Real Moms, Real Jesus Interview with Jill Savage

Ever have days as a mom when you are up to your eyeballs in laundry, lists and lasagna and you’re sure no one understands how you feel? Well, Someone does……Jesus.      

Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. She has been my sweet friend for the past 14 years and together we speak at Hearts at Home mothering conferences several times each year. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and she tells us about it here today. If you’d like to win a copy of this great resource, leave a comment here today and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win your very own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus. Details at the end of the post.       

 

Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia—the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.

Tell us about your newest book Real Moms…Real Jesus?

Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!

There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.

 

Why did you want to write this book?

Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.

 

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?

I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.

 

What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?

Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.

 

There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book!

 

There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.

 

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

 

Any closing thoughts?

I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

 

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

 

Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.

 

You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking here.

And be sure to leave a comment if you’d like to win a copy of this great book. Just tell us in what area of mothering you most need a touch from Jesus. Is it patience, discipline, time management, sibling rivalry? Go ahead sista—let it out!

I’ll start….consistency. Don’t know if it the fact that when I became a mom, I was in my mid-twenties and now I am forty-something and plum tuckered out, but I find it hard to be consistent with my kids.

Now, your turn…..

Sweet Mothering Blessings,

 

20 Comments

  1. I’m lacking in the patience department lately, probably because I’m frustrated with myself for not balancing things around here very well. I love my kids so much, but some nights, when I’m finally going to bed, I wonder how much love I actually showed them throughout the day!

  2. My biggest struggle? Balancing the household management, relationship building with my boys and outside volunteer activity.

  3. I struggle with balance between the work of being a mom…the dishes, laundry, picking up and so on and the relationships that make me a mom. I long to be able to sit and enjoy just being with my children but I struggle to feel free to do this with the constantly nagging to do list that is always running through my mind.

  4. Patience. We are in the midst of buying a new home, selling our current home and we have two very busy boys. 5 and almost 2. One talks all the time while the other climbs on everything and although I love them dearly, the never ending multi-tasking is wearing me out!

  5. Consistency. As a mother of three very close together in age children I find it hard to maintain consistency and self-discipline to keep the rules as rules to be kept. I’m finding for myself (the hard way, I may add) that the rules are not “guidelines”. I want to become a better time manager, a better mother and wife and I struggle with consistency as my energy ebbs and wanes.

  6. Hmm, can I answer all of the above? I know I have a big struggle with maintaining perspective. I know, in theory, I will not be wiping bottoms forever, but I can’t believe it when people say, “It goes by so fast!” Really? Because I can’t even visualize the day I get to use the bathroom without an audience.

  7. I especially need help with time management and balancing my priorities. Everything seems to be at a fast pace and our lives are very busy. I also find it hard to say no when asked to help out on a program or project. I have to find a balance between my family and serving outside our home.

  8. There are many areas I need help with….but one is patience. I’m the type of person who is always on the run….I need to slow down and be patient when something/someone doesn’t go at my fast-paced speed. God is working with me to help me slow down and enjoy the journey. My daughter is only young once! I’m hoping someone is out there who reads my transparency and can identify with me.

  9. I have been blessed with beautiful 2 1/2 year old adopted son from Guatemala, after 20 years of waiting for God to fulfill this dream. He has been home with us for 2 years now and although life is not as overwhelming as it was when he first came home I find myself struggling with many things, but most importantly creating order in the home and some type of a schedule. I have always been a ‘ do what you need to do at the moment’ kind of girl and I find this unstructured lifestyle very difficult when you have children. I don’t know how to make a schedule for anything and stick to it and often find myself spinning my wheels, going to the grocery store, bank, post office etc. more often than I should because of my lack of organization. I also find patience with him, discipline and potty training to be tough topics. I would love to win Jill’s book and see if it could help me and my family.

  10. Right now my biggest struggle is pottytraining my three year old son. He is number three of four. My older two were girls and were both potty trained by two-in-a-half. They both still peed the bed at night till they were 5. One is 8 the olther is 5 now and still pees the bed half the time. This is my biggest struggle with my son. I do not know what to do anymore. I have tried rewards with stickers and candy. I have also tried spanking him, leaving him in wet clothes, and letting him run around naked. He seems to do alright when he is naked but anytime the clothes go back on all of a sudden he forgets to tell me potty and just pees and other things in his pants. I am starting to get very frustrated. He has to be potty trained by September because he will start preschool but I do not see it happening. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. I even got him excited about standing up to go pee. He just forgets to do it when he has clothes on.

  11. My biggest struggle? Forgiving myself. When I make a mistake I am harder on myself than anybody else could be. I have to remember that if Jesus can forgive me, I need to too!

  12. Patience is a tough one for me. I have prayed for it but you always hear watch out what you pray for…God blessed us with triplets. I really feel like I need more patience but a little afraid of what I might receive if I ask :) I just hold to the verse that God will not give me more than I can bear!

  13. I struggle with patience and frustration. The frustration is on my part yet it completely affects how much patience I have with the kids at any given moment. It’s a constant battle.

  14. The balance between people and projects eludes me! And, often, cleaning and changing diapers just doesn’t feel spiritual! It is hard to comprehend how Jesus, God and yet a man, can meet us moms in the daily tasks of our lives…

  15. Patience, or better yet, the lack of patience, is my daily struggle. With no support network, a husband who travels a lot, a part-time job outside the home that requires my attention and 2 kids who although I love dearly, are at the age where they require my constant help and attention, I feel overwhelmed much of the time.
    I often feel as though I am treading water trying not to drown.
    Without Jesus, I KNOW I would be lost! Would love to read about how He understands me.

  16. Disciplining is my current struggle. In addition, I cannot find the balance to a clean home and spending quality time with my toddler. And with one due in May, I want to make sure that I get some good advice now to make the transition from a family of three to a family of four a relatively easy one! :) :)

    I also don’t like feeling defeated as a parent when that 1% of struggle tries to outweigh the 99% of happiness and good times. You know?

    Jesus is definitely my Rock!

  17. I struggle with feeling understood in my role as a mom and wife. I wish I had a true girlfriend I could share my daily life with that understood and could relate with my emotions and cares. I would love to read this book and grow deeper in my understand of Christ’s love and His ability to perfectly meet all my needs as He alone can

  18. I find that I also struggle with the whole balance thing. Finding a moment to breath between “Mom”, “Wife”, “Homemaker”, and “Friend” duties. I hate usin the word duties, because, all of the above are such a joy for me, but I do need to learn again and again that the Lord is really right here with me, always.

  19. I struggle with the balance between getting things done around the house and spending time with the kids. Patience is also an area I need some work in.

  20. I struggle with balance between accomplishments and relationships. The relational part of mothering is tough for me. I am good at getting the “duties” done…meals on the table, clean clothes, house straightened but feel like I am missing out on having a relationship with my kids. It’s a balance thing that I don’t have worked out yet.

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