I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Motherhood Goals
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Hi Friends, Happy Mother’s Day week! I once saw a video where a woman shared “one simple tip to keeping your home spotless”. In the next scene, she ushers her children and husband out the front door, and closes it behind them. Brilliant! We chuckle at memes like this because of the seed of truth underneath them. There is so much pressure on mothers, self-imposed and otherwise, to do it all—keep a perfect home, advance her career, remember all the milestones, volunteer at all the things. We read the million parenting books, pulling from each one, hoping not to mess up our kids all the while knowing we will miss the mark. It has me wondering: what does God want in a mother? As the only person in the world who chose His own family, who did He choose? You might think He would choose to be child 2 or 3 in the family. Let them work out their parenting style on someone else first. Maybe He’d choose a well respected family line: one with generational wealth and respectability. But He chose Mary—a young girl with no experience in having a family. Too young to have much experience in anything, really. But there is one thing she had: Mary had a heart fully surrendered to God. God chose the woman who said, “Be it unto me according to Your word” to raise the Man who would say, “Not My will but Yours be done”. It is not wealth or opportunity or comforts that are ideal conditions in which to raise a child. Perhaps the most important environment is one of surrender. Maybe preparing our children for their future has less to do with getting them in front of all the right STEM curriculums or in the perfect sports leagues. Maybe it’s not agonizing over exposing them to the right Bible teachings at the right time. Maybe our greatest gift to our children is raising them in a home where we face the future with our eyes on Jesus and our hands wide open. I’m aware, even as I re-read these words, that I’m not one who can speak out of authority on this. There are miles between where I am and where I hope to be. Lord, help me to live in open-hearted surrender. Help me to trust You in all things. Let all my life say, “Be it unto me according to Your word”. –Anna |
Anna Blanc
I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Hi Friends, When we were on our “church tour” about a year and a half ago, something stood out to us. With all the different expressions and traditions that have been handed down through different Christian denominations, there are a few practices they hold in common. One of those practices is communion. In some churches you kneel. In others you’re handed the bread. In some places you pass bits of crackers down the aisle. Some churches do it weekly, others less often, but I have yet to see a...
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Hi Friends, One thing I’ve loved in sending these weekly devotional emails is the way we get real with one another. I’ve felt so honored by the way you have let me in on your struggles and your redemption moments. Something we’ve talked about over the years is anxiety. Let’s go there again today: No matter who you are or how strong you feel, there are seasons in life where the strain of anxiety can feel like too much to bear. The sleepless nights with a heightened heart-rate that no deep...