Author: Alysun



Alysun:


I wish I could say that godly mothering was a natural progression for me. With the blessing of my first child came a decline in time spent with God. It didn’t get better with child number 2 or 3. Instead, I reached a low, dark place after the birth of my third child. Each day was harder and more frustrating than the one before. I hated getting up in the morning. I snapped and was angry nearly all the time. Sure, I could wax poetic about my paradise life with my wonderful husband and beautiful children. But the reality was that I couldn’t wait for this stage of irritation to pass so I could have some peace and quiet.



A change came for me when I heard a Focus on the Family broadcast with Juli Barnhill, author of She’s Gonna Blow, real help for moms dealing with anger. I ordered the book and devoured its pages. No longer was anger a justifiable excuse for my circumstances. I realized it was a sin to treat my children and husband with snappy, irritated tones. I immediately repented of my behavior and vowed to my God that I would rely on His strength, not my own. I worked on handling situations calmly and even better, praying and thinking about particulars in my family life that were anger inducing (ie, car rides, bed time, room cleaning, and household chores).



Along with changing my behavior came the realization that I had completely neglected my relationship with God. I had a newborn (who I was nursing 10 times a day), a toddler (who I was trying to potty train), and a preschool (who I was homeschooling). Anyone could agree with me when I said, “I don’t have time!” Yet, I was thirsty for the Word and a devotional time that would feed my soul and encourage me during the relentless days of mothering. I found contentment with reading my Bible and working my way through books like, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (Joanna Weaver). I was longing for a devotional type book that I could read along with the Bible, but it had to be something I could do quickly. And hold my interest on a daily basis… let’s be honest.



When Andrea told me about her idea for “Drops” a few years ago, it went in one ear and out the other. She has always had the dream of writing a book. Not me. I hoped it would be something that worked out for her. All the while, God was working on my heart, showing me that I had a story that needed to be shared with other moms. Through my blog I felt encouraged to write and it was when both Andrea and I were ready to take on a project that everything started coming together.



Our goal is to have a published book to be a companion to Bible study. We even know what size and design we want for it. As we fiddle with the details, we are publishing our work on this new blog, hoping that it inspires moms like us to daily devotion to Christ. This stage in life is not one to be just endured, it can be full of joy and contentment. That is my prayer.