Oh, dear fellow momma. Do you realize the magnitude of this statement? That you – with your hair pulled back in a ponytail because you didn’t have time for a shower this morning, with kiddos running around with marker on their faces, and with dinner not quite ready on time – are contributing to the kingdom?
God doesn’t call us to be perfect as mothers. He calls us to align our hearts with his and impress the truth of Jesus’ radical salvation on the hearts of our children.
Here are God’s words spoken to us as daily direction:
And yet, my heart, my being, and my strength are so divided; distracted by the things of this world that promise comfort, entertainment, or validation.
Instead of viewing my children as blessings, sweet souls who need guidance and direction to be more like Jesus, I at times see them as interruptions to whatever my priority is at the moment. Oh how it pains me to see that written down in words – the truth of my selfishness.
So daily, I struggle to lay aside my plans, die to myself, and walk in grace to be the mother and Christ-follower that God has called me to be.
To be undivided.
With the constant distractions of our world, it is not an easy path. I’m convinced it’s a path that requires mothers to support one another in community and to share resources that help guide us along the way.
Today I’m excited to be sharing a resource with you that will help us all take immediate action on our desire to be more intentional, less distracted, more Christ centered moms.
Kayse Pratt writes about faith, family and real life on her blog KaysePratt.com.
Her book Undivided Mom: Finding Christ in the Chaos of Motherhood is a devotional based on the book of Luke and is a breath of fresh air for young moms.
Here’s a taste of the book in Kayse’s own words:
Undivided Mom is a devotional for moms who feel distracted, pulled in a million different directions, and really just desperately need Jesus to keep them from losing their ever-loving minds. It’s about mothering with a vision, with a purpose, for His glory, and through His strength. This is a book for anyone who is longing to find a glimpse of Christ in the chaos of everyday motherhood.
It’s for you. For me. For all of us.
(Except for those moms who have it all together. It’s not really for them.)
(Except they don’t, so it is.)
I was blessed with an advance copy and gave it an honest review on Amazon:
The e-book is available as an immediate download either as a PDF to view on your computer or print out or as a Kindle version (for less than the price of a fancy coffee!). You don’t have to own a Kindle to use the Kindle version – you can download a free Kindle app from your smartphone app store for a super-portable version of the book for your personal quiet time.
I pray this resource is a blessing to your life as a mom striving to create a Christ-centered home in the midst of a crazy, distracted world. We can all use encouragement and the reminder that we’re on this journey together.
Note that I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Links to the book are an affiliate link, meaning I will receive a small percentage of the cost of the book. Your cost is the same and by clicking through this link, you help offset the cost of this blog. Thank you for your support.
Sharing my Un-Word of the Year {Un-Divided} at Life{in}Grace and linking up with Titus 2 Tuesday, Teaching What is Good, Domestically Divine, Unite and Titus 2sday.
this is the second book I’ve added to my wishlist after reading an UNpost!! Love your word!xo
well shoot, it’s not on amazon!! Pinning to remember later!! xoxo
also now, my comments look weird because they are in order of newest to oldest, here’s to me wrecking up your comment section today! cheers!!! so sorry!!
Not a problem! It is on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Undivided-Mom-Kayse-Pratt-ebook/dp/B00FJGLTGY.
Thank you for sharing this perspective! I constantly find myself feeling irked at my children for pulling me away from a text or a tweet, and yet, I should actually feel irked at the text or tweet for pulling me away from my children. I’ll never comprehend why God chose me to be their Mother, but I trust in His reasons and my life is not complete without this title by my name. Thank you for your transparency in how you too struggle daily to shake off the distractions of the world so you can walk in God’s calling!
Also, I love Kayse’s resources and thank you for sharing them with me a while back – I have found them very helpful!
Absolutely! It’s a daily, moment by moment thing!
So glad to read this! I am a grandmother taking care of my 5 grandchildren 4 days a week. Ages 4,3,2,1,4mos. I’m just plain tired.
Praying for rest for you and for you to be able to savor the little moments with those precious little ones in the middle of the crazy!
Great reminder! I have found that it has become more difficult as technology has invaded spaces where we didn’t have it before. I challenge myself daily to take my hands off the keyboard, hold my child’s hand, and look into their eyes while they talk.
Absolutely. It takes quite an effort to “unplug” these days! But our little ones definitely notice. It’s important to me that my kids don’t remember their younger days with me with a cell phone in my hand or a laptop on my lap!
It IS a challenge sometimes, isn’t in? Other times it’s just that we need to keep a constant awareness of our responses to our children in the moment. Tonight at bedtime my 4 year old asked me to find her stuffed horse Sally. Then she said, “Mom, please don’t get distracted…sometimes I need something and you get distracted.” Oh, what a sad moment! It was proof that she notices my distracted self and was an excellent reminder of my need to focus on her needs, even if they are as simple as needing her favorite stuffed animal. It matters to her. Now…on to see where in the WORLD that stuffed horse is hiding!! 🙂
Love this. Gotta let my mum read this.
Thanks for sharing the post. Hope it is an encouragement to her!
Thank you so much for this post. I found you via Darlene’s party and your quote from Andy Stanley took my breath away. Just what I needed!
It’s a fabulous quote, isn’t it?! Brings some much needed perspective to Christian mommas everywhere. Thanks for stopping by & commenting.
I absolutely struggle with being able to unplug from all the distractions. I have Kayse’s book, but I haven’t quite gotten to it yet. Maybe today is a good day to start. 🙂 Thanks for sharing LeeAnn!
Mollie, it’s a great devotional to commit to for a couple of weeks. I loved how she alternates stories with scripture.