Maricopa Motherhood Magazine Issue No. 1

MOTHERHOOD • FAITH • RELATIONSHIP

MARICOPA MOTHERHOOD ISSUE NO. O1

EMBRACING

THE

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JANUARY 2023

MINISTRY

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MOTHERHOOD

From the Editors • Welcome • Trapped by New Beginnings Peanut Butter Banana Bars Recipe • January Plans • Gifts Not Goals

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

5 WELCOME by: Mandy

7 TRAPPED BY NEW BEGINNINGS by: Jennifer

9 PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BARS recipe

10 JANUARY PLANS

calendar of upcoming events

11 GIFTS NOT GOALS by: Mandy

13 STAY CONNECTED 14 THANK YOU

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FROM THE EDITORS

Welcome friend

Are you new to Maricopa, or have you been here for ten years?

Are you drowning in diapers or stuck in the pick-up line at school?

Are you surrounded by close friends, or are you hoping someone will talk to you at the playground?

Or do you completely avoid the playground because you dread running into somebody, stranger or friend?

No matter how long you've lived in Maricopa, I'm sure you've realized it's a quirky little place.

No matter what season of motherhood you're in, as you're finding your identity or footing in a new place, it can be lonely or overwhelming.

It's ok to feel both of those things, but God doesn't want you to stay there. He has more for you. Our prayer is that this will be a warm and welcome hug, assuring you you're not alone in this journey of motherhood.

Maricopa Motherhood was born from a desire to build community with the goal of walking out of loneliness and into a season with others. We are by no means perfect or experts, but we know we aren't the only ones feeling this way. continued |

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Contributing editors Mandy Johnson and Jennifer Zimmerman met in a MOPS group, and through MOPS meetings, a book club, and working together in ministry, they realized their shared goal of reaching lonely moms in this community.

She and her family moved to Maricopa in 2020 at the start of the shut-down, and Jennifer found herself in an extremely lonely and isolated space, not knowing anyone other than family and without a way to meet other moms.

Mandy loves Jesus, married her husband in 2017 and does life blended with their four kids ages 8 and under.

At this time, God put it on her heart to start a MOPS group, which she tucked away for over a year. In His faithfulness, God brought the promised group to Maricopa through a crazy series of events that could only have been orchestrated by a loving and caring Heavenly Father.

They moved to Maricopa shortly after getting married and at first, she fully believed the town was just a pivot place for her.

She created a business to connect with others and become involved in the community, but through the pandemic and her last pregnancy learned that God was pushing her in a different direction and patiently waiting for Mandy to lean in and listen.

She found herself feeling more alone than ever and desperately wanting to leave Maricopa, hoping to start over.

It wasn't until God placed on her heart to start planting roots in place and be open to her purpose in Maricopa that she opened her heart to others around her.

Mandy believes community is life-changing.

Her prayer as you walk alongside Maricopa Motherhood Magazine is that you will not only grow closer to God but also to those around you to live life with others.

Jennifer is a Christ-follower, wife, and mother to three elementary-age kids. She and her husband married in 2006, just two months after Jennifer graduated high school. Most people thought they were crazy (which they were!), but through the ups and downs of their marriage, they are now more committed than ever to each other and their marriage.

Jennifer is passionate about sharing the journey of motherhood with other women, and she hopes that as you get to know her and Mandy a little better, you will be excited to live and build community here in Maricopa.

Welcome to the first issue of Maricopa Motherhood Magazine. Within these pages you'll find valuable information surrounding motherhood, faith, and relationships. Each issue will feature prayers and scripture to help you grow closer to God, a recipe or craft (if you're that kind of mom), helpful articles in a variety of topics, opportunities to be reflective in your identity as a mom, and ways to get out in the community.

We are so grateful you're here.

Mandy & Jennifer

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WELCOME Written by: Mandy

In June I sat on the sidelines of a splash pad, NOT the one that is usually broken you see everyone asking questions about in the Facebook groups, but a different one. I had already snapped pictures capturing the pure joy on my sweet baby’s face as his brother and sister showed him the best places to splash and be splashed. I had already given snacks and reminded my kids of the rules to stay safe and make good choices. I had set up water bottles and towels and gave gentle reminders of being a kind friend. Lastly, I texted my husband an update and let him know we were having fun but that I really missed him.

I looked to my right as two moms sat laughing and catching up over their salads from one of my favorite “fast food” restaurants I so desperately wished would come to our little town. But more than convenient salads, I longed for that kind of friendship. They burst out laughing and I thought one was going to pee her pants while the other, I swear, stopped breathing. They laughed so hard they cried.

I watched as they continued to chat and answer their kids' questions but sent them off to play so they could continue their conversation. After a while, I observed their body language change as I saw one mom start to cry and the other wrap her arms around her in a hug, rubbing her back and nodding. Later on, it was the other’s turn and her friend dug out some baby wipes to wipe the tears and fix her makeup.

I took a deep breath and held it in but my eyes still filled with tears. I bit my tongue and curled my toes but the tears started sliding down my cheeks anyway.

I wanted to pick up my phone and start scrolling. I wanted to distract myself from what I was feeling. Why are you even watching them? I shamed myself. continued |

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This ache is too deep and too much, I convinced myself as I started reaching for my phone. But I paused and remembered, God doesn’t waste a hurt, maybe you need to be in this season.

I began to welcome my current season of feelings. I took a deep breath and let my heart truly feel the loneliness. It wasn’t fun. At the time I wanted nothing but to avoid that loneliness, for some reason this time I didn’t.

It isn’t because I'm good at suffering and it most definitely is not because self-pity looks good on me. To be honest, I think I was just done pretending I wasn’t lonely and decided it was easier to simply feel what I was fighting.

I prayed.

Lord, I know you’re here with me at this moment. I trust that you are a merciful and trustworthy God. I know that you are a God of peace and comfort. I trust that you will not waste this hurt. Help me to look to those around me to see other mamas who are looking for what I am looking for. Help me to be open to new friendships.

I remembered the book club I had thought about joining and made a mental note to commit to it. Over the summer we read “Find Your People” by Jennie Allen. Over the following couple of months, I read every page and, to be honest, missed lots of the book club meetings, but I participated in the group chat and I started to apply what I had read.

A friendship out of that book club was formed and because of each of our seasons we were able to dig deep, have vulnerable conversations and open-hearted chats about how we can help those around us.

As we got to know each other one “Did I hurt your feelings or offend you?” conversation at a time, we were able to truly see the gifts in each other, which lead to us sharing our hopes and dreams.

We recognized the ministry of motherhood is ever-changing, filled with joy and kinda overwhelming on a daily basis. Can I get an amen? But our God sees us in the diaper changes, the tantrums, the phone calls from school, the never-ending laundry and the constant lie of “I’m failing”. He sees us in our seasons of celebration and joy as well as in our seasons of loneliness. New moms move to Maricopa every single day. Hopping into the Facebook groups to ask for referrals and seek play dates. Another commonality moms are experiencing is leaving social media behind altogether. How can we still look for connections, opportunities to link arms and do life with other mamas around us while growing closer to God and not scrolling social media?

That is exactly what Jennifer and I started to ask ourselves as we began serving in our community.

Together, we are co-leading MOPS Maricopa for the 2022-2023 semester. Through that ministry and our experience, we know that the moms in our little community of Maricopa, starting with ourselves, need more to find their identity as a mama while also navigating friendships in motherhood and growing closer to God. We are not perfect, we are not experts. We are just two Maricopian Mamas setting up our families for success, just like you.

Through our friendship though, we have discovered what might help us in our own personal walks with God and motherhood.

We know first-hand that as amazing as our little community of Maricopa is, there is still room for growth as it grows at lightning speed in many areas. Our desire is to create a vulnerable, authentic and safe community for moms to truly be their best selves, help set their family up for success while planting roots to grow and do life together.

Here within the pages of Maricopa Motherhood Magazine, our hope is to foster all of this and more.

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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TRAPPED BY NEW BEGINNINGS

Written by: Jennifer

While I’m not really a New Year’s Resolution person, I am a new beginnings person.

There’s something about starting from scratch that I find comfort in. My whole life, I’ve basically been a gypsy, moving close to twenty times. And unfortunately, I love it.

While I long to completely settle in a space and grow deep roots, there’s something about starting over that gets me excited.

My house is busting at the seams and falling apart? No problem. We’ll just move and get rid of stuff and someone else can replace that light bulb that’s been out for a year.

My diet has been horrendous and I’ve eaten more sugar than any one person should? Not a big deal. I’ll just start over on Monday with a new diet.

I’ve fallen behind on tasks that I want to accomplish to reach my career goals? No matter. I’ll dump those goals and create new ones.

But friends, what if we don’t need a new beginning or a fresh start to get us going again?

As I’ve struggled in many different areas of my life this past year, I’ve been tempted to run away and start again somewhere else.

But is this really the call that God has on my life, or is it just a distraction, meant to keep me from completing the work God has prepared for me to complete?

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

-Galatians 6:9 (ESV) If God is calling me to start something new, then it’s time for me to start something new. continued |

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But if I’m wallowing in my perceived failure and hoping that God will create a brand-new life for me, then I’m not focusing on being an effective tool for God’s purposes.

In this case, my focus is only on myself and not on God and His goodness. I’m worried about what God can do for me and not on what I need to do for God. In each of my new beginnings, God has definitely used me, and I’ve seen fruit during each of those seasons. The problem takes hold when the fresh beginning becomes something I’m coveting and seeking above God. Just because a season is difficult does not mean that it’s time to start over. Sure, sometimes it is time to begin anew. But sometimes, it’s time to dig in and put in the work, right where you are.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: -Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) We need to know the difference. We need to lean into God. We need to covet God above all else. His will needs to be our will; His desires our desires.

God has placed you in this specific place in this specific time for His own specific purpose. Trust that. Believe it. And surrender your life to it.

You don’t always need a new beginning. But you do always need God.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

-Matthew 6:33 (ESV) 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, jenniferzimmermanlifestyle.com. Find her on Pinterest @jenniferzimmermanlifestyle.

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PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BARS These peanut butter banana bars are super simple and quick to make. They taste great and make a great breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients: 3 ripe bananas 1-1/4 cup oats 1/4 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Mash the ripe bananas in a large bowl.

Mix in the oats, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean.

*Detailed instructions for this recipe can be found on SammiBrondo.com (https://www.sammibrondo.com/blog/peanut-butterbanana-bars)

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GIFTS NOT GOALS

Written by: Mandy

I don’t know about you but with the approach of a new year, I always get so excited. Come to mama - out with the old year and in with the new I tell ya!

I feel this way no matter what kind of year I’ve had, so as December 31 creeps closer I start to wonder, what will this new year bring?

Should I set a resolution?

One year I decided not to buy any new clothes for the entire year. I did it because I had worked retail for 10 years. My closet and my budget needed a break.

Through this resolution, I fell in love with hand-me-downs and discovered thrifting. I was successful in accomplishing this resolution, but I can’t think of another year with a lofty goal that I was successful.

Should I pick a word of the year to define my focus?

Five years ago I chose the word grace. I chose it because everyone around me seemed to have so much grace for everyone around them. I wanted that! What better way to learn to be a woman of grace than to focus on it for an entire year, right?

I thought I wanted to grow in grace as a characteristic, but I actually learned that God’s grace is sufficient for me and to truly accept Jesus Christ as my savior, to be saved.

For the 2022 year I picked steadfast. I thought by the end of the year I would feel unswerving, unchanging and unmoveable.

Instead, I just felt very… tired.

A lot of the time I set intentions, resolutions, bucket lists or a focus word because I see something in myself that I kind of want to change or… actually just get rid of.

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I want to put down my phone more, so I decided to read 24 books this year. My husband and I need more time together, so a weekly date night is for sure going on the calendar. I want to feel better so I resolve to change my eating habits, goodbye sugar! I want to look better so I commit to a new routine. Am I too old to run 3 miles a day? I’ve got to be a better mom so I’m going to get a planner, make every meal from scratch, complete a bible lesson at every meal and actually help my kids brush their teeth morning, noon and night.

Okay Mandy, settle down, you’re getting carried away.

Please tell me I am in good company here.

Why do I do this to myself? We do - we do this to ourselves, mamas? When the year comes to a close I see a new year approaching and everything around me says I should start something new, change something about myself or perfect my weaknesses.

Whatever we have been given should be used intentionally to the best of our ability for God’s glory.

What are your gifts?

Gifts that are given straight from God. You were created with unique strengths, talents and gifts as a mom, friend and daughter. Gifts that sometimes get put on the back burner so I can torture myself trying to put myself in a box to fit a different mold and learn something that isn’t natural to me. We all have strengths, but can we be gifted at everything? No. Our gifts are not meant to sit somewhere collecting dust. We are meant to continue growing in our gifts because these gifts are used to help serve others around us.

Gifts that are needed to be used to glorify His Kingdom.

If we step into the light using our gifts with confidence, I believe this will help others to do the same. For 2023, let’s say goodbye to goals and intentionally choose to lean into our gifts to share them with others.

The truth is I am already good at some things, I already have strengths and so do you. You have strengths in you that set your family up for success. You see the strengths in your kids.

You have strengths that make you an amazing wife, friend and daughter of the King.

In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus shares the Parable of the Talents. In this parable the rich man gives three of his servants talents, which was a large sum of money. Two of the servants invested, and the third servant hid his talent in the ground. When the rich man returns, the two servants who invested their money were praised and rewarded, while the third servant was punished for hiding and wasting his talent. Even though this parable uses money, the meaning extends to the gifts God has given each of us. Our gifts are different and can be used differently but should never be hidden, buried or left on the back burner.

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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THANK YOU! Thank you for joining us for this inaugural issue of Maricopa Motherhood Magazine! We are so very thankful that you are here, supporting us in this endeavor. None of this would be possible without your support, and we don't take that lightly.

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