today while i was reading my devotions, i was totally encouraged. i am going to be honest.. sometimes, thoughts run through my head such as, “jay and i could have done so much after we were married if i had not gotten pregnant quite so soon…” or “i could be going to an office down town with a wonderful career making money and not be on such a tight budget.” but really this is just negative thinking right? right :) i am learning to stop these thoughts even before they come and enter mind. the Lord has called me to be where i am right now, in this place and time. being a mom to leland is wonderful. motherhood is important in the eyes of God. it is difficult to always accept this with the society we live in today.
this is what i read today and it was definitely encouraging:
“parents tell their children to make sure they enjoy their life before they get married. young people want to do their own thing and enjoy life before settling down. they have come to think that settling down and having children will not be enjoyable. on the other hand, God equates having children with joy. motherhood is associated with joy “He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. praise the Lord.” psalm 113:9
it is true that there are many unhappy mothers and fathers. i believe this is mostly because of mind attitude. because society has taught women to think that mothering is an inferior task and careerism is far more important, they feel bogged down with children who interfere with their life choices. they love their children, but they don’t love motherhood. this is the catch! it’s not enough to love our children; we must love motherhood! it is only when we embrace motherhood that we enter into the joy of it and begin to experience the fullness and anointing of motherhood that God intents us to walk in.” ~n. campbell
…woah, this is such a great reminder. it really made me stop and think. am i truly loving and embracing this season that i’m in? i am thankful for the gift i have been given and today i choose to walk in this beautiful calling of being a mom.
love,
arielle
I really enjoyed that! Where do you get your devotions??
Great thoughts and so glad to hear your heart was encouraged by those words! “For everything there is a season,” and your season right now is largely about being a mama to your precious little one. Take heart and keep choosing to love and embrace where you are, because you’re right- it IS beautiful. :)
I think this is a good lesson for anyone. I am not a mother, let alone married, but sometimes I question where I am at in life or regret past decisions. Then I need to tell myself to be calm and accept the way things are, and be grateful for what I have and what I have accomplished.
Beautiful post, so very true :)
What a beautiful post! My mom dropped everything (after 7 years in college she had a promising job at the bank) the minute I was born… then my two sisters where born and she stayed with us through it all. She even home schooled me until 6th grade and then she went on to do the same with my sisters. Not a single day goes by that I don’t thank God for her and all she’s done for us.
I love this Arielle! Also reminds me of a message by Voddie Baucham called Child Training. How we have bought the lie that we need to “live our life” before settling down and start a family. We need to “live our life” WITH our husband and kids and give them the best when we are young and energetic!
This is GREAT. Thank you so much for sharing this… Those discouraging thoughts are just lies from the enemy. I’m glad you’ve reached the point where you recognize them and don’t allow your mind to go there. I’ve been going through similar discouragement lately, and it’s so easy to let your mind go there and wallow in self pity. . . Motherhood is a beautiful thing and even though I’ve never met you, I know you must be an amazing mom! Leland is blessed to have you in his life. . . and I’m blessed to be able to read your posts!
arielle…..love your post. i was a stay @ home mom for years. it was a blessing.
thank you for sharing your heart with us.
Thanks for sharing … I needed this :)
Definitely a wonderful reminder :) thanks for sharing!
What a great post Arielle. You are such a blessing :)
This was such a fantastic post. I’ve been having these thoughts so much lately and need to be reminded of this!
This is so true! I love this, Arielle. Thanks for sharing the encouragement God gave you today! :)
Love this! Would love to know what book you’re reading ;)
Aww girl! You always inspire me with your beautiful posts!
Beautiful post! I’m excited to enter into the season of motherhood someday!
This is something I needed to read! It’s almost as if you (or God) wrote it just for me! Thank you for willingly being His vessel!
I’m not a mom yet but i can totally relate to this. I am so looking forward to having a family, and putting my career on hold to take care of little ones. It is my career goal :)
I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only one fighting off those exact same thoughts. It’s a beautiful calling indeed! A VERY BEAUTIFUL CALLING!
wow. such an amazing post and reminder! thanks so much for sharing!
i just barely found your blog [from casey’s] and i am a new follower!
Ah, this is so beautiful to read! For me, it totally makes sense to want to be the best mother you can be and reflect Christ for your kid(s). I myself am still single but am really wanting a husband and family, mostly because I would love to give what I think being a wife and mother can give: unconditional love. So go for it, it’s a blessing that you can see the calling in motherhood!
This is my greatest fear. I know that I will love my children when I am blessed to have them, but will I love being a mum. As an adult I know people who’s mothers didn’t enjoy being their mum although they do love them. It saddens me as I personally have a mother who always knew she was meant to be a mum (her words). Reminds me to appreciate her more.
Great post!
I LOVE this!!! We can all sit and think “what if?” but the bottom line is that we have to have faith in God’s plan for us. We have to believe in where we are and know that we were called to do it. Society has its own ideas about mothering but we have to know in our hearts that this gift is priceless and is definitely the greatest joy imaginable!
The grass is always greener, and though my hubby and I are not in a place to have children yet, I often find myself jealous of my friends with kids. I often think these same thoughts about getting married young at 20, even though I know without a doubt it was God’s plan. I’ll think, “we both should have done this and travelled and yadayada before we got married…” Then I stop and realize that these thoughts are from the enemy, because really, I am so full of joy I could cry. I am so blessed and completely enjoying life. So don’t worry, you aren’t alone! I think everyone feels these thoughts, even if they are on the other side. : )
Arielle, you are doing the Lord’s work and I thank you! Here’s a link to a lovely tribute to mothers. Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
http://lds.org/pages/motherhood?lang=eng&query=motherhood
aw i really love this post! Yes I love being a mother and motherhood definitely change me into a better person..someone that my daughter can look up to.
be blessed and enjoy being a mommy to your adorable cute little guy, Arielle!
I pray that God would bless me and my husband children one day.
thanks for sharing this! =)
You have a beautiful blog and family, and I’ve been following for a while (I’m unsure if I’ve commented and introduced myself before…) – my name is Ashley.
I’m glad you realized that you should enjoy this season!
I’m 26, and if we could afford it, I would absolutely 100% quit my job to raise my children. I am so excited about that chapter of my life – and it’s wonderful to hear others who are currently experiencing it, and writing about it with such joy. Being a mom is amazing. Well, at least I assume it is.
amen! though I’m not married with children yet, this is an issue that God has put upon my heart, too. we seem to have lost realization of how beautiful and rewarding motherhood really is. it’s become more of a burden to women, something holding them down from reaching their “full potential.” if only more of us understood the there could never be a greater job than raising and shaping the next generation! thank you for sharing; your blog is a beautiful inspiration to me!
What a great devotional! I have definately had those thoughts before. It was especially hard for me when I got pregnant with our second, Judah, and was still in nursing school! We had talked about trying for another baby but were planning on waiting a few months after I graduated. So he was expected just a few months early but for some reason the devil really tried to attack my heart.
“You thought it was hard with just one child, now what are going to do with two? How do you plan on traveling, or going over seas? Now you will be stuck here.” Those are the thoughts that I was bombared with throughout my pregnancy. Now I see they were all lies of the enemy. Now that Judah is here I couldn’t imagine our family any other way. I see how perfectly he fits in our little family, and how each member has such a unique, specific role… and can only imagine the grea things God has called our little ones to do in the future.
We have got to keep GOD’s perspective and not the world’s. Our value is on eternal things. And whenever these thoughts come, we must stand on the Word and refute them, because Truth is all that matters and all that will last.
I love this thought! I was career minded and driven (I am still a graduate student attaining a counseling degree) not that any of that is bad. Whenever my husband and I found out we were pregnant I thought I would go back to work after having the baby. However, the day I “met” Lynnlee I knew my heart and life would never be the same. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity of motherhood and loving my daughter through each moment. I know I am not “just a mother” but that the Lord has placed this calling on my life for this season (and it’s a short one at that!) Thank you for your words and encouragment!
Thank you for the encouragement. My hubby and I just celebrated 7 months of marriage and I’m 13 1/2 weeks preggo. Having LOTS of all day morning sickness and needing the reminder of the treasure of motherhood. Always challenged and built up by Nancy Campbell/Above Rubies. :)
This is something I have to remind myself of as well…granted, different stage of life than yours. I don’t have kids, but I have caught myself doing the same thing and wondering if and why. I know God has called me to be right where I am, and even though I don’t know why or when it’ll be different, this is where He wants me. And I need to be glorifying Him and trusting Him with that and being thankful for than anything that I have ‘lived my life’ and done things that I never dreamed I could do.
He’s blessed me and I think it’s so easy to forget His blessings when something may ‘appear’ to be better in another’s life or situation.
Choose to walk the path that God has placed you on today. I think so many of us (myself included) are always wanting, hoping, searching for the next best thing, when the best thing is right in front of us. Trying to answer ‘what if?’
Great post girl! :)
i love your heart dear sister! God has a plan for each of us in His perfect timing. I always want to rush to the next thing, but i’m also trying to surrender each day and focus on the “day” that is before me. to thank God for where He has me now.
thanks for sharing!
You’re an inspiring artist, blogger, friend, mother… don’t sell yourself short! The best things in life are the things you’ve already been blessed with. :) I can’t WAIT to be a mom…
Oh my goodness…Never let a thought like that run through your pretty little head!What joy and pleasure you all have brought to others lives, with the decisions you all made. Pride is not always bad….I am proud to be your mother-in-law, Jays Mama….and precious Lelends ..”MaGe”. You all are meant to be together. You both have a gift of touching people…..Use that gift….Love you all Terra
really sweet :)
really love your blog :D
would you check out mine?
http://bonchicbongenrej.blogspot.com/
Juls xx
Hey Arielle!
Haven’t spoken a peep to you in awhile. My and my friend were chatting the other night about the journey of our lives. I think to often we worry about the plans God has for us, what could happen, what should happen and what we want to happen, that’s a lot of happenings!! What she described is that were in a car and God is driving, we either in the back seat of the car churping how to drive or we in the front trying to change the music, fiddling around but were we really should be is in the boot. (sounds abit strange). The truth is that in the boot we have no control over what happens in the drive. It’s like our lives, we can either be telling God were we should be going, how we should get there or we will be in the front of the car worrying about the type of melodies our lives should portray, not saying that not important <3, but if we just set forth our eyes on God and allow Him to take every bit of our lives in His hands, we don't even realise it but soon we'll land at the destination!
What I was really gonna say before I felt lead to share that was I love the new logo with a white space on the bottom of your photies. Gives it a good touch.
Love from SA.
This means so much to me.
I wrote a post about it myself, from the perspective of someone who so yearns to be a mother, who is strongly called by God to do so, but feels the constant pressure of “how life is supposed to be lived these days”.
You really put it all into perspective!
God Bless,
TL
Thank you thank you thank you for this encouraging post! My husband and I are expecting our first baby right before our 1st anniversary and I’ve had to deal with many of the same thoughts you mentioned here. I need these reminders that God has called me to this place, this specific season, even if doesn’t match up with what society says a young, newly married couple should be doing. So nice to find other like minded women out there :-)
I just came across your blog. Love this post. My husband works with women and they always ask about me who stays at home with our little one. They don’t say anything, but I don’t think they understand why I choose to stay home. But we are not alone, there are many mothers who choose to stay at home and although we too are on a tight budget I have felt the blessings of it like you have. Thanks for this post!