START HERE (Actually, just keep reading)
Moms don’t always have time to be quiet, to meditate, to read.
There’s always a paw reaching under the door to remind you to come back in a second.
You don’t get a spiritual retreat. You get moments.
If you could find ways to squeeze in your prayer and Bible reading between laundry and baths and brushing teeth, wouldn’t that be the way to do it?
I struggled to find moments. Prioritizing was hard for me when the kids were little and the days were whirlwinds. I neglected every aspect of my spiritual discipline. It’s embarrassing to admit it, but it’s true.
And you know what else? At the time it was my deep dark secret. I got pretty squirmy when others talked about their quiet time with the Lord.
I wouldn’t have admitted I was overwhelmed. Because somehow I needed to protect that fragile veneer of respect and belonging and having it all together.
What changed? Someone gently scolded me. She was older, wiser, deeply caring. And she figured it out. (And yes, if you’re wondering; it was awful.)
You know what? She didn’t come back later and ask me if I had found a way to be more disciplined. I think she knew she had delivered the message, and it was up to me.
My life was still terribly busy. How did I change? Well, I didn’t enroll in Bible College, or join a convent, or begin attending a daily study. I was still an overwhelmed mama. I simply found ways to start small with breath prayers and Scripture verses that encouraged me.
To this day, I’m grateful for the presence of that sweet lady, for all the times she came to me with encouragement and relief and truth.
I’m grateful for the personal growth that came to me as a result of her influence.
It was like having my very own missionary.
Those small moments have grown over the years.
I can’t imagine how life would have been if I had never started.
What about you?
What questions make you squirmy?
Are you able to spend time in the Word on a regular basis? (squirm)
Do you feel like you’re in that “state of prayer” that the Apostle Paul advised? (squirm)
Paul envisioned life lived in total awareness of God’s presence. In this state, your daily activities, routines, and thoughts are constantly open to God, transforming regular life into a running dialogue.
Noble goals, right? Can they be ours?
It’s hard, facing the truth of what is expected. Why? Because it looks impossible. I know. That’s why I’m not asking any more squirmy questions. Instead, let’s ask what’s possible.
If we don’t at least look at what we should be doing, our efforts will be minimal or absent.
Do you have someone to encourage you?
Do you have friends who are strong believers? That can be an amazing way to spend your mothering years. Even now, as a grandmother, I find great fulfillment in spending time with believing friends. Every issue we discuss over lunch or coffee is examined right in the open, under the eyes of God.
I find that concept of meeting in His presence so comforting, and so empowering. Joyful, even. When we leave, that leftover joy is all over me, like a new-car smell.
(Of course we’re always in His presence. But acknowledging it makes a big difference in the weight of our discussions.)
Most people don’t get to that kind of joy by accident. There’s a path. The only way we’ll start having more faithful behavior is to start having more faithful thoughts. And the way to do that is to look at faith itself.
You have to lead yourself, one moment at a time, to fellow believers, Scripture, and worthy media. Do that, and you’ll find yourself right at the feet of Christ.
Right this minute, what if you had some focused topics about things that matter? Things you’d like to discuss, things that bring you understanding.
Here are a few places we can keep talking.
See if any of these align with your walk right now…
Church Shop Talk
This is a very unique series here on the blog, examining the language of “church people” that sometimes isn’t clear.
Church Shop Talk
iPhone Prayers
Let me show you a rather modern way to organize your prayers. It’s super easy to set up and maintain.
iPhone Prayers
Indoctrination
Read the Indoctrination series to get a better understanding of this word we throw around casually.
Indoctrination
Welcoming Church Visitors
Focusing on our guests, finding practical ways to display love to visitors and members
Amazing Church Visitor Gifts
Hebrews 11:1 says this:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
It’s hard sometimes, to keep going, right? But the more you learn about the Bible, the more you trust it.
Here. More help for your journey…
How Does God See Me Now?
You think God won’t recognize or accept you? I have good news. Come here, and stay till the last word.
God Wants You Back
What Does 12 Mean In the Bible
A real look at all the “twelves” in Scripture. Some you probably know, some maybe you don’t!
Significance of 12 in the Bible
Get Your Prayer Life Back
Read this series to get started with prayer in just minutes a day. No judgement, just a plan. Promise.
Get Your Prayer Life Back
Who Says You Can’t Go Home?
A look at childhood, at Scripture, and at eternity. The promise of what we haven’t seen and don’t understand.
Understanding Eternity
You're Facing Challenges -- Challenges Your Mom Didn't Have
Moms today are navigating places that simply didn’t exist a generation ago. I see you. And I know it’s hard.
By the way, I love that you’re here. You can tell from the colors here that I love coffee. I think in latte. 😄
Sometimes ladies say, “I run on iced coffee.” Because everything runs on something, right? Google runs on algorithms. TikTok culture runs on microscopic attention spans. And one more…
Social media runs on outrage.
It does. It’s not the way we view social media, not the way we use it. But outrage is the power source. Outrage increases active daily users and ad revenue. Good for platforms, but devastating for humans. And I’m wondering if you’ve been damaged by outrage. Look what happens:
- People are silenced
- Friendships are ended
- Discussions become superficial
- Creative problem solving dies.
And now, the voices who drive communities are those of the outraged. Those who have only opinions, not curiosity or adaptability. They aren’t learning, they aren’t asking questions. And they’re running on “bully dopamine.”
Curiosity has a purpose. It drives the mind to fill in knowledge gaps. It leads us repeatedly into a pattern of mistakes and corrections. It’s an engine, a mental question mark that powers us to listen, to change, and to be resilient. I run on curiosity.
I’m sad for those who don’t have it. And sad for those who are their victims.
Has it happened to you? That you removed yourself from the fray? Not because you “lost” a fight, but because a civil discussion or statement wasn’t tolerated.
This is why you left: Because you couldn’t sacrifice the majority of your emotional budget for a futile undertaking.
That’s right. Your emotional budget. You recognize your limits. You’re dedicated to your relationships and your functions, and that’s where your energy belongs.
You. Thank you for being here. For being curious. Everything here was created to help make sense of what’s happening inside you and around you.
Here’s something very powerful, very comforting: Every issue you and I discuss over lunch or coffee is examined right in the open, under the eyes of God.
Father,
For the lady who is here right now, I thank you. I thank you for her interest, her courage, and her achievements. I thank you for her household and her family, and I ask your blessings on her moments, her places, and her people. Make your presence known, and shine your light on the choices she needs to make. Let her find comfort, encouragement, and guidance under your loving presence.
Amen.
Before you move on,
I hope you’ll remember this:
So much has been done for you; not by me, but by the One who calls you by name. The promise is His. His life for yours; absolved of guilt, rescued from death, given the gift of eternal life. The hardest thing to understand, and the easiest thing to receive.
Here it is, the original text: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
If today’s visit encouraged you, there’s plenty more to explore.
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