A Good Enough Mom

Have you ever had one of those days where you wonder if you are a good mom, if you have what it takes to raise another human being into a Godly, caring, loving, faithful person? 

If you have, you’re not alone. 

Sometimes I allow my little mistakes throughout the day to rob me of my confidence in being a good enough mom. 

God does not want us to feel this way. He doesn't want us to believe the lies from the enemy.

Sometimes he does allow us to mess up so that we can become aware of some of our hidden blemishes that need to be pruned by God. 

You see, the closer we get to God, the more we become like him, and the more we need to be pruned of our old ways. Not all parenting mistakes are bad. Sometimes, it is God’s way of revealing some of our ugliness to ourselves. We can’t change for the better until we know what it is that needs to be changed. 

When we mess up we have two options.

1.)    Dwell in how horrible of a mom we are

2.)    Repent, and ask God to change this part about you and help/guide you into become more like Christ.

Number 2 is the only option that will lead to good, fruit producing parenting. 

If we don’t give God our mistakes, letting them go completely, then we run the risk of missing out on the good that God is doing in our lives each and every day.

Yesterday, I had one of those days. The morning did not go well to say it nicely. My patience was tested, and my confidence was plummeting. 

During nap time I asked God to show me what I needed to do to be my son’s mom. 

What happened next was just a simple reminder from God that He is with us all day every day, listening to our every cry for help, and answering our prayers.

When my son woke from his nap we began to play Noah’s ark (which is nothing out of the ordinary). We were discussing how it rained really hard for 40 days and nights, and then it started down pouring outside our house. My son and I ran to the window to watch. Two minutes later the rained stopped completely and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. I grabbed my camera and we ran outside to look at it.  

My son says “there it is mom! It’s God’s rainbow, that’s His promise”.

It was a beautiful moment, and a reminder, that the little bad moments that we have as moms do not define us. They do not change how great of mothers we are. It is not the mistakes, nor is it good moments that we have, that make us good moms.

It is the trust that we have in God, to work through us, prune us, mold us, and shape us into women who are changing the world one baby at a time. 

Father God, thank you for answering our every prayer. Thank you for making me a better mom and for showing me the way. Thank you for Your patience with me as I learn, and for pruning me even though it hurts sometimes. If I ever turn my back on you, make it flood, and bring me back to you. Bless my child and fill him with your Holy Spirit. Give him a heart to see your goodness and love in the everyday ordinary. Amen.

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing". (John 15:5)

Motherhood and ADHD: What You Need to Know

Most of us know a child or two diagnosed with ADHD, but what about a mom? What is motherhood like for someone with ADHD? What are the symptoms? How does a mom with ADHD not only survive, but thrive?

ADHD causes many negative symptoms but there are also some positive symptoms that, if used appropriately, can make you an amazing mom.

To read this article I wrote for Moms Magazine click here Motherhood and ADHD: What You Need to Know

Happy Christian Mom

For most people, happiness is based on our circumstances. There are exceptions, such as chemical and hormonal imbalances which rob our minds of functioning as it was designed to do. But for the most part, happiness fluctuates on a day to day basis based on our day to day circumstances.  

For moms this is especially true. We have colicky days and no nap days that seem to never end. We have those days where we wonder if our husbands live on another planet. Then, we have days when life savings, jobs, lives, relationships and dreams are shattered. 

These types of days, weeks, months and years are hard. Sometimes they knock us down, make us question our choices, and make us doubt in goodness. 

Where do we find happiness when our life circumstances are a mess? What do we do when we feel like we are in quick sand and can’t get out? 

What do we do when what we are feeling on the inside does not match what we preach on the outside?

Are you ready for my answer?

We accept that we are human, and that this is normal. Then, we acknowledge that our God is not human and that the Holy Spirit lives within all of us who are born again. Even in the midst of a tornado we have the ability to feel joy because we have something far greater than ourselves within us. 

Just because we are Christian and have given our lives over to God does not mean that we are free from stress, depression, fears, anxiety, environmental disasters, and hardships. 

What it does mean though, is that we have every tool under our belt to fight whatever hardship we are facing. We have the wisdom, strength, bravery, courage, self-discipline and love at our disposal. 

Here is the catch…we still have to work at it. Sometimes God does hand us exactly what we need on a silver platter. I have experienced this many times and it is awesome. However, it doesn’t always work like that. 

We have to pray hard, study God’s word (daily), ask for help, and continue to do what is right in God’s eyes in order to overcome hardships and temptations of this world. Just like how we can’t expect to get rich sitting on the couch watching TLC, we can’t expect to hear from God when we aren’t reading his word and praying to him…constantly.

Joy and contentment is something that we can always feel because we are loved, saved, and given grace. Happiness is something that we have to work for, daily. No matter what our circumstances are, we have to choose to be happy. We have to choose to focus on the good instead of the bad. We have to choose to see the good in our children, in our husbands, and in those around us even when they are making our blood boil. God can help us with all of those choices…but we have to ask him too.

We have to be careful of the many Band-Aids that our society has taught us to use to gain quick happiness. We have to stop falling into those traps. You know the ones….

The world is no doubt a sad, terrifying place. It is easy to get sucked into the destruction that surrounds us and succumb to worry, fear, self-doubt, regret and sin. 

Moms, hear me out. We need God’s grace every day.  We CAN live with joy and happiness despite our life circumstances and we can do amazing things. 

We have to work hard though. Anything worth living for requires hard work. 

Without God I’m just another mom who is trying to do her best in a fallen world and who easily gets joy and happiness sucked from her soul. I can’t win the battle of life without God. 

With God, I am a mom who is fierce, steadfast and equipped with angel’s armies. I am fighting for goodness, joy, patience, love, self-control, contentment, peace and happiness. 

I will choose to be a Happy Christian Mom not because I have a happy, perfect life but because I choose to accept and give God’s love. I will…..

I will fight to fill my home with the fruit of the spirit. 

I fill fight to find the happiness and joy that God gives in the midst of life’s uncertain circumstances. 

I will choose to say no to fear. 

I will choose to see the good in my kids, in my husband and in those around me every day.

I will choose to love.  

I will pray over everything.

I will live in peace. 

I will rest, relax, and enjoy God’s blessings. 

I will care for my body and my mind. 

I will forgive others and myself.

I will be thankful.

I will serve my family and those God places in my life.

I will remember that my self-worth comes from God.

I will simplify my life and focus on what really matters. 

I will keep God’s word in me at all times. 

I will lean on God for EVERYTHING.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And overall these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3: 12-14).

*If you have been feeling sad for two or more weeks and are not sure why…visit your healthcare provider. You may be experiencing a chemical or hormonal imbalance that is out of your control. There is no need to be embarrassed or feel ashamed. Sometimes our minds and our bodies get sick. The best thing you can do for you and your family is get help.