Tag Archives: motherhood

God Never Changes

It’s Monday! Here we go—ready or not! I hope you had a restful weekend. We’ve been in a torrential rain storm now for four days straight. I’m hoping the week gets sunnier. I’m glad God’s mercies don’t change like the weather.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

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Something that I learned a long time ago from my grandmother was the benefit of Continue reading →

Being Real

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Colossians 4:18
“I, Paul, write this in my own words. Remember my chains.”

It’s interesting that Paul, this champion for Christ, this man who “gave it all” for Jesus to the point of martyrdom, was real enough to ask for prayer. Real enough to say “remember my chains.” He told the people exactly what was struggling with and he asked his friends to share it far and wide.

He was being real. He wasn’t hiding. I believe it’s because Paul knew that he needed all the help he could get. It’s a good lesson for all of us.

It’s easy as moms to hide, isn’t it? It’s easy to put on a brave face and pretend that we have it all together. For me, it’s often easier to get on Facebook or my blog and talk about the things that are going right. After all—who wants to talk about the things that are going wrong? That’s embarrassing!

Truthfully, no one is encouraged when we appear to have it all together. What IS encouraging though, is to hear a mom talk about her everyday struggles and be real about them while not giving up. It’s encouraging to see moms who follow Jesus through struggles and difficulties. That’s the example that Paul set for us.

I want to encourage you today to be real with those people around you who God has put into your life. Tell them when you’re struggling and when you’re succeeding—and walk in truth with each other.

When we pray for each other, we tap into the power of God. The Bible tells us that true strength comes from God. There are no guarantees—but when we surrender our lives to the One who made us, we find a peace that passes understanding.

Give it a shot today, busy mom. Be real with each other. Pray for each other. Encourage one another. And then, see what the Lord will do.

Accepting Change

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Good morning moms!

Well it’s 6:15 here and the sky is just starting to get light. Fall is definitely on it’s way. I’ve moved from the deck outside to a comfy place on my striped couch by the window. I dug my slippers out and found my favorite sweater. I expect it won’t be long and I’ll move to the fireplace. Even though I hate to see the summer go, I love the change of seasons. Change is just part of life, isn’t it?

Change happens with our children, our families, and our friendships. It happens in politics and in our churches. Sometimes change is very hard. Sometimes, it hurts. Sometimes I struggle to accept change as it comes into my life and disrupts the way I like things. Sometimes, I resist—but I’m learning acceptance is better.

I’ve been thinking lately about all the changes my husband and I have been through over the past 25 years. From ministry to marriage, we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. When I was younger, I thought I knew so much more than I do now! I didn’t know there would be so.many.changes. in my life. From my parenting style to the realization that I had a lot of growing up to to … change has just become part of life. Isn’t it funny how the older you get the more you realize how much you DON’T know?

For example, I didn’t know how hard it would be to accept the fact that I was not going to have any more babies. Sure, I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I was thinking it would be on my terms. Looking back, I can see that very few of the painful changes have ever happened on my terms—and many of the good ones were on God’s terms, too. His terms, His timing.

I still have so much to learn about God’s timing.

Accepting God’s timing is just part of accepting the changes that inevitably come. I find myself very nostalgic as I watch the kids grow and leave the nest we’ve spent 25 years building. But then, I remind myself, “that’s why we built the “nest” … so that the kids could grow and leave it! Funny, isn’t it? As I get older, changes in my life have given me another reason to be grateful for God’s Word. His mercies are new every morning. He is so faithful. He is trustworthy. That means that even when I’d rather things were different, I can trust God’s heart for me. Listen to what the prophet Jeremiah said about God’s unchanging nature:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

God never changes. He’ll see you through whatever you are facing today. His mercies are new for you right now, busy mom!

Hang on tight to the Lord in every season of life. He’ll get you through.

Thankful for an unchanging God,

It Doesn’t Get Better Than This

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It’s back to school time. Time for school supplies and math books. Time for meeting new teachers. Time for ordering curriculum. Time for lists and lunch boxes, kleenex boxes and juice boxes. A new season is here.

All those people who told me that it would go by fast—those irritating older people at the grocery store who told me to “enjoy it” while I tried to juggle a fussy toddler and keep my 4 yr old out of the bubble gum, those older moms at the library and in church who looked at my little ones with a longing in their eyes that I could not understand—they were right. Continue reading →

The Art of Leaving Things Undone

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Hello, sweet moms-you made it to Monday 🙂 Good job. Last night I was wondering if I would make it or not! 😉

I’m out here on my back porch, my little morning spot, with my water and my Bible. In a few minutes, I’ll switch to a cup of hot tea—and the first set of small feet will likely begin to make their way toward me. In a few minutes, the phone will start ringing. I’ll need to think of a plan for dinner. The children will need to be reminded of their chores for the week. The unexpected, unplanned things of everyday life will begin in earnest.

Breathe in, busy mom. Monday is here.

Last week I overheard someone rather piously say that when she had her quiet time each day, she got it back tenfold. Honestly, I don’t know what she meant. Honestly? Any time I give to Jesus is time that I give up—meaning it’s time I choose to put aside other things that may feel more pressing so that a greater thing can happen in my spirit. The “multiplication” happens in my soul, not on my schedule.

Jill Briscoe once said that “There is an art of leaving things undone so that the greater thing can be done.”

Oh man, that’s hard for me. Is it hard for you, too? There are always so many things to do. Can any of them wait? I’m always asking myself “what is more important?” I hate to admit it, but usually I find myself at war with my flesh.

Lord, please allow your spirit to win out over my flesh.

…my flesh and my heart fail…

As I grow in my walk with Lord and as I mother, I’m learning to leave things undone. Well, honestly, sometimes they are wrenched from my hands. Just like we must leave things “undone” if we are going to take advantage of that special moment with our child or nurture our marriage, we will find there are times when we will need to leave things undone so that we can nurture our relationship with the Lord.

Years ago, on a morning much like this one, I was up at 4:00 a.m.—not out of a sense of commitment to the Lord—but because I had been up all night with a fussy baby. My body and my spirit were running on empty. I felt so far from God.

But something happened in the stillness of that morning as I watched the sunrise over the mountains. God spoke to me about the intimate details of my life. He gently reminded me that He was not frustrated by my commitment to care for my family. He understood the demands of the newborn and the homeschooling and the oh-so-daily dinner prep. He totally understood that I could not muster a daily prayer without falling asleep, much less open my Bible.

And he loved me. Not because of anything I had done, but because of what He had done for me. He loves you too, busy mom. God is not distracted or annoyed by the children playing at your feet. He doesn’t need “quiet” to talk to you. If this is a season that defies the word “quiet” in your life, it’s okay.

God understands “seasons.” He created them. He created you. He gave you children. Here’s the thing though—intimacy with God does not happen though osmosis. Just like any father—if we want to know Him, we need to spend time with Him. We need to learn to leave some things undone so that a greater thing can be done in our spirit.

I wanted to know God more. I needed His presence in my life. Slowly, I began to make a commitment to intimacy with God—first little steps, like reading my Bible with the kids or reading a children’s devotional with them. Just like the five loaves and fishes, God took my little effort and multiplied it. He will do the same for you. He’s good like that.

Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that God’s joy is our strength. True strength is never found apart from Him.

Monday is a great day to hit the “reset” button—to begin a pattern of talking with God. To abide in Him. He’s got joy and strength for you. Ask Him. He’s got everything you need today.

Learning to leave things “undone” with you,

Grace Upon Grace

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Good morning moms!

It’s 6:30 a.m. here and my house is still quiet. The sun is coming up a little later now, but the birds are singing and the wonderful scent of the morning air that comes through my window reminds me stop and breathe deeply. As I fill my lungs with the cool, crisp summer air, I am reminded that I need the quiet—because in a few minutes, there will be 15 hours of … well … not quiet—if you know what I mean.

Mothering requires more grace than we possess, doesn’t it?

I know it does for me. Yesterday was a stark reminder to me of just how much grace I must possess if I am going to be a giver of grace to my children. It seemed that every five minutes I was a referee or a nurse. A water-giver. A toy finder. A butterfly catcher. A spider-killer. An oh-so-daily meal maker. A homework finder. A chore-inspector. A judge.

You get the idea. I’m a mother.

Want to know the truth? All I really wanted to do yesterday was to be left alone. For some reason, I felt overwhelmed from the moment the kids came down to breakfast to when the last one went to bed. Sometimes, we just need grace, don’t we?

In John 1:16, we read, ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”

Grace upon grace. This from the One who gave His life for ours as a ransom.

Grace.

When Jesus came into the world, He introduced a revolutionary new thought to the religious leaders of the day: grace.

They had been in bondage their rules; their lists of do’s and don’ts. Jesus heaped “grace upon grace” toward them—and in doing so, He freed them from their rules. They were set free to follow Jesus out of love and devotion instead of fear.

Because of the grace and love of Jesus, we are free to enjoy life to it’s fullest. I don’t know about you, but knowing this makes me want to be a better wife, a better mother.

Knowing that true grace, undeserved grace comes from God reminds me that if I’m going to give grace, I need to remain close to the one who defines it. I need to stay in the Word. I need to be on my knees.

In just a few minutes, I’ll have my first opportunity of the day to give grace: in just a few minutes, our bleary-eyed toddler will make her first appearance of the day. The same scenarios that played out yesterday will—by the grace of God, play out again today. I want to greet our children with joy and grace, not because they deserve it necessarily, but because, like me, they don’t.

His grace is humbling, isn’t it? It causes me to want to love and protect those that have been entrusted to my care. What an awesome opportunity—to walk in grace and be blessed by it in return.

Stay connected to the Grace giver,

10 Things I Ask Myself

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Dear Busy Mom,

Some of you have heard me talk about all my … well, my mothering mistakes. Pretty much, I’ve made a bunch of them. I’ve yelled, been impatient, rude and even unkind at times. I’ve looked at myself in the mirror and marveled that God has entrusted me (me!) with the wondrous responsibility of shepherding small hearts.

Maybe you can relate.

I wrote this list in my journal some years ago to help me “plant with the harvest in mind.” You see, motherhood drives me to my knees–all the time.

It’s been said that there are “no perfect mothers … but a million ways to be a good mom.”

Keep trying, busy mom. You don’t have to be perfect. There are no perfect moms, but there sure are a lot of great ones.

Here’s my list–I hope it encourages you.

Keep growing,

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love