Hey Reader,

Have you ever just had so much going on that you just couldn’t do another thing and the things you were in rhythm to were totally out of sync.

I remember a crazy busy season of our pastor's life that on Monday evening (after work at my full time job) I crashed on the couch and said take me away somewhere we don’t have to drive or pack up and repack.

No road trip - from hotel to hotel.

My next statement was something like, if I wouldn’t need a passport I’d want a cruise. My son said, I think you can still go on a cruise with just your driver's license.

I learned a long time ago that pastoring is a night job, and even though HE is the called pastor, WE (wife) is his alongside. There was church on Sunday (twice) and Wednesday (I taught Youth Group) and marriage counseling Tuesdays or Thursdays. And, so that we had health insurance, I worked a full time job.

I could handle that schedule, but this season we added a pastor’s conference in Houston where we drove both ways about 3 times in a weekend. And brought the speaker back to our town (100 miles away) for our Sunday Service and returned him to Houston airport Sunday afternoon.

Monday evening I was shot.

Hubby said well if you can find a cruise we can do this week then book it.

It was also our anniversary week.

Here I am again.

Not for any of the same reasons. Although we still pastor the church, I am no longer working a full time job or leading a youth group, but I do teach a Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday mornings and organize much of what happens in the church.

That is NOT where my overwhelm comes from.

It is more self induced.

I have personally overcommitted myself here with you and church ministry commitments and about to return to a 20 hour a week job, they need me.

Lately I have not even shown up with excellence in what I was doing well.

Forgive me.

One of my 2026 goals was to start a podcast in the summer.

It happened! - Yea!

It is ugly, but oftentimes the baby is ugly, except to the parents.

I am four episodes in and I need to do another one.

I paused my 3. 2. 1 Encouragement e-mail in August after 3 years of a good rhythm; three scriptures, two quotes and one thought from me. Instead I planned an e-mail encouragement newsletter.

I lost my rhythm.

I am late this week on the email (article) and on the broadcast (podcast + YouTube = broadcast).

I am treading water in the deep end of the pool.

So I am giving myself permission to relax and float a little.
I love swimming on my back at night and looking at the stars. (Memories)

I will shift The Praying Mama Club broadcast to monthly and the email (Substack article) to weekly.

The Praying Mama Club broadcast - will publish during the second full week of the month. Substack articles and emails will be published on Fridays.

Where is your level of overwhelm? Are you frantically treading water or relaxed and swimming on your back?

I'd love to hear from you, just reply and I would be glad to pray for you.

The one thing that has and will stay consistent is The Praying Mama Club zoom calls on Tuesday evenings. Especially for mama’s of prodigals, we meet for fellowship, learning and praying together. We would love to have you join us.

If you are a mama of an adult prodigal child, don’t pray alone. You have sisters who will come alongside you and hold your hand.

Check out us out

https://karen-mcmullin.com/club
or

Where it all started.

Karen
Founder | Praying Mama Bears Club

Helping Christian moms of adult children pray with confidence and power through KNOWing God and who they are in Him.

​WWW.KAREN-MCMULLIN.COM​