Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
It’s 3:30 P.M. and I am DONE with this day. How in the world will I make it until Dad gets home? The baby just won’t take an afternoon nap anymore, which of course means she will be incredibly cranky by 6:00, but that’s far too early for bedtime. The big kids are in quiet time, but somehow I can still hear every single thing they do or say. My quiet time is obviously nonexistent since the baby has decided not to nap. Instead I’ll have a snack that I have to share. Did I mention I am thirty weeks pregnant with my fourth child? Or that I home school, so I am solely responsible for the needs of all of my children all day long?
OK, the baby is playing and reading books happily, I’ll get something to drink and catch up on Facebook happenings and my email. Then I realize I’d better be sure I have everything I need to make dinner. Speaking of dinner, what time will Dad be home tonight? I’d better text him to find out.
Me: Hey, how’s your day going? Him: Blah. Me: I’m sorry. Working late? Him: I won’t be early.
Great. Another late night. Another night that my duties just don’t end. It’s ok. Deep breath. Be thankful he has a good job that pays all the bills.
This is the moment my peace begins to crumble.
The big kids get done with quiet time and the battle to clean up their rooms begins. Everyone is bickering or distracted. Everyone is hungry and tired of each other. Here’s the thing: I know what to do in these situations, right? I mean, I have a degree in child development. I have an arsenal of clean-up songs and games and quick activities that can give us all a break. Except all of those things are lost in my pregnant brain…OK, prayer, right? I can say a prayer; read a verse; have a breath of fresh encouragement to pull from. Except who can say a prayer or read the scriptures when there’s a screaming banshee baby attached to my legs?
I’ll stop there. As you can see this scenario is set up for defeat. Mom is over-tired, over-worked, under-encouraged, and too pregnant! Obviously not every day goes like this. Some days the baby will nap, or Dad does come home on time. Occasionally, everyone can manage to get along. Some days. But some days are just hard. And in that moment, a mother can really start to spiral downward. Especially when there is no one else there to provide back-up, relief, or just run interference for a while. Single moms. Moms of overworked husbands. Working moms! Any mom can find herself here.
But take heart, Momma! There is hope.
Here are some verses I have found helpful and will be referring back to during these particularly turbulent days.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Oh my goodness, yes! Isn’t it funny how the children’s fighting and the baby’s crying and the mother’s exhaustion can be so symbolically perfect with this verse? It can so easily feel like the earth is giving way and the mountains are falling into the sea. This verse is a soothing balm to my soul because I know the Lord is my refuge during these times. He is a safe place for me to rest, if only for a moment!
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Step 3. Do not fear. God will strengthen you and help you. He has not left you or forgotten you. You are important to Him!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Step 4. You have peace. After approaching God and casting your cares on Him, He will give you strength and peace to endure. Praise the Lord for His promises!
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Step 5. Keep your eyes upon the Lord. I frequently struggle with this step. If I were able to keep a proper perspective in the beginning, I would not be so easily overwhelmed. However, we know that the flesh is weak but in God we can be made strong!
Encouragement on the Motherhood Journey
I hope that these verses can be an encouragement to you like they are to me. I find myself dealing with an easily overwhelmed spirit as I enter the end of a pregnancy and exhaustion creeps in. These verses are a great help to me in those times. I hope these can be a help in whatever trials you find yourself struggling through during your motherhood journey.
What are some ways that you find renewal during the particularly tough days of motherhood?
What encouraging words would you give to yourself or another struggling mother during the hard times?
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
Well, it’s late at night and I’m up against my deadline to submit my blog post. This summer has been crazy and hectic. Just today I spent the day at the doctor’s office and emergency room with my husband. I had ideas for writing and I actually have one that is almost finished. But, it’s hot out and I’m too tired! I don’t have anything left in me…nothing inspirational, nothing profound, nothing!
I’m not the only one who feels this way from time to time (please tell me I’m not). As moms, we can get overwhelmed by all of our responsibilities. We care for our children, work (I’m self-employed), and have numerous outside responsibilities.
God is there!
He is always there. No matter how tired and overwhelmed we feel. He tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” KJV
Healthy Tip #8
Rest! I know that is easier said than done, but if we do not take care of ourselves, then how can we take care of others? Remember, God rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath, as an example to us. So REST!
Now, if your family is like mine, they like hot meals. But who wants to cook a hot meal during the heat of summer? As I said earlier, “It’s hot, and I’m tired.” Here is a great, easy recipe that is hot but takes only a few minutes to prepare. It’s perfect for using so many of the fresh veggies that are available this time of year.
Recipe
Summer Frittata
I took this frittata to church one night. Everyone loved it!
6 eggs
1/4 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
10 okra pods, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 onions, diced
1 small potato, diced
1/2 c. shredded cheese (I use cheddar but you can use your favorite.)
Mix eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Heat a broiler-safe skillet (I prefer cast iron). Add a small amount of oil and and the veggies. Cook about 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the egg mixture. Stir just enough to incorporate the veggies but not enough to scramble the eggs. Top with cheese, and then place in the broiler until the egg is set. Serve in wedges with a salad and some fresh cantaloupe or watermelon.
Looking for more Real Food Recipes and Health Tips?
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
If you’ve been reading my previous posts, you know that my fifty-one-year-old husband recently suffered a massive heart attack. Many people have asked if he was having any symptoms. The answer is yes but we did not realize it.
Apparently, a toothache can be a symptom of heart issues. He went to the dentist just sure there was a problem with an old filling. The dentist could not find anything wrong.
He was tired all the time. At first, we thought it was that he worked full-time as a farmer and part-time as a teacher. It became more than tiredness so the doctor ran lab work. Everything came back normal. He must have just been overworked.
Then he started having bad headaches, neck pain, and left arm pain and tingling. Our primary care physician sent him for an MRI and that showed a bulging disk, degenerative disk disease, and a couple of other problems. This diagnosis explained all the pain. He was sent to a neck and back orthopedic specialist and he also went to a chiropractor. He was started on a couple of different medications that did not help much. The next course of treatment was epidural steroid injections. At this point, he was willing to try anything because the pain was getting worse.
One hour after his last injection, he started having chest pains. It was right in the middle of his chest, so obviously, he had developed an ulcer from the injections because we knew this was a possible side effect. He then was sent to a gastroenterologist for a scope. When the doctor called me in and told me he did not find an ulcer, I was shocked. I knew he had made a mistake. He said that it was probably his gallbladder and would send him for a CT scan.
The scan showed no gallstones but our primary care physician was sure that it was his gallbladder and that it was not functioning properly. He wanted to do another scan and then send him to have it removed. We decided to wait (which ultimately saved his life as he would not have survived the surgery).
The night before his heart attack, my husband was in such pain that he said, “That’s it! Tomorrow, call the doctor and schedule the surgery.” Well, the next day, he had the heart attack. I told the cardiologist everything we had been through in the previous seven months, and he said all those problems were most likely his heart. He is the one who mentioned the tooth. I had put everything else together on the way to the hospital. Our chiropractor even told us that it was probably more his heart than his neck when we told him about it.
All these doctors missed my husband’s heart problems because the symptoms could be attributed to other medical conditions. We all missed the signs.
Our spiritual lives are like this. We miss the signs that we are having spiritual heart problems because of all the other problems that get in our way. Everyday life gets in the way and causes issues with our spiritual health.
Have you lost your joy? Are you short-tempered? Do you feel lost? These are some of the signs of heart problems.
What can be done?
Spend time with God! Reading His Word first thing in the morning before the world has a chance to get in there. This puts your heart in the right attitude to start your day. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 (NASB)
Pray! Talking to God keeps us focused. God wants to hear from us. We have a two-way relationship with Him. He does not just want to tell us what to do, He wants us to come to Him with all our problems, no matter how small. He is our Father and wants to be with us through everything. I Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NASB) says, “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.”
Praise Him! “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalms 150:6 (NASB) Sing songs to Him. I know that many of the younger generation like the newer “praise songs” but try singing some of the old hymns to Him. So many of them were written in times of trials and tribulations. You can also pray scripture to Him.
Do you have a heart problem?
What are some signs you have seen that let you know you have heart problems?
Have you ignored your heart problems in the past?
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