• mamahood
    • homeschool
    • Maxwell
    • Natalie
    • Marigold
    • Landon
    • baby things
  • faith
    • 23 identities PDF
    • Tanzania + Compassion
  • inspiration
    • our home
    • books
    • lifestyle
    • marriage
    • homeschool
    • simple living
    • we’re debt free!
    • book recommendations
  • homeschool
  • devotionals
    • (in)courage Devotional Bible
    • 31 Days of Prayer for the Dreamer & Doer
  • new? start here

Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / Faith / The secret to staying calm

The secret to staying calm

June 5, 2020 · 8 Comments
Filed Under: Faith

What’s your secret to staying calm while raising four young children? she asks.

She basically puts her hand on my shoulder to stop me from walking away from her in-passing question.

No, really? her eyes ask loudly.

I want to tell her it’s the whole “going to bed around 9pm at night” thing, that if I can just get enough sleep I’ll be rested enough to be happy the next morning. And a lot of the time I do say this to other moms when they ask. I want them to know it’s important we get our rest, just like the mothers who have gone before us try to press upon us.

Daughter, why don’t you lie down while the baby naps?

I mean, I napped daily for about 5 years. And those were so life-giving for me mentally. Can you relate? One time my OB said a mother not getting enough sleep was a form of mistreatment to her body. And after hearing that, I ran all the way with it… Naps for everyone, including mama!

But more than snuggling down for a daily nap, it’s also that I’ve fully submerged myself in Christ. This has been a practice I began to prioritize just a couple of years ago. So, it’s a little new for me, too :)

Here are some ideas to get started: begin by cultivating neighboring friendships and listening to music that encourages your walk with the Lord. Keep books nearby that are full of scripture, like the Bible ;), have an eagerness to serve your community. Desire to learn new things.

When my hands and heart are grasping for something, it helps to have something worthy of my grasp. I mean really, it’s all God working in me, but I think it helps to have a tender heart toward change.

Sure, it’s the “early to bed” concept — that definitely helps, but it’s also allowing myself to settle into the role I have been called to as a mother, wife, friend. I don’t hide that it’s hard.

A friend shared a really practical way to stay connected to the Lord: to pray without ceasing, simply add “God” before every thought.

God, help me to be calm. I need your tenderness.

God, give me the right words to share in the moment of correction. I need your wisdom.

God, please correct me. I am weak without your strength.

God, my worried thoughts feel all-consuming. I need your peace.

God, give me a boost of energy. Help me to rest in your abilities.

God, help me to find a little pocket of time to be creative today. You delight in our creativity.

This motherhood thing is so very hard because it asks us to be fully selfless women. It also requires us to be humble. Yikes. That is hard to do at times. When my children ask me for a drink, another drink, they’re asking because they’re so very young and have a need for tender care.

But also, they’re children and they know I’m the adult, here to provide for them. So they are generous with their “asks”.

Our children know they can come to us with any requests they have, and so they ask boldly, fully trusting we will provide for them.

In all honesty: I am not always calm. I am not always patient or gentle with my behavior. I’ve been caught stomping my feet in front of my children, or pounding the table with my fist. The moments when I am able to stop myself from overreacting are mighty wins for me. They are small proofs that I am on the right path, seeking the right water for nourishment, imperfect on earth knowing it’s not my strength that gets me through, but His.

In the meantime, the Lord knows our hearts, and so that’s what I focus on. And with much rejoicing, we know He can do mighty things for us.

Draw near, friends! James 4:8 is a great reminder.

Lord, our cups are empty. Fill us with your Spirit.

xx

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • LinkedIn


8 Comments
Filed Under: Faith

Join over 4,400 women who receive Maggie Whitley Designs inspiration & encouragement:

 

Loading

« 3 questions to ask your family…
Life around here! »

Comments

  1. K says

    June 5, 2020 at 7:36 am

    Yes and amen. Beautiful! He truly is our everything. ❤️

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      June 5, 2020 at 7:47 am

      Good morning, K. This is soul-bursting good news. Yes!

      Reply
  2. Erin Gahres says

    June 5, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    Maggie, I have been following you off and on for years and I absolutely love coming here to find encouragement as a Momma now. It was your ruffled pouches that drew me in first! Now I love to follow your book recommendations and your family advice. Thank you for this reminder – it is soooooo true and something I strive for every day! Hope to see some more of your pouches someday soon and until then….keep doing what your doing – YOUR AWESOME! <3 Erin from PA

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      June 5, 2020 at 7:07 pm

      Hi Erin! What a friendly comment to share, thank you! And thank you for all the affirmation with the topics you enjoy :) have a great weekend! xx

      Reply
  3. Amara says

    June 5, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    This is SUCH encouragement to me in this season – I so appreciate your thoughts and gentle direction to the Lord!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      June 5, 2020 at 9:28 pm

      :) you’re very welcome. And yes, stay close to the Lord. He delights in us. By the way — how did you find my blog?

      Reply
  4. Sharon Weaver says

    June 19, 2020 at 8:25 am

    Well spoken dear gal. You are an encourager even to those of us who’s children are all grown up and have adult grandchildren. God has given you a beautiful gift. Thank you for using it to help others. Hugs. Sharon

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      June 19, 2020 at 9:07 am

      Thank you, Sharon :)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
READ MORE >>
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Join over 4,400 women who receive Maggie Whitley Designs inspiration & encouragement:

 

Loading

instagram

maggiewhitley

JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
.
.
.
.
.
#womenintheword #wearethehomemakers #scripture #dailyintheword #titus2woman #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyawareness
Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️ Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️✨
A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.