Gospel Minded Mama

If you’ve been a mother for more than five minutes, you know that the "stomach bug" is one of the most dreaded phrases in the language. This past week, it hit our home. It wasn't a quick, one-night affair; it was a slow march through all four of my children, lasting an entire week. The most difficult part? It only happened at night in their shared bunk room.  I spent my nights displacing children from their bunk beds, scrubbing messes out of bedding, and avoiding every porous surface in the house. I had kids sleeping on plastic mats on the floor just to survive the night. There was one specific moment, exhausted and disgusted, where I was trying to clean out the tiny crevices between the furniture and the walls—spots I couldn't even reach because the bunk beds are all lined up—and I felt the weight of the week crashing down. I’ll be honest: I cried. The temptation to just give up and walk away was so strong. But leaving a mess like that on the walls and floors would h...

 In the quiet of our homes, we are doing the most significant work of our lives. In the Bible, Titus 2 instructs older women to teach the younger women how to love their children. But in a world that has redefined love to mean "unconditional affirmation," we have to ask: What does it actually look like to love our children biblically? Biblical love is never absent of truth. Love without truth is just feelings-based guidance that affirms sin and ultimately leads children away from God. On the other hand, truth without love hardens a child’s heart. It creates a religious, judgmental spirit and causes children to hide their sin out of fear of condemnation. To parent like Christ, we must walk the narrow path where love and truth meet. The Danger of the "Natural" Approach We often see parents today letting their children "figure things out" for themselves, assuming wisdom will just happen naturally. But Scripture tells us otherwise: "Foolishness is bound u...

Protection in the Pursuit of Truth As a homeschool mom, my mind is rarely still. When you take on the responsibility of leading your children toward Truth, you realize very quickly that you cannot simply hand them what you were told at face value. You have to know why you believe what you believe. This has led me down a path of constant seeking. I am not quick to believe everything I’ve ever been told; I want to see the roots. However, I’ve learned that the process of "pondering" is a delicate one. Sometimes, when we weigh the generally held consensus against the Word, it can be misinterpreted by others as being argumentative or even rebellious. If someone hasn't walked through the same thought process, or if they aren't in a season of humble patience, they might take a simple question as a personal attack on their own years of study. Because I know how easily these misunderstandings happen, I’ve often kept my deepest questions to myself. The Bible provides a beautifu...

  If you’ve been following me for a while—whether for two years or ten—you’ve seen me evolve. I’ve been blogging in some form for over a decade. I’ve moved from website to website, rebranded more times than I can count, and dabbled in just about every corner of the internet. I’ve sold workout shakes and subscriptions; I’ve co-hosted a podcast (that is no longer); I’ve even taken the courses and tried the "hacks" to go viral with Instagram Reels. But if I’m being honest? It was exhausting. The Trap of the Screen For a long time, I felt like I was constantly performing. Putting myself in front of a screen always felt a bit inauthentic, like I was acting for views rather than sharing from conviction. I was always chasing the next "viral idea," and it left me drained. Along the way, I had a deep conviction about my home. I realized that my children were never meant to be "content" for strangers. My family is a gift to be protected, not a product to be marketed...

 After church today, I was talking with a friend who is about to have a new baby about our pastor’s message. He mentioned how important it is to have people in your corner—a group of about three people you can turn to. You don’t have to know everyone in the church, but you do need those few. It made me think about how we prepare for babies. Most women spend so much time on their birth plan and making the "perfect" registry for a baby they haven't met yet. We always hope and pray for a lovely 4th trimester—that the mom bonds with the baby, the baby is calm and restful, the mother’s milk comes in, and she heals easily. But as we know, things don’t always go according to our plans. When the Meal Train Isn't Enough Our church offers a meal train, which is wonderful, but sometimes a meal doesn't lend to true emotional help when you really need it. You need to prepare for who is in your corner for the transition into motherhood, not just the birth and the nursery. You n...

 We’ve all had those days. You know the ones—where you wake up with a plan, a "divide and conquer" strategy, and a heart ready to serve, only to have the day unravel thread by thread. Yesterday was that day for our family. It started with a sick child, shifted into a flat tire for my husband (who accidentally left his phone at home when going to get it fixed!), and culminated in me driving the kids to a birthday party just to drop off cupcakes and head back home. But the "cherry on top" of this chaotic sundae? A car pulled out abruptly in front of us. I slammed on the brakes, and the cupcakes. The three boxes of my daughter’s hard work—cupcakes she had baked with so much love—went flying. The Beauty in the Mess My daughter was devastated. She was embarrassed and ready to give up on the delivery entirely. In that moment, I had a choice: I could lean into the frustration of a day gone wrong, or I could show my children what it looks like to trust Jesus when the plan f...

 The other day, I found myself deep in the digital trenches. I was reading headlines about wars, political conflicts, and heavy questions about our faith and how it has been impacted by the modern world. Naturally, I did what many of us do: I sent a flurry of texts to my husband, unloading all the "big news" I had just uncovered. When he called a little later to ask if I was okay, I realized I had accidentally stressed him out! I assured him I was fine, but it made me pause. It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the "macro"—the things happening across the ocean or in the halls of government. But as a Christian homeschool mom, I am quickly brought back to the "micro." I have four hungry children who need to be fed, instructed, exercised, and cared for. I realized that while I may have zero control over what happens in the White House, I have a tremendous amount of control over what happens in my house. From Rabbit Holes to Reality As women, we want to know t...