Home > Work > Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load
1 " Our children are humans and deserve to be treated respectfully. Discipline doesn’t include raging, screaming, abusing, neglecting, humiliating, or shaming our kids. God never treats us like that. That sort of discipline never “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. "
― Jen Hatmaker , Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load
2 " Our only hope to speak with kindness, to lead with patience, and to not threaten our children with homicide is to ensure our spiritual reserves are not bone-dry. Moms are the middle of the flow chart; the arrows of exertion flow constantly out from us, but when no arrows of strength, grace, and peace are flowing in, the whole mechanism is in danger. Goodness in equals goodness out. "
3 " Ah, marriage. The kind of union we have affects our children infinitely more than the schools we put them in, the activities we sign them up for, or the church we take them to. Our kids are learning relational habits by osmosis, and statistics say they’ll likely imitate what they witness at home. "
4 " Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children. William Makepeace Thackeray "
5 " This has everything to do with parenting, because the kind of disciple I am dictates the kind of mother I am. I am a mom who is passionate about the work of God, or I’m not. My kids will surely know the difference. I’ll teach my children to elevate themselves or I’ll teach them to love the kingdom; those are mutually exclusive. If I truly believe, then my kids belong to Christ and my highest calling is to see them into his good care. My work is to present them to Jesus as single-minded disciples, prepared and equipped to live out their mission. If I believe, I create a house of grace. If I believe, my children will see me forgive and ask forgiveness. If I believe, my kids will care about this troubled planet Jesus was willing to die for. "
6 " Which means we couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye to the poor or declare “comfort and safety” our top priority. If we really believed, then we’d never be happy living healthy, affluent lives while ignoring the 25,000 people who will die of starvation that same day. Once we are believers, we can’t begrudge our enemies or live a totally self-absorbed life. Believing in Jesus means transformation—how could it mean anything less? One who says, “I believe” and lives for herself doesn’t believe at all. "
7 " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28–30 "
8 " Because no one told me not to, I had a baby every two years, and it was truly the Mother Load. "
9 " the beginning of time, creation encountered its first problem: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Thus history began with human connection. Two are better than one, and togetherness is always superior to loneliness. "
10 " God seemed to be saying, “Don’t obsess about tomorrow. Live in this day, without worrying about what you’ll do or need later. What is nourishment today will be spoiled by tomorrow. Enjoy it today, or enjoy it never. "
11 " It was hard to make room for my friends. But I did it. "
12 " It’s not how good we are that counts, but how truthful we are about how good we’re not. "