Finding Joy in Loss and Homemaking Hacks with Amy Roberts

I am going to be really honest with you…this interview is going to make you laugh and make you cry. Amy and I are real life friends, so we’ve talked together about her story before. She is a mom of ten kids and has some incredible tips on home management. So, I really want you to listen through to get to that segment. However, this interview has two parts. We talk about her experience losing her sweet, daughter Emily, as well as talk about her amazing advice for home management.

Here on the Simply Joyful Podcast, I don’t want to ever pretend that life is always hunky-dory. It’s not. Life on this side of heaven is sometimes filled with tragedy and deep sadness. I’m pretty sure that every mother will agree that losing a child is her greatest fear. There may even be listeners who have walked this same road as Amy. To you, know I wish I could sit with you and hug you and hear your story.

I really don’t want you to miss all that God has done in Amy’s life since losing Emily. She has so much encouragement for us. We talk about fear, and about the joy that she still has.

I cannot wait for you to hear this episode–I know that you are going to be blessed!

On a “Simply” & “Joyful” side note…

Amy shares a simple way that she adds joy to her life, and I love her answer. It’s such a great reminder to all us moms.

Slow down.

Take the time to smile at your children and look at them. Listen to what it is that they are telling you—even if it’s something that doesn’t really matter, it’s their thing. Drink that extra cup of coffee. Sit just a little bit longer with your kids.

”Just slow down and be present.’ Be encouraged by Amy Robert’s advice on a simple way to add joy to your life.” (click to share)

In This Episode…

Note: We talk about the tough topic of losing a child and grief the first half of this interview. If you need to skip to the home management part of the podcast, please feel free to skip to the 20:32 mark!

Amy didn’t always want a large family. In fact, she was pretty sure she was going to stop after one! She shares a little about how the Lord changed her and her husband hearts about having a large family, and we share a few humorous stories about having “large” families.
Amy shares the heartbreaking story of losing her daughter, Emily, nine years ago, how it has effective her life, and how it is a journey that the Lord has her family on.
“Don’t borrow trouble. Don’t worry about the things that haven’t happened to you”. — Amy Roberts
Amy shares why the Psalms are perfect for those on the path of grieving, and why she wrote an e-devotional walking the grieving through the Psalm.
You can download Amy’s e-devotional here as well as see more resources for the grieving here.

· “Joy is not always simple.” — Kristi Clover (CLICK TO TWEET)

Amy shares what her biggest challenge is as a homemaker as well as give tips and hacks on feeding such a large family.
“I simplify everything—even down to who sits where in the van.”— Amy Roberts

· “Meals became less about what we’re eating and more about being there as a family.” —Amy Roberts (CLICK TO TWEET)

Amy shares how she feels that people have this unattainable goal about what “family time” is supposed to look like and how she thinks her goal is to squash that.
“It’s more about being together as a family then it is about the specific things.”—Amy Roberts
Amy shares a little about being a military wife and the dynamic of living without her husband for long periods of time during deployments.
I ask Amy to share about “starting where you are”—which is talked in depth about in her book.
Amy shares about their chores system: what chores does she pay for and what chores are considered part of “living at home”. I love her idea behind “Home Blessings” day—a day that focuses on what you can do right now to bless your home and your family.

Please Note…

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of my book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by joining our Simply Joyful community. It’s a great way to keep in touch…and get subscriber only freebies like my book. Click HERE to get the book and join!

Connect with Amy Roberts…

Amy Roberts of RaisingArrows.net is a Christ-follower, devoted wife, homeschooling mother of 10, blogger, conference speaker, and author. Amy inspires the hearts of weary, overwhelmed mamas across the world as she offers practical and encouraging advice to help simplify the path and enjoy the journey of homemaking, homeschooling, marriage, and mothering.

Be sure to visit her site as well at RaisingArrows.net.

Thank you, Rend Collective for allowing me to use your incredible song “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength”! This song has so much special meaning to me and it highlights the theme verse for my podcast — Nehemiah 8:10. Be sure to check out their music! They are such a fun band to listen to… and to see live.

(This podcast is by Kristi Clover. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)