There are many things in this world that God will use to refine us and transform us into the women God created us to be. Two of the greatest roles we have, being a wife and mother, do this on a daily basis for all of us. These relationships we have are intimate and dear to our hearts, but they also challenge our character and reflect areas in our lives that might need to be improved upon.

When I first got married, I thought I was close to perfect! I know this might sound ridiculous, but I truly believed that the conflict my husband and I faced in those early years were all because of him! I blamed him often.

If you have a pre-teen or teen daughter, you know how much pressure there is for young women to have sex. As a parent, it's hard to find the balance between lecturing and ignoring the topic. Some days we may lean one way, other days the other.

Mom, believe it or not your daughter will listen to you best when she understands YOUR heart. Sharing our experiences concerning sex during our teen years may be hardest to do, but it will be the most impacting for your daughter. Intimacy is opening ourselves up to let someone else peer inside, and when you're willing to share your failures and successes concerning your sexual choices, your words will go straight to your daughter's heart.

I once had a friend who shared with me that her husband counted up all the hours he put into his work in a given week. Even though he was a salaried employee, he wanted to be sure where his time really went.

I suppose that sort of approach worked for him, but if I started adding up all my hours of work as a mom and life coach, as a writer and ministry leader, as a keeper of the house and a manager of my family’s needs, well I’d crumble in to a messy pile of tears.  

The fact is that the value of my work can't be measured in minutes.

Neither can the value of yours, sweet momma.

Why Moms Need to Rest

As we come to the conclusion of this session of the book club there is a thought that I feel is so appropriate to leave you with. Ultimately…….

We cannot own our life if we don’t first know how to rest.

Does the scenario below sound at all familiar to you??

Why I No Longer Need Mommy Time

It's like a page out of Thomas' Snowsuit - you know, the Robert Munsch book about the kid who gets wrapped in layers, goes outside, throws one snowball, then yells that he has to go pee.

Only in my case, it's not pee with my bundled-up three-year-old. It's poop. Every day I ask him if he has to go. He says no. I wrap him up in his snowsuit, he exits the door for about 5 milliseconds, then races in crying because he's desperate to make it to the potty in time. It's a flurry of mittens and neck warmers and hats - and most days, he makes it.

But on this particular one, he doesn't.

What God Really Wants for Moms with Young Children

I readied myself for what I guessed I had coming. 

I was tired, weary, and so far behind . . . in pretty much everything. House, crafts, cooking, laundry, and love. Never enough and not good enough. 

Hopelessly behind. 

Here I was 7 months pregnant with several other very young children at home. And I just couldn't seem to pull it together.

So I hesitantly approached this seasoned mother - the godly woman and lovely example that she was - to receive the admonition I was sure I deserved. 

Waiting for my Get it together and Get tough and Get going. Yes, I had it coming . . . .

But her actual words surprised me.