Climbing the Mountain of Motherhood {& GIVEAWAY of #PressingPause Coffee Basket}
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Welcome to you joining by finding your way here from my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion today called How to Climb the Mountain of Motherhood. {To read it, click here but be sure to come back for the giveaway!}
Tweet ThisAs promised in the devotion, I am giving away three gifts that include a copy of my new devotional for moms called Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus. AND…..a bag of a coffee that I love: Rwanda by Biggby Coffee. Farming and production of gourmet coffee has become a focus of efforts to rebuild Rwanda, devastated by civil war and genocide in 1994. Rwanda offers the ideal environment for growing coffee, producing beans that are smooth and rich, with a fruity note. This coffee is 100% Fair Trade.
To be entered to win, tell us what mountain in motherhood you are currently facing—laundry, dishes, paperwork, a special needs child, an unruly toddler, perplexing teen or aging parent. Remember, as the devotion said:
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:5-6).
When we carve out time to rest in God — taking a physical break and filling up our spirits — we gain hope and acquire strength to face the challenges of life. When God is our fortress, nothing can shake us.
Have you been trying to scale the mountain of motherhood at break-neck speed, rarely stopping to refresh and refuel? Maybe it’s time to adopt the “climb high — sleep low” strategy yourself. It will make a difference. Even if it is just stopping long enough to savor a cup of coffee with the Savior, drinking in deeply the truths from His Word.
When we pull back for a bit, we’re better positioned to return to our tasks with renewed strength and a fresh perspective.As you scale the mountain of motherhood, God will be with you in the highs. He’ll refresh you in the lows.
Press pause, and meet with Him today.
My mountain as a mother is my battle with exhaustion. I’m a full-time first grade teacher and mother of a 3 year old. By the end of the day I am struggling to have enough energy left to spend quality time with my energetic little boy. It weighs so heavily on my heart because I have such limited time with my son and I feel I can’t bring my best during the time we do have together because I’m so beat from the day. My MS probably doesn’t help matters as it continues to creep back into my life whenever it desires. At least this daily struggle strengthens my relationship with the Lord as I continue to turn to Him, trust in Him and find rest in His word.
On top of all the usual mountains having 2 teenage girls in the house, I also have the huge mountain of currently raising our 5 year old grandson who has some serious behavior issues. Just this morning I carried him kicking and screaming to the car and managed to wrestle him into his car seat just in time to get my 13 year old to the bus stop just as the bus pulled up. All because he didn’t want to put his shoes on or go to the car without them. I was good with either decision really- we just needed to go! His mother is presently sitting in jail awaiting a court date for her second DUI in less than a year. I was really not prepared to raise another child but we do what we have to do! I am not enough but Jesus is!
I am the uber driver for my two kids along with full time work. It’s enough for me to need a rest!
Mountains…. So many…… Things that are piling up and need to be sorted, the challenges of each child pertaining to their age (4 from ages 2-9). Challenges of having a child with special needs in public school and also homeschooling others, a husband who works many hrs and sometimes days at a time, health problems, but so thankful for all I DO have and how much worse many others are facing.
Motherhood is not always easy but I have grown closer to God in my trails. I am thankful to have Jesus who I can come to with my concerns and he can renew me.
We have 4 girls-ages 2-12. There are many, many tears shed each day as we learn and grow. I’m learning to be a mama. My own mama passed away 3 years ago. Right now my biggest mountain is finding a mentor to help guide me. A woman who has been through this season of live and SURVIVED! As daunting as the neverending piles of laundry and dishes are, I’m more worried about not having a Titus 2 woman to help me.
Thank you for your refreshing words today. I am a stay at home mom of a 3 year old and a just turned two year old. I am also currently 25 weeks pregnant with my third little one. Needless to say, exhaustion is my current state of being. The housework tends to pile up and cooking dinner for my family has become a chore. I can’t wait to get my energy back, but this journey is teaching me that when I’m feeling tired, down or desperate to turn to Jesus. It’s so refreshing to know that we can find rest in Him!
With the kids gone, I am climbing the mountain of self care and really trying not to “live” at the office just to fill the time,
My mountains are housework and busy schedules in the face of chronic pain.
My son is 6 and going through growing pains. We recently learned he has a vestibular sensory issue, which we will be getting OT for. He is just busy and exhausting. Additionally, he is starting to test the waters of independence. Some days he really gives me a run for my money. And I’ve had a myriad of small health annoyances (like an unexpected, very painful root canal and a standard mammogram that needed follow up ,which ended up being nothing Praise God!) that cause appointments that take time away from the things I need to get done and the things I want to get done. I’m a SAHM, and I just realized I’m not taking enough time away from my “work” environment, and I am trying to get some more down time for myself. Also, our aging parents are having some health issues. Some days it’s all just exhausting!
My newest mountain is navigating all the things that go along with your child becoming an adult. I have a daughter graduating high school this year and we have been learning all about how to get her into college my other daughter is a Jr. She just got her first car and looking for a job. It’s been tough financially but mostly emotional bc I’m proud of them for the beautiful young ladies they are but it’s hard to let go and see them go out into this scary world. I want to wrap them in bubble wrap
Pressing on to finish the homeschooling year up with our preschooler, kindergartener and first grader. This mom finds it hard to be flexible, but with God’s help, there is strength! They will be young for such a short time and they’re so smart. When Daddy is home, we will make time :D
I still have all the posters of pictures fromy my son’s graduation party, that was last June! Huge posters of wonderful pictures that I want to put away right, so I want to find the right time to do it, so I do it right. But there is never enough time in my “free time “, to tackle this project. Even on Saturdays, when I plan ahead to do it, I end up doing laundry, and cleaning, grocery shopping and cooking, and never get around to it. It is all in our guest room, so as long as we don’t have guests, I guess I’m all right! Also I would love to start printing some pictures of my daughter, so when her graduation comes around in 2018, I am not scrambling at the last minute! Also, I am struggling to balance the checking account. I have been struggling with that for years!
I feel like I have quite a few mountains I’m facing right now in motherhood, but the biggest Is I gave birth a month ago to my stillborn son and have had to explain and talk through it with my two living, young children everyday since. Today my step-mother passed away from alcoholism and I’m afraid my father is soon to follow. I am also looking at a house that is in complete disarray and in need of a deep spring cleaning. I also have a three year old who is failing miserably at potty training. This devotional spoke right to my heart today.
I’m so sorry for all your recent losses! Don’t be too hard on yourself it sounds like you have a lot to deal with right now. Whatever isn’t necessary let yourself let go of. It won’t be the end of the world if your house is a little messy or your child waits a little longer to be potty trained. Above all find someone that can help share your burden and pray with you often. Here is a virtual hug that I’m sure you are needing right now “hug”. I am praying for you right now……..
My mountain is an adult child that claims she is an agnostic. She used to believe and would ask for prayers but now she has denied it. She isn’t happy with herself and is unsatisfied with her work. She needs to depend on Jesus again!
As a single mother of adult twins I can say that motherhood is indeed a hard task. But thanks be to God that after all the hustling and bustling, meetings, plays, house work and kingdom work, it all paid off. Now it’s just paperwork I deal with.The time is there. We just have to be willing to take it and put it to use with God. Rest a while.
My mountains- potty training my two year old, caring for my new baby, trying to establish a housework routine (mountains of dishes and laundry right now), just starting my new job, and trying so hard to keep my focus on Jesus when my world feels like chaos.
I have a 4 year old who is going on 14 and goodness does she wear me down! I love her dearly but she is a sassy, energetic little girl! This is wonderful advice for when I feel that I can’t go on. Thank you for these beautiful words of encouragement.
My mountain, like many, is balancing work life and home life being a wife and mother of four. There are NEVER minutes in an hour and enough hours in day.
This message came to me as I sit at my mother ‘s bedside in hospice. She suffered a massive stroke. 5 days ago. I am thankful for the 87 years God has allowed her to live and the years of devotion to her family. God has surrounded our family with love and compassion from others, but His grace is sufficient for us during these days of sadness. Thank you for your reminders of God’s perfect plan for our lives.
My mountain is one of my daughters being away at college for the first time and handling major anxiety and depression issues. Include in that a husband who’s work keeps him out of town except for Friday and Saturday nights, a grandfather-in-law who is in a nursing home with dementia, and overall feelings of inadequacy…this was just the thing I needed to read today! Thank you for posting and sharing. Even if I don’t win the gift basket, I’ve already won today. Thank you and God Bless!
My mountain is being a working mom. It’s so hard to work full time when i desperately want to be home with my daughter. My daughter is also coming into to her toddler independence and my patience can sometimes wear very thin. Thankful for your encouragement.
My mountain is small in comparison to many. I have 5 boys, and my middle causes me to get to my knees the most, every day. He is 13, ADHD, and learning how to follow Philipians 2:4. Putting the interests of others before himself is extremely difficult for him, and it hurts my heart. And everyone else in the family. I pray every day that God will remove his heart of stone and give him a heart of flesh. It’s hard on him too, because he desperately wants to be loved by his brothers, but ends up annoying them and pushing them away so they don’t want to be anywhere near him. I know this is a test for all of us, but every day I ask God to get us through these troublesome times. This is a good verse to tuck in my memory! Thank you.
My biggest mountain is my vestibular neuritis which creates vertigo symptoms. I have had it since Aug. being sick so long had lead to mountains of laundry, housework, yardwork, and homework. Not to mention a teenage son, and nine-year-old daughter with girl drama at school. I am climbing big mountains.
The mountain I’m facing today was the realization that my little boy, (11 1/2 ) my only, sweet, baby-child has begun “that” stage in life, on his way to becoming a “Mountain-Man”. His childhood went by so fast, and I’d like to go back down and rest longer in some of those younger days. Cherishing his crawling time more; knowing now that he’s climbing higher and closer to soaring on his own, under God’s wings. Motherhood has been my biggest dream and blessing, and I trust that my Father keeps both our feet from slipping on our path to Him during this next stage of our climb. I know He will if we continue to look up with thanksgiving because my son, and I have climbed a mountain before. Oh, how we stumbled and doubted! Our ability, our decision, our stamina and strength. We stopped and rested many times. We started to turn back, but my son kept forging on ahead, forcing his mother to follow him. Up and up, higher and higher! Besides being a mother, climbing that mountain to its peak has been my greatest achievement. I found my Saviour at the top in a rainbow, and a celebration with my little boy that will be forever imprinted on my heart. A glorious memory to hold on to as he grows into a strong, faith-full young man! The Lord saved me that day, and I pray will keep my little family on the right path always climbing higher towards Him.