I became a first time mom in January 2014. Though I’ve found much joy in this new role, I’ve struggled to find a balance between my need/love of writing and the demands of motherhood and marriage.  

I picked the brains and hearts of many wonderful momma writers to get their perspective on motherhood and writing. As you poke around the archives of this series, I hope you benefit from their advice and insight. 

(Click on the woman’s name to read their post for the series.)

Emily Gardner is wife to youth pastor hubs, Tim, and mom to James. She writes about pursuing an intentional life in every season (which, for her, includes God, food, and books). You’re on her blog right now!

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Mandy J. Hoffman is married to her soul mate and favorite pastor – Justin. God has graced them with two girls and one boy – all blonde hair and blue-eyed. If Mandy isn’t homeschooling the kids, cleaning the house, or baking cookies, she can be found cozied up studying theology or counseling teens and women.

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Jennifer Jackson Linck loves to share how God answered her heart’s cry to be a mother and is passionate about adoption, orphan care, and encouraging others who are struggling with infertility.

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Chantel Brankshire is wife to her sweetheart, Scott and mommy to Charlotte. She loves words, barefoot summer days, growing a garden, and old books. She works from home as a Virtual Assistant and loves on her family as much as possible.

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Shannon Coe is a speaker and writer who loves to tend to women and care for their spirit. She wants to kneel beside the weary and help them look up to the hills where their Help comes from. She never plans on retiring, and if people will listen and read, she will keep sharing how God can redeem, restore, and use women to do a mighty work for God.

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Crystal Stine is passionate about living authentically in the beautiful, messy, unfinished parts of life. She encourages women daily as the Editorial & Marketing Manager at (in)courage and through her writing at crystalstine.me.

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Jessiqua Wittman is a child of God, a happy wife and mother, and a dedicated author of gritty fiction novels.

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Briana Meade is a writer and blogger who has been published at Christianity Today’s Her.meneutic’s blog, The Christian Post, Forbes, Mamalode, Scary Momma, and elsewhere. She is learning to rely on other people, drinks coffee like a fiend, and can’t wait to attend her first Lorde concert with her husband in September.

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Marie Osborne is is a wife, mama, and blogger who loves Jesus and large non-fat lattes. When she isn’t laughing (loudly) with her 30-something husband, chatting (loudly) with her girlfriends, singing (loudly) with her 3-year-old son, or feeding (quietly… for the time being) her 9-month-old twins, she’s probably pumping and binge watching Netflix. You can find her on her blog encouraging, challenging, and laughing from under a pile of diapers.

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Sarah Kerner is an attorney by day; and spends the rest of her time as a pastor’s wife, boy-mom, friend, sister, runner, newbie weightlifter, knitter, reader, United Methodist, Project Life scrapbooker, black-thumb gardener, terrible but enthusiastic dancer, and healthy/hippie cook and baker.

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Cara Meredith is a writer, speaker and musician from the greater San Francisco area. She is currently writing her first book, a memoir of belief and disbelief, only when she’s not on a hunt for the world’s greatest chips and guacamole. She loves people, food, reading, the great outdoors and her family. She is wife to James, and mama to their two-year old son, Canon, and a second little boy set to make his appearance in August (Theo arrived 8/29/14!).

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Abra Carnahan and her husband, Ben, have been married 10 years. They live in North Idaho where she stays home with their four children. Abra is passionate about pursuing God and her hobbies: reading, archery and eating cheese.

 

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Amanda Bacon lives in Alaska and has been married to Jeremy for fifteen years. She is the mother of eight children ages two to thirteen (five by birth, three by adoption.) Amanda blogs and is the co-creator of The Masterpiece Mom, the brand-new blog and podcast bringing hope and encouragement to moms everywhere.

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Ann Swindell is a writer and speaker who is passionate about empowering her generation to say yes to God. She teaches at Wheaton College, writes for publications such as Relevantmagazine.com, Darlingmagazine.org, TodaysChristianWoman.com, and Deeply Rooted.

 

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Callie Mitchell is the wife of Devin and the mother of Aviel and a girl baby on the way. She is an architect by training, though her current practice mostly includes lego towers and wooden train track configurations, with a few actual free lance projects on the side. The Mitchells live in Jerusalem as a Messianic Jewish family, and are committed to seeing Salvation come to the people of this region.

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Rachel Zupke is a stay at home mom to a toddler and new baby. She writes about living with perseverance, passion, and purpose (what she’s deemed Mason Jar Values) over at rachelzupke.com. Rachel also runs Intimate Truths, a site that discusses sex as sacred rather than secret (intimatetruths.com). Life for her = faith and family, homemaking, real food and natural living, outdoor adventures with their Siberian Husky, and local happenings.

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Lesley Miller is a wife to Jonathan, and mama to Anna (3) and Owen (1). They live in Santa Barbara, California in a little house with a huge avocado tree. Lesley is a slow runner, a fast eater, and a big fan of morning walks on the beach, and she believes that even busy mamas should make time to read and pursue friendships with other women.

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Katie Eller is a new adoptive mama to six-month-old twins, a music pastor’s wife, and a graduate student. Essentially, she hasn’t slept since January. When Katie has a few extra moments, she is perfectly content with a great book, strong coffee, and rich conversation. She {intermittently, at the moment} blogs at Cardigan Way.

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Trina Holden is a modern-day gypsy, currently parked in Alabama where she and her husband run a business encouraging families to thrive through real food cookbooks, classes, and consulting. Together they homeschool their four children, drink gallons of raw milk, and dream of their next road trip. She is the author of 4 books and writes about freedom and other ingredients for a thriving life at trinaholden.com

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Amanda Medlin is wife to Phillip and homeschooling mama to Jack, Aidan, and Kate. She is passionate about living with authenticity, intention, and grace. She is an old, creative soul who loves to read the classics, knit, sew, paint furniture, and is currently learning calligraphy. Most days you will find her at home with her little ones, reading aloud and leading messy art projects, while gently tending to the soil of their hearts. She writes about living at the intersection of faith, motherhood, and creativity at her blog Always Amanda.

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Gretchen Louise is a farmer’s wife and mommy to three curly-haired children. When she’s not working in the family business, hanging out laundry, or washing dishes, she writes in CSS, HTML, PHP—and English. Gretchen loves to brainstorm about everything to do with websites and WordPress, and is passionate about helping others navigate the social media jungle.

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Scarlett Berg is a graduate from Appalachian State University and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition and foods-dietetics. Her passion for writing led her to write her first novel, All Dressed Up. Scarlett is a Southern girl at heart with her favorite things being a glass of sweet ice tea, relaxing on a sandy beach, and dipping her toes in the warm waters of the Carolina Coastline. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, son, and their family dog.