Category: Encouragement

“I feel terrible I can’t do more at Church. With three little ones under the age of five, it just seems like someone is always sick or sleeping. Maybe when they get in school I can serve.” Sound familiar? If you are a Christian mom of even one child, you have probably either said something similar or heard one or more of your friends say it. Moms of young children everywhere are feeling guilty for their inability to serve in various capacities at Church.

With only minimal apologies to all of those searching for volunteers at churches around the world, I say ban the guilt! Sorta. If you are discipling your children in how to live an impactful, Christian life – that, my sisters, is your full-time ministry! Anything you are able to do to help other ministries is icing on the cake in my book.

Notice though, the “if”. Unfortunately, many Christian moms have abdicated their role (as one who disciples their children for God) to others. Perhaps you assume an hour or two a week in church or Bible classes, will adequately disciple your children. Maybe you are hoping your church employs an awesome youth minister in your child’s teen years. Surely, he will disciple your child. Maybe you’ve even dug deeply into your pockets and spend thousands of dollars a year  on a private Christian school. For that kind of money and with eight or more hours of your child’s day, you reason, she ought to be properly discipled!

Continue reading “Church Work” for Moms

Let’s be honest. There are times when caffeine can be a mother’s best friend. Inevitably, the night you have to stay up all night with a sick child ends the same morning your other child has to be at an early morning practice – and you are responsible for bringing breakfast. That cup of tea or coffee (or chocolate bar) might get you through a day like that, but you can barely survive if the routine continues that way for days and weeks on end. To reach your “mom potential” and truly thrive, you have got to get a good night’s sleep on a semi-regular basis.

I am one of those optimists who firmly believes God wants His people to thrive. By thriving, I don’t necessarily mean you are wealthy or everything goes perfectly as you amble through life. To me there is a godly thriving that is so much more than that. It is the ability to take the gifts, tools and opportunities God gives you and your family and use them to glorify God and spread His Kingdom. This lifestyle is full of service , worship and faith sharing. Most importantly, it is a life full of meaning and purpose.

If your family rarely opens a Bible, hardly mentions God during the week, prays only at meals and can’t remember the last time you served someone or shared your faith, you may be in survival mode. Honestly, all of us have been and will be in pure survival mode at some point (most likely points) while we are raising our children. The very nature of having little ones with questionable immune systems and school, guarantees that. Those survival periods can even last for months and years depending on your circumstances. For most of us though, there will be breaks, many of them quite long when we could switch our families into “thrive”.

Continue reading Is Your Family Surviving or Thriving?