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.
I’m facing the mountain of solo-parenting when my husband travels for work. The boys are 8, 5, and 3. The younger two in particular have a hard time adjusting when daddy is gone for a few days.
So many mountains abs this was just the devotional I needed!
I’m 25 weeks pregnant with my third child, have a 3 year old, a 5.5 year old, and a 17 year old stepson. I’m also a full time teacher, so I feel like the laundry and dishes and dust are constantly piling up and resting can feel selfish. I’m learning more and more how to daily abide in Jesus, spend time in His word, and to take rest for myself!
I have three boys (a teen and twin tweens) who are active in sports (basketball and travel soccer), so my mountain involves scheduling, laundry, packing food and drinks, lots of gas money, and the never ending meals on the run…… This too shall pass!!
Mountain of a young adult-adolescent and a teenager at home. Always some issue. Desire peace . Seeking His counsel .
I am a mother of a 7 year old boy with severe ADHD and twin 2 year old girls. I am also a middle school teacher and I am returning to school to persue my doctorate. I don’t know how to slow down and rest. I have also stepped away from my faith and I am now finding my way back. A dear friend sent me a link to the blog so I can receive the daily devotional verses (I had asked her for a good devotional so I can carve out a few minutes each day to reconnect with my faith, God, myself, and my sanity). How amazing is it that I reviewed the message you gave today in the exact moment that I needed it? The climb high and rest low message is exactly what I have been looking for. I have also asked God to speak to me, direct me, and help me find what I need. And here I am. I am so blessed. Thank you for today’s message. I am excited to read more.
My mountain has been helping care for my mom while raising my own family.
4 kids – ages 7,5 ,3 1. The biggest mountain is balance for me. Keeping up with household tasks but not allowing it to suck all my time, spending quality time with my kids, quality time with my husband, keeping the big picture of where we are headed as a family and as individuals… as most importantly staying connected with God, what He is saying and doing. Maintaining peace throughout!
Mountain of guilt between missing things dueasier to being a full time wife and mother. Never enough hours in the day for laundry, grocery shopping, and quality family time. Have to prioritize and make the most of each day!
I’m actually replying in hopes of winning this giveaway for my daughter-in-law. She is a young mom of a special needs child, attends school full time, working to help with her degree and the budget, all while juggling the bills to try and make ends meet. This book and coffee, would be a huge blessing for her.
I’m a full-time teacher in a public school, and a full-time mommy to two elementary age kids. I’m seeing mountains of papers to grade and lessons to plan as well as making my few evening hours with my family count. Then I feel bad when I get frustrated at one of my children for any random thing (lack of homework focus, wanting me to work magic, typical childhood irresponsibility or not knowing any different, etc…). **Thanks for the reminder to rest in God and find time to be with Him! God’s in control and He’s got me! :)
The biggest mountain I am facing right now is that one of our children (all in their 20’s) but we have one that refuses to get a job (almost 29 years old), he refuses to fix food at his apartment ( my husband pays for his apartment) or do his dishes so I often come home to a huge pile of dishes. He comes to our home to do his cooking, does not clean up after himself and refuses to use a cup to drink out twice so I have an overflow of cups and he will not use a plate twice so if he eats an egg he has one plate and if he eats something else he gets another bowl or plate out. I get so frustrated especially when I am gone all day and come back to a counter of overflowing dishes. He could put them in the dishwasher but that doesn’t happen either. Our other two children live on their own and take care of what needs done. Somedays I feel like the moutain is too high. Sometimes I think when I had all 3 in elementary school it was easier.
I’m trying to be a good mom who loves God and her children can see and feel that. So hard. I’m trying to be intentional, but so often I fall flat on my face while dealing with 9 year old 4 year, and 2 year old “things.”
The biggest challenge (or mountain) for me is hanging up my career and staying home with our children. I’m doing my part as a wife, a mother and contributor to our household but it’s different not having a paycheck and budgeting. I struggle mentally with my worth and a life outside my home. I’m learning more so than ever that God is in control and will take care of us.
Gosh. Which mountain should I choose? The biggest is trying to finish my PhD. I’ve been on this journey longer than I’ve been a mama! I’m so close to the end, yet my mama priorities sometimes conflict with much needed progress. Praying that God will help me find balance. The stress isn’t good for me, and the kids can tell when I’m bummed. Yikes!
I am climbing the mountain of grief (my dad passed away 6 months ago) while homeschooling my amazing daughters as they are entering their teen years.
I am only a mother of one. I only have 2 little feet to chase, and most days are good. Today has really tested me as well as the days leading up to today. My little one was sick with a high fever. Pediatrician couldn’t tell us anything… I spent our last dollars to be told they didn’t know what was causing her fever. I was and still am so discouraged. Although her fever has gone away, my daughter will not let me near her without a fight. She screams and kicks and cries when I try to console her making those screams kicks and cries a million times worse. She has broken out in a rash today so now my mommy diagnosis is that she had roseola for the second time in her short span of life. Until this rash became visible, family members would make comments like she must not be getting enough fluid. Has she had anything to drink today? Has she ate? And when I do feed her it’s “you know you need to cut that up for her right? Shouldn’t you slice the hotdog down the middle?” With all these comments all I hear is “are you sure you can take care of your baby?” I think to myself that she is now almost 1 and a half years old, I think I’ve fed her and taken good care of her for her to get this far in life. While this may seem like a small hill to some, this is the mountain I am stumbling on and sliding backwards. This is the biggest mountain in my motherhood journey so far and I’m so very discouraged. It feels good to talk about it.
Commenting about my mountain(s) feels like complaining so instead of listing the obstacles that I must overcome or approach each day I will just say that I need to take time to pause. I need to take time to breathe and listen to what God would have me do when I approach my mountains. I do tell myself to listen better but somehow in the climb my frustration takes over. So my new theme for tomorrow is “PAUSE and LISTEN for GOD’S INSTRUTIONS”!
The mountain of 3 kiddos, 7, 4 &3. Laundry, housework and working full time, filling in for a friend who is the caretaker for her dying aunt. And end of the school year commitments.
No matter how old your children are you are still their Mom! The Mountain I am climbing now is my son just packed up his family and moved to Colorado and we live in North Carolina. He told us and in a week and a half he was gone with my grandchildren. It has been like a death! I have been with them since they were born, they lived with us for about a year while waiting for the renters to move out of their house. Believe me, I am leaning on my faith! By the grace of God I am facing each day! I started the Bible study “5 Habits of a woman who doesn’t quit ” to keep me busy.
I am raising 3 children in the city. 2 of my children have special needs and we do ministry work. My husband was recently nominated to be an elder in our church. We have a lot of mountains in our lives and I would love to read your book!
My mothering mountain is adjusting to my only child, a daughter, being married and caring for foster children. I miss our time together.
The mountain I’m trying to climb, but can’t on my own effort is out of the miry pits of despair. I miscarried my second baby around Easter, and it’s been a bit difficult to function day-to-day. I’m desperately trying to be trust and be still and experience the presence of God.
I am a mom of 4 children – all in various stages of life. 16, 14, 7 and 5. I also work three 12 hours days as a nurse. Keeping up with housework, trying to navigate the needs of all my children, be a wife, etc. is exhausting! Thank you for these encouraging words today. I currently wake up at 5am every morning with my coffee and start my day with the First 5 app. My precious alone time with God is what keeps me going!
A mountain of worry over my adult children and young grandchildren. Although they are all healthy and doing well, they do struggle to make it financially daily. I remind them, and myself, that our God takes that worry away and we just need to trust in His plan. We listen for His guidance and do our part.
Laundry and other cleaning tasks, papers to sort and organize, and mothering a sweet yet sometimes challenging toddler.
Thanks for the reminder to rest and be refreshed in Him!