The Beauty of Motherhood

I was driving home today from Lowes and came across a Revive Our Hearts Broadcast on 97.9 FM. The title of the broadcast was the title of my blog and I was hooked from the beginning since I am entering the journey of motherhood within the next 4 months. Nancy Leigh DeMoss had a guest speaker today. Her name is Holly Elliff and she shared her views and a feminist view of what motherhood means in our world today. I must say that it was an encouraging broadcast and would write a summary about it but since I don't want to misinterpret anything she said it would be better if you listened online for yourself. If interested go to:
oneplace.com/ministries/reviveourhearts and listen to April 15th, "The Beauty of Motherhood."
The reason I was encouraged by this 20 minute broadcast is ever since I got back from our 6th month hike and soon found out we were having a baby I made the decision to not rush into getting back into a full time career as a personal trainer. I do miss the relationships I built with my co-workers and my clients, as well as my paycheck, but thinking about being a mom and having to be away from my kids five days a week didn't sound like the best option for me. I understand why a lot of mom's choose to work and know that finances are a constant struggle for many of my friends that choose to work. I have more respect for them as mom's because of the sacrifice they make to be away from their babies to support their family. It is a very hard decision that one day I may end up going back too.
Lately I have felt slightly guilty about the fact that I am choosing not to work. Mainly because Joe is now considered a missionary who has to raise his salary to be able to work at the camp. We knew what we were getting ourselves into before we left our other jobs, but also knew that God would bless us if we listened to his calling, which he is. No, we don't have his full Salary raised yet, but that doesn't bother us because we are surviving, and making it through. His support slowly comes in one month at a time and even though we have less than we have ever had, we are more happy then we have ever been. So, in my own mind I feel at peace with the decision I have made to be a full-time mom. A lot of people have asked me, or assumed that I am back to work, or have a position at the camp, probably because they know our financial situation and may think that I should work to help out with our income. Well, regardless of what people think or feel about working/non-working moms I feel both parties should be respected for their decision. As long as you make choices that will glorify God and look at your kids as a gift from God and not an inconvenience or parasite, then God will bless you in whatever you decide.