30 Inspiring Quotes for Moms in the Trenches

30 Inspiring Quotes for Moms in the Trenches

Reading Time: 4 min 20 sec

Isn’t the power of words amazing, how God can use them to light a spark in our own lives?

 

I once read the quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery,

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men and women to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders.  Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” 

 

I was immediately captivated with this idea that no matter what role we play in life (mom, executive, homemaker, teacher etc.) we are all in positions to inspire others.  Our calling as parents, with the power of the Holy Spirit, is to foster a curiosity for the things of God in our children.

 

As we make that umpteenth peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or fold another basket of laundry, it can be encouraging to know that we are not alone. That women and men since the beginning of time have had the same struggles, the same frustrations, the same sin, and yet they have been used mightily by God in the lives of their families.

Have you ever had a quote immediately catch your attention, something inside of you jumping out and saying, “Yes, that rings true for me”?

Have you ever asked God why those words resonate with your soul?

 

I included an activity below that will allow you space to ask God that question. 

So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

ACTIVITY:  I have compiled a list of my top 30 inspirational quotes and instead of just scanning them quickly, I want to encourage you this week, to take some time and read through them slowly. Then choose a quote that jumps out at you, bring it to the Lord in prayer, and ask Him to speak to you through those words. 

 I would love to hear about your experience!  If you try this activity, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest.   

Mom Inspiration 

 

1. “The first act of love is always the giving of attention”  Dallas Willard

2. “Know that even when you are in the kitchen, our Lord moves amidst the pots and pans.”  Theresa of Avila   

                               

3. “Homemaking is surely, in reality, the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, mines, cars, government, etc. exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes?… The homemaker’s job is one for which all other’s exist.” C.S. Lewis

4. “What if Christians were known as a countercultural community of the well-rested-people who embrace our limits with zest and even joy?” Tish Harrison Warren

 

5. “Children are most like adults in their feelings. They are least like adults in their thinking. More information does not make them think like us.” Catherine Stonehouse

 

6. “When I worry, I got to the mirror and say to myself, ‘This tremendous thing that worries me is beyond solution. It is even too big for God to handle.’ Then I have a good laugh.”  Corrie Ten Boom

 

7. “Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be”  Theresa of Avila

 

8.  “Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built.”  James Dobson

9. “Since it is so likely that Children will meet cruel enemies let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” C.S. Lewis

 

10.  “God is forming us into new people. And the place of that formation is in the small moments of today.” Tish Harrison Warren

 

11. “It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.” Corrie Ten Boom

 

12.  “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” C.S. Lewis

 

13.  “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”  Dallas Willard

 

  1. “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away: God never changes.”  Teresa of Avila

 

  1. “In the nitty-gritty of my daily life, repentance for idolatry may look as pedestrian as shutting off my e-mail an hour earlier or resisting that alluring clickbait to go to bed.”  Tish Harrison Warren

16. “Here is a truth you must never forget: God is more interested in the person you are becoming than in your work, or your ministry, or your job.” Dallas Willard

 

17. “Worship is love on its knees before the beloved, just as mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved.”-N.T.Wright

 

18. “Coffee is born of extravagance, an extravagant God who formed an extravagant people, who formed a craft out of the pleasures of roasted beans and frothed milk.”  Tish Harrison Warren

 

19. “Sometimes we’re so concerned about giving our children what we never had growing up, we neglect to give them what we did have growing up.”   James Dobson

 

20. “You must take the time to consider why it is you have no time to spend time with the Father.”  Dallas Willard

 

Your Christian Journey

 

  1. “I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.”  C.S. Lewis

 22. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  Corrie Ten Boom

  1. “God wants a child’s heart and a grown-up’s head.”  C.S. Lewis

  1. “Prayer is talking to God about what we are doing together” Dallas Willard

  1. “Only the humble person will let God be God”  Dallas Willard

  1. “So how is it with your soul?”  Ruth Haley Barton

  1. “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”  Corrie Ten Boom

 

God’s Love for You

 

28.  “God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with him as if you were the only being he had ever created.”  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  

                                                                 

29. “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to him and if they were  to allow his grace to mold them accordingly.”  St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

30. “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still”. Corrie Ten Boom

 

 What about you? What is your favorite quote? 

 

If you try any of this activity, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest. about you? What are your favorite ways to increase your child’s awareness of God? 

 If you try any of these activities, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follo

How to Spend Time with Jesus in the Chaos

How to Spend Time with Jesus in the Chaos

              

Reading Time: 6 min 

Life can be so crazy, even with all of our attempts to prioritize, to cut back. We all come to the realization that like nature, there are ebbs and flows, times of business and times of rest. 

 

The birth of a baby, the start of a new job, the death of family member, chronic sickness, and major projects both at home and work can all throw off the routine and leave us in a state of upheaval.

 

 As a mom, how do we prioritize our relationship with God when we haven’t had a shower in three days?  And how do we not sink into frustration and despair when EVERY TIME (cue dramatic sigh), we go to spend some time with our Heavenly Father, our toddler wakes up screaming from his nap (after we just spent 30 minutes getting him to sleep), or our dog starts barking ferociously at the mailman?

 

Is it even realistic to assume that a life with God is possible when there are so many demands on our attention?

 

What does it even look like to spend time with God as a busy mom? These are the questions that run through every mom’s head from time to time as we heave a sigh of exhaustion and get up to put out yet another fire.

 

What would it look like to live a life where our everyday tasks became an act of worship to our King? Where in the still and chaotic ordinary moments we can be present, looking and waiting on God.

 

How would it feel to take our ordinary moments and let God transform them, allowing us to live our lives with abundant joy?

 

   Is It Important? 

Is It Possible?

  Is It Ordinary? 

  1. Is It Important?We have heard countless times all of the reasons why we should spend time with Jesus. Intellectually we get it, but it can seem so unproductive, there are projects compete, and bathrooms to clean, and to stop and just BE can seem well, a cross between a lazy and an extravagant luxury. God will understand, we tell ourselves, when life calms down, when Jr. isn’t screaming at the top of his lungs,  then you will definitely spend quality time with Jesus.

     

    If we are not intentional we can live our lives always responding to the loudest crisis, sacrificing our spiritual health, on the altar of productivity, and the urgent.   We will miss out on the most foundational part of life; a life lived in intimate relationship with Jesus. 

     

    It says, in 1 Kings, 19:11-13, “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

      Would you be able to hear God if he came as a gentle whisper?

 Being a follower of Jesus, at its core, is all about a love relationship with God.  It is about daily surrender, the laying down of your to-do lists, your hopes, and dreams to the one who lavishly loves you.  

1 John 4:15-16 it says this, “Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.”

 

Attempting to follow Jesus, without actually spending time with him, is like trying to live our lives with both hands and feet tied behind our back. When you are tired and worn out, when you are frustrated and depressed, when you are struggling, God calls out to you, his beloved child, saying, “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.”(Matt. 11:28)

 

I read that verse and think of a refuge, a place where all of my burdens, my physical frailties, and my relationship woes, are all laid before God; and he hands me a thick blanket, and encourages me to sink into a place of deep and abiding rest, secure in the knowledge that he has  everything under control.

 all given over to God, and he hands me a thick

Ephesians 3:14-19 says this, “And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”

 

There is an adventure that comes with experiencing the love of the Father. Call out to him, meet him, and let him show you the depth of his love for you. I can truly say that your life will never be the same.

 

 

2. Is It Possible?

 

When you feel that you can’t add another thing to your schedule or start to wonder if life with God is possible for a busy mom; ask yourself these questions: 

a. What are your priorities? Rank them from highest to lowest. Follow up the process by asking yourself, “Why?”

 

b. Why is your life chaotic? Is it a season of change (new baby, new job)? Or is your schedule something you can tweak?

 

c. Do you have unrealistic expectations for time with Jesus? (ex. I need to spend one hour with God after being up all night with the baby?)

 

 

We can get so caught up in moving through life that we don’t stop to periodically ask ourselves why are we doing what we are doing?  We need to come to grip with the season of life that we are in, giving ourselves grace, and embrace meeting with God in the limitations of that season.

 

Susanna Wesley is an encouraging example to mothers everywhere, of a woman who understood the trials of a busy life, but who thoroughly embraced the joys and constraints of her current season of life. A homeschooling mother of eleven children (including her famous sons John and Charles Wesley) she was known for being very serious about her faith.

 

“One of the most dramatic examples of how busy and crowded the house often was is that as a signal to her children to be quiet, Susanna would sometimes sit down and pull her apron over her head so that she could pray in peace.”  Eric Metaxas captured this telling moment, in his book, 7 Women and the Secret of their Greatness.

 

Life with God is not only possible, but it is necessary (cue screaming kid).   

 

3.  IS IT ORDINARY?

 

How can we embrace the season of life that we are in? By not regulating God to that quiet, special time we title, devotions, but look to include him in the ordinary moments of our day.  

 

Invite him into your day when you wake up. Pray for yourself and others while you are washing the dishes.  Embrace the moments of silence by just enjoying His presence while in the shower, or on the way to work.  Turn off the podcast and talk, or hang out with God while mowing the lawn.

 

God is always present with us.  Ask God for the grace to be present with Him, to love Him, and to enjoy Him all throughout the day. 

 

Brother Lawrence, a French monk who lived during in the 17th century, is a great example of someone who made the ordinary things extraordinary by doing them unto God. 

 

He was assigned the monastery kitchen, which he did not enjoy, and in the midst of the unglamorous ordinary tasks, he decided to spend time with God, worshipping and praising him.

 

He said, “We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”

 

So, join me by inviting God’s presence, and offering the best, worst and in-between moments of our day as an act of worship to him.

 

What about you? What are your favorite ways to meet with Jesus in your everyday life?

 

If you enjoyed this post, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest. 

 

Interested in Exploring this Topic Further?  

Check out these titles:

1. Liturgy of the Ordinary – Tish Harrison Warren

2. Death By Suburb – David L. Goetz

bout you? What are your favorite ways to increase your child’s awareness of God? 

 If you try any of these activities, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follo

What is the Most Important Work?

What is the Most Important Work?

Reading Time: 2 min 26 sec

 

 

 

Welcome to the Most Important Work blog. I am excited to kick off what I hope is a very fruitful friendship.

 

 

 

I started Most Important Work because after spending twelve years as a children’s and youth pastor and becoming a parent myself, I realized that:

 

  1. Parenting is HARD work

 

2. Every parent is afraid they are going to blow it

 

3. We all wonder if we are doing enough

I found after talking to numerous parents that we are all so busy trying to keep our children clothed, fed, and ALIVE that we struggle to find a consistent time to incorporate God in everyday life.  If we do find the time, we are at a loss of how to (besides reading the Bible, prayer and memorizing scripture) weave the things of God throughout our day. 

 

I was also tired of children’s curriculum that was so focused on transferring facts about Jesus that they missed the whole “heart” part of a relationship with Jesus.

 

I believe Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May say it best in their book, Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey,

“Often adults have assumed that we could give children their understanding of God by just telling them what God is like…  As they are ready, children construct or form their understandings for themselves, with the gracious presence, encouragement, and guidance of God’s Spirit.” 

We can’t just fill our children’s heads with facts about God and assume our kids will grow up having a thriving relationship with Jesus.

It is our charge as parents to pass on our active faith to our kids. Meaning, our children come to experience a deeper relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit AND by watching US live life.

 

Stonehouse and May continue by saying, “The lives we (parents) live, how we love and discipline children, the stories we tell, the comments we make, and the lessons we teach are raw materials for God and the children to use as they actively construct their understanding of God and God’s ways.”  I want to give my children the best of both worlds; a balance of both experience and knowledge of God. 

 

What would it look like, for your child to “know” from their own experience (not just hearing it from you) that they are uniquely and lavishly loved by God?

 

That the Creator of the universe wants to be an important part of all the ordinary things that make up your child’s day?  If that was at the core of who they were; how would that change how they saw and moved in life? Their very identity?

 

It would change the trajectory of

your child’s life. 

It would chIt ItIt the trajectory of your child’s life. 

I have been on a quest, pouring through books, praying, leading simple activities at home and at church, brainstorming, and talking with parents all on a mission to find ways that real parents, with real lives, can intentionally provide simple ways for their children to meet with Jesus at home.

 

My desire is that Most Important Work would act as a catalyst; providing encouragement, inspiration, resources, and motivation for Moms as we travel together on this parenting journey.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.


 

What about you? What topic are you most interested in hearing more about on this blog?    We would love to hear from you!  

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
10 Simple Ways to Invite God Into Your Child’s Day

10 Simple Ways to Invite God Into Your Child’s Day

              

Reading Time: 4 min 22 sec

I don’t know about you but I want my children to grow up in an environment where they instinctively invite God into every aspect of their day. I want to give them a leg up in this thing called…life.

 I want to do the heavy lifting so my kids can

reap the benefits. 

Don’t we all want that for our kids? In order to foster such a God-centered environment, we have to be intentional as parents. 

 Intentionality, an intimidating word that can evoke the same fear as the word “budget”. The word that screams, “This parenting gig is just too overwhelming, I can’t add or even think about one more thing. We are failing miserably. We aren’t enough. They are going to need therapy.” 

 Before we all run screaming from the room, take a deep breath, and realize that it while it does take some effort,  we have the benefit of working in tandem with the Holy Spirit.  

 

Here is a quick overview of ten ways that you can encourage a God-centered environment at home.  These tips are deceptively simple and yet when practiced consistently (not all at once) the impact can be HUGE!

  • Start the Day with Prayer

  • Memorize a Passage of Scripture

  • Light a Candle

  • Read a story

  • Take a walk

  • Pray over booboos

  • Pray for the needs of others

  • The Power of Silence

  • Reflect back over the day

  • Pray blessing over your child

Each activity is only 2-15 minutes long. *BTW, all of these activities have the perk of being effective in your life as well.

 

Here are 10 very simple ways to invite God into Your Child’s Day

 

  1. Start the day with a Quick Prayer inviting God into your child’s day.

 Before the morning chaos starts, grab thirty seconds and your ragtag brood and invite God into your day. It makes such a difference! It makes all the sibling fights, the race against the clock, the spilled syrup and dog vomit all over the ground so… much..easier (I said easier not great).

 

  1. Take Time to work on Memorizing a passage of Scripture

 Write down a short passage of scripture to practice memorizing each day for a couple of minutes.  You can also turn your verses into songs with or without hand motions (not that I know from personal experience or anything). 

 

  1. Light a Candle to remind your child that God is present with us all day.

 Something about that flickering flame is fascinating to young and old alike. It helps remind us to slow down and remember that we are not alone, that the God of the universe is present today with us.

 

  1. Read a Story or section from your child’s Bible. Discuss.

When you get to the end of the story, don’t be quick to fill the silence, with a clarification. Allow your child to sit in silence whether for 5 seconds or a minute. The Holy Spirit is at work and your child will internalize exactly as much or as little as they are ready for. You might be surprised by their insights.

5. Take a Walk outside. Stop and look at whatever draws their attention.

 Yes, you might be staring at a dead cicada for fifteen minutes, but take off the productive hat (and put your cell phone in your back pocket) and give them the gift your undivided attention.  Join them in marveling at God’s creation. Enjoy the slower pace. 

  1. Pray over boo-boos every..single..time.

I don’t know about you but my children, big and small, get hurt like a thousand times a day. From scraped knees to hurt pinkies, stopping to pray for healing is such an easy way to include God in the ordinary parts of our day.  It is amazing to see how such a simple five-second prayer brings comfort, peace, and calm to my children.

It really enforces the truth that God cares about every part of our                            lives even the small splinters in our thumbs. 

 

It is beautiful to see the kids instinctively gather together and pray over each other when they get hurt (they get a lot of practice throughout the day). 

 

  1. Take Five minutes and as a Family Pray for the needs of 1-2 other people.

This is a great activity because it can literally be done anywhere at any time (no craft supplies needed, Hurray!).  You could focus on using this tool ongoing or for a season as it really fosters a heart of service and love towards others. 

 

  1. Spend 2 minutes of Silence in the car. Just being with Jesus. No demands.

 WORD of Warning: This.. can.. be.. so.. powerful. 

However, you can’t just shout, “Kids, we are going to be silent for the next two minutes. You WILL SPEND this time with Jesus!”  It doesn’t work, trust me.

 I would suggest starting off with a quick explanation, “Kids we are going to spend some time just hanging out with Jesus in silence, enjoying his presence.” 

And a quick two sentence prayer, “God we love you, and we love spending time with you. Be with us during this time.”  

I would encourage you to set realistic expectations for this activity. If your children have never practiced silence before don’t feel frustrated when little Johnny makes faces at his sister, and weird sounds start erupting from the back seat (it will happen).  This can be a meaningful activity but as with anything it takes practices.  Stick with it! 

And to end say something really profound like, “Thank you, God. Amen.”

9. Bedtime- Spend 5 minutes looking back over your day. Ask God to highlight anything that you need to reflect on.

For a season, we ended every day by praying and asking God to lead us back over our day, both the happy and the sad, and highlight anything we needed to pay attention to.

  I would ask questions like, “What brought you joy today? What made you sad today?” paying attention to their emotions, and giving those feelings and that situation over to God. We would then pray for God’s blessing over tomorrow.

 Allowing your child space to reflect over their day without jumping in with suggestions is necessary for this practice. Some of the most special times that I have had with my child have been during this bedtime prayer.

 

  1. Finish the Day by Praying a Blessing over your Child.

Keep it simple. My personal preference is to pray using words that my child understands with zero explanation required.

 Though my blessing seems to vary at times the main heart of it stays the same.  I pray that God would watch over my children all of the days of their lives, that their heart would be soft to things of God, and that their ears would hear his voice.

 It has been a beautiful, simple part of our everyday life. My kids now won’t go to sleep without “praying the prayer”.

Grab your FREE Deeper Life Beginners Guide and join our community of moms who are hungry for more of Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their children.

 

 

 

If you try any of these activities, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest. about you? What are your favorite ways to increase your child’s awareness of God? 

 If you try any of these activities, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follo

Skip to content