A Mother’s Faith

One of the most frequent questions I get is how I manage having a career and being a mom. It’s simple–but it’s not easy.

It’s never easy being a mom trying to juggle a full-time career and trying to maintain a healthy family life, but it can be done. Everything I do, in every area of my life, is part of a legacy that I am creating for my children. I’m not motivated by money or success, but by the well-being of my husband and our two beautiful children. I want my babies to grow up observing the way Field and I run successful businesses that bless people all around us. I want them to be happy, healthy and to keep God first in everything–everyday. I want a peaceful, content, fruitful life–and I’m doing my best to maintain it. After our first baby, Field Christian, I basically had to find a way to get more done during his 1-hour nap than I used to get done in an entire day. I had to adjust quickly, and learn to work smarter, not harder. I remember reading something, a long time ago, that described the feeling of having a baby. It said, “Having a baby is like flying.  Everybody has seen a plane, everybody has seen a baby–but all of a sudden, all at once–you’re the pilot, and you have to land the plane.” This is exactly how I felt. I was very overwhelmed.
My desire is for both my career and my family to flourish. The key to do so is to focus on a plan, stay organized and find the right balance between profession and mommy-hood. I am a mom first–before work, any day. I try my best to be efficient in both worlds by focusing on the priorities that are in the moment. I try to avoid multitasking when spending time with my children; and while working, I try to avoid wasting time. Having kids has forced me to get my life more organized than ever before in order to still be productive and fruitful.
Organized Structure 
With life continually getting busier, there is one thing that makes all the difference. Organized structure! I create and organize our family calendar. I have alarms set for everything on my iPhone. I have detailed, organized daily to-do lists. I have weekly, monthly, and yearly goals written down. I plan events ahead of time. I do my best to save time and constantly improve efficiency in our home by taking advantage of services like Favor (an app service that helps run any errand for me, i.e. buying our groceries). My husband and I set aside 15 minutes every Sunday to review and prepare for the upcoming week’s schedule. I schedule activities that fit into our schedule and make sure everyone knows what to expect and what to look forward to. Food menus are planned on Sundays (this just started). Dinner dates with my husband are planned weekly to make sure we have quality time alone. I try my best to be intentional about maintaining my relationships with friends. I plan a monthly women’s fellowship night with girlfriends and plan other girl time around my husband and babies’ schedules. I try to fit in “me” time regularly because a refreshing break helps me recharge and take care of personal needs. Exercise is a priority for me every morning since it gives me the energy I need for the day. Eating well and resting are simple things that even the most organized moms neglect. As moms, we are so used to being responsible for everyone else’s needs, that we often forget that we ourselves need balance too. Remember, we can’t give what we don’t have. In order to take care of our family, we must take care of ourselves. This is a lot of work initially, but after following this routine for a few months, the process becomes much easier to sustain.
Being Flexible 
Now, when I say I plan everything, this does not mean that everything happens the way I planned it. As a mom, my daily plan must remain flexible, and I have to be okay with that. Some days turn out nothing like I hoped or planned they would, but I have learned to expect the unexpected. Children take precedence over work. Naps fall through, family/nannies cancel and tantrums get in the way of a typical work day. In these cases, the best thing to do is set your schedule and then tweak it to fit around your circumstances. Flexibility and adaptability are key.
The Power of Prayer
There is something powerful that happens when parents pray for their children. When I cover my babies in my prayer, I know that God’s supernatural protection hovers over them and that no weapon formed against them will prosper.

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”  Isaiah 66:13
God is showcasing His love for us and translating it in a way that we can understand. Whenever my babies are fussy or crying, my natural reaction is to comfort and console them. No matter how dirty or snotty they may be, you clean them up and love on them. That’s the way that God is with us. He will move heaven and earth to comfort us when we are hurting. Even if we see ourselves as “dirty” or unworthy. He will always pick us up, clean us and comfort us–because He loves us.

I’m convinced that the love of family is where joy is found–and I have found it. I don’t ever beat myself up for being a working mom. My motto is “quality over quantity” with my babies. I want every minute with my kids to be focused, intentional and special. The Bible teaches us that the best way to live is to keep our hearts and our minds focused on the things that really matter in our lives. God first, family second, and everything else follows.

He is an amazing God and you are (or will be) an incredible Mom!

XO-
Sabrina