Welcome/Need Your Help
Hello my CWM sisters in Christ. I pray each day that God is revealing
more of Himself to you and you trust Him in every area of your life.
Welcome to all the CWMs who have joined our community. There are
many resources at www.christianworkingmom.com
for you to look at when you have time.
I’m desperate for more CWMs to interview. One of the best
things I like about the CWM interview is there is an opportunity
for us to learn from one another. I have learned a lot from the
interviews and it feels like I know my CWM sisters a little better.
If you are interested in being interviewed, send an email to Kimberly@kimberlychastain.com
and I will send you the interview questions.
Do you sometimes struggle with accepting God’s mercy and
grace for you? Do you still think the Christian life is a bunch
of rules? Then, I think you would really enjoy the book entitled,
“Jesus
+ Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian”. Learn
how to be fully free in Christ.
Interview
Jennifer was gracious to be interviewed this month. Jennifer is
a 31 year old married CWM with a precious daughter who is 9 months
old. She lives in the US and is a Software Engineer at an Aerospace
and Defense Company.
Jennifer shares the following joys in being a CWM: I love the
balance of having both a work life and a home life. This allows
me to use all of the talents God gave me. I also don’t get
burned out on either task. Just as I am getting tired of work, it’s
my day off to spend with my daughter. Just as I physically exhausted
from caring for a baby, it’s back to my comfy (and intellectually
stimulating) desk job.
Jennifer struggles as a CWM in the following areas: When I first
returned to work after having my daughter, I had a mixed bag of
emotions. On the one hand, I was excited to see all of my co-workers
again. I also enjoyed fulfilling my role as project engineer and
getting our technical report out to the customer. On the other hand,
I really missed my daughter during the day, especially when things
slowed down a little bit at work. I decided to go part-time and
now work four nine-hour days a week. I have Wednesdays off so that
I get a day in the middle of the week to spend with my beautiful
daughter.
Favorite Bible Verse:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and give himself for me. I do not set
aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through
the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-12.
God has been teaching me the value of friendships. My husband
is a great support and friend to me, but I also need friendships
with fellow Christian women. Talking with other moms is especially
helpful since we have many of the same joys and struggles.
Jennifer shares her encouragement for other CWMs. Pray and seek
God’s will for how you spend your time. It’s different
for every one of us. Once you’ve don’t that, know that
you are within God’s will as you pursue both career and family.
Also, reach out to other CWMs (as you already have by signing up
for this newsletter). Then, you won’t feel alone in handling
the joys and struggles that come with being a CWM. I was grateful
to find Kimberly’s CWM website – so refreshing upon
returning to work as a new mom!
One final point to share. I was worried that some of my friends
who are stay-at-home Moms would think I was weird or wasn’t
being the best Mom I could be since I chose to work. However, I
found this not to be the case with my close friends. On the contrary,
they were supportive and admired that I could pursue both my passion
for my career and my passion for my family.
Thanks Jennifer so much for sharing. One of the things Jennifer
pointed out is that God has a plan for each family and they are
not all the same. One of the joys I have in studying the Bible is
realizing how God used so many different people and personalities
to fulfill His will. I’m thankful we don’t serve a God
who wants us all to be the same. He purposefully designed us in
His image to reflect all of His many characteristics.
Final Thoughts
Spend some time this week looking at your children and try to discover
what characteristics they have that reflect something of God’s
character. We all reflect our Creator in one way or another.
Till next time,
Kimberly M. Chastain
Kimberly M. Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working
Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the
author of The Voices of Christian Working Moms, 2 ebooks and an
online Bible study. To find out how to receive coaching tips by
email daily, go to http://www.kimberlychastain.com/cwmtips.htm.
To find out more about her books go to www.christianworkingmom.com.
For a free, initial coaching session send an email to free@kimberlychastain.com.
