The Invisible Kingdom

I have been going to a mom's club at a nearby church. Right now they are going through a book by Nicole Johnson (Women of Faith Speaker/Dramatist), Keeping a Princess Heart in a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World. This last chapter was called "The Invisible Kingdom." The whole chapter really spoke to me. How many times do we feel invisible. That what we do wasn't seen and appreciated - that may happen to all on many levels. I have felt that is has especially happened after becoming a wife and especially a mother. I would like someone to notice that I just spent an hour working on supper. I would like someone to notice I rearranged or decorated. I would like someone to notice that their clothes finally made it back in their drawers, clean and folded.

Now of course, my chlildren are too little to know better if they do notice. The job then falls on my husband to notice. Isn't it great when he does? Don't I try to notice and say something to my husband when the shoe is on the other foot? Yet it just goes back to me putting my husband where God should be. I know that God notices and he appreciates what I do - what I do isn't for my husband. If that is the way it is, then I will never do it right or what I do won't be noticed or appreciated half as much as it should. What I do should be for the glory of God. The question was asked during the study - how can we do that? My answer is that we have to just keep telling ourselves that truth. What we do is for God - His Glory.

Nicole Johnson writes, "In Lloyd Douglas's book Magnificient Obsession, he reveals the strength of humility in the invisible kingdom. Most people, he points out, broadcast their good deeds and hide their bad deeds. What lives on the inside of a person becomes the total of all the things they are hiding. In a sense, you are a sick as your secrets. A heart then is full of the badness tucked away from the rest of the world - even those closest to it. The greater way to live, he suggests, is to hide your good deeds and openly confess your bad. The strength of a good deed done in secret is increased. When you have done a good thing publicly, you are openly applauded and admired, receiving your credit and any reward right then and there. Then it evaporates. But you should you hold good things inside where others do not applaude, the Scripture implies that God applauds. The negative things are confessed, and they evaporate. The good you do in secret then multiplies in your heart and becomes a building block for your character."

That passage that Nicole Johnson wrote struck me. So today, I am pondering those thoughts in my heart.

More Ways for Men to love their Wives

The following quote was deleted out of my message for the men's retreat, but I decided to post it. I left it out because I already felt I had too much information. Men - these are some ways to love your wives.

Dr. Dobson in his article, To the Husbands of Christian Homemakers, said this, Let me say it more directly. For the man who appreciates the willingness of his wife to stand against the tide of public opinion - staying at home in her empty neighborhood in the exclusive company of jelly faced toddlers and strong-willed adolescents - it is about time you gave her some help. I’m not merely suggesting that you wash the dishes or sweep the floor. I’m referring to the emotional support of conversation…of making her feel like a lady…of building her ego…of giving her one day of recreation each week…of taking her out to dinner…of telling her that you love her. Without these armaments, she is left defenseless against the foes of the family. But to be honest, many of you husbands and fathers have been thinking about something else. Your wives have been busy attending seminars and reading family literature and studying the Bible, but they can’t even get you to enter a discussion about what they have learned. You’ve been intoxicated with your work and the ego support it provides.

Praying for your Wife

This was a handout I adapted from the Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O’Martian. Men, please pray for your wives.

1) Her Husband - Psalm 66:18/1 Cor. 11:11/Eph 5:25-27
2) Her Work - Psalm 90:17
3) Her Finances - Ecc. 5:19/Philippians 4:19
4) Her Sexuality - 1 Cor. 7:3-5
5) Her Affection - Philippians 2:4/Eph 5:28,29/Song of Solomon 2:6
6) Her Temptations - James 1:12/Galatians 5:16,17
7) Her Mind - Romans 1:21/ 2 Tim. 1:7/ 1 Cor. 2:16/ Mark 12:30
8) Her Fears - Ps. 34:4/ Isaiah 41:10
9) Her Purposes - Ps. 20:4/1 Cor. 7:7
10) Her Choices - Pr. 1:28-30/Pr.3:7
11) Her Health - Ps. 103:2,3/2 Kings 20:5/Jer. 33:6
12) Her Protection - Ps 91:1-2/Ps 23:4
13) Her Trials - 1 Pet. 1:6,7/Ps. 55:22
14) Her Integrity - Ps. 7:8/Prov 11:3
15) Her Reputation - Mt.5:6/Ps. 31:17,18
16) Her Relationships - Heb. 10:24,25/Matt. 5:23,24
17) Her Priorities - Mt. 6:33/Philippians 2:4
18) Her Motherhood - Prov. 31:28/1 Tim. 2:15/Pov. 6:20
19) Her Past - Isaiah 43:18,19/2 Cor. 5:7/Eph.4:22-24/Rev.21:4
20) Her Attitude - Ps. 100:4, Ez 18:31
21) Her Marriage - Ecc 4:9,10/ 1 Cor. 7:10,11
22) Her Emotions - Pr. 28:26
23) Her Walk - Eph. 4:1,2/Is. 33:15,16
24) Her Talk - Eph. 4:29/Mt. 12:36/Mt. 15:18
25) Her Repentance - 1 Jn. 3:21,22/Ps.139:23,24
26) Her Deliverance - Ps. 56:13/Eph. 6:12-18
27) Her Obedience - Jer. 7:23/Prov. 3:1-3
28) Her Self-Image - Is. 60:1 / Cor. 3:18/1 Pet. 3:3-4
29) Her Faith - James 1:6-8/Romans 14:23/Mt.17:20
30) Her Future - Jer. 29:11/Ps.27:4

Men's Retreat Part 4

And Lastly, women are influenced by submission. 1Peter 3:1 says that wives need to be submissive to their husbands. What is that? The hated “S” word for Christian women! My dad sent me an article called, “Toward a More Comprehensive Understanding of Wifely Submission.” By Catherine Clark Kroeger. Because my dad liked what she had to say, I went ahead and read it. She wrote the article to dismiss the notion that proper submission “entails a servant-master relationship and that it doesn’t encourage intimacy.” She looked at the word submission in the Greek. I’m not going to try to get into the whole study of the Greek, but this is what she says after her study. “The Greek verb, hupotasso, (the word for submission) has within it many values that can enrich a marriage - to join, associate, identify, support, attach oneself to, or to relate in such a way as to make meaning - this word is not the word for obedience, hupakouo, something enjoined on slaves and children.” I think that the best portrayal of a woman relationship as a mother and a wife is in Proverbs 31. Kroeger says this about Proverbs 31, “Here the model wife is portrayed as a full partner - strong, willing to take new ventures and possessed of good judgment in her own right. Her industry and initiative bring great enrichment to her marriage and her home, and brings praise of her husband and children.” What a gift to a marriage when women and men realize that a woman brings “commitment, loyalty, support, adherence, responsibility, and a desire to create a meaningful relationship.” Barbara Rainey says, “When Dennis loves me the way he is commanded to it is easier for me to submit to him and his leadership.” Men love your wives as Christ loved the Church.

What does this all mean to you men? We women need you. Somewhere the value of men’s leadership has been lost. Men see that women try to do it all. They make money, they take care of the kids, really they do everything. What is there for a man to do? Of course you help and you do a good job - but something is missing. Women don’t have the time for their husbands. Who is the real loser in the women’s movement - not only the children, but also the husbands. We aren’t doing what we are suppose to do. Did God intend for the family to be this way? What can we do about it? What can you do about it? Think about it - our society is spinning out of control. We have dysfunctional families, we have a high divorce rate, there is a rise in drug use, pornography, we have desperate housewives, I could go on and on.


Where do you start? You start with your wife. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present Himself to the church in all her glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing: but that she would be holy and blameless.”

“Sanctify her. Be her spiritual leader. Be sure that your wife has enough time in her daily schedule for personal Bible Study and prayer. Spend time with her in Bible study. Ask her to memorize scripture together. When you make your decisions, explain them on the basis of scripture. Commend her for any biblical traits that she possesses. Be certain that you never criticize her other than on scriptural grounds and she should do the same with you. Encourage her to be faithful in her attendance at church and set a good example yourself. Encourage other opportunities she may have to study scripture. Make dinner an enjoyable time of discussing biblical truth and personal applications of scripture.” (Taken from 10 Ideas a Husband can Help His Wife Grow in Christ by Lou Priolo)

Remember your wife doesn’t need your money to be secure - she needs you. She feels secure when you two feel close, when you make time together a priority - she feels secure when you demonstrate your commitment and you are actively participating in parenting and in life at home. ( taken from “Why Does She Think That Way? Article by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn) I truly believe if women and men start treating each other the way it is talked about in scripture, than the dysfunction that we see now will start to fade.

Finally, Men - Princes of the King, fight for the hearts of your wives and reveal their beauty. Women aren’t the adventure, but catch her up into the adventure of following Jesus with you, her husband, her Prince of the King. (Thank you Tommy)

Then I handed out Prayer sheets to the men so that they can specifically pray for their wives. I adapted it from Stormie O’Martian’s Book, The Power of a Praying Wife. I will post that in the next post.

Thank you to everyone who thought and prayed for me. I am glad that it is over, but it was an important exercise. It made me re-think what I am doing as a wife and mother.

Men's Retreat Part 3

(Readers, you may recognize this as another one of my posts.)

The 3rd influence on women is their health. We can’t get around it, women go through many changes in their body throughout their life. I think that many health experts still don’t understand all there is to know about women’s health, emotions, and hormones. Just when I thought I was done with the roller coaster of the teenage years - then I had to go through the roller coaster of pregnancy and the changes the body goes through after pregnancy. But it isn’t over yet - women whether they have babies or not have to also go through the changes of menopause. I think that some of my hard times that I have been having has to do with hormones - baby blues. So that took me to some research - My research is from the American Psychiatric Association website and the National Institute of Mental Health website. Here are some quotes from their articles.
"Women are approximately two times more likely than men to suffer from major depression and dysthymia."

"Women's risk of depressive symptoms and demoralization is higher among mothers of young children and increases with the number of children in the house."

"Significant loss, a difficult relationship, financial problems, or a major change in life pattern have all been cited as contributors to depressive illness."

"Persons with certain characteristics - pessimistic thinking, low self esteem, a sense of having little control over life events, and a tendency to worry excessively - are more likely to develop depression."

"A variety of factors unique to women's lives are suspected to play a role in developing depression. Research is focused on understanding these, including: reproductive, hormonal, genetic or other biological factors, abuse and oppression; interpersonal factors; and certain psychological and personality characteristics. And yet, specific causes of depression in women remain unclear; many women exposed to these factors do not develop depression."

"Stresses include major responsibilities at home and work, single parenthood, caring for children and aging parents. How these factors may uniquely affect women is not yet fully understood."

"For both women and men, rates of major depression are highest among the separated and divorced, and lowest among the married, while remaining always higher for women than for men. The quality of a marriage, however, may contribute significantly to depression. Lack of an intimate, confiding relationship, as well as overt marital disputes, have been shown to be related to depression in women. In fact, rates of depression were shown to be highest among unhappily married women."

"Researchers have confirmed that hormones have an effect on brain chemistry that controls emotions and mood; a specific biological mechanism explaining hormonal involvement is not known, however."

"In addition, motherhood may be a time of heightened risk for depression because of the stress and demands it imposes."

Now, I don't want to make this research fit how I want it to, but coming from my own personal experiences and experiences of others, I am going to try to make some statements that make sense to me. I never felt like I had the baby blues - the few months after having the baby- but there have been times in my young mother life that I have felt "blue-ish." I mean, why not - hormones, tiredness, worrying, loss of control, financial problems, marital problems. Having children is a huge change in a couple's life whether we like it or not. Then the hormones, being tired after staying up with sick kids or trying to get them to sleep, worrying about the children's safety and health and education, feeling a loss of control when the children don't behave perfectly, saving money on the children's ever changing wardrobes and cutting costs on the groceries, and marital problems! Isn't it a given that among all that chaos there will be some marital problems? Every individual has different issues, they also handle them all differently - but shouldn't we expect that mothers of young children will feel depressed at times. There are so many expectations of mothers and unless a woman has someone to speak with on these issues, why wouldn't she be depressed?

I have a friend. She has three young children. She worries about her children's health often - for good reason. Her husband doesn't work close to home, so he isn't at home every night. She feels like a single parent most of the time. Recently, she has had some health issues as well. Now tell me why she shouldn't feel a little blue at times and that maybe I should be concerned about her well being?

I guess what my thought is, I think that many young mothers may suffer from depression of some sort from time to time. And that made me think of some scripture - "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." 1 Peter 3:7 I don’t know if everyone will agree on the way I use this verse, but it speaks so strongly to me - women are influenced by their health - mental and physical.

Men, love your wives as Christ loved the Church.

Men's Retreat Part 2

The second influence is the Influence of Feminism. I didn’t realize what a hot topic this was. Dr. James Dobson had this to say about it in his article “To the Husbands of Christian Homemakers.”
“It is high time you realized that your wives are under attack today! Everything that they have been taught from earliest childhood is being subjected to ridicule and scorn. Hardly a day passes when the traditional values of the Judeo-Christian heritage are not blatantly mocked and undermined. 1)The notion that motherhood is a worthwhile investment of a woman’s time suffers unrelenting bombardment. 2)The idea that wives should yield to the leadership of their husbands, as commanded in Ephesians 5:21-33 is considered almost medieval in its stupidity. 3)The concept that a man and woman should become one flesh, finding their identity in each other rather than as separate and competing individuals, is said to be intolerably insulting to women.4)The belief that divorce is an unacceptable alternative has been abandoned by practically everybody. 5)The description of the ideal wife and mother, as offered in Proverbs 31:10-31 is now unthinkable for the modern woman. 6)The role of the female as the help-meet, bread-maker, wound-patcher, love-giver, home-builder and child-bearer is nothing short of disgusting. All of these deeply ingrained values, which many of your wives are trying desperately to sustain, are continually exposed to the wrath of hell itself. The Western media - radio, television, and the press - are working relentlessly to shred the last vestiges of Christian tradition. And your wives who believe in that spiritual heritage are virtually hanging by their thumbs! They are made to feel stupid and old-fashioned and unfulfilled, and in many cases, their self-esteem is suffering irreparable damage. They are fighting a sweeping social movement with very little support from everyone.”

When I first read the article, I thought Dr. Dobson was being a little out there and radical. Then someone sent me a topic that was discussed on Good Morning America. It opened a whole new can of worms for me and maybe Dobson was right on. A woman wrote an article for “London’s Daily Mail” about how her children bore her. She said that going to her children’s events were boring and that she begs her nanny to stay overtime just to read her children bedtime stories. Of course that has sparked some controversy - what mother doesn’t want to love and nurture her children by spending time with and rooting them on? GMA wanted women to write in their thoughts and they had different panels of women on to express their views. They called it “Mommy Wars.“ One lady in particular - a feminist commentator, Linda Hirshman, says that stay-at-home moms are wasting their talents by not focusing on higher education and career pursuits. “Educated, interesting women can’t be fulfilled at home.” “Staying at home is like riding a motorcycle without a helmet.” - it is your choice to ride without a helmet, but it isn’t safe. She says that, “Social statistics say kids aren’t any worse off” if the mother works. That stay at home moms are letting down the team - the other women in the workplace.

Can you believe that? But she is just a radical feminist - what do other women think? I found another article published in England entitled “Motherhood is boring, say Young Women.” The article talks about a study in which young women fear that having children will “undermine their sense of identity.” “One in four women who turns 30 this year will never have children.” Bea Campbell, a feminist writer, “says that society should learn lessons from more women choosing not to have children. Men have organized motherhood in such a way that they don’t have to parent and they are considered real men for that.”

I think the average American person doesn’t feel this way, but I do feel the effects of this type of thinking. In an interview with Focus on the Family, Diane Passno, a lady who used to call her self a feminist, but isn’t now because she became disenchanted with their speakers and their agenda. What she had to say was interesting - “historically the feminist movement was based on Christian values and respected the role of motherhood - the goal was to help women. Where the feminist movement went wrong is when it started to devalue children. Roe vs. Wade and legalizing abortion. Because children became devalued - a woman’s role in bearing, nurturing, and raising children was devalued as well. Career was emphasized as the alternative and promoted as a real achievement. The conflict is that our Creator God designed a woman to take care of children, to provide a good home, to be a nurturer. That’s how we function best. Women can even bring those gifts to the workplace - but if all that is important is career achievement, than it negates how we are created.” She also says that in regard to the family, “the children are the losers.” Women are told, “ you have to contribute to the household financially - you have to have a career and live a certain way.” Usually women feel like they have to do this for the benefit of the children- so the children can every advantage that money can buy. As a result, “life becomes hectic and children get shuttled from one thing to another with no time with mom.”

“The feminist movement is hurtful to women. Feminism discounts every bit the value the Lord has placed on living in relationship to Him. It is a movement that negates the pattern of marriage and the importance of children and men. What is mistaken in our culture is the interpretation that scripture places women as doormats - the woman has all the work - bearing children, taking care of the home - poor woman.”

I just stumbled on the issue of feminism and I didn’t realize that I felt so strongly about it. Young mothers today are stumbling. Why is that? Diane Passno had an answer - “So many moms today were raised by career oriented parents. These mothers have no clue how to run a household and answer basic child rearing questions like how do I potty-train?” Doesn’t that make sense - parents want everything for their children and somewhere we decide that what is best for our girls is that they can take care of themselves and to do that they need to have a career and skills that they can use outside the home. We focus so on that, girls don’t have many skills for in the home. Then we are told lies and half truths - like being at home is unfulfilling and you are not interesting and children may not be better off at home and a woman has to be able to take care of themselves because the divorce rate is 41%

These lies are based on the fact that many moms that stay home don’t use that time wisely, because they don’t know better. They let their children watch too much t.v. and video games and there is not enough playing with each other, playing outside, and just day-to-day chores with each other. That time together is so necessary, even doing the mundane daily tasks together are good for the child’s social development.

There are times when children and parents have to be away from each other. But consider 4 reasons why it is important for children to stay at home. 1)Children thrive and learn better when they enjoy one on one relationships with adults rather than as members of a group. 2)You can’t pay an employee in a child-care center enough to care for your children like their own mothers will do.3)Research verifies that kids at home are healthier than those who are exposed to diseases, coughs and sneezes from other boys and girls. 4) a bonding is more likely to occur between parents and children when the developmental milestones are experienced firsthand. (Taken from “What do you think of placing children in child-care centers so mothers can work? From the Focus on the Family website)

What I am trying to say is not to devalue what a working mother does. It is a necessity. Children do have to go to child care. There are some moms handle this challenge amazingly well. They should be admired for the discipline and dedication. But I think that we all could agree that it is a exhausting . Getting kids ready - meals - shopping - work - housework. Trying to do it all and be successful without the man’s help - that is not a very healthy influence.

Husbands, you need to love your wives as Christ loved the Church.

Men's Retreat Part 1

Well everyone, the Men's Retreat is over. It was in a beautiful location in Monterrey, CA. It went well, but I am glad it is over. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers and all your help. What I ended up with isn't quite what I thought when I started, but I must say that God's hand was in it - everything started to fit together - not because of me. I used some of my other posts, so if you have read my other posts you will recognize some of the information. For the actual retreat, I ended cutting some of the quotes out, but I decided to leave it all for this post.

Men’s Retreat: Sleepy Thoughts on Marriage and Motherhood

What Do You Do All Day?

A man came home from work and found his three
Children outside, still
In their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty
Food boxes and wrappers
Strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was
The front door to the house
And there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding
Into the entry, he found
An even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked
Over, and the throw rug was
Wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a
Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys
And various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink,
Breakfast food was spilled on the
Counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog
Food was spilled on the floor,
a broken glass lay under the table, and a
Small pile of sand was spread
By the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over
Toys and more piles of
Clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried
She might be ill, or that
Something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it
Made its way out the bathroom door.
As he peered inside he found wet towels,
Scummy soap and more toys
Strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a
Heap and toothpaste had been
Smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife
Still curled up in the bed
In her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up
At him, smiled, and asked how his day went.
He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What
Happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every
Day when you come home
From work and you ask me what in the world I do all
Day?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.
She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."


***Describe Mother ****Describe wife ****Why do you think motherhood is important? ***What do you think is missing in wives today? ****Why did God create women?

When I agreed to Rich that I would speak, I had no idea where all my researching and thoughts would take me. There were times that I just wanted to call Rich up and decline. What would a group of men care about anything that I would have to say? After some long talks that I had with my dad and some comments on my blog, “Sleepy thoughts on Marriage and Motherhood,” I have persevered. I hope that in all I have to say today that you will understand the role of being a mother in today’s society and I want to urge you to be godly men, because we women need you.

My sleepy thoughts have lead me to a conclusion that women today are pressures by 4 influences. The first influence is the Influence of Expectations. I started blogging on the web - journaling my thoughts. I wanted other’s thoughts on motherhood. As I was writing, I was soul searching. I was having a hard time in my role as wife and mother. I was feeling frazzled and inadequate. I felt like I had lost my identity, the life I was living was not what I imagined or expected. To tell you the truth, I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job at it. Preparing meals 3 times a day - cleaning up after them -doing all the laundry - sorting, washing , drying, folding, putting away, treating stains. Putting toys away, bathing, cleaning, picking up. Not only that, every time I turned around, there was a new mess. Can you imagine trying to fold clothes and your 2 year old son knocking them all down. Or how about always finding food in the cracks and crevices of the tables and chairs because of tiny grimy hands that run over them. Sometimes I look at the mess and don’t feel like I want to tackle it - it is overwhelming. Who is there to care what I do? I will hear it if I don’t do it. There was never any time for myself and I had made myself isolated, partly my fault because I couldn’t give up the control of taking care of the children.
I am not the only mother and wife that feels this way. As I was researching, I found many others who are feeling the way I do. And the word that kept coming to mind was “Expectations.” Sometime while we were little girls we played and dreamed about what it we going to be like when we grew up. I can tell you right now, what we ended up with is not what we dreamed about. Nicole Johnson writes about that in her book Keeping a Princess Heart in a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World. “Walt Disney didn’t do us any favors, or at least it feels that way most days. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty see, to point the way to a life we could never really have, yet it is obviously one we would continue hoping for anyway. As adult women we are wide awake, facing the loss of our dreams, with no idea what will take their place.”
And don’t we ask our kids, “what are you going to be when you grow up?” and don’t we expect our sons and daughters to have lofty aspirations? When I was a child, I never felt right about saying that I wanted to be a mother or a wife. I guess that I just assumed that I would be those things. The question was - what really was going to define me - and that couldn‘t be just a wife and mother. I just expected to fall right into being a wife and mother - now how hard could it really be, women have been doing it for years, it had to be natural. Being a wife and mother was harder than I expected and it certainly wasn’t a fairy tale.

One day I was surfing the web “googling“ Motherhood and I stumbled on a blog called “ordinary mother“ The writer ministered to me that day and I would like to share it with you. She wrote -
As a teenager I remember reading biographies of missionaries and dreaming of someday living in a jungle with the natives and heroically preaching the gospel and translating scripture in my grass hut. Many were the times that I prayed, “Here I am Lord, send me!” My heart though mixed with selfish ambition and pride was to be used in God’s kingdom.
In time my missionary dreams faded in light of my new passion for the local church. Fantasies of jungle evangelism gave way to me actually leading a high school girls’ Bible study and playing keyboard every Sunday morning. New dreams of being a pastor’s wife (a dream that came true!) and maybe even church planting emerged. “Here am I. Send me,” still echoed in my heart.
Then, a new season dawned in my life…motherhood. God made my entrance into motherhood such that I had to rather abruptly be removed from involvement in both youth group and worship team to care for twins. And just to ensure that I wouldn’t go back to other ministries too soon - five months after the twins were born, I was pregnant again. Those dreams of heroic missionary work, leading Bible studies, and being right with my husband at various meetings and ministry events were interrupted by 2 am feedings, 16 diaper changes a day, and raging hormones.
Even though I absolutely enjoyed my babies, in the first three years or so, I often found myself overwhelmed and frazzled. I couldn’t stay motivated to keep doing the same things over and over. I was tired of my inadequacy to do this mom thing. But God in his mercy broke through. It wasn’t a sudden revelation, but more of a dawning for me. I was always looking for the grand, heroic gesture to glorify God. Looking back, my desire was really for my own glory. With much patience God revealed to me that true godliness that glorifies Him is evident in the mundane moments in life. Yes, I was willing to go to the jungles of Africa, but was I willing to go to the playroom and pick up the toys for the fifth time that day. Yes, I was willing to preach to the natives, but was I willing to view disciplining my children as opportunities to further the Gospel in their lives. Instead of translating scripture, was I willing to translate the Bible to a preschooler.
God has graciously revealed to me that He has ordained this season with all of its daily-ness. It is tailor made for His glory and my good. Indeed, it is nothing short of a miracle when God enables this selfish mother to keep up with laundry, build a Thomas track, and help the kids resolve conflict.
Something amazing has happened in this life of mine. I am finding that when I submit to this plan God designed for me to bring Him glory (which is still a daily battle), I find joy even in the most mundane task. How amazing that God would accept sweeping the floor as a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12). How amazing that when in my self-pity I think, “nobody sees or appreciates all that I am doing,” God whispers to me, “I see you.” How amazing that I can so tangibly feel the pleasure of God in me when I am simply building a lego house, teaching Math, or reading a story to my children.
My testimony is that God has patiently helped me to understand that in His kindness He has made bringing glory to Him in the daily events of life, a source of great joy…even better than dreaming.”

What an encouraging story to me and others that have read her blog. To know another Christian woman that feels the way I do - that could have been my testimony. It ministered to my spirit.

It is so easy for women to get caught up into their expectations that it is hard to glorify God in our reality. This is one way that we need you, we need you to know our dreams - our expectations and lovingly bring us back to reality. Men, love your wives as Christ loved the church.