Issue No. 04 Maricopa Motherhood Magazine

MOTHERHOOD • FAITH • RELATIONSHIP

MARICOPA MOTHERHOOD ISSUE NO. O4

EMBRACING

THE

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APRIL 2023

MINISTRY

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MOTHERHOOD

From the Editors • Breaking Through • A Biblical Call to Rest Dressed Eggs Recipe • April Plans • Book Review • Is it OK to Doubt God?

Verse of the Year 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

our prayer

Father God, as these pages come together, we open our hearts to the mamas in our neighborhoods and community.

We enter into your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise for this calling, and we trust you in the process.

We ask for the mamas reading these pages to welcome the vulnerability and transparency as we dig deeper in relationship with you and those around us.

We pray for the mamas scrolling through these pages and ask that you meet each and every one of us right where we are, no matter the season. We welcome your encouragement, guidance, direction and hope. We accept your grace, strength and love. Please help us to walk in the identity you have given us, one of grace and worthiness. For those who don't have a personal relationship with Christ, we pray that the Holy Spirit will meet them in this space and open their hearts to the redeeming power of God's grace.

We love you and thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Maricopa Motherhood Magazine | Copyright 2023

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What's inside

3 FROM THE EDITORS by: Mandy & Jennifer

4 BREAKING THROUGH by: Mandy

7 A BIBLICAL CALL TO REST by: Jennifer

9 EASY DRESSED EGGS recipe

10 APRIL PLANS

calendar of upcoming events

11 BOOK REVIEW: "WALKING FREE" by: Mandy

13 IS IT OK TO DOUBT GOD? by: Jennifer

15 STAY CONNECTED 16 THANK YOU

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FROM THE EDITORS

Welcome mama.

This month we are excited to share a little bit of our testimonies and struggles as we focus on Easter and celebrating the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Mamas, we pray this issue encourages you to lean into the many promises God says throughout His loving story of redemption by sending His son to die on the cross.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, we pray that by sharing with vulnerability and transparency, you would open your heart to hearing God and the deep love He has for you through the death and resurrection of His one and only son Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

-John 3:16 ESV A life of faith isn't always linear, and as the many twists and turns of life cause you to question everything, we pray that His love will sustain you through it all.

Mandy & Jennifer

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BREAKING THROUGH

Written by: Mandy

When I was a teacher, in the spring I would do a unit that would include growing caterpillars to butterflies and releasing them as a class. We would order our kit from amazon, I’ll probably order this one and I’ve tried this one too.

We would make a chart with our hypothesis of how many caterpillars we received. Each kit includes 5 caterpillars but guessing is still a great activity. Then I would open up the kit and we would peek inside the jar to count.

We would create a graph guessing how many days the caterpillars would eat and then start creating their chrysalises.

Finally, we would pick names and vote. Each afternoon before my students would leave for the day they would check on the caterpillars and each morning they would rush in to check on them to see their growth.

When I became a mom, I couldn’t help but continue this activity to create what has become a tradition in our home.

If you haven’t done this activity, I highly recommend it. There is a learning curve with the questions, the excitement and the waiting.

But mamas, the wonder and awe that the kiddos will experience watching the transformation isn’t one I can easily put into words to share.

Each year we do this activity to coincide with our Easter story lessons. As I prepare to start this with the kids this year, I can’t help but look forward to it with a more personal perspective.

These five tiny caterpillars will arrive in a jar with food that they munch, munch and munch. Sometimes they stop to look around or climb to the top of the jar, curiously checking out their tiny home. At other times they kind of bump into each other and bumble around to a different spot. continued |

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Then one morning, we wake up to one or two, sometimes all five, have made their way to the top to rest and build their chrysalis.

These mornings, I usually make this discovery before the kids as I make my coffee and carefully move the little friends from a spot on the open counter to a spot where littles hands are unable to reach.

The chrysalis seems so fragile. The hardest part of raising these tiny creatures is when I transfer the lid the chrysalises have attached to. I have to do this so when the butterflies emerge, they have enough room in their mesh habitat to dry their wings. I have to give myself a little pep talk before each transfer.

Come on mama, you got this. These guys survive storms out in their natural habitat, they are strong within the protection that God gave them. Just take a deep breath and make the switch.

With that thought, I reflect on my life before Jesus. I was a slave to my sin without even knowing it. I thought I was living life free to do as I pleased, just like those little caterpillars do munching along without a care in the world, but I was trapped just like them.

I was just going along in circles much like their jar. I was just eating and being merry thinking I had made it on top of the world. I would get curious and look around sometimes, but I would quickly brush those thoughts aside and continue on in my way of life.

Until I couldn’t anymore. Until God reached down and said, you’re mine.

A lot of people share God finds them when they hit rock bottom but for me I just kind of stopped and curled up. I couldn’t run anymore. I couldn’t keep up. I decided to choose Jesus.

Most of our caterpillars hatch relatively quickly and right after the other. Sometimes it happens while we are sleeping and we don’t have a chance to see the process. It is so fast that you can miss it within minutes!

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Last year, though, they hatched throughout the day and we were able to see three of them start to shake and then shed their chrysalis, then stretch and dry their wings.

Even though I was a believer, I didn’t understand God’s grace right away. If I was a caterpillar, I hung out in my chrysalis a little bit longer than normal. One year we had one emerge two days after all of the others, I almost just tossed him! I just couldn’t wait any longer to break it to my kids that one didn't make it. I’m so thankful God didn’t give up on me. He let me grow stronger under his protection, just like the chrysalis provides and just like His promises and authority give.

As a butterfly I emerged, saved and made new in God’s image, with wet wings and on fire for the Lord. I still didn’t get God’s grace. I stretched my wings too early relying on my own strength. I tried to fly too early and continued to seek life my way. I think I still do a lot of the time.

Thankfully, our little butterfly kits come with a mesh habitat so we can observe the butterflies emerge, dry and have their first meal. That mesh allows for the butterflies to take flight and check on each other. They flutter and fly while my kids take notes, draw pictures, ask questions and conduct their own research. My questions are more for God. Like, Okay come on, how did you do that?

How did you create a caterpillar and decide that it is going to transform in DAYS. In days!! Just like Jesus and the resurrection story.

Then we pick a day to release them into the world. We watch them as they discover the flowers on our cactus in the front yard. We pray over them for safe travels and we thank God for creating such an incredible creature to learn from.

This is when I praise God for choosing and saving me. He sent Jesus, His one and only son to die for me. Not only did he protect me with His grace when I was a slave to my sin but He protected me when I chose to accept Him as my savior and break free from sin. continued |

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The process of breaking free wasn’t and sometimes still isn’t easy for me.

Does anyone else feel that way?

Put me in the world, God! I’m ready to do Your work for Your glory!

Just kidding, I’d rather be in my sin. Sinning is way easier.

Never mind, I trust you! Your will be done because my strength comes from you!

Actually this world is broken, I’m not cut out for this.

I struggle with the sanctification process. I am team Jesus through and through. Some days are just harder than others. On those days, I rest in His promises that His grace is sufficient for me. I seek more scripture to trust what He says about me. I pray as I grow closer to Him and understand His word more.

As our butterflies disappear one of my kids always asks, but what if a bird eats one? Or what if a car runs them over? Or what if they get stuck in a storm? I always tell them that God has them. God’s got them just like He has us. He is a wonder working God, all knowing waymaker and promise keeper that will be with us no matter what.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

-Matthew 28:18-20 God with us, always, no matter what to the end of the age, forever.

Whether we are in the storms of suffering or in the security of His peace, He will be with us until this world is over and we are made whole in Heaven.

Mandy and her husband do life blended with four kids ages eight and under. You can find her chasing tiny humans and squeezing in homeschool lessons by day or eating tacos and country dancing during date night. Mandy enjoys working closely with mamas to integrate unresolved experiences to identify triggers to welcome wholeness while growing closer to Jesus.

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A BIBLICAL CALL TO REST Written by: Jennifer

My son was struggling with studying for an upcoming math test, and he was stressed about his progress.

“Just do your best, and that’s enough,” I gently reminded him as frustration settled over his face and weighed down his shoulders.

The concept he was working on just wasn’t clicking, and he couldn’t see past this obstacle. The fact that he knew 95 percent of the material didn’t make up for the 5 percent he was struggling with.

The concept of doing your best is one that parents and teachers alike agree on. As long as the child is learning and making progress, they are on the right track.

For the most part, I can apply this principle to my life, and I can feel good about the things that I accomplish.

However, there’s a dark side to the “do your best” mentality; a version that the enemy uses to twist the truth and steal our peace.

When I complete a project, I ask myself, did I do my best? Recently, the answer I’ve been telling myself is no. I believe I could have done better.

My kids are fighting with one another? I’m not doing my best as a mom to teach them kindness.

My husband did the dishes tonight? I’m not doing my best as a homemaker to keep up with all of the tasks associated with managing a household.

I feel distant from God? I’m not doing my best to read my bible every day and pray without ceasing.

I like to do things well - not perfectly, because I know that that’s not possible - but to the absolute best of my abilities.

In my mind, if I could have done better, then I’ve failed.

Recently, when I look around at my life, all I can see is failure. I feel like I’m failing in every single aspect of my life. By constantly trying to “do my best” in every one of my roles, I put more and more pressure on myself to do better.

I find myself sprinting, just trying to keep up with the pace I’ve set for myself.

Once I fell into this spiral, I started to question God. Why hasn’t He equipped me to handle all of these roles? Over and over the stories in the bible tell me that God equips those He’s called. So why isn’t He keeping this promise?

Why am I failing? Why can I no longer handle these easy tasks in front of me?

I used to be able to handle so much more, and with joy no less! Nowadays, just getting out of bed can be a struggle, and my family has eaten more frozen pizzas for dinner than I can count because making dinner every night seems impossible.

The Need for Rest Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

-Hebrews 4:1 (NIV) In my desire to keep up my sprinting pace, I forgot one extremely important component: rest.

Rest is not an option; it’s a requirement. And I’ve been neglecting this area for more than a year.

By skipping periods of rest, I made it to a place of completely wanting to quit. I no longer felt that I was the right person for any of the jobs I was doing because in all honesty, I wasn’t. continued |

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I was carrying the weight of so many burdens that were never mine to pick up, and I kept adding tasks to my list because at one point in my life, I could handle it. At this point though? I couldn’t.

Some things I can plan for, but other things, I cannot. I need to learn the difference and not live in the fictional future I’m creating for myself.

Take a Break

When you find yourself not living up to your idea of “best” and you’re tired from the sprint, I encourage you to slow down.

It is ok to take a break, which I need to learn. I don’t have to completely quit life to find the rest I need. I simply need to take a break.

It’s ok to sit on the sidelines for a bit in order to catch your breath.

My family and I took a week’s vacation in a different state, and it has done a miracle on my mental state. The time away has allowed me to see so many of the burdens I’ve picked up that don’t belong to me.

When you stand up again, you don’t have to completely walk away. You can re-enter the race. You can start sprinting again if you want, but you can also give yourself permission to jog or even walk.

I’ve been able to wrestle with God over my doubts, and He has softened my heart to His presence and sovereignty.

What you can do is enough, even if it’s not as much as you want. God is telling you that you are enough, just as you are right now, and if you need a break, please take one.

I’m not “fixed” by any means, and I have so much more I’m struggling with, but my load feels lighter and I finally feel better equipped to face my day.

The work will be there when you get back.

I know it’s not realistic to always drop everything and go on vacation. Money, time, schedules, and so many other factors come into play, but I encourage you to find a way to take a break when you need one.

What can you free from your schedule? What burdens are you carrying that can be left at the altar? Who can you ask for help? What can you do each day to give yourself a bit of a break?

Personally, I find that social media offers me a heavy burden that I can’t bear. It’s a large stressor in my life, and I feel better when it’s not part of my day-to-day life.

Living too far in the future also adds to my mental load.

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

-Matthew 6:27 (NIV) Jennifer and her husband are currently in the trenches raising three young children. Jennifer spends her days filling juice cups and trying to write content for her website. She is passionate about helping believers grow stronger in their faith.

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EASY DRESSED EGGS With the abundance of hard-boiled eggs found during Easter time, consider using some to make these easy, Dressed Eggs for a fun and delicious appetizer.

Ingredients: 6 hard-boiled eggs 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 teaspoon mustard 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar salt to taste paprika (for garnishing)

Directions: 1. Peel and cut the hard-boiled eggs length-wise and remove the yellow yolks into a bowl.

2. Using a fork, crumble the yolks into a fine powder.

3. Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and salt.

4. Scoop the yolk mixture back into the egg halves.

5. Garnish with paprika.

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Maricopa Motherhood Magazine

APRIL 2023

04 SUNDAY

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MANY MAMAS ARE BUSY CROSSING OFF THEIR TO-DO LIST TO PLAN FOR EASTER. MAMAS- MAKE SURE YOU SCHEDULE YOUR OWN TIME TO SPEND WITH GOD

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PALM SUNDAY

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MOPS MEETING

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MARICOPA MOTHERHOOD MAGAZINE RELEASES 4TH ISSUE

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GOOD FRIDAY

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EASTER

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MOPS MEETING

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BOOK REVIEW: "WALKING FREE" Written by: Mandy

Walking Free: Small Steps to a Big God Author: Micah Tyler Do you listen to Christian music or Christian radio stations? We do! So many of my favorite moments lately are with the kids in the car and one of their favorite songs comes on.

“Turn it up mom! No, louder! Turn it up louder please!”

You got it sweet child taking after their mama.

Just like that, our car turns into a worship session. Hands up, smiles big, belting out all the words at the top of our lungs. Even baby gets in on the action. Baby’s all time favorite since before he could crawl is Mac Powell’s “New Creation.” My four year old bounces between “Same God” and “Waymaker.” Our seven year old can’t decide between “Look What You’ve Done” and “Build a Boat.” My daughter, we currently have the same favorite song of “I See Grace” by Micah Tyler. Just yesterday it came on and when it ended we switched the radio station only to hear it come on again! She deemed it THE BEST CAR RIDE EVER. When I heard the radio station provide the meaning behind the song “I See Grace” and share that Micah Tyler wrote a book based on the entire album, I went back and forth trying to decide if I should snag it. I think it sat in my Amazon cart for two weeks until I decided to download it on Audible.

I don’t know how I did this TWO months in a row, but here is another book I listened to that I definitely need to have as a physical copy. No matter where you stand in your walk with the Lord, Micah Tyler does an incredible job of providing an easy breakdown into a sixweek reading plan with forty-two different steps to discover more in your relationship with God and challenges within life.

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I had to go back and count the steps because when I was listening to the book, it went SO FAST I didn’t realize there were that many!

He breaks each step down to relate it directly to scripture from the bible. Taking that scripture he pairs it with experiences many of us face. He encourages us to reflect and decide to move forward one of two ways, with baby steps or bold steps. Either way, our walk with God needs to keep moving forward and in doing so we will see progress in many areas of our lives.

Each step is written like a devotional. At the end of each chapter Micah Tyler tells us to grab our journals and write it out. Have you ever had a workbook or discussion questions that are so overwhelming you just close it and never open it again? This. Is. Not. That. Each question is thought-provoking but bite sized where each can be answered quickly or discussed with a friend over coffee. Many times I would actually use them as conversation starters with my husband after the kids went to sleep or with our big kids after school.

My absolute favorite parts of the book are when Micah Tyler asks us to “Retrace Our Steps” at the end of the week. This is where he recaps the previous steps throughout the previous six days and then gives a little goal to strive for as a believer. He ends by asking four questions, but this one was by far my favorite every time: What can you carry out of this week into the rest of your life?

Many of these steps can be and should be carried out into many areas of my life but have you ever tried to start a new meal plan, start working out, start getting up earlier to read your bible, start drinking enough water every day and start being on time to car line all at the same time? That is a recipe for failure for me. I need to implement 1-2 things at a time in order to set myself up for success.

Testing out each step every day and then deciding what to carry out in the rest of my life made it so easy to continue and I realized I was a lot more successful at bringing other steps along with me. *This post contains affiliate links. You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Mandy and her husband do life blended with four kids ages eight and under. You can find her chasing tiny humans and squeezing in homeschool lessons by day or eating tacos and country dancing during date night. Mandy enjoys working closely with mamas to integrate unresolved experiences to identify triggers to welcome wholeness while growing closer to Jesus.

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IS IT OK TO DOUBT GOD?

Written by: Jennifer

I’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch with my faith, and I’ve recently found myself doubting God, His existence, and His goodness.

God has been very patient with me, and He’s slowly been softening my heart and spirit, and while I don’t have all of the answers to all of my questions, I do have faith that He is real.

I also have faith that He can handle my doubts and questions because we have a wonderful example of this providence through the story of Thomas the Disciple.

Thomas hears first-hand from the other disciples how Jesus appeared to them after his death (John 20:24-25). After traveling with them for three years, I would assume that there was some level of trust among the disciples, but Thomas questions the validity of what they saw.

I wouldn’t think he thought the other disciples were purposefully tricking him, but he doesn’t take their testimony at face value.

He wants to see Jesus for himself.

And I don’t blame him.

After traveling with Jesus for so long, wouldn’t you want Jesus to appear to you as well – he appeared to the others. Thomas wants the same for himself.

Unfortunately for us, that’s not typically how God works. He speaks to each of us in different ways, and he reveals different things to each of us at different times.

For me, that’s a frustrating lesson to learn.

I place an imaginary value on what others know and diminish my own faith in the process.

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It’s not for us to decide what experiences are important – we are to focus on building our own faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and increasing our own trust (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It doesn’t matter what God’s doing with other people.

How Jesus Responds While Thomas erred on the side of skepticism instead of relying on his faith, Jesus responds to him with grace and understanding, and without condemnation. He meets Thomas right where he is in his doubt and disbelief (John 20:26-28).

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And we can choose to trust God and have faith in His ways, regardless of if we have physical proof or not.

I’m sure Thomas learned this lesson after his experience with the Lord, and he provides a wonderful example for the rest of us on faith.

It’s ok that I’ve been questioning God. He can handle it, and He always provides. He always welcomes us back with open and loving arms. We can rest in His love and return with humility, praise, and worship to our loving Father.

God knows our hearts, and He promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him (Matthew 7:7).

Thomas sought proof of Jesus’ resurrection, and Jesus answered all of his questions without reproach; however, in true Jesus fashion, he offered a lesson for all of us.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

-John 20:29b We don’t always get to see with our eyes and feel the wounds with our hands, but God blesses those who still believe without seeing first.

Jesus doesn’t judge Thomas for his disbelief, which should offer us comfort during our own times of doubt.

How Thomas Responds After receiving his answer from Jesus, Thomas humbles himself before the Lord by crying out to him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

We can choose to respond the same way when God answers our questions. We can turn our disbelief into belief. We can humble ourselves and worship our God. Jennifer and her husband are currently in the trenches raising three young children. Jennifer spends her days filling juice cups and trying to write content for her website. She is passionate about helping believers grow stronger in their faith.

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THANK YOU! Thank you for joining us for this issue of Maricopa Motherhood Magazine.

We both find so much joy in writing these issues, and we pray they bring some joy in your day as well.

This past month and the upcoming months have been met with struggles and trials for both of us, and the kind words we have heard from you have really touched our hearts and encouraged us to keep going.

We sincerely thank you for continuing on this journey with us. We couldn't be here without your support!

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers -1 Thessalonians 1:2 (ESV)

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Follow along to stay in the loop of upcoming issues, fun content and upcoming contests and giveaways!

Mandy & Jennifer