Summary: Have you ever heard someone say, “Motherhood is sanctifying”?<br> Do you know what they mean?<br> Well, I found this quick definition of sanctification to help us out:<br> Sanctification: “the same Greek word as holiness, “hagios,” meaning a separation. First, a once-for-all positional separation unto Christ at our salvation. Second, a practical progressive holiness in a believer’s life while awaiting the return of Christ. Third, we will be changed into His perfect likeness—holy, sanctified, and completely separated from the presence of evil.”-<a href="http://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html" target="_blank">Gotquestions.com</a><br> Once you believe in Christ’s work on the cross for you, then starts the gradual sanctification until Christ returns.<br> Our children stretch not just our bellies, but our patience and our beliefs. That process refines us and causes us to rely on Christ more and more.<br> Children reveal our messy expectations.<br> Nothing like a tantrum in the middle of a grocery store, or poop smeared on the bedroom walls to reveal what I really believe to be True.<br> Today’s podcast guest, Amy Julia Becker, chats with me about her humbling, sanctifying motherhood journey. How her three children, including a daughter with Down Syndrome, have helped her grow up and hear more clearly from God.<a href="http://godcenteredmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AmyJuliaBecker-14017-1-1-1.jpg"></a><br> Amy Julia writes about her experiences on her blog at Christianity Today. She has also been featured on HuffingtonPost, Parents, NYTimes Motherlode and Time (<a href="http://amyjuliabecker.com/articles/" target="_blank">click here</a> to see all those articles). She has also written several books, her newest book is, “Small Talk: Learning from my children about what matters most”.<br> My favorite conversations in this episode were: Amy Julia’s wisdom to see God’s image in our children, her thoughts on God’s faithfulness when we are faithless, and how to connect with others when we move to a new city.<br> AND BONUS!!! Amy Julia agreed to give away one copy of her newest book, “Small Talk”<br> <a href="http://godcenteredmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/smalltalk2.jpg"></a><br> Giveaway details: Enter to win by leaving a comment on this blog post or leaving a review on itunes (<a title="Spread the Word" href="http://godcenteredmom.com/review/" target="_blank">instructions here</a>). Contest ends, February 1st. Winner announced Monday, February 2nd.<br> <br> (if reading via email, <a href="http://godcenteredmom.com" target="_blank">click here</a> to watch video)<br> What we chat about:<br> <br> * Amy Julia’s humbling mom moment when a few hours after birth, her daughter, Penny, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.<br> * The expectations we carry into mothering.<br> * The challenge of parenting to not create our children in OUR image, but to see God’s image in them.<br> * The gifts given back to Amy Julia as she watches Penny grow and develop skills didn’t expect to have.<br> * The ability at birth to see our kids as blank slates.<br> * “Disability is a magnifying glass that shines on our common humanity”<br> * “My job is not to decide who my children are going to be.”<br> * The wake up call Heather had after reading Amy Julia’s newest book, “Small Talk”.<br> * How we shouldn’t feel pressure to be fully present, all the time, with our children, but setting up intentional times to connect and chat with them.<br> * How God works in our own lives through our kids’ questions.<br> * The two things Amy Julia hopes parents get out of reading, “Small Talk”.<br> * The year of faithlessness and discontentment for Amy Julia (aka, “the year of wine & nachos). . .how God carried her in the midst of that season.<br> * What helped get her out of that season,
