Times are tough, stress is everywhere … financially, physically, spiritually, mentally.  Trying to overcome the odds and get to a place where the stress is manageable takes many people down very different paths.  The challenge as a wife and mother is to find a way to deal with stress on a daily basis when much of that stress is NOT self-inflicted.

I feel inspired to share some thoughts with each of you on these areas of stress over the next couple of weeks.  I’ll be starting in Part 2 with Financial stress and then continuing on through there.  Being of sound mind and body truly is God’s desire for each and every one of us.  Oh so very important as a mom who has to care for so many others!!!  We simply must be taking care of ourselves in order to care for our family.

I’m not the expert at doing this myself, so in many ways the areas I will be addressing are directly my issues, thoughts, scriptures and battles I’m dealing with personally every day.  I may go against the status quo, may challenge the cultural norm, but those who know me know that I do so seeking the best for moms through God’s word!

Our culture doesn’t have a tendency to be very balanced and I honestly believe that leaves a lot of moms (not just the new ones) confused and a little lost in the shuffle.  We are told to put ourselves first, but many {if not most} of us would much rather do without personally, to ensure that our children have everything they need (or in many cases, want).  Moms have a tendency to either lose themselves in their motherhood or focus too much on themselves to make exceptions for their children’s needs.  I know that’s a bit brutally honest, but truth be told, most of us fall in the first category of doing without and losing self.

I don’t know about you, but I feel most content and at peace when everything is balanced out.  When I’m healthy spiritually, physically, mentally … and even in His own way, Financially.  So join me in this quest to get back to the basics, not the culturally induced ones, but the place where God wants me to be as a mom.  You’re likely to see yourself reflected in many of my own thoughts and feelings, and you may simply find encouragement to seek His will and health for you through the scriptures presented in each area.

Side Note: I am not a counselor, and if stress is overtaking your life and is affecting you in a way that is adversely affecting your ability to parent I sincerely encourage you to seek out your pastor and ask for their recommendation of a good counselor.  Many churches provide this service for free and along with offering you practical steps, they also provide support, encouragement and prayer.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 6:25 am and is filed under Challenges, Life As A Mom, Mommy Reality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. If this post blessed, encouraged or inspired you, please feel free to "Stumble It" or submit it to kirtsy - Thank you! You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.