Here’s the thing: none of us who write for The Captivating Woman are wives or mothers. So when we get in contact with someone who is married and/or has children, we jump on it! Our mission is simple. We want women to be encouraged by other women who are serving the Lord in their unique ways. Serving God is not cookie cutter & I love that it’s like that.

Let me introduce Edith.

Edith contacted me with a lovely email nominating her friends to be a part of the “Meet Captivating Women” series. She ended the email humbly saying, “I am only entering myself because I promised someone I would after them bugging me.” She said that she didn’t believe she was qualified, but I instantly had to kill that lie. Don’t you ever feel that coming out of your mouth? “I am not qualified. I don’t do anything special…” For years I said that. But 2 Corinthians 3:5 says:

“It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.”

That’s where Edith comes in. Her heart for motherhood comes deeply from the Lord. She believes that motherhood should be filled in grace and that mothers should walk in it daily. I know that there will be some mothers who will be encouraged by Edith – I sure was, as a single woman.

Q: Where do you live & how old are you?
A: I am a very young 31 years old, but I still get asked if I’m in my early 20’s. I’ll credit that to my extreme shortness. I live in a very old, tiny little farmhouse in Corvallis, Oregon. We are surrounded by mostly pastures & we are neighbors to a bunch of sweet cows.

Q: Give us a day in the life of Edith.
A: I hate mornings with every ounce of me so after 5 alarms (my husband loves it), I finally force myself to roll (some day’s literally) out of bed. Then my toddler son heads off to the sitters while I go to work for a pest control company where I handle most of the rodent & wildlife services. It’s the most amazing family owned business & actually a really interesting job!  After I head home with my son we get to do my favorite thing, which is lots of fun playtime. Since I work all day, I really strive to make the time I have with him very intentional. Dinner is for catching up on each other’s days & talking around our farm table my husband built. I always always lay with my son as he drifts off to
dreamland. Finally when it’s quiet it’s time for strict routine: cleanup, pack lunches, make dinner for the next day, dishes laundry & writing or editing. I used to have a fulltime photography business on top of all of this, but God asked us to lay that down for a year of devoted family time & growth. It was the hardest decision filled with the greatest reward.

Q: What three words describe you?
A: So my blog used to be mostly for my photography business, but instead of closing it I decided to transition it to an outlet for my heart. I’ve always really loved to write. As my love for motherhood grew deeper, I found myself wanting to share that love with other moms. I’d spend time each night writing (what my husband calls novels) on instagram, so the blog was a very easy outlet for me. Honestly most of my posts are written sitting on a tiny footstool in my kitchen during the evening when the house is still.

Q: Describe your heart for motherhood & pouring into your family.
A: Oh gosh. So from day one I’ve had a deep passion for being a mother. I truly believe that I was designed to be a mom. To love in that constant unconditional way was so natural. That being said, our first few years with our son were excruciating. Our son didn’t sleep through the night by any means until around 11 months, from 4 months to 12 months we had 12 ear infections, 2 rounds of croup, endless colds, a vicious flu, popped all of his teeth except his 2 year molars & developed an antibiotic allergy. I was so overwhelmed by the trial; I began sinking in all of the advice that everyone gave to fix it. I read every book, tried every method, researched every this or that but nothing helped. No matter what I did it was contradictory to someone else’s advice & I could feel the sorrow mixed
with judgment in daily interaction I had with other moms. I distinctly remember my complete meltdown in the kitchen after he developed the antibiotic allergy because I’d heard some comments about how it was our fault for giving him the medicine. I told God I was at the end of my rope, that I was tired, that I needed answers. That I needed to know what to do. It was the first time I really questioned if I was capable of doing this.

The hard part of being a mom today is that in this world of advice & judgment we have to find the confidence that God has in us for ourselves. It was on that kitchen floor, broken into a million pieces crying the ugly cry that God reached down, transformed my heart completely & started a momma bear fire within me. Not only did I finally understand that I needed to have grace for myself, but also know that I could walk in total confidence because God was leading my decisions as a mother. And if God is leading my decisions, they are always right. Once we finally are able to breath in the truth of who we are as moms, we can start living in the freedom of that. This freedom allows me to make decisions for my son’s health & know that it is the very best thing for him. To not question myself as a mom, allowing me to be his biggest advocate. I get to raise him based on what God has spoken to me in prayer & not worry about the 7 million pieces of advice I can get in a day. That same confidence allowed me to close a photography business just as it was exploding in order to put my family first. The greatest transformation in my entire life has been through the hardest journey of being a mom.

Q: What’s the favorite part of your “job” (Being a mom & writing on your blog)? 
A: The word that keeps coming to my mind is loving. Honestly it’s just the best part. Loving my son through serving him, caring for him, playing with him, teaching him about God. The best part is seeing him growing his heart & showing that same compassion to others. The best is when he does it so naturally & unprompted. Every night I pray over him, the same prayer, in the same order, the same words. He has started to ask before I can say anything to pray for others. He always decides who to pray for one after another. Watching him grow that innocent heart for the Lord, that is the
victory in it all. It’s the payoff for being diligent in raising them, for doing those 10 million thankless jobs, for praying out loud when we think they’re not even paying attention. This is in addition to the endless giggles, the snuggles, that freak the heck out excitement when I pick him up each day. I just honestly love every part of this mom gig.

My favorite part about writing again is about loving. To speak in a love that is calling out the freedom of grace in other mothers. There is so much pressure out there to do everything right, not talk about the taboo, pretend like we have it all together & delicately wrap it up with a Pinterest bow. Honestly I don’t have time for all that fake bull honkey. My favorite is getting to the nitty gritty & praying in the trenches with mothers. I really truly believe that we are all incredible mothers. That we are doing an amazing job, far better than we think. When I get to encourage women who are in the hard places of motherhood & speak truth into their hearts, hope into their days, love into their trials. That is where it’s at for me. Pouring so much grace over them that it overflows & they can’t help but breath it back out. I love to call out that confident mother in other women. To help them transform into a heart that believes in themselves.

Q: Favorite verse?
A: Wait do I really have to pick one? I’m studying the scripture about rest right now (#edithlearnstorest) so I have a lot of them. If I have to narrow it down these are my rock verses that carry me through anything. “Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2 – 4. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

Q: What makes a Captivating Woman?
A: Captivating is defined as to be capable of attracting and holding interest. I think this is such a good description of who God is. This amazingly beautiful, loving person that just draws people to him in the most natural way. To me, a captivating woman is someone who does the same for God’s kingdom. A woman who is always mindful of walking out a representation of heaven, with a heart of Christ. Someone who champions for us to live in truth, honesty, grace & freedom. Not worried by the judgment of others or opinion of the world, but simply the approval of her heavenly father. She is a woman who carries the Holy Spirit so thick that effortlessly they draw in others to see out God’s truth.

Q: Favorite story in the Bible?
A: I’m always intrigued by the story of Abraham. To have that kind of faith that you can come to a place of almost sacrificing your son. With that amount of trust in God…I just…it blows my mind every time. Can you imagine believing in Gods sovereignty so deeply, to the extent that Abraham did? To trust God literally with every part of you. I used to pray when we were in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy a prayer to be like Abraham. That no matter what happened on this road of motherhood, God would give me the ability to have faith like Abraham. To trust him to that extent with my son. With my family. With my life.

Q: Who are some Captivating Women in your life that we need to know about?
A: There are a few women that I just draw richly from. My friends Faith & Mountains in Ethiopia. Brad & Bethany Canfield moved their family to help run the Soddo Christian Hospital. Bethany is hands down the most Godly woman I know. She speaks loving truth where ever she goes in the most
honest & raw way. She is humble, passionate for God, walking out an overwhelming calling & the most beautiful soul. I miss her so dearly, but love the work that their family is doing. Stephanie Tait from The Joy Parade Blog. This lady is an incredible mother of two amazing little boys. She blogs, writes, speaks & is honestly the one that is my glue. My friend Karen Stott who is the founder of the Pursuit 31 Community for women. She hosts conferences, writes devotionals, created the Intentional Home Project. She is an unbelievable woman who is so head over heels in love with Jesus it’s contagious. My life has been changed so drastically just by knowing her heart for intentional families & devotion. Jacki Moore who is a beautiful light to this motherhood journey. I love watching her motherhood unfold in an honest, real way that breaths life into others. The tenderness of her heart calls out the softness in others & connection to the father always lifts me up on days when I need some truth.

Find Edith on her website www.simplykissed.com
Instagram: @simplykissed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKissedPhotography