Soul Health for Moms: 26 Ways to Nourish Your Needy Soul

There they were, showing up faithfully night after night…

Moms, devoting their time and energy to Vacation Bible School, to someone else’s children. Exhausted though they were from their own daily mom duties.

Moms, standing in the VBS registration line, weary from the day. Relieved for a couple of hours respite.

Moms, hovering by the door, praying this would be the night their child would let go and stay. Frazzled as they turned to go, child still on hip.

Each evening, each mom – a reminder that (1) being a mom isn’t for sissies, (2) the summer months can be hard , (3) the health of a mama’s soul can be easily overlooked.

Before another summer day gets away from you, Breathe and do something for the health of your soul. Yes, sweet mama, it’s that important!

26 Ways to Nourish Your Soul

A – Ask for help when it’s needed
B – Begin each day with God – in prayer, reading His Word, or simply in stillness
C – Avoid the comparison trap (refuse to compare yourself with others whether real or fictional)
D – Develop a lifestyle of blessing others – with your time, talents, hobbies, words, money
E – Establish a plan for your soul’s nourishment – prioritize it, predetermine a consistent time, prepare ahead, set up a physical space, make a plan for what your kids will do, break it up over time, make it portable (take it with you)
F – Fill your home and your mind with God’s Word – read it, write it, memorize it, decorate your home with it, discuss it with your children
G – Practice gratitude
H – Hold in respect the value of accountability – enlist an accountability partner or two
I – Invest time and energy into your marriage – designed by God, and our highest priority after our relationship with Him
J – Choose to be joyful
K – Keep God #1 – amid the busyness and demands of this life season

L – Listen to a podcast or sermon
M – Move your body, get the blood flowing
N – Take a nap (or at least get a few minutes rest)
O – Overtake negative thoughts by speaking God’s truth to yourself
P – Pray: breath prayers throughout the day, as you are doing household chores, when thoughts/people come to mind, with your kids
Q – Quit trying to go it alone – made for community and in deep need of at least 1 soul friend with whom we can be truly and safely honest, find this friend and nurture the relationship
R – Read the Bible, even if all you have is 5 minutes
S – Set aside some time for silence and solitude
T – Turn up the praise and worship music – dance, sing, belt it out
U – Utter, aloud – read the Bible out loud, pray out loud, speak Bible truth to yourself out loud (While I do not engage in talking directly with Satan, I do believe there is power in talking out loud so he can hear it.)
V – Volunteer
W – Go for a walk
X – eXamine your motives – duty or love? performance driven or heart-felt response?
Y – Yield your perfectionistic tendencies and impossibly high expectations of what things should look like – extend grace to yourself and allow for adjustments in this season (shorter amount of time in Bible reading/prayer, Bible reading/prayer spread out over time, done at a different time of day, done with your children)
Z – Zap the amount of time spent on social media

Soul Nourishment: Satisfying Our Deep Longing for God is a gentle reminder of the importance of soul care. It is also a handbook for today’s busy woman – filled with a multitude of easy, ready-to-use resources to bring refreshment on the journey. This 2-color book offers a multitude of ways to intentionally nourish and care for our soul including: prayer practices, using scripture, building relationships, listening & solitude.

Available through Warner Press