NOTE: I usually record podcasts when my littles are down for naps and my older kids are gone to our once-a-week homeschool co-op. This episode was recorded while we were all home with a stomach bug, so there's a bit more background noise than usual. Honestly, between the pukey kids and the background squawking, I feel like we managed to set an appropriate tone for an episode called "Hard Is Not The Same Thing as Bad." ; ) Hey, friends! I wrote a new book! And it's available for pre-order! In this episode, I talk about the period in my life during which the Lord impressed the phrase "hard is not the same thing as bad" deep into my soul. (Hint: It wasn't a season of ease.) Since then, I've discovered from the enthusiastic response to my sharing it that it's such a crucial (and biblical!) concept that every mother (and honestly, every Christian) needs to embrace in order to run well the race set out for us by God. Be encouraged that the hard you're experiencing is not random or cruel but instead designed by God to draw you closer to Him and to grow you up in maturity and faith. BONUS: You get an exclusive sneak peek at the introduction of HINTSTAB (funny acronym, I know), which I read during this episode. Mentions: Grape Juice + Activated Charcoal Blog Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad, which is now available for Pre-Order! M Is For Mama Book Bible references: Philippians 4:4 John 16:33 James 4:14 Psalm 144:4 1 Peter 2:24 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 John 1:14 Isaiah 40:11 1 Peter 2:2 Hebrew 13:5 Jeremiah 29:11 Proverbs 14:10, 30 Isaiah 40:10 Links: ⁠⁠M Is for Mama⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Penny Reward System⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Leave a Review for the M is for Mama Show⁠⁠ ⁠Paint & Prose⁠⁠ Find Abbie at: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Youtube⁠ ⁠Facebook