I asked ChatGPT to help me with a poem that gave off the same vibes as my Striving & Stillness post for my vision board. I know people have ~*~feelings~*~ about ChatGPT’s help in creative writing, but I really want it to live in this space, too. <3
I’ve always been the kind of person who pushes harder. If a little discipline is good, then surely more must be better. My default is to add another list, try a new routine, or squeeze one more ounce of productivity out of the day. And in motherhood, that tendency only intensified—everywhere I turn there’s advice about how to be more intentional, more motivated, more structured, more productive. Do this, don’t do that. Build the perfect morning routine. Follow the right parenting strategy. Be both gentle and firm, disciplined yet carefree. But here’s the question that keeps tugging at me: If I’m not doing all the things, am I failing? How do we get things done if we’re not constantly driving ourselves forward at 100 miles an hour?
When I turn down the volume of culture and turn toward Scripture, I hear something so different. The Bible doesn’t call me to hustle harder—it calls me to abide. To rest. To trust that Callahan doesn’t ultimately need a perfectly disciplined mother, but a mother who is rooted in Christ. So what does biblical motherhood look like? How do we hold the tension between motivation and discipline on one hand, and the calm stillness of God’s presence on the other? That’s the balance I’m learning to lean into.
Motherhood today comes with a constant stream of voices. Scroll through Instagram or open a parenting book and you’ll find endless advice—some good, some overwhelming, all promising to shape us into better moms. If we just follow the right method, try the latest trend, or add a new routine, we’ll finally feel like we’re “enough.” But when I open my Bible, the tone is different. Scripture whispers what culture shouts over: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Jesus Himself invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Rest, not hustle. Abiding, not striving. It’s such a contrast, isn’t it? The world says: produce, achieve, stay motivated, keep up. God says: abide in Me, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). One demands more of me; the other reminds me that He has already given me all I need.
And here’s the beautiful thing: when I rest in Him, it doesn’t mean nothing gets done. It means that the work I do flows out of peace instead of panic, from a place of dependence instead of depletion. That kind of motherhood—the one rooted in stillness—isn’t flashy. But it is deeply faithful. When I think about “biblical motherhood,” my mind often wants to jump straight to checklists: teaching my child Scripture, praying over meals, prioritizing church. And while those things are beautiful and important, I’m realizing that biblical motherhood isn’t another list of tasks—it’s a way of being. In Galatians 5, Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Notice it’s not the “fruit of a perfectly disciplined mom,” it’s the fruit of the Spirit at work within us. That’s what kids need most—not a mom who always has the right answer or the most structured plan, but a mom who abides in Christ so His character spills over into our home.
Biblical motherhood is rooted in grace instead of running on guilt. Faithfulness in small, ordinary moments instead of frantic productivity. Teaching Callahan dependence on Jesus not by my striving, but by showing how I depend on Him. Presence over perfection—choosing to sit and laugh with him instead of endlessly managing the next task. It’s not that discipline and intentionality disappear. God calls us to diligence (Colossians 3:23) and to train our children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). But in His design, discipline is meant to be rooted in abiding, not in anxiety. It’s about doing the things He has placed in front of me today—not all the things I feel pressured to add on top. Biblical motherhood, then, is less about being the most motivated or productive and more about being available—for God to work in me and for me to truly see and love my child.
Now, here’s where the tension gets tricky. Because discipline and motivation aren’t bad. In fact, they’re good gifts when they’re rightly ordered. Scripture commends diligence: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). The Proverbs 31 woman is celebrated for her strength, wisdom, and work ethic. God Himself is a God of order, not chaos. So the problem isn’t discipline itself—it’s when discipline becomes my savior. When I believe that being more structured, more intentional, or more motivated is the thing that will hold my world together. That’s a weight it was never meant to carry.
Redeemed discipline looks different. It’s fueled by grace, not guilt. It’s rooted in love for God, not fear of falling behind. It’s measured by faithfulness, not productivity.When I shift my perspective, discipline stops being a burden and becomes a tool—something God can use to help me steward my home well, without letting it define my worth. Motivation stops being about chasing the next trend and starts being about responding to His call for today. Instead of asking, “How much can I get done?” I can begin asking, “What has God actually placed before me right now, and how can I do it with love?” Sometimes that’s folding laundry with worship music on. Sometimes it’s sitting on the floor playing games and letting the dishes wait. Sometimes it’s closing the laptop and going to bed because rest is the most faithful choice.
Discipline and motivation aren’t erased in biblical motherhood—they’re redeemed. They take their rightful place, no longer my master, but tools that help me walk faithfully in the calling God has given me. So how do we live in this tension—between doing and abiding, discipline and rest, motivation and stillness? I don’t think it’s about finding the perfect formula. It’s more about walking closely with the Lord each day and letting Him direct our steps. For me, it means pausing to ask simple but clarifying questions: Is my schedule drawing me closer to Jesus, or pulling me further away? Am I more influenced by social media voices, or by the Word of God? What am I teaching Callahan about joy and rest by the way I live my days?
Some days, balance looks like leaning into discipline: setting routines, being intentional, managing the home. Other days, balance looks like letting go of the plan and choosing presence, laughter, or a nap. And maybe that’s exactly the point—true balance isn’t static; it’s a rhythm of listening to God’s voice and responding in faith. We don’t need to do it all. We don’t need to carry the weight of perfect schedules, flawless parenting, or endless motivation. We are called to something better: faithfulness. To love our children and point them to Jesus. To work diligently, yes, but also to rest deeply in the One who holds all things together.
Let’s be mothers who model both intention and surrender. Who work hard but also play. Who live disciplined lives, yet are marked by joy, peace, and rest. Because in the end, the story of our motherhood isn’t about how much we accomplished—it’s about Who we abide in.
A ring and a camera and a bridge that’s still one of our favorite places. A trip down the aisle, absolutely in awe that we were finally married. A surprise honeymoon that exceeded every expectation and that will rival all other vacations for us. A new job and apartment together. Handwritten notes. Getting a pup who was definitely not over the max weight requested by our landlord. Reading next to each other in bed. After dinner walks on the trail. The way we like to stick together on weekends, especially when it means we’re going to Sam’s club. Job changes and promotions. Late-night conversations that stretch into the early morning. A spur of the moment puppy adoption, turned tiny best friend. Being at home during COVID and not-so-secretly being thrilled to be together even more. FinalVibe, vlogs and all that comes with doing projects together. The life-changing joy of becoming parents. Watching him grow, learn, and turn into a mini version of you in the best ways. Making our houses “home”. Countless deep conversations, debates, and rants (mostly yours) about technology, politics, and everything in between. Making up songs. The ability to make each other laugh, even when life is hard. Especially when life is hard. Watching you be the best dad, the kind of dad our son will always look up to. The comfort of knowing, no matter what, we’re in this together.
The list goes on and on. A decade in, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Because at the end of the day, the best part of our life isn’t the big trips or the big milestones—it’s the ordinary, everyday magic of being with you.
The instagram and Pinterest algorithms have been serving me up some solid mom content lately, including stunning, curated kid’s bookshelves that quickly had me spiraling down the rabbit hole of themed books, tiny shelves, and felt banners. Kevin and I are both readers and book lovers and we want to instill the same love of books in Callahan by making it fun and exciting to sit down and read a few books together. We asked for books instead of cards at our baby shower before Callahan was born, we have consistently asked for books for him as gifts, and the book store is a collective favorite.
I decided to keep it super simple – just two picture ledges from Command as well as felt bats and a ghost figurine from the Target dollar spot. The books are just all the orange, purple and black ones we have in our collection (that went along with the few Halloween/fall books we have). We are obsessed with Our Friend the Moon and Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, if you’re looking to add some festive books to your stash. We love the cozy little spot and the pillows are just decorative ones we snagged from our guest bedroom. We love to snuggle up on them before bed and they are one of the dog’s favorite spots in the house…of course. As we continue to make decisions about his room as we near the toddler bed stage, I’d love to incorporate a nugget couch (or similar) that feels special and just for him.
I’m already starting to think about gratitude, thanksgiving, and fall themed books that I’m going to put together at the beginning of November and then already have a stack of books prepped for Christmas (since we keep those separate with the Christmas decor). After the holidays, I’m hoping to open the theme up a bit to something more broad (animal books, books that make noise, books about space, etc) or a group of books that are the same color. It’s been a tiny creative outlet that, similar to toy rotations, keeps things feeling minimal, really fresh and allows us to cycle out books we need a break from so that they can come back in a month or two feeling brand new.
Fall is finally here, which means it’s time to spend more time outside, gulp down PSLs, and pull out all of the pumpkin decor. Fall is starting to become my favorite season – the jewel-toned colors, beautiful sunsets, time at the park with Callahan, as well as layered clothes have been worth looking forward to. In preparation, I’ve been consuming all the fall related content on my feeds as well as dreaming about what my ideal autumn will look like. We are lucky enough to have already started having cooler weather and it has been so wonderful to be outside.
A few weeks ago, Myquillen Smith of The Nesting Place released a new podcast called House Rules. The second episode was all about Decorating for Fall and let me tell you, it was one of my favorite podcast episodes I’ve listened to lately. It was all about the idea of decorating for the season without going out and buying all the tchotchkes at Hobby Lobby and instead how we can use our senses to create a cozy fall atmosphere in our homes. It really inspired me to make a list of how I like to experience this season. As this season goes on, I’m excited to pay attention to activities, meals, and vibes that feel quintessentially fall for me.
If you don’t know where to start, Myquillen recommends creating a pinterest board. Here was my inspiration:
Living in the mid-west, we get to experience all four seasons, including an often very beautiful fall with trees that show off autumn colors perfectly. We also have so many opportunities to celebrate autumn by visiting local farms, cheering on our football team, and with local restaurants that bring out all the festive flavors. In addition to bringing fall into our home, I also wanted to incorporate fun things we could do as a family. We have big plans to dive into this Autumn Bucket List I created over the next few months. I’ll be sharing some photos of our experiences as we go just for fun. As our son Callahan gets older, I hope some of these can become traditions that we can look forward to each year.
I am so grateful. This age is so much fun and we love showing him the joys of this life (time with family and friends, yummy food, adventures, etc) and getting as much fresh air as possible while it’s so nice out.
Here are some of my favorite things he’s said lately:
“You all done mama?” while waiting for me to finish straightening my hair before a two year old birthday party.
“Oh no, it’s the Mr Bill Show!”
“Willow, no ma’am.”
“Happy Birthday!!” Each day he has been deciding who’s birthday he wants to celebrate that day. This weekend was Aunt Ellie and Mama. 😏
When he builds with magnatiles: “That’s a big how-er (tower)!”
A sweet weekend that will keep my heart filled up for the whole week. ❤️
