as I was old enough, I worked at a daycare, I was a nanny, my life pretty much revolved around little people. So having my own daycare made sense. We spent a lot of time (ahem, and money) making it perfect and thinking of every little detail. So many people knew me and loved me as a caregiver I just knew it was going to be amazing and my business was going to take off!

But then it didn't.

It was SO hard to get my first client. While I did have great references I failed to realize that I was in a town where no one knew me. It was only 30 minutes from where I grew up babysitting, nannying, etc. but no one knew who I was... and if you're going to leave your child in someone's care all day, it's kinda a big deal and you probably want a place that is established or a place that has great reviews.

I didn't have either. Sigh.

Looking back, I feel this was a defining moment for me. Not just in my business but in life honestly. Little did I know what the next decade would unfold for me & my family. Bumps in the road. Hard seasons. Painful decisions. Humbling moments. But in that moment... after many months of trying to get my business off the ground I asked myself, "Am I a quitter or a fighter?"

I'm a fighter.

I didn't have it in me to quit. Even though in the natural it seemed like maybe I made a big fat mistake. Maybe I missed God's voice. But see, just because things don't go the way we think or hope, doesn't mean we missed God. Let me say that again...

Just because things don't go the way we think or hope, doesn't mean we missed God!

We have to trust the process...

I went out the next day and purchased a huge pack of 8.5 x 11 neon paper and made flyers for my business. I then drove to our local Walmart and started placing them on the windshields of every car in the parking lot.

Because my dreams are worth it.

I was willing to do whatever it took. Keri's Kidz was just the beginning of many dreams and new adventures to come, and I'm sure I'll come back to it at some point, but I went on to have a full daycare of little people, employees and all!






But I could have quit. I could have said I failed. I could have said this isn't for me. I could have said I don't know what I'm doing. I could have said I don't have what it takes to be successful.

Lies. All lies.

Whose voice are you listening to today?

Are there dreams in your heart you want to pursue but instead you're believing all those same lies? Do you surround yourself with people who believe in you and your dreams? People who speak life into you and those dreams? Do you feel God is calling you to step out but you're afraid and holding yourself back? If so, I feel you girl... and stay tuned for a upcoming blog post where I touch on that very thing.

So, to wrap up why I started Motivated Mom Boss... ultimately I started this space to glorify God through sharing my story. My hope is to encourage & inspire other women like me to believe in themselves and go after their dreams. That is my vision for MMB and also the vision I had of my adorable little logo I had designed (shout out to Nichole Krenz!).


I hope you know yours are too!