The Mom I Want to Be Vs. the Mom I Am - Encouragement for Today - June 5, 2019

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- June 5, 2019 The Mom I Want to Be Vs. the Mom I Am [JAMIE C. MARTIN]( [ Listen to this devotion]( “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” [Galatians 5:22-23]( (NLT) There’s a big difference between the mom I want to be and the mom I am. Over my 15 years as a mother, I’ve realized if I tie my value to specific expectations — either for my own behavior or my children’s — I’m setting us all up for failure. The “Mom I Want to Be” always wakes refreshed, spends time with God, takes an early walk outside, and greets my husband and three kids with a big hug and the Bible verse of the week. But … “The Mom I Am” often wakes late, grumbles while I grab my phone to “count my steps” as I rush to the bathroom, runs downstairs to eat a bowl of cereal, and throws on a video for the kids while I grab something to wear. It’s easy to grow frustrated because I haven’t yet become the mom I truly want to be. Determined to find grace for this parenting journey, I searched the Bible to find an image that brought me freedom: the fruits of the Spirit. This is found in today’s key verse, [Galatians 5:22-23]( which says: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” I’ve seen that each day, I can make choices that move me toward or away from these fruits of character in my life: Love or Hate. Joy or Sadness. Peace or Worry. Patience or Frustration. Kindness or Rudeness. Goodness or Meanness. Faithfulness or Indifference. Gentleness or Harshness. Self-control or Self-indulgence. Keep in mind this isn’t a divine scorecard or a new way to measure ourselves. Striving backfires when it comes to accomplishing God’s work in our lives. But when we find ourselves operating out of the fruits’ opposites, demonstrating things like hate, sadness and worry, our emotions serve as a signal. They show us whether or not we’re headed in the right direction. It no longer matters how full our to-do list is or how much we’ve accomplished; what matters is our heart. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](