Modern Motherhood

‘The Home and the Hustle’ for Christian working moms

Ask any mother and she’ll tell you that having good mom friends who point

you to Christ is crucial. I met Lauren Williams a few years ago when her husband began working at Madison-Ridgeland Academy. What struck me most about her was that she genuinely loved the Lord first, and then everything else about her fell into place. And she lets her kids eat as much food from the concession stand as I let mine, so we had that “Did we just become friends?” moment pretty shortly after realizing we had similar (entertaining) parenting styles.

Lauren and her good friend Laura Johns have begun a journey that I am excited to see take off in 2021: The Home and the Hustle. I asked them a few questions as they’ve begun introducing this movement (including a podcast and blog) to help the many types of working moms, and I hope you enjoy learning about it as much as I did!

◼ How did the idea of The Home and the Hustle come about?

We’re two working mamas who want to encourage other women to enjoy both the home and the hustle. The world often tells us that working moms have to live in the struggle of survival mode, but we believe, with the grace of God, we all have the opportunity to love our work and our families, and to invest in both with joy. There is blessing in the balance.

At lunch over a year ago, I (Lauren) was telling Laura how I couldn’t find any resources (blogs, podcasts, etc.) available for Christian working moms. There were plenty for women who worked and wanted to advance in their careers, and some for Christian moms, but to listen and learn from others who are either walking the same road or have walked it before.

We by no means claim to be experts, which is why we love hearing from others so much.

most (of the latter) either seemed to imply, or even directly state, their target audience was stay-at-home moms. There didn’t seem to be any content available for those who were trying to balance doing both well.

So I told her since I couldn’t find anything, then we should probably create something, because surely there were other women out there looking for the same encouragement. At the end of this past summer, Laura moved back to Jackson and had her second child. In the late fall, she called me and said, “Remember that idea? I’m in.”

◼ What can we expect from The

Home and the Hustle in the first few months of 2021?

We really have hit the ground running, and we are so excited to be an encouragement to Christian working moms. We’ve already heard from SO many women who have called or messaged just to say thank you! Our website has several blog posts from us and from guest bloggers on various topics. Our next step is to add a recipe section to the website for quick and easy family-friendly recipes that show the actual recipe without requiring you to scroll down to find it!

What we are most excited about is our podcast! You can find us on Apple, Spotify and wherever else people listen to podcasts. Each episode we interview — or mostly just have a living room chat — with a working mom. We learn how she balances the home and the hustle, and what she has found to work (or not work) for her. It’s just such an encouragement

◼ What’s the best piece of motherhood advice you’ve ever been given?

Lauren: Mine really goes for all of life, but it really rang true in motherhood — and it’s that comparison is the thief of joy. Every family dynamic is different, every kid is different, and all circumstances are different. So you really just have to figure out what works best for you and your family. If others do it different, that’s OK! Don’t worry about them, and don’t worry about what they are thinking about you!

Laura: It might sound cliché, but the best advice for me is to accept help. I am one who doesn’t do that well naturally, but it’s important to let others help … especially if they’re offering. You aren’t superwoman, and it truly takes a village, especially when you work.

For more information, visit TheHomeAndThe Hustle.com or find The Home and the Hustle on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest @thehomeandthehustle. Y

Libbo Haskins Crosswhite and her husband, Clay, live in Madison and attend Pinelake. They have one daughter, Mary Thomas, who is 7 years old, and a son, Russell, who is 5 years old. She is the high school guidance counselor at Madison-Ridgeland Academy and can be emailed at lcrosswhite@mrapats.org.

High blood pressure? Repent!

Iwas speaking with a close dietician friend recently about how the Lord requires us to take care of our bodies.

She shared with me a time when she was asked to work a prayer line at her church. There was a lady in line who wanted healing, and it just so happened the lady came to her for prayer. “I want the Lord to heal me of my high blood pressure,” the lady said. My friend’s response was, “Have you changed your diet and started an exercise regimen?” The lady responded, “No, I want the Lord to heal me.” My friend and I had a good laugh about this situation, but I quickly came to realize that this mindset of Christians is no laughing matter at all.

My friend’s medically trained response would have been the same regardless of whether she was in a health “We can’t center giving counsel, or praying with Christians in a determine our prayer line at church. Not genetic makeup, because she didn’t believe God nor can we stop was our healer, but because she knew how to naturally tap into the aging process, God’s healing. but the other

What’s not funny is how factors of highChristians won’t take ownership of their sins when it comes to diseases like Type 2 diabetes and blood pressure we can control.” most cases of high blood pressure, and won’t repent as the Lord requires. To repent means to express remorse for an action and to turn away from that action. Healing occurs when we begin to practice obedience in areas of disobedience.

Once we hear truth, we are required to obey that truth. The problem with us as Christians is that we have trouble deciphering truth when it comes to our health and wellness. We don’t want to take responsibility as the Lord requires, and because we don’t, we never experience the freedom truth can bring. Jesus says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Although in this verse He is referencing Himself as

truth, we also must acknowledge the truth in how He created us.

Here are some truths about how we are created as it relates to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a multifactorial disorder that causes vascular remodeling — changes to the shape of blood vessels — which in turn causes abnormal pressure to the vessels’ walls. If left uncontrolled, we can develop heart diseases, experience heart attacks or strokes, or even die (worst case).

The most common factors that contribute to high blood pressure are genetics, aging, psychosocial stress, obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, alcohol abuse, sedentary lifestyle, high salt consumption, and low potassium consumption. We can’t determine our genetic makeup, nor can we stop the aging process, but the other factors of high blood pressure we can control. Once diagnosed with high blood pressure, living a repentant lifestyle will help you control your diagnosis, and it can even reverse that diagnosis, a godly truth that my dietician friend knew.

HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO DO THAT:

Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline. Blood pressure often increases as weight increases, particularly waistline weight, so weight loss is one of the most effective ways for controlling blood pressure. A goal waistline for women is lower than 35 inches, and for men lower than 40 inches.

Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity of 150 minutes a week, or 30 minutes a day, can lower your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mmHg if you have high blood pressure. It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again. A combination of resistance training and cardio is best.

Eat a healthy diet. Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol, can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mmHg if you have high blood pressure. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

Reduce stress. Stress creates hormonal imbalances in our body — which can cause elevated heart rates, increasing blood flow, which is dangerous when our body is at rest. Stress is also detrimental because a lot of us turn to unhealthy foods for comfort. Beyond just reducing stress in order to lower your blood pressure, the Bible tells us to give God our cares anyway, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

My prayer is that we all come to a full understanding of our Creator, and that we begin to honor Him in how He created us, making us healthy and whole. Y

Chris Fields is the founder and executive director of H.E.A.L. Mississippi and a graduate in kinesiology with advance studies in nutrition. He serves as a clinical exercise physiologist/CPT and is credentialed in Exercise Is Medicine through American College of Sports Medicine. Paula Murphy - RN, Akera Shephard - Patient Registration, Korlynn Trice - Corporate, Dr. Catherine Phillippi - Pediatrician, Margaret Bufkin - RN, Hannah Ivey - RN, Shelby Johnston - Nurse Practitioner

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