Get $10 off the 2018 Homemaking Ministries Online Conference!

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I used to think that worship was mostly about seeking emotionally-connected experiences with God through reading the Bible, praying, and singing or listening to praise songs. Sure, I knew there was a “daily life” component to worship, but that didn’t feel as much like worship to me, so I didn’t give it as much thought.

When I became a mother, life changed in many ways.

New babies, toddlers, and preschoolers now set my schedule, and meeting their basic needs for food, clothes, doctors appointments, training, discipline, comfort, sleep, and some semblance of that illusive thing called “order” became my 24-hour-a-day job.

It was increasingly difficult to have the peace and quiet necessary to worship regularly in the emotionally-driven way I had enjoyed during my single years and early marriage (not to mention being rested enough to actually focus and not fall asleep)!

Initially, this left me feeling defeated and disqualified. I had relied on lengthy quiet times with God to make me “feel successful” as a Christian.

Also, I had standards. I had no interest in reading the Bible with Dora buzzing in the next room. I wanted that idealistic coffee-cup-quiet!

However, at some point along the way, I realized that God is bigger than the number of minutes or the “quiet-quality” of my quiet time. He is with me no matter what. And, as important as it is to learn and grow in knowledge and understanding, it is also important to actually live out those truths. This is the worship of obedience.

James 1:25 says it like this,

“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (NIV)

I realized that I had moved in out of a fun season of growth in knowledge, and into a more difficult season of remembering and obeying. It was time for me to put into action all I had learned.

Now the questions in my life were:

• Did I really believe that God’s grace was sufficient for my weakness in sleep-deprivation and loneliness and anxiety?
• Did I really believe that He would reward my mundane, endless, glory-void, daily work in the home?
• Did I really believe that I would be blessed if I metaphorically washed feet by selflessly serving those around me, just as He had declared and modeled for the disciples?
• Did I really believe that He loved me? That He was with me? That He was willing to speak to me even when I hadn’t “earned it” through x hours of prayer and Bible reading on that given day?

I think the answer to many of these questions was YES on paper, and NO in practice. But as the realities of life as a mother of young children pressed on me, I learned the truth of each of these statements. It hasn’t always been fun, but it has been deeply growing.

In fact, over time, I became energized and excited for the holy work of “home,” dishes, laundry, child-training, and meal-preparation included! I also began to understand that ministry was happening inside and outside of my home. Both to my family and through playdates with other moms, babysitting, hospitality, meal-deliveries, and even volunteering in my church’s children’s ministry or mothers’ group.

In fact, as I think back, reading Jami Balmet’s blog (YoungWifesGuide.com) was a catalyst to help me connect some of the dots to understand and internalize what it means to be passionate about homemaking for the glory of God. I am grateful for that because if has become such a big part of my life!

Jami is passionate about inspiring and equipping women for this ministry, which I love.

She and her husband have put together the Homemaking Ministries Online Conference to resource and encourage women around the globe to be diligent in their homes. This is the fifth year of the conference, which I’ve gotten to be a part of every year since it began.

It is always such an encouragement to me in my homemaking!

I love that it offers both inspiration and practical training that I can apply right away. And the list of speakers they bring together each year is fantastic!

The 2018 Homemaking Ministries Online Conference

This year’s conference is called the “Deep Dive Summit.” It features step-by-step mentoring in four specific areas pertaining to Christian homemaking: In the Kitchen, Family Life, Identity in Christ, and Homemaking Routines. It includes 31 different sessions from over 20 different speakers.

There are so many sessions that I am excited about this year, but here are just a few of them.

Sessions I’m most excited for in the 2018 Homemaking Ministries Online Conference!

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