Hey everybody, it’s Mitch and Amanda, here, based in Belfast. A warm welcome wherever you are connecting in from. Amanda and I have been married for 23 years. We’ve got two teenage kids, ages 17 and 14. Amanda, I want to ask you if you can give us some top tips for busy moms. Now, I don’t want any cringey stuff, right? I want good tips for busy moms.
Well, being a mom means that you’re busy. We can all agree on that, and these are just five things that I find helpful for me as I’ve kind of navigated parenthood, ministry, and, a working life. So number one is start your day in prayer. I am not a morning person, Mitch will testify to that, but what I can do when I open my eyes is just bring my thoughts and my concerns before my Heavenly Father. I start off with thanksgiving and then I pray for each of my family members individually. And just knowing that God has got them in His hands brings peace to me as I go into the rest of the day.
Secondly, I love a schedule. I love a little planner, and I think it’s so important that as moms, that we just don’t take over in that and we try and organize everyone’s lives, but together as a family, we have conversations about who’s doing what, when, and where we can help out. And we plan our schedule based around that and we involve everybody in that conversation.
Number three is just trying as your kids are growing up, to foster some independence in them as they grow and helping them to understand that when they help to pick up their toys and put them back in the box, that helps to be part of a happy home, and how everyone shares responsibility for everything that goes on. And as they get older, teaching them how to do their own washing or organize a lift if they need to get a lift home from somewhere. (Just figure it out. Not always relying on mom and dad) Absolutely, so important.
And then I think as well, number four, for women, it’s so important for us to be in community with other people who are in the same place as us. So find some other moms, find some other girls that you can get around who you know will pray for you and will remember you as you walk through this journey. And just having that reassurance of you can text somebody at the last minute when you need a prayerful encouragement is really important.
And then finally, I think as moms and as women, that we tend to compare ourselves to what everybody else is doing. We’re looking over the fence to see how is Mrs. Jones doing things with her family. But just stay in your own lane. You’ve got this. And the Bible teaches us that when we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything else will be added unto us. And that’s for our families, too. And so when we live a life that is God-centered, we can trust God that He will help us in everything else that we do. So keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.
Five good tips. Cringe free. I hope if you’re a parent watching it, they’ve been an encouragement and blessing to you. At the end of the day, parenthood is all about modeling. Each generation will rise and fall by its own choices. But we’re praying for you today, we’re cheering you on. Be the best mom, be the best dad you can be. Shalom, shalom.