Mom Heart Moments #218

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN TRULY make it in this life productively is to tend to the garden of our own souls. The only way you can be a loving mother, wife, or friend is to have your soul filled with the deep, unchanging, unconditional love of God.

To continue with a few more ideas on how to have a well-watered garden within your soul . . .

1. 4. Be careful what you read! Surround yourself with books, blogs, and magazines that feed your mind on truth and encourage you to become a better self. There are so many wonderful devotionals and autobiographies and classic fiction books that are encouraging and truthful, in contrast to others that stir feelings of insecurity or greed or even impurity. Choose well.
2. 5. Spend time in nature —His workshop. When I see the artistry of God and rest in the glory of the canopy of His beauty, I find great peace. Creation was made for us. When I invest time in His works of art, I am inspired to reflect His art and beauty in my home as a picture of His reality in an otherwise dark world. Creation nurtures my soul when I take time to observe it.
3. 6. Restore, relax, recreate. Moms need sleep! Sometimes grumpiness or depression goes away with just a couple of good nights of sleep or time away with a friend. Moms need to have a friend who understands them and still loves them! They need to laugh and lighten up. Cultivate times of breaks in your life, times of just getting away. Don’t always be serious —it is exhausting.

When you look over your bookshelves and tables, are they full of encouragement or discouragement? Perhaps a trip to the bookstore is in order! How can you spend some time in nature today? And consider an earlier bedtime, especially if you’re one who burns the midnight oil!