To be a mom is often to feel guilt. Often we feel overwhelmed by everything we aren’t doing that we “should” be doing and we can worry that we are messing up our kids.

Our friends, often out of love, tell us we have nothing to worry about. We’ve done nothing wrong and we are perfect mothers. But in our gut we know we aren’t perfect mothers and we know we have failed our kids at times.

How do we discern between conviction over areas where we have sinned versus shame over things the Lord has already forgiven us for or things that we have no power to control?

How do we sort out which things we “need to do” as opposed to things our culture says we need to do?

What are some techniques for dealing with overwhelming feelings of shame in the moment?

Listen in for a Biblical consideration of "mom guilt" with Melissa Falcone --staff counselor at Del Ray Baptist Church, Westminster Seminary grad, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation instructor, and mom to four.

Resource Mentioned:

Ask Pastor John, “How Do I Forget My Sinful Past?”

Summer is a time for playing in the sun, splashing around, sleeping in, roasting marshmallows and all around soaking up a season of chillaxin.

But it can also be a season of planning.

Before we know it the chaos of the school year will descend upon us. And if we don’t plan thoughtfully, we may end up overwhelmed when our fall schedules start to pick up.

• How can we prepare at a high level now so that we don’t lose sight of our top priorities when daily pressures begin to pile up?
• Why is it important to think through our priorities and values before planning our schedules and routines?
• What are your family priorities and values?
• What are some of the most important things to keep top of mind when deciding which activities to say yes to and which to say no to?

“Time cannot be used over again. Time cannot be taken to the cleaners and brought back as good as new, to be used another way. Childhood cannot be used over again for another set of preparations nor a different set of memories.” –Edith Schaeffer, Common Sense Christian Living.

Listen in for a conversation with Lyndsey Mimnagh, homeschool mama of four and the founder of Treehouse Schoolhouse on how to schedule our priorities rather than prioritize our schedules.
Check out Treehouse Schoolhouse for loads of beautiful and inspiring resources including nature study, book lists, and family-centered devotionals.
Enjoy 20 percent off digital products now through July 28th! And check out dozens of free downloads and inspiring books.
Use the code delightedmotherhood15 for 15% off any purchase.

Summer is upon us! Which means pool days, vacations, VBS, and lots of ice cream. It also means lots of our schedule and routines are all out of wack.

And that's slightly delightful. But in the midst of all this disruption, one practice we should safeguard is spending time daily in the Bible and in prayer.

Why is a daily practice (of any length) so important for our lives? How can neglecting our spiritual formation actually be harmful to our families? And does a personal devotional practice have to be long? (No!)

In this episode we'll talk about strategies for easy 5-15 minute "bite sized" quiet times and be encouraged that pursuing the Lord is always worth fighting for.

“And because love is a habit, our hearts are calibrated through imitating exemplars and being immersed to practices that, over time, index our hearts to a certain end.” -- James K. A. Smith