It's been awhile since I've wrote a blog post....there has been so much change, so much chaos and new routines and I have finally (I think) had a moment to think about all of this and continue with the purpose and mission I felt God calling me too in November.
It's no surprise to anyone this baby (#4 due in April) was a surprise to us....we definitely had the mindset that if God wanted us to have more kids, we would be open to it so we weren't stopping anything -- I just was shocked it happened while still nursing Hayden...and I had minimal periods and minimal symptoms. But here we are, 28 weeks pregnant and we have made the move home to Michigan to be by family, live a little differently and bring our kids up in the midwest, where we were both born and raised.
But that's not all I wanted to change...I wanted to change and needed to change the way I looked and viewed motherhood. It started shifting when I was pregnant with Hayden because that was a God thing too ....but I could still sense my own dreams and goals for my life creeping in and taking precedence over what God has for my life.
"God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness"
Lamentations 3:20-23
Clearly He wants me to be a mother, this motherhood stage of young kids, toddlers and infants leaves little room for much else without getting burned out. And for the last 5 years, I have been running a very successful online health coaching company. I was at the top of my own personal game when i got pregnant with Hayden and to be honest, I've struggled to get back to there because the time and energy I was able to commit with 3 kids was a lot different than with 2.
I had kept fighting what God had for me, I had a vision of motherhood in my head I wasn't fond of, I wanted more, I wanted to get back and beyond in my business. I had a different vision for my life than what God was handing me...and to be honest, because I want to be transparent, it hasn't been an easy transition....
But instead of being frustrated I decided that I had to meet God where He was at, because MOTHERHOOD was the calling and purpose He had on my life so I need to learn how to embrace this stage of life a little more joyously, passionately....most important PURPOSELY AND INTENTIONALLY. So I have dove into personal development books about motherhood, how to be a better mom, how to stop comparing myself to other moms, myths and lies we tell ourselves as moms....I've been FOCUSING on being the BEST MOM TO MY KIDS.
I've been learning about the MINISTRY of motherhood and what that means instead of focusing on what society or my own beliefs about motherhood are. I felt like following my own passions and dreams with my health coaching company made me a bad mom, I felt like taking time to do the business while my kids were awake made me a bad mom, I felt like waking up and working out and letting my husband wake up with the kids made me a bad mom...so many lies I have been telling myself.
When in reality these are the things that make me a great mom; that teach my children. But it's HOW I GO ABOUT THE REST OF THE DAY and the ATTITUDE I have towards my day the true MINISTRY.
And when I look at the habits and tasks that my health coaching business asks of me to do to be successful...they all make me a better mom too - but what I had been doing what putting that as a higher value than BEING A MOM. #guilty #swallowthepride
I know that by me working out, eating right, drinking water, reading devotions, reading personal development -- are all amazing tools that help me be the BEST VERSION of me and a HEALTHY version of me so I can be there for them, be there happy, be there with joy and teach them that importance. I know that God wants me to be successful as a mom and business owner.
I know that by me doing all of these things and making changes in my family for our family to feel more joy, peace, happiness, calm, and some sort of flow -- I am able to help and inspire moms across the world to FIND THE SAME JOY IN THE MINISTRY OF MOTHERHOOD.
My point in this, whether you are a working mom, a stay at home mom, work from home, part time working mom, single mom or married, whatever....God has so much for you in the ministry of motherhood. He has a journey of motherhood full of JOY, GRACE, PEACE, if we take the time to focus on Him and LISTEN to where He is calling us as mothers AND by taking care of ourselves so we feel confident to go take care of our families.
I am launching monthly groups focusing JUST ON THESE exact things --- helping you find a fitness regimen that can work for you, a nutrition plan that works for families and weight loss, supplements to help you with your workouts or nutrition, a group to support you through this journey of motherhood and monthly book recommendations that we will read TOGETHER to help us see the ministry of motherhood through God's eyes. But it starts with US taking care of ourselves.
If you're interested in learning more details about the Obedient Motherhood support groups, I would love to chat with you...I want to instill joy back into the journey of motherhood instead of anger, stress, frustration, comparison, restlessness, lack of contentment. Let's do this together starting in February.
Please email me at brittanie.rachael@gmail.com so we can chat details and see if this is something for you.