The MOMent of Truth – I Reached My Limit in Mothering, Then This Happened

“Tired. Frustrated. Totally at the end of my rope. Pulled in every direction and stretched beyond belief. Exhausted. Explosive. Depleted. Coveting the life of others. Despising my own. Lost in a world of “If only…” Drowning in the reality that is mine. I finally have to admit that this Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, Bible-quoting, Bible-singing mother is… depressed.”
~November 9, 2012

Hey mamas, it’s Keli…. And I suppose this is my way of introducing you to my beautifully broken journey called mom life. It is not odd for me to share what I call a “journal of the journey”, where I expose my incredibly honest moments, in any given moment, on any given day… but ultimately securing my hope in Christ. If you stick around long enough, you will see how it all ties together.

For now, just a little bit about me and my family. I have been married to my brave husband Ken for over 17 years.

We have 5 children – Kenneth (16), Kameron (15), Kenedi (13), Kylan (12), and Khloe (who is just shy of 11). That’s right, we have managed to squeeze all 5 kids in 5 years! 

I am an educator by trade, having been in the game for 20 years now. But in more recent years I have become the founder and speaker for Ministry in Mothering, where I help moms move from frustration and guilt to fulfillment and joy, by laying Biblical truth onto everyday reality. Spoiler alert, God’s Word keeps me alive!

Now, back to that faithful November day, when I was desperately crying out to the Lord to rescue me from the heaviness I was under. I eventually ended up reading Psalm 119:25 & 28 which says, “My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word… My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.”

I was desperate and broken and needed God to give me strength. This Psalm became my prayer. I cried through it. I prayed through it. Time and time again. And listen, my problems were not all solved on that day, or in that moment, nor did my life suddenly change. My children did not become less needy, and I did not morph into a perfect mom. But instead, my heart was settled. And with a settled heart, I developed a habit of running to God with the ugliness that I was so tempted to hide. And soon I found myself moving away from this place of frustration and guilt, and moving toward embracing the life I was given, resulting in joy.

This brings me to you, dear Mama. You see, my heart’s passion is for you too to embrace this uniquely complex journey. One that requires Biblical truth, grace, love, and community. I greatly desire for my journey to encourage you to live and do and be, without being bogged down with mom guilt or mom shaming… or even “mom fails”. In fact, I would love to come alongside you, like a virtual big sister – cheering you on as you tackle each day, moment by moment, and live freely under the grace that we have been given. Because let me tell you, it is so much better on this side!

Ah, and if you have a moment and want to connect elsewhere, just know that running is my passion. Singing is my gift. Brunch is my love language. Chocolate is my best friend. 

Until next time… Live well mama.