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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Moms Desperate for God

“Don’t doubt in the dark,
what you know to be true in the light.” Anonymous

My friend Glynnis had three little boys within five years. She quickly felt overwhelmed by the role of molding the hearts and managing the behaviors of three very different children! After attending a parenting class her church offered, Glynnis felt hope when she heard stories from other parents. She wanted more classes and encouragement. Since there wasn’t anyone to lead a parenting ministry, Glynnis’ pastors asked her and her husband to help.

Although they didn’t feel qualified, they were willing try anything to get support, even revealing to others that they weren’t perfect parents. When they shared their problems with other parents, they received wise counsel and practical suggestions that really helped.

As Glynnis shared in her devotion on the P31 website today, God wants us to come to Him, just like the woman in Luke 8:44-48 who went to Jesus desperate for help despite what others thought.

Discouragement is one of the things that sends me into a tailspin of desperation as a mom. Like the woman in the passage of Luke who was completely depleted of her energy, her strength and her resources, I can get so wiped out that I start to feel hopeless. I just wish I could learn to start running and hanging onto Jesus before I get to that desperately discouraged place. I asked Glynnis if she ever struggles with discouragement. Here is what she had to share:

This is a challenge I’ve particularly faced being a mother. My time is not my own when even one of my five children are at home.Even when they are away, there is laundry, dishes and papers to read or fill out. I often wonder what I could accomplish if only _________.(you fill in the blank).

As I’ve navigated parenthood and working at home, I’ve had to deal with this issue of discouragement, and realize it’s not God’s plan for me.Despair is Satan’s plan for me. He has no hope and he wants Christians to join him in his pit of despair.

For me, it comes down to – who (or what) do I trust?God has challenged me to answer that question. When my faith is misplaced, discouragement and despair have a speedway to my heart.But when it’s placed appropriately in God, then I might have some blue moments over the daily frustrations of life, but they don’t keep me down.Here’s an excerpt from my book, “work@home” about dealing with this particular challenge:

A wise friend once told me “Don’t doubt in the dark, what you know to be true in the light.”

Remember the words in Jeremiah 29:11,“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”

While despair is Satan’s plan for you, hope is God’s design for you.There is only one place true hope can be found and that is in God.

Hope comes in our relationship with Jesus and all our needs can be met completely and permanently.

Hope is what we hang onto when life doesn’t make sense and tragedy hits.

Hope is how we can agree with Paul and say “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Hope is how we endure when life is difficult.Paul, Silas and Timothy wrote to the church of the Thessalonians and said,“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”(1 Thessalonians 1:3)

When you start to doubt your purpose, remember to look to God for the answers.Keep your eyes focused on Him, and He will direct your path.

In Christ’s Love,
Glynnis Whitwer
http://www.glynniswhitwer.com/

If you feel desperate, discouraged or in need of hope, please let me know how I can pray for you today. I want this “Month of Encouragement for Moms” on my blog to be a place where you can be real about where you are as a mom and find God’s hope through His Word and through the stories of other moms just like you!

Copyright 2009, Renee Swope – All rights reserved.

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Today’s Mom Give-Away

We’re giving a copy of Glynnis’ book “work@home“designed to help women transition from the traditional workplace to working at home. Practical in nature, it includes chapters on budgeting, starting a home based business or organizing your home office. Glynnis offers encouragement for moms at every stage of working at home!

We’re also giving away a year’s worth of Family Devotional Magazines from D6.

To be part of today’s give-aways, click on the words “comments” below this post. PLEASE include your email in your comment so we can get in touch if you win!

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Many moms today are feeling desperate, discouraged and alone in their struggles. The D6 Conference is a movement of Christian leaders rising up to encourage and equip today’s mom, and dad. Consider registering before the early bird deadline ends Feb 2nd!

Glynnis is doing a series for Work@Home women on her blog . For more encouragement as a mom, read You Are not Alone by clicking here, after leaving a comment to participate in today’s give-away. Be sure to leave your email, too.

Blessings,

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Comments

  2. Thanks for all the encouraging words. Sometimes I think the parenting struggle only exists behind our four walls! We have two children, a 5th grade daughter and a 1st grade son. Every day is a new adventure!
    [email protected]

  3. thank you so much for your words today! I am a mom of 4 (ages 9-14!) and feel so alone with new issues that have arose in our lives this summer. I am currently working outside of the home partimte at our church as the secretary but feel the definite guilt of doing so — even though i take my children to school and am usually home before they are!
    Thank you again for your encouraging words!
    please feel free to check out our fmaily blog and if you have any advice for our situtation– please share!
    Blessings on you!

    my email is [email protected]

  5. I’m a homeschooling mom of three who struggles with finding balance. Thank you for your ministry and the words you post here. You are an encouragement to me.
    Deanna
    [email protected]

  6. Thank you so much for this site, it’s what I have been looking for a very long time. Sometime I feel like a failure as a christian mother, my lifestyle and schedule have pushed God to the end and many times I have tried to run on my own power and end up worse…please pray for me, that I mite be more organized as a mother and be a better example to my children.

  7. Thanks for the encourgaging words today! I had 3 boys in four years. I feel discouraged many days as I look around my house with toys always on the ground, laundry to be done, dishes in the sink, etc. Thank you for being real!

    Kimberly
    [email protected]

  8. I AM A MOTHER OF 5 AGES 8, 6, 4, 2, AND 5 MO. I WANT TO DO A GODLY JOB RAISING OUR CHILDREN. I WANT TO “WALK IN LOVE” ALWAYS WITH OUR CHILDREN! PLEASE PRAY FOR US AND GOD’S WILL IN JESUS’ NAME AND THANK YOU! I WILL CERTAINLY BE STUDYING MORE FROM THIS WEBSITE! I WANT TO DO THINGS GOD’S WAY AND WANT ONLY HOLY SPIRIT TO BE IN CONTROL OF WHAT I SAY AND DO! “PRAISE GOD!” THANK YOU LORD!

  9. I am a mom with 3 kids, and I work part time. I would love the wonderful Proverbs 31 magazine. I was just looking at it on the website this morning!!!! Thanks for your encouragement and your dedication. My email is [email protected]

  10. Thank you for the gentle reminder that God is in control of us. A few months ago, I felt distressed. I as deeply discouraged and felt unworthy to serve Him. He took me to Isaiah 49:16; “See, I have engraved you in the palms of my hands, and your walls are ever before me.” He was saying to me that He sees and hears what is happening in my life and He will not let it break me for I am permanently His. I felt so loved.

    I know I have failed my children as a mom. I also know God is gracious to forgive me and anxious to help me succeed.

    Thank you and you have a great day.

  11. Thank you for reminding me that at those many moments of frustration and desperation that I should run straight to Jesus. He is the only one who can calm me and give me the fresh new perspective that I need to be the mom He wants me to be. Thanks again for the daily blessing this blog is to me!

    [email protected]

  13. Very, very encouraging! Raising a child with special needs has its challenges and rewards. I use to get frustrated by my daughter’s behaviour because she can’t talk. I have cried to God so at least she can express herself but that has not happened yet. But God has given me the grace to deal with all the challenges that come with raising a child with special needs. I don’t know what I would have done without His Holy Spirit, His word and your very encouraging devotions.
    God Bless you!
    [email protected]

  14. I love the idea you have this month to blog for moms. It is so easy to become overwhelmed as a mom. New moms, or moms with young children should check out a Mothers of Preschoolers group to help them (mops.org). I think Christian support groups are the way to go, so you realize you’re not alone.

    Great series.

  15. I love today’s devotion. I really look forward to the devotions in my inbox daily. I quit my job to stay home with my daughter over 4 years ago. While it has not always been easy, God always provides. I just had another baby and I am looking for work I can do from home as well as ways to save my family money. I want to be a good steward with what we have and also be able to bless others and give. Thanks for your encouragement.
    [email protected]

  17. We own a business that is up for sale and I would love all the prayers that I can take for that to happen. I don’t want to miss the things that I miss while being what I feel “trapped”. I can’t go on any of the field trips or any of the school functions. I work like 55-60 hrs a week and my husbands job doesn’t allow him to be home much either. My son needs at least one stable parent with a “normal” schedule.
    Thank you so much for the encouraging words.

    [email protected]

  18. Thank you, Glynnis, for reminding me that despair and discouragement are Satan’s plan for me, but that hope is God’s design for me. It is easy to wallow in self-pity, frustration, depression, and guilt–to even think that we should punish ourselves for mistakes as a wife/mother by holding onto negative thoughts. But this habit will not bring us hope/confidence that we can overcome our shortcomings. I need to daily begin leaning on Christ’s everlasting arms and accepting His grace even when my sins weigh me down.
    [email protected]

  19. I too have 3 boys all within three years apart. They are all so different. My escape is my bedroom with the door locked, but I know where my real escape is…..looking towards HIM.
    Thanks for the devotion! I’m so thankful there is HOPE!
    [email protected]

  20. For the third time this week the verse from Jeremiah has came across my path. I have 3 children that are 8, 6 and 3, and although they look alike I wonder sometimes how they live in the same house yet are so completely different. I can relate to the parent struggles and the discouragement and despair in my heart – I am allowing satan to get the upper hand and I refuse to let it go on another day. THANK YOU for the encouragement and hope, and for being real. Your words this morning were just what I needed to not go to a place and just cry it out, but to fall on my knees and praise God, to seek out His wisdom for parenting not my own.
    My email is: [email protected]