Listen to “CHM178:Your Gifts Are Not on Hold: Motherhood and Mission Can Coexist” on Spreaker.
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Motherhood can feel like a never-ending game of catch-up. Lessons to teach. Laundry that multiplies like rabbits. Tiny humans who need snacks every 4.2 minutes. Homeschooling adds a whole new layer of pressure: now you are responsible not only for raising your children but for educating them too.
Some days, survival feels like the ultimate goal.
Yet deep inside, there is still a fire. Call it passion, calling, gifting, or simply that divine spark. You know there is something God planted in you that goes beyond grading math and refereeing sibling squabbles.
So what happens when a mother wants both?
What if she wants to raise a powerful family and fulfill her life’s mission?
This is where today’s guest, Audrey Rindlisbacher, speaks directly to the heart.
Meet Audrey Rindlisbacher: A Mission-Driven Mom
Audrey Rindlisbacher is many things:
• A mother of six
• A homeschool veteran of more than 20 years
• A classical liberal arts scholar
• A nationally respected speaker and educator
• Author of The Mission Driven Life
• Host of The Mission Driven Mom Podcast
• Creator of The Mission Driven Mom and Mission Driven Teen Academies
In other words, she has walked the demanding road of motherhood and education, and she refused to abandon her calling along the way. Her journey through hundreds of the greatest books ever written ignited a question:
How do great men and women become who they are?
What patterns do they follow?
How do they hear God’s direction?
How do they create lasting influence, beginning within their own families?
The answers led her to discover the Seven Laws of Life Mission.
And she is passionate about passing this roadmap on to women who feel stuck in overwhelm and self-doubt.
The Hidden Crisis Among Homeschool Moms
Let’s be honest.
Homeschool moms have become experts at self-neglect.
We will bend over backward to meet everyone else’s needs. Yet we rarely ask:
What do I need so I can show up with joy, intention, and strength?
Too many women say:
“This is my kids’ time. My gifts can wait.”
Except here is the truth:
Kids do not learn purpose by watching a mother shrink.
They learn courage by watching a mother move.
Audrey puts it plainly.
Self-neglect is not holiness. It is burnout in slow motion.
Motherhood is a calling. Absolutely.
Yet it is not the extinction of your personal mission.
Your Calling Is Not Cancelled. It Is Evolving.
Your God-given gifts are still breathing, even if ignored.
The creative desire inside you is not selfish.
The yearning to contribute beyond your home is not rebellion.
It is stewardship.
Audrey challenges women to pay attention to that spark:
• Always wanted to learn guitar? Go rent one.
• Wanted to write a book? Start a simple weekly writing ritual.
• Longed to volunteer or serve your community? Take one small step.
No perfection required.
No audience needed.
Your children must witness your growth.
They need to see you try, struggle, fail, adjust, and rise again.
Because one day, they will do the same.
The First Step: Love God and Love Yourself (Yes, Yourself)
It may sound counterintuitive, but Audrey insists:
You cannot pursue the mission God has for you if you are spiritually numb, emotionally drained, and physically depleted.
Loving yourself means:
• Meeting your real needs
• Managing your thoughts and emotions
• Honoring the gifts God wove into your identity
Real needs are not pedicures and girls’ trips (though those are fun).
Real needs sound like:
• Water instead of soda
• Sleep instead of scrolling
• Nourishing food instead of sugar spikes
• Quiet with God instead of noise on demand
• Community instead of isolation
• Learning instead of stagnation
This is self-leadership.
This is spiritual resilience.
This is how you say “yes” when God calls you to something bigger.
Mission Begins Right Where You Stand
Here is what sets Audrey’s message apart from the usual “self-care” narrative.
She does not call women to chase status or hustle culture.
She calls women to meaningful contribution.
A mission-driven mom does not abandon her home.
She elevates it. She leads it. She models it.
Your influence does not begin on a stage.
It begins at the kitchen table where little eyes study how you live.
Your children are not the reason you cannot pursue your calling.
They are the reason you must.
Stop Believing These Lies
There are three common myths that keep moms small:
Lie #1: “I must wait until the kids are older.”
No. Growth can happen in tiny pockets of time.
Even thirty minutes a day builds momentum.
Lie #2: “I do not know enough to do anything significant.”
Audrey reminds us: Greatness is developed, not downloaded.
You uncover your strengths by using them.
Lie #3: “It is selfish to invest in my gifts.”
Nothing could be more generous than giving the world the woman God created.
Imagine telling your child:
“Be everything God designed you to be… later.”
You would never say that to them.
Do not say it to yourself.
Your Children Need a Mission-Driven Mother
Little hearts crave leadership.
They crave examples of faith acted out loud.
When they watch you step into your purpose:
• They learn courage
• They learn to steward their gifts
• They learn resilience
• They learn what calling looks like in real life
They stop believing adulthood is joyless duty.
They start believing adulthood is holy opportunity.
That belief shapes their future more than any textbook ever could.
A New Vision for Homeschool Motherhood
Homeschooling is not only about academic instruction.
It is about legacy.
You are raising future leaders while becoming one yourself.
You are not simply running a household.
You are building a life that reflects God’s intentions for your family.
Imagine a community of moms who:
• Know their gifts and use them boldly
• Model curiosity, devotion, and lifelong learning
• Pursue purpose without apology
• Show their children what strength and faith look like in motion
That is the Mission Driven Mom vision.
Where to Begin: Start Your Mission Today
Audrey has created resources that help mothers take ownership of their purpose:
The Mission Driven Life (book)
A short, story-rich guide revealing the Seven Laws of Life Mission through the lens of the Ten Boom family.
The Mission Driven Mom Podcast
Weekly encouragement, teaching, and real examples of mission-driven living.
The Mission Driven Mom Academy
A powerful community and curriculum that helps women discover and develop the gifts God has placed within them.
Thirty minutes a day, real change for a lifetime.
Check out Audrey’s resources here.
There is no more waiting for “someday.”
Someday is not on the calendar.
Final Word: Step Out. God Is Already There.
Your life is not small.
Your motherhood is leadership.
Your gifts are needed in this world.
There will come a day when your children step boldly into their futures.
When they do, they will look back to see how you stepped into yours.
Do not shrink.
Do not silence the mission inside you.
You were made to shine where God plants you.
Homeschool motherhood is not the end of your calling.
It is the soil where your mission can finally take root.
