Interview with the Authors + Hope Giveaway!
Interview with Brooke & Stacey
In the past year, I’m seeing more and more how God works all things together for our good. God has shown me: how my failures can be beautiful & how failing health can be beautiful.
Brooke and Stacey (co-authors of Hope for the Weary Mom) have a refreshing understanding that weariness can likewise be beautiful. Here’s what they have to say about that!
Q: What good can come from weariness?
A: Brooke – My weariness as a mom is literally what has kept me on my knees before Jesus for the last 10 years. I had no idea how sinful I was until I had my boys. They bring out the worst in me. I know that seems a terrible thing to say, but I think if we’re honest, most of us would agree that our children have the ability to pull out all the sin hiding in our hearts. It isn’t a pretty thing, but it’s a good thing. I’m beginning to realize that it’s God’s grace to me to reveal my sin. Because I can’t repent of it, can’t ask Him to change me and heal me of it if I don’t know it’s there.
The good news is that my boys also bring out the best in me, and they’re being used by God to make me into the best me…the version of me God intended when He created me. That’s powerful. That’s hope.
A: Stacey – I’ve been learning recently that we were made to need Jesus. Our weariness is not a failure. It is a reminder that we don’t function well in our own strength for long. As the old hymn says, “Every hour I need thee. . . ” and true blessing comes when we lean into him in our weakness.
What is one thing a mom could do right now to fight weariness and find hope? In your own lives, what is the one thing you can do that brings you out of a weary state?
A: Brooke – One of the most important things for me as I’ve battled weariness is remembering the very real presence of God in my life. When we’re in our weary places, God seems far away. But the truth is, He’s always with us. We know this because His word promises it. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the last 10 years is that I get to choose how I feel. I don’t always get to choose my gut reactions to things, and my feelings about life aren’t always bad, but weariness is a feeling. Hope is a choice to believe what I can’t see over what I can.
A: Stacey – Spend time every day in the Bible. This by far is the most important thing I do to fight weariness. When my girls were babies, I might only have time to write down one verse and think about it. Sometimes, I read a short devotional if I’m short on time. I also love to hang Scripture on my walls all over my house. The point is, to make sure you are focusing on hope filled truth. This will truly change your outlook. I know it does for me.
More about the Authors:
Stacey Thacker is a wife and the mother of four vibrant girls. Creator of the popular blog Mothers of Daughters, she is a writer and speaker who loves God’s Word. Her passion is to connect with women and encourage them in their walks with God. You can find her blogging at staceythacker.com.
Brooke McGlothlin is Co-founder of Raising Boys Ministries, where parents of boys are equipped and encouraged to raise godly men. You can find her writing about fighting for the hearts of her sons at the MOB Society blog or living a life in pursuit of messy grace at brookemcglothlin.com.
Hope Devotional Giveaway!
I emailed Brooke and Stacey last week just to thank them for this wonderful book (Hope for the Weary Mom) and the encouragement it gave me. I also shared a little about you and the online study we are going to do together soon.
How cool is this?! They responded right away and shared how they’d like to send us two copies of “The Hope for the Weary Mom Devotional!” One to keep and one to giveaway to one of you!
What an honor!!
(p.s. God provides! I wanted to buy that Devotional, but we had maxed out that budget for the month. Yee ha!)
To enter the giveaway, just join the conversation and comment below.
(p.p.s. I am secretly teaching you to comment. Hearing from you is my love-language afterall. Hahaha!)
Have you seen goodness in the midst of your weariness? How do you get through those times?