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Category: Devotional

Encouraging Friends through the Seasons of Motherhood

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DEVOTIONAL

by Gini @ DaySpring April 5, 2016

Encouraging Friends through the Season of Motherhood

Motherhood is hard work. You start out cradling this tiny, amazing human that is completely your responsibility. Then you find yourself running after little chubby toddler legs as they sprint as fast as they can toward the most dangerous thing in the room, followed by the “I can do it by myself” stage where you find yourself constantly cleaning up spilled milk and scraping glue off the floor. And, that’s only the beginning! Because, then the little tiny human decides to keep growing and growing until eventually he or she becomes a grown man or woman – and how are we supposed to handle it when all of a sudden we have no say in their lives? It’s just hard.

That’s why, we encourage you to lift up all the mothers in your life- friends, sisters, co-workers and even the stressed-out mom you see struggling through the supermarket. And, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because we are called to do it. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) says “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” And then in Ecclesiastes 4:9 -12 (ESV), it says “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

With these Scriptures in mind, we asked several DaySpring staffers to let us know how they encourage the moms in their lives. We hope these questions and answers will give you some ideas on how to lift up your friends during each season of motherhood.

What is your favorite way to bless a new Mom? 

A meal in week 6. This is the week where all the help is gone, the meal train ends and sleep deprivation sets in.  I also tell a brand new mom to trust her own instincts.  READ MORE @ Dayspring

 

Thank you to DaySpring for allowing us to share an excerpt from this devotional.  Advertising Disclosure: Some tips include links where Mom’s Priority receives an incentive per click or per purchase.  For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.

Good Friday 2017

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He was pierced...Mom's Priority verse of the week

He was pierced for our transgressions…Isaiah 53:5- God’s sovereignty over time- Mom’s Priority

Every year, a fresh reminder of His Grace and ultimate sacrifice is offered on Good Friday.  As I look around at my life and others, I see His Sovereignty.  His Sovereignty is weaved through our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joys.  Only He knows the full story, and it is Good.  I am thankful, so thankful, for this sacrifice over 2,000 years ago that gives me the Hope I need for each day.  To know that by His wounds we are healed.  I am so thankful for His grace and sacrifice, for Good Friday.

I posted this verse on Monday, and have literally had the song “By His Wounds” by Steven Curtis Chapman, Mac Powell, and Brian Littrell in my head ALL week.  Thank goodness, because I needed it!  Where would I be without Jesus, and the forgiveness, grace, and love he bought with His ultimate sacrifice over 2,000 years ago?  I can’t even imagine.  I reread Luke 23 this morning, and it hurts, to think about the pain and agony Jesus went through so that we could feel His Comfort and HOPE when a loved one passes away or even in the day to day life when we sin and desperately need forgiveness.  We praise God today and always for having the love and foresight to send His Son for us; in humble adoration, we lift up our praises.

For more devotionals from Mom’s Priority, click here.

For more inspiration, check out Mom’s Priority’s Pinterest Board “Inspiration!”

Be Still

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Be Still and Know that I am God

Devotionals for Moms

Devotionals for Moms

Probably like many of you, I love photography. I am a little obsessed with taking pictures. ? In the early years of motherhood, after leaving my corporate job to stay home with my babies while my husband traveling most of the time (supporting our family well), I had lots of moments without adults to talk to! It could have been lonely, but I took it all in. And in the moments when my babies wanted me there close by to play, or while I fed them, changed their diapers, and rocked them to sleep, I prayed…a lot. And I took in all the sights, feelings, (smells even) in. I can’t tell you how much I loved being able to be outside in the backyard with the sun shining down through the trees while my babies played, and I thanked God. I thanked Him often, for my husband, for these babies, for our house, and I said I’d never take it for granted, that I get to enjoy all of these precious gifts! Read on…

Love Does

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We all fail at loving well all the time, which is why this article from DaySpring is such a good reminder and encouragement.  Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it can mean much more than just the romantic love.  Loves does, which is what Bob Goff’s book by the same name encourages us to do.  As a mom, how will you love others well? 

Loving Others Well

Jan 16, 2017 by Gini

Love Does

Love Does

John 13:34-35 TLB says, “And so I am giving a new commandment to you now – love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Just think about it – there is not one person Jesus does not love and did not come to save – this includes everyone you lock eyes with, walk past on the street, hear about in the news, live next door to, stand behind in line at the grocery store, or sit next to in the waiting room. When we actively love those around us, putting their needs before our own, we are taking the same amazing love that Jesus has poured out to us and becoming a living, breathing, beautiful display for humanity.

You see, while many believe love is a just a nice, heart-warming feeling, as Christians, we are called for it to be more than that – we are called to take action. We can share God’s love by noticing the unnoticed, loving the unlovely, or even by extending grace to those who are not so easy to be around.

To read more and to find out about Bob Goff’s amazing book (I highly recommend for an easy but inspiring read), Love Does, check out DaySpring.com.

Advertising Disclosure: Some tips include links where Mom’s Priority receives an incentive per click or per purchase.  For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.

PINspiration

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A BIG fan of quotes, verses and inspiration, so I am loving Pinterest lately!  Check out this board on Mom’s Priority Pinterest for much more encouragement and motivation!  Some are anointed with the ability to connect with people flawlessly through words and pictures; you’ll find them through this Pinterest board.  God’s Word never fails and is always flawless and timely, so many Bible verses are pinned.  Enjoy!

For I know Pinspiration

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!!” – Jer 29:11

 

 

Jeremiah 29:11

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Just in case you need this reminder going into this new year:

For I know

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!!” – Jeremiah 29:11

Grace at Christmas: It’s All About HIM

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Grace at Christmas

Grace for moms at Christmas

Grace at Christmas

Last Sunday was Advent Sunday, and tomorrow marks the first day of December.  For us moms, it gets a little crazy over the next few weeks!  We want to keep our focus on Christ, but also make memories with our families.  We have presents to buy and wrap, a house to decorate with our family (which is usually more difficult with young kids than by ourselves!), lots of opportunities to give, lessons to teach our kids, and events to plan and attend.  Fortunate- we are.

In all of this busyness, it is easy to focus on ourselves and on our abilities or lack thereof.

It’s all about Him.  It’s not about us.

Inevitably, things are going to go wrong.  Someone is going to spill something when the house is finally for once clean and ready for guests.  You are going to say something to a family member that is taken the wrong way.  Your child gets sick.  You or your spouse has to work late on the night of your child’s special event.  And on and on.  It’s not going to be perfect, and that’s okay.  Christmas is time to realize an important point.

It’s all about Him.  It’s not about us.

Grace

At every turn in our lives, we realize that we are not “good enough” on our own.  We need grace.  And we need to extend it to others every chance we get.  Moms, we will never be able to make Christmas or anything else perfect or even good enough in our own abilities.  That’s one reason why Jesus came.  Even far beyond these examples above, Jesus came to give us grace and forgiveness.  We are going to mess up, miss opportunities, make mistakes, and that is okay because of Jesus’ grace.

Another example for me is leading in Women’s Ministry.  I am clearly unqualified for the job, but I am willing (and I thank God for the opportunity- 1 Timothy 1:12).  For whatever reason, God is using me.  It is clearly not in my strength, but his grace is sufficient.  Like all of these other examples, I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

Perfection

Clearly, we can all see Him better when His power is displayed in imperfect people.  So, as we go this Christmas season, and things don’t go according to plan, let’s remember it’s about Him and not us.  Maybe He’s using your imperfection to point to His grace and perfection.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about anyways?

Devotional: What if Mary Had Said “No”?

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A Still Small Voice

Search down deep, and we women know that there is a still small voice that urges us to act.  As busy as we moms can get, drowning out that voice is not hard to do.  In fact, it takes much more time and effort to listen to that still, small voice.  The voice that often warms us of bad situations ahead with our kids, otherwise known as mom’s intuition, is there, if we listen closely.

Mom's Priority Devotional: A Still Small Voice

A Still Small Voice

Mary

Mary was young and not a mom yet when the angel Gabriel came to visit her in Nazareth, according to the story in Luke 1.  Verse 29 says she was “greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”  I cannot imagine that  READ MORE

When Mother’s Day is Difficult

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DEVOTIONAL

by Holley Gerth April 29, 2016

When Mother's Day is Difficult

Soon we’ll celebrate Mother’s Day once again. For many families, it’s a time of celebration, appreciation, and joy. But for others, it’s one of the most difficult days of the year. This is especially true for women facing infertility or those who have recently experienced the loss of a mother, daughter, or other loved one.

I know what it’s like for Mother’s Day to be difficult. My husband and I struggled with infertility for almost a decade and experienced loss along the way. While we learned to live in hope and God eventually gave us a daughter (we adopted her when she was twenty-one years old!), we still remember the hurt and how holidays could bring it to the surface.

I also know what it’s like for Mother’s Day to be difficult because of experiences from working as a writer for DaySpring. Each year we would receive several letters from people thanking us for our “Difficult Mother’s Day” cards. One woman who wrote to express her appreciation said, “I spent seven very painful Mother’s Days longing for motherhood while dealing with infertility and the losses of eight children through miscarriage and failed adoptions. I’ve also seen my own mother’s grief and struggle through Mother’s Day after the death of her mother. And I have many friends in less-than-ideal situations either with prodigal children, abusive/estranged mother or children, loss of a child, and more.”

And finally, I know because of my training as a licensed counselor who has had the sacred honor of grieving alongside many women. I’ve learned that experiencing sadness on special occasions is a normal part of loss and longing. These days often serve as reminders of what we have let go or do not yet have.

So as Mother’s Day comes this year, I’d like to share a few thoughts from my heart to yours.

Embrace Your Emotions

First, if Mother’s Day is difficult for you then give yourself permission to grieve. When holidays come, we often put expectations on ourselves to feel a certain way.  READ MORE @ DaySpring

Thank you to DaySpring for allowing us to reprint an excerpt of this devotional.  Advertising Disclosure: Some tips include links where Mom’s Priority receives an incentive per click or per purchase.  If you ever have any questions regarding this, please contact [email protected]. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.

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