First it was the tantrum over the toothbrush…
Then it was spraying herself in the face with glass cleaner…
THEN it was dumping an entire box of spaghetti on the floor…
Followed by a brisk run out of the house and across the meadow to the neighbors-unaccompanied- thereby nearly giving her mama a heart attack and starting the “WORST MOM EVERRRR” recording in my brain.
All before noon.
Two year olds never seem to stop.
Motherhood never stops.
It is a constant mad rush to do dishes, help with the homework, nurse the baby and entertain the toddler all at the expense of our own peace and quiet. Add in all the other things that pull on our time and we can get downright buried under the to-dos and the should-dos of it all.
But what if there was a way to find the balance to it all? What if there was a place to hide and find rest in the midst of the crazy go nuts of the day to day? I recently read a blogger who said that she was beginning to think that it’s not so much about balance as it is about alignment. I have to say the more I have thought about it the more my spirit has agreed with her.
Alignment with the things of God will bring rest to our souls. Laying down the long list of to-dos-most of which we put on ourselves will bring a freedom and a lightness that is downright holy. It is a rejection of the busy lifestyle that is such a part of our culture and an embracing of the slow leaning into the Spirit to hear the voice of Jesus.
I recently had a miscarriage. Our living arrangements have been in a state of flux for two months now. What we thought was a long-term calling has turned into a path we didn’t expect in another direction. What I’m trying to say is…I’m a hot mess.
I’m tired. I can sense that some of you are too and I want to call us all away from the mountain of questions we have and into the peace and presence of Jesus where there is rest and more joy than you can shake a stick at. Do you believe that it is possible? To lay down your burdens and pick up the hope that is Jesus?
Kris Camealy, a fantastic writer and blogger, recently said that a friend reminded her that rest is a good and necessary gift from God. It isn’t a laying down of things that need to be done, but a realization that rest is a gift for all the things we have done. We serve our families and in return God will give rest if we are humble enough to make space for it and receive it.
This session of (in)motherhood is going to be about rest and we invite you to be a part.
Summer can be a busy time, but it can also be the perfect time to slow down. A time to enjoy the goodness that drips out of life like a ripe watermelon on the 4th of July. Life can be oh so messy but it is also oh so good in the midst of the messy and my hope, my dare, my belief for us this session is that we can find rest and that it floods our lives with peace.
The amazing Heidi Guyer and I are back to lead (in)motherhood and we love how God has knit us together as a group for those that are returning. Remember that we are a group that is meant to be an encouragement to one another so let’s check our agendas at the door and give out heaps of grace instead- ya’ll are awesome at that by the way!
With that said…
If you've already made the decision to join us this session then read on!
Welcome to our new mamas and mamas-to-be! We are beyond thrilled to have you with us and hope that you will feel comfortable in your new (in)couragers home. We’re all about putting our arms around new mamas so come on in, pull up a comfy chair and we’ll pass you the chocolate, because of course!
As we walk together and think about how to make rest a part of our everyday we’ll be reading and studying through Hope for the Weary Mom by Stacey Thacker and Brooke McGlothlin! We’re working on making it available to everyone so look out for more information in the group in the next couple of weeks.This is an optional study, but I hope that you will join us as we come together to think about how to quiet our crazy as mamas and lean into Jesus.
Heidi and I will also be doing a weekly blog post on the subject of “rest” right here in my little corner of the web. It will be something that is meant to stoke your thinking and encourage you toward the practice of focused rest.
Be as involved as is beneficial to you in the group. Some of you are wallflowers and that is fine and others are conversation starters which is great also. We love all of you for your unique contributions so use the group in the best way possible for your needs right now as a mama. There is no pressure to check in every day or multiple times a day. Remember Heidi and I are always available via email, FB message or message through the (in)couragers community site.
That brings up one more thing! For previous members you know we’ve always hosted the group in Facebook. This session we are a part of testing the all new (in)couragers site where all of the groups will eventually be hosted. We will still maintain the facebook page and use it as needed, but all of our new content will be posted to our group on the (in)couragers site. Old members make sure you respond to the link your received to join the new site and new members you will also need to join us on the (in)motherhood facebook page.
The session officially kicks off on May 26th and runs through July 4th! Look for more details in your inbox and in our official (in)motherhood group on the new site and on the facebook page. We’ll also have blog buttons and other swag available if you are into that sort of thing.
Did I mention how excited I am to walk with you guys this session? It’s like a big glass of sweet tea, a good book and a hammock on a perfect Spring day…Good.stuff.
{If you’re reading this and you’re still utterly confused about what I am talking about here is a short description about what (in)motherhood is all about! If you need some of this in your life then please join us!}
We are a group of new and expectant moms who love to wrap our arms around each other across the miles through encouragement. (in)motherhood is a place for you to kick up tired feet, pour out your heart and have your empty cup refilled by other sisters that understand right where you are at- even if that places is buried under loads of laundry or with a baby (or two) on your hip. Our hope is that this group will lean hard on Jesus together for the strength and courage to love our families well in the glorious and messy moments of motherhood. We would love to have you walk with us as we laugh, cry, pray, question and cling to Jesus for the grace to mother each and every day.
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