Saving Super Mom

In recent months, I have had conversation after conversation with Mothers who were worn out. These were working moms, stay at home moms, and great Christian women who I have always admired. The same topic in conversation arose, There HAS to more in this life than just waking up, doing the same routine, and then going to bed just to do it all over again. After reading this book, I have realized that so many of us mothers are searching for a way to realign our priorities. Saving Super Mom answers this question that YES there is so much more to life if we intentionally seek God's will, not our own.


I spoke in my blog a few times back on how we simply let life get in the way so many times. We try to do everything perfect so that no one will realize that we are falling apart. We as women especially feel that we have to "play the part". We have trouble saying "no". We have trouble saying "yes" to the things we REALLY need to say "yes" to. Why is this? Where does it say we have to look nice all the time, drive expensive cars, make it appear our husbands are the most perfect people ever, AND that our kids never misbehave???? Wow do we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves!


In the last few months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to read a book, actually a devotional, that has really made me rethink my schedule, my time, and my gifts. In one of the first pages, I read this and I stopped dead in my tracks:

"     The problem was that there was more of me doing the work than the Father. I had managed to smother - with obligations and expectations - the freedom given to me by the Holy Spirit. I was always tired and had little manageable margin to work with if one of my little duckies got out of its row. I was running on empty, too busy to ever stop and refuel.
      What I needed to do was to get out of my own way. First, God would need to be in charge of my agenda. After all, He created the world in six days. I'm pretty sure that He could get my kindergartener to school on time.
      Second, I needed to let God show me what my priorities should be. The end goal would be of His choosing, and I would manage my time according to HIs purpose. Then the pretty package on the outside would more accurately reflect the contents on the inside. My eyes would be open to the opportunities He placed before me. What could be better that to live within God's will for your life? I decided it was time to re-evaluate."

For me, I agreed that it was time to re-evaluate. And if you truly look into your life, is it time to really turn over your agenda to God??


 I love this book because Kristi Walters speaks the truth in love in this devotional book. Each chapter/lesson is short so that even the most overwhelmed mother is not worried that she cannot commit to reading several chapters a week. It is an easy and quick read for any busy mom. Within the lessons, mothers learn key concepts to allowing God to take back control in their lives. Each woman reading can relate to some story Walters shares. These stories remind women that we are not in this world alone. All of us are dealing with the same struggles but that there is an easier way - God's way.


It is designed to be a bible study and to share with other women. For so many of us, we think we can do all this on our own. God did not design us to walk through life alone. As mothers, we need to support each other, hold each other accountable....the only way to do this to meet, study, and be REAL with one another. So are you ready to take off the mask and be real with another mom? Do you know what would happen?? We would realize that we are all experiencing very similar issues and we can learn from each other. Novel idea, huh???


I say all this to really encourage all mothers out there to read this book. But I caution you - this is not a book that you can just sit down and read in a couple of days and then put it back on the shelf and check it off your to-do list. There are tools and assignments that really help you realign your time with God. Just reading this book will not do much....you need to actually do something...change!! And don't just do it alone, do it with other mothers!!!



Here is the website for the book. You can also buy it on Amazon.

http://www.savingsupermom.com/

Can you talk a little louder??

Several months ago Matt downloaded a song that he heard at church one Sunday when I wasn't there. I instantly loved it when I first heard it. I love how a song can say much to me at just the right time (more on this in a little bit).

These past few days have been a whirlwind. Work has been absolutely CRAZY. This is our busiest time of the year mainly because the kids are out of school so parents are finding it harder to find a place to stay for their entire family. The stories have been heartwrenching and I only have so much space in my shelter. On Wednesday I had an interesting meeting in a coffee shop (the rest of this story will probably come out in another blog when my mind stops running 90 miles a minute). I was asked to pray about something and give them an answer. Don't you just love when people say that?

Well...I did just that. I prayed very specifically that I would hear clear as day what God wanted me to do. I reminded Him that I don't listen very well and I am very stubborn so He might have to yell at me or put it on a billboard. After waking me up at 3am Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday you would think I would get the hint. It wasn't until church today that we sang this song that it finally hit me.


I can walk through the storm
I can walk by faith when my sight is gone
Just as long as you are here with me
And I can gain everything
But what do I have if I don't have the key
Oh I need to know you're here with me

Here I am calling out Father
Can you hear me, can you hear me
I don't want to go without you
Here I am can You talk a little louder
So I can hear You, I want to hear You
I don't want to move without You

Even though I believe
You've taken up a home inside me
And you'll never leave
I still need to know You're here with me

Here I am calling out Father
Can you hear me, can you hear me
I don't want to go without you
Here I am can You talk a little louder
So I can hear You, I want to hear You
I don't want to move without You

If Your presence goes I don't want to stay
If Your presence stays I don't want to go
If Your presence goes I don't want to stay
If Your presence stays I don't want to go
I need You

**Without You - Shane and Shane


It is a great song and like I said earlier, I have loved it from the moment I heard it. What struck me today was this line - Here I am can you talk a louder so I can hear you, I want to hear you. In church I heard God say - I CAN'T TALK ANY LOUDER.

Ever had these kind of moments when you know what God is asking you to do but you either don't to do it, are scared to do it, think someone else would be better at it, or that maybe you heard Him wrong??

My world was rocked by God. He continues to make me uncomfortable and push me to things that I never thought I was capable of. Trusting Him is hard when He has such HUGE plans for me and I doubt my ability. I LOVE this jouney of life. The ups and downs. The storms and the times of peace. God is mysterious and all-knowing. Just when I think I have Him all figured out, He surprises me again.

Don't limit God! Don't ask for answers unless you are ready for the real answers. Don't ask for it to made perfectly clear if you don't want to know the answer!!


Father...I don't want to move without you. Thank you for talking louder when I can't hear over all of the noise of life.

Too Busy

Wake up, shower, coffee, get dressed, start to read Bible, Elizabeth is up, get Elizabeth up and ready (takes longer than my routine), more coffee, take care of dogs, try to read more of the Bible, run out the door, check facebook on my phone at the stoplight (don't tell the husband), run Elizabeth into daycare, work is calling already, once I hit the office there is no stopping, put on my superman cape and try to save the world's homeless population but overwhelmed with the numbers, lunch time has passed so maybe just some more diet coke and I will try to get lunch sometime before going home, time to pick up Elizabeth, eat dinner, run, bath time, put Elizabeth down, take a shower, say hello to my husband if he isn't working, laundry, bed.....

Have you ever taken the time to write out what you do in a day? Your schedule, your routine...your priorities. Where was God in all of this? Some days my quiet time does consist more of simply "trying" to read the Bible but let's be honest, most of us desire more time with God but how many of us are making the effort to move Him up on our priority list?

We tend to make excuses, don't we? Well...in this season of my life, I just don't have the time. God will understand. Maybe when my child can sleep through the night. Maybe when the kids are a little older. Maybe when my husband's work schedule isn't so crazy. Maybe when work slows down some. Maybe when I am not so stressed over finances. Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe. What if God did that to us? What if He told us He was too busy?

Ann Voscamp said it so perfectly in her blog called A Holy Experience (I highly recommend subscribing to her blog).

“True, whole prayer is nothing but love,” offered St. Augustine. Is the only reason we don’t really pray is because we really don’t love? If one’s not praying regularly, it’s only because something else is regularly loved more than God.

WOW!!! How true is this? I must love something else more than God if I am not praying and spending time with Him. Did that hurt when you read that? I hit me straight to the heart. Looking back at my schedule - what does it say about what I love??


When you look at your day, what does it show you really love????



Thank you Lord for always listening to my excuses but still welcoming me back with open arms. Thank you for not keeping track and holding against me the times that you have not been my top priority. Forgive me for loving other things more than you.