032: Thriving in Motherhood with Lisa Hensley

Lisa Hensley joins me on the podcast today to chat about how we can truly thrive in motherhood. She is a wife, homeschooling mom of four boys, blogger, speaker, and creative who is passionate about showing moms that they are still women, too, and can and should take the time to cultivate creativity in their lives, invest in themselves, and further their education in those areas of interest to them, thereby pouring into themselves so that they can then pour out into the lives of their children. I think you are going to come away from this episode feeling inspired and encouraged for your walk as a mom.

What we Chat about in This Episode

~The lack of thriving in motherhood in both the church and culture

~The problem with waiting for the next thing to happen or the next season to roll around before we will be happy

~The serious metabolic disorder that Lisa’s firstborn son has; how she has been able to still thrive in motherhood in the midst of it

~Practial tips for how to thrive in motherhood

~How even good things are hard (and therefore hard is not bad!)

~The martyr complex all too common in motherhood

~The importance of remembering that you are a woman, not simply a mom

~The importance of being in the Word as a mom (it equips you for motherhood!); the problem with idolizing the “perfect” quiet time

~The importance of having mommy friendships

~Cultivating your interests through reading, taking classes, listening to podcasts, etc., and the importance of doing so

~The problem with basing your identity in motherhood

~The fact that motherhood is not a woman’s highest calling; the problem which comes with believing that it is

~The problem with allowing the world to revolve around your children

~The problem with believing there is a one-size-fits-all method to mothering

~The importance of mothering by faith

~The difference between rhythms and schedules

~Cultivating creativity in motherhood and the corresponding “5 minute outlook”

~How to make time to read as a busy mom

~Various myths in the church regarding motherhood

~The importance of considering who and where you want to be when you’re 80 and making changes to your outlook and work now to reflect that

~Mothering in light of eternity

~Embracing every season of motherhood

~Following Jesus’ example for motherhood

~The practical nature of theology

~And more!

Resources Mentioned

Offer for a free audiobook and 30 day trial from Audible: www.audibletrial.com/HomeandHearth

Episode with Jami Balmet – “Inspiration for Your Homemaking”

Sally Clarkson’s ministry

“Mothering by Faith”

Lisa’s guest post – “How to Pursue Creativity as a Busy Mom”

Lara Casey

Gloria Furman

Lisa’s podcast episode on “Motherhood and Discipleship” (looking to Jesus as our example)

Episode with Katie Orr – “Bible Study for Busy Women”

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Song- “Trust His Heart”

Paddington 2

Dance, Stand, Run: The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground by Jess Connolly

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin

Inspiring Quotes from Lisa

“I’ve learned that my joy in motherhood has a lot more to do with me than what is going on with my child and their temperament.”

“Motherhood is a really good thing, and we work hard for really good things. It’s going to be work, and it’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be good.”

“Just because motherhood might be hard doesn’t mean you have to be a martyr.”

“Remember that you are a woman. You are a woman before you’re a mom.”

“You don’t have to quit life because you are a mom now.”

“I want my kids to see that mama is a person who has gifts and interests God has given to her to put to good use for His glory.”

“We are not called to results. We are called to obedience.”

“Mothering is an important role. But it is not the only role.”

“We forget that our children are not ours – they are not a cute little accessory. They are eternal souls that God has a purpose for.”

“If I focus simply on being a better mom, then I miss out a lot on what God intends. But if I focus on being a better woman in general, it will positively impact my mothering, and also my marriage, my work, etc.”

“God’s goodness is everywhere, and He is the joy and the victory in whatever season you are in.”

“We do have to sacrifice in motherhood, but we are called to that level of sacrifice in our lives in general – it’s a call for all believers. If we just lived that way because that’s the way Christ lived, then we wouldn’t be in for such a shock when the sacrifices in motherhood arise.”

“We are to be interruptible for people. God has left us here on this earth for people.”

“You’re cheating yourself by not spending the little moments of time you can in the Word.”

“God doesn’t waste anything. If He gave you a gift, He expects you to use it.”

“We have to take our hands off the end result and say, ‘This is all God’s, and I am going to leave the end result up to Him.'”

Where You Can Find Lisa Online

Website – Delighting in my Days

Facebook – Delighting in my Days

Instagram – @delighting_days

Twitter – @delighting_days

Podcast – Uniquely Woman

To Leave a Rating and Review on iTunes

Have you been encouraged or inspired by today’s episode? If so, could I ask a little favor? If you could leave the podcast a rating and review in iTunes, that would be amazing! The more ratings and reviews a podcast receives, the more iTunes shows that podcast to other folks searching for shows to listen to, so by leaving me a rating and review, you truly are partnering with me in this podcast ministry to encourage and help as many women as we possibly can. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that! Here’s how:

If you’re on your computer:

Access iTunes on your desktop and type Home and Hearth in the search box on the upper right hand corner.
Click on the podcast photo when it comes up
Click on “Ratings and Reviews” beneath the podcast title
Under “Customer Reviews”, click on “Write a Review”
Click on how many stars you want to rate the podcast and then write out your review and click submit
You’re done! Thank you so much!!

If you’re on your phone:

Open the podcasts app
Click the search button on the bottom righthand corner (the magnifying glass) and type in Home and Hearth in the search box that will appear at the top of your screen
Click on the podcast photo when it pops up
Click on the reviews button near the top middle of the screen
Scroll down a bit, if needed, until you see “Write a Review” and click on that
Click on how many starts your want to rate the podcast, write out your review, and click “send” when finished
You’re done! Thank you so much!!

How You Can Listen to the Podcast

~Here on the blog

~on iTunes

~on Stitcher

~on TuneIn

~on the Podcast Addict App

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If you could use more encouragement for your journey of motherhood, I invite you to join me for my free 7 Day email course, Mothering by the Book: God’s Design for Motherhood. Sign up here and also receive a discount on my book, Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them!) as a little gift of congratulations for completing the course!