M Is for Mama Quotes

“If we rely on others to reveal our purpose to us, rather than owning the truth of who God says we are in him (forgiven: 1 John 1:9; beloved: Colossians 3:12; precious: Isaiah 43:4; unique: Psalm 139:14), we will continually be chasing external approval, or even permission, to walk in the paths God has clearly laid out for us.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“in a culture in which women clink their wine glasses in celebration each night for “surviving my kids for one more day,” there will be many who oppose a view of motherhood that says that we can do more by Christ’s strength.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“a spiritual grain of salt—especially if that advice is grounded in anything other than Bible truth.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“The important thing is to make a commitment to the Lord and then to follow his leading—to train ourselves to follow him in this discipline of prioritizing his Word.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“A mother who does not read her Bible on a regular basis is like a ship whose rudder has been ripped from its stern.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“four hours of work after an hour of prayer would accomplish more than five hours without prayer.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“But when our goal is validation rather than Christ, it ultimately pushes us down into the mire of self-focus and, all too often, self-pity.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Isaiah 40:11 says”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“There is no better cure for deceit than the medicine of Scripture.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“He will absolutely give you more than you can handle—of both joy and pain. He might pile on the trouble so heavily you feel you will suffocate beneath its weight (I’ve been there). Conversely”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“hard is not the same thing as bad. (You’ll read this phrase more than once in this book.) You will see growth. You will see progress. He will sustain you through it. Never compare your beginning or middle to anyone else’s anything.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Seek him. Ask his guidance about where your time is best spent. Follow through when he provides direction”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“For it is “a truth universally acknowledged: that a child in possession of a sinful nature must be in want of a mama who loves and seeks the Lord.” (Sorry, Jane Austen. I had to.)”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Whenever anyone asks me how in the world I am able to run errands with multiple children without feeling (too) frazzled, I tell them that a huge part of this is conveying my expectations to said children before we ever get out of our giant bus.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“If you contribute to the mess, you contribute to the cleanup.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“the truth is that insisting on doing everything yourself often produces lower quality results than being willing to acknowledge your limits and outsource when possible.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“The most unloving thing we can do is watch someone walk down a path of destruction and do nothing to stand in their way.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“when we remind our children of all the good things that we already have at home and encourage them to thank God for allowing them to play with the random action figure dude waiting for them in the bathtub, we are instilling habits of self-control and gratitude that when nurtured carefully, blossom into generosity.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Romans 12:18 (BSB) exhorts us, “If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.” I love that phrase, “on your part.” In other words, simply saying, “But he started it,” won’t cut it. Especially since verse 17 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Even if he did start it, the Bible makes it clear that we’re not supposed to finish it.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“As much as we might feel like a nice quiet drive with snacks is the cure for what ails us (and as much as we might be right to some extent), the reality is that the Lord often takes our struggles and uses them as tools to show us just how desperately we need his strength and grace each day.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“negativity has an addictive quality, and until we call it what it is without trying to pass it off as something nicer, we can’t begin the process of claiming freedom from our enslavement to it.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Honoring the hard is important. But we can’t stay there. Focusing on the struggle only leads to bitterness and a feeling of having been cheated.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Lord, show me what you have for me and then equip me to do it by your power, even if it’s nothing like I imagined it would be.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“A God who intended us to ignore our most basic needs and desires would never have dreamt up over 2,000 species of jellyfish to dazzle us or painted the sunset with the most delicate hues of peach against backdrops of vivid tangerine. We serve a God who created giraffes with their spindly necks, puzzle-piece-patterned bodies, and ludicrously long tongues and called it good. We serve a God who granted newborn babies the most delicious-smelling heads and dreamed up the idea of juicy, sun-warmed strawberries. We serve a God who rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17) and thought that the world was incomplete without the contributions of musical geniuses like Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. We do not serve a curmudgeonly or stingy God but a lavish and loving God, one who delights to give us good gifts, starting with his very presence.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Following Jesus is its own reward. But sometimes our kids need something tangible to remind them of this fact.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“my desire is for my children to see the value of what Mother Teresa calls doing “small things with great love,” regardless of whether anyone ever notices or pats them on the head for it.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“Pennies make our kids smile. Praise makes them beam!”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“The culture of mediocre motherhood focuses on wallowing in the hard and celebrating our shortcomings as proof that we are all human and “in this together.”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“In ten years, will any of the temporary stress relief you get from fussing about something that seems like a big deal now have been worth the lasting effect of your harsh words about it on your children?”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood

“1.​Do you love and prioritize God’s Word in your home? 2.​Do you rely on the Lord for wisdom and direction? 3.​Are you willing to be consistent and dogged in your pursuit of his goodness for you and your children? 4.​Have you trained yourself to “love what must be done,” as wise mama of six Ruth Chou Simons often says?”
― Abbie Halberstadt, M Is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood