Worship Leading While Lactating: Being a Mom in Ministry

I'm supposed to be at the church for worship practice in 15 minutes. The night before I was up no less than 5 times calming a fussy baby. I'm exhausted and praying "give me strength Lord" on repeat in my head while I put on my eye liner. I still haven't finished my hair, put on shoes, brushed my teeth or, most importantly, nursed my 4 month old son. One of these items will need to go on the back burner. Frizzy hair it is. 

I know some women choose to take a season out of service in the church to focus their efforts at home after having kids, and that is awesome.  In fact, I was told a few times while I was pregnant that worship leading wouldn't be as important to me after my little bébé arrived. Hearing this made me sad. It ended up being one of my main worries during my pregnancy. Was I going to have to step down from my role as a worship leader? I didn't want it to be less important. I still felt a magnetic pull to pour myself out leading others in worship. I so desperately wanted to be a mom, but at the same time still wanted to walk in this part of my calling. So while I understood the notion of others stepping down for a season after children came along, I always knew that wasn't for me. I wanted to stay involved as much as possible post-baby. 

I serve as one of the main worship leaders at my church here in Franklin, TN. So far being a mom and serving in church ministry has posed some interesting obstacles, resulted in some deep revelations and brought about some hilarious stories. I only have one kid right now, so things could get even more challenging when our family grows further. So, I've decided to share it all here. The funny and the not so funny. The hard and the not so hard. Tips, tricks, and ways it has made me grow as a leader, a mom, and a disciple of Jesus in a new series called "Worship Leading While Lactating"