Just a few days ago was Mother’s Day, and I hope every MOM was celebrated in some special way! But I know and you know, we don’t do what we do for the presents, or the affirmation that we get one day a year. We’re moms because God blessed us with the job of getting to pour Jesus into our kids, and we can’t do that if we don’t know what His Word says, right?! So join me, as we continue with our Faithful Everyday Mom interview series.
Listen to this INTERVIEW on our podcast HERE!
Hey friends, I want to introduce you to our faithful everyday mom, Karli Watson!
Karli is actually a friend of my sister and when I asked for recommendations, my sister reached out to me about her, and I’m so glad I did! You are in for a treat today moms!
So like my sister, if the Lord brings a mom to your mind that would be a good faithful everyday mom for me to interview on our podcast, please CONTACT ME HERE!
Now for more about Karli: She was a college athlete turned coach, and then she became a wife and a stay-at-home mom. She’s been married to her husband Tim, for 10 years, and they have 5 kids! (ALL under eight years old!) So she’s busy, busy!
When I asked Karli to send me her some information about herself, she sent me this and I quote: “I am laser-focused on raising my kids to send them out to proclaim the goodness of Christ, and equipping them with the intention that they would do the same for someone else.”
So I think that that quote alone tells you everything that you need to know right there…Karli is a faithful everyday mom and she has some great stuff to share! So, let’s get started with some icebreaker questions:
Karli, how do you have your quiet time as a mom?
Karli: I have my quiet time first thing in the morning right after I work out, but it’s not impressive. The real reason I work out at that time is truly there is no other time. And it also just wakes me up. It’s the way to get me awake in the morning. Sometimes I don’t feel like working out and need the extra rest, but I’m still going to have my time with the Lord! My time with the Lord is always going to be THE THING. It’s not just another thing that’s on my list to do, it’s THE THING!
Karli, this is a light and fun question…When you hear the phrase “everyday mom,” what makes you an everyday mom?
Karli: Oh, there are so many things that make me an everyday mom! I just think about the amount of teeth that I have to oversee being brushed, and then I forget about my own! Or just the fact that I’m here with you and have washed my hair today, and I feel luxurious just taking a shower! I’m in the season of littles like many of you, so I never even can pee alone without little fingers under the door!
Mallory: That’s hilarious. And yes, I’m sure a lot of moms listening can identify with that!
So moving on to our subject for today, talking about in order to be ready when our kids ask us those BIG God questions, you actually have to know what God’s Word says!
Karli, I was talking to a mom the other day, and she told me that whenever her kids have questions about the Lord, she always sends them to her husband for answers, because she doesn’t feel smart or knowledgeable enough about the Bible to answer. And I just thought to myself, this is probably pretty common for moms to feel this way. So maybe a mom is reading this right now and feeling this same way…What would you say to her? How would you challenge and encourage her?
Karli: Well, the first thing I would say is praise God, you have a husband that you could go to with these questions! The second thing that I would say, is just the power of saying, “I don’t know,” is okay. I think that we sometimes need to be reminded that it’s okay that we say, “I do not know the answer to that, but I will find out!” But don’t stay there would be my next encouragement. It’s our responsibility before God, this is not something that we do…just another thing we’re adding to the list…This is before God, what am I responsible for? And you know it’s the shepherding, stewardship, and the discipleship of your children.
I think of 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect."
Mallory: Yes, absolutely. I love that verse! Sometimes you have to say, “I don’t know,” and that’s okay, but you have to get into God’s Word, and learn and know what it says to be able to give them an answer.
Karli: Yes, it is very important to be able to give a hope for what you have. A story from Deuteronomy 6 is probably one of my absolute favorite stories. God has brought His people out of slavery with His mighty hand, and they’re about to enter the promised land. He says in Deuteronomy 6:5-9:
"O hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk to them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house, and on your gates."
It’s just such a powerful reminder, that you are to tell your children what God’s doing and what He’s done. And do not forget as you’re going about your life, this is your responsibility before God.
Mallory: Amen! I love that verse too. You’re bringing it girl!…I love all the scripture!
Karli, something that’s interesting to me, is when a mom is pregnant for the first time…we have all been there…you’re reading all the parenting books to prepare so that you’ll know about scheduled feedings, how to treat a diaper rashes or what vitamins to buy? Now we even have Google, YouTube, etc. at our fingertips to learn about the latest educational toys, sports equipment or whatever it is. We can get Amazon purchases in two days and everything is right there. We’re big consumers of information. We like to feel prepared as moms, that we know that we’re getting the best for our kids.
A lot of these things are helpful, and there’s nothing wrong with them, but why would you say above all these things, knowing God’s word is the best thing that you can possibly know and be prepared for, for your family?
Karli: Well, The first question I would ask is, do you really believe that what God’s word says is true? And I say that because what you were saying is, if we want to know something about our babies, we’re going to do what we need to do to give that to our children. We’re going to Google, we’re going to read the book, if we think it’ll benefit our kids. We are mamas, we will do what it takes!
But you need to ask yourself: do you believe that saving grace through Jesus is their greatest and ultimate need? And if you do, then where does God reveal Himself? He reveals Himself through His Word.
James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproaching, it will be given to him." If you need wisdom, where can you go? God's Word!
It’s the only way to get true understanding and wisdom…And truly what our babies need!
Mallory: Karli, for a lot of my life, up until my mid-20s or so when I got pregnant with Jake, my first baby, I was like, “I’ve got to get serious about the Bible. I’ve got to know it, because here I am about to bring a life into the world.” And I wanted to know how Jesus was weaved throughout the entire Bible, because He really is, from cover to cover!
Up until this point, I’d really just read the Bible a lot situationally, where I would read when I was walking through something difficult, or I needed to find an answer. That’s how a lot of people read their Bibles their entire lives. But instead, I wanted to read it consistently…studying the Bible in its entirety for myself, not based on the situation but just daily consistent. And I think a lot of moms probably battle this situational vs. consistent reading of the Bible.
Can you share with us how we can break the habit of situationally reading the Bible, and get to where we’re really consistently craving God’s word?
Karli: Well, I have some practical ways that I think you can do that. But also just first, remember you and I want to build our house on the rock…But we don’t want to build during the storm. We want that house built, so it will stand firm! You and I are drifters by nature. We will drift unless we are swimming the opposite way upstream…in God’s Word!
I say all that to say, it’s so easy to forget that you are in a spiritual war, and that the enemy is out to destroy you and your family. And so, when you just want to come read when you need it, or when you are in some sort of deep trouble, first of all you’re not going to be prepared. But secondly, you’re totally unaware that you are in war. And when you are totally unaware that you’re in war, you will lose the battle.
We’re so distracted as mothers…we have so many things on our plate. It’s so easy to just say, “I’m just going to get to it when I can.” And if something goes really bad, of course, I’m going to try to find some answers. But you have to realize that you need God’s Words, like you need to breathe!
So, Karli, you’ve shared with me that moms come to you through Bible studies, or sometimes through mom groups that you lead at your church, and they’re always asking you how they can be more consistent in God’s Word. So, what advice would you give her right now of how to start?
Karli: I’m glad you brought that back up because I did mean to talk about practical…
If you’re struggling with a desire to get in God’s word first, I would ask myself why do I not desire that? And then ask, what do I desire? What do I treasure? What has my time, my money, my attention, my efforts? I feel like that’s a very good question to start with. Then very practically, find someone to do it with you. Accountability is a huge thing! You need to be in a healthy church. And if you’re in a healthy church, you need to go find someone in that healthy church that’s a step above you and say, “Can I glean from you? Can you hold me accountable to read this word?”
So find somebody to do that with you, but you need to also have somebody that you plan to do it with later and continue this again and again.
You could always start with just a chronological Bible reading plan. I always recommend just reading the Bible first, but I know a lot of women like to do devotionals, and that’s wonderful. Anytime you want to get with God, or spend time with God, I think it’s great. So, I never want to say that’s not okay. But I think what we’re dealing with in our culture though, is we are so out of reading God’s actual words, and nobody really knows what it says anymore, because they’re not really reading it.
And so, we need to make sure that we’re not just meeting up with somebody, and learning about their life. We want to do life with people, absolutely, 100%! But we want to be focused on the Bible in some way. So, you either need to be willing to put yourself out there, and go get accountability, or be willing to be that person for somebody else.
Mallory: Yeah, absolutely! I think that’s really becoming lost in relationships, and in the church, and it’s so needed. If you feel like you cannot do it consistently and you’re just staying situational, like we were talking about, ask for some help. And once you get that, go help somebody else. That’s a great word. I totally agree!
And Karli, I think that you would agree with me that the more that we understand God’s Word, the more that we’re going to crave God’s Word. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “God’s word is living and active.” And it really is amazing that you can come back to the same stories, and the same verses again and again, and the Lord always has something new to teach you, or to show you that you didn’t see before! And that’s how it’s living, that’s how it’s active. God’s Word is actually exciting when you get to the place that its consistent and really starts to click and piece together!
When our kids see this in our lives, they see us getting excited about God’s word, it’s contagious to them…they will love what we love. So, Karli, how does God’s word affect your kids, and the conversations that you have with your kids?
Karli: Mallory, that is every bit true. God’s Word is active and alive. And it absolutely comes alive in new ways. I have read through a chronological Bible about six different times, apart from other studies I’ve done. And every time I’m like, “I do not remember that being there.” And it just will jump out at you. And you can actively apply it in your life. So that is every bit true!
With our kids, this will affect every relationship that you have, but most importantly with your kids. It will affect how you treat your husband, your children, your neighbors, etc. They say it’s more caught than taught.
God’s Word will affect your conversations, your time, your commitment, your focus. Your kids will know what is you love. Your kids will know if you are genuine about living for Jesus or not very quickly…
They will know. When you want to tell them something, but they know you don’t live that out, it’s going to ruin your witness. And your witness is a very big deal, because it’s your responsibility before God to be a Christ example for them and a model of somebody lives out what they say. This will affect the way your kids view God and all relationships for the rest of their life. It’s so important!
Karli, over time, as you and I and any mom reading, as we grow in our consistency in craving God’s Word, and we are reading it and living it out….we begin to learn that we’re not called to keep it to ourselves. And I know that you touched on this a little bit earlier, with realizing it’s our job as moms to pass God’s Word to our children, but also we don’t need to stop there. When it comes to other women in our lives, other moms, friends that we have, can you share a word of challenge with us about how we can keep passing on God’s Word?
Karli: My challenge would be the great commission as far as another woman goes. When Jesus is talking to the disciples, He says, in Matthew 28:16-20:
"Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.'"
And this last part is what I want you to really pay attention to in Verse 20, "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age."
This is something that Jesus said at the very end of His life to the people most dear to Him. He said, “I want you to not just baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I want you to teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And I feel like that is what we are to do as Christians period…with other women, with our kids or with anyone.
Now, that can look different for different people: It could be teaching from a stage, it could be a podcast like this, it could be grabbing coffee with a friend or going over your neighbor’s house like I do early in the morning right after I wake up to read the talk through what we are reading together. I’m trying to teach her to keep all the commands that God’s given us. And I’m trying to hold myself accountable to do that as well…And I’m trying to do the same with my children.
I would challenge you with this: Don’t underestimate the power of one woman. Sometimes we want to say, “Well, I can’t go reach millions.” Or, “I can’t have this big huge group over to my house all the time.” But do not underestimate the power of one woman and what that can mean for her life and her relationship with God.
Mallory: Absolutely! And don’t underestimate the power of one woman is so true because she’s going to, hopefully, turn around and do it for somebody else, and somebody else, and somebody else. And so, I think that’s so powerful and Biblical.
That’s all the time that we have for today, but thanks so much for joining me Karli!
Karli: Thank you so much for having me, Mallory. This was fun!
Mallory: More than anything today, mom that’s reading, Karli and I, just hope that you realize how important God’s Word is to us and to your life!
Knowing what it says, so you can be ready when your kids ask you those BIG God questions, is so important! And when you fail to have time alone with God in His Word…we all have…don’t beat yourself up! Get right back into it. God’s word is alive, like we were talking about, so there’s always going to be something there for you!
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