Jasmine's first day with us.

Jasmine's adoption day!

Six years have come and gone since that day, and I remember the emotion of it all as if it were still happening. We were so excited and naïve. We saw this child as nothing but a blessing. Pure light in our lives. A gift. And every day as I look at my daughter’s shining face I’m reminded that God can take my mistakes, my missteps, and by his grace, make something lovely again.

Being a young mom includes many joys, but can also come with some challenges. This is especially true when you’re trying to navigate adult friendships while also caring for little people in your home. But just because life may be different doesn’t mean we shouldn’t prioritize our relationships. It’s still valuable for each of us to have friends. Here are five easy ways to intentionally make friends as a new mom:

• Join a local moms or MOPS group. After my son was born, my sister-in-law invited me to a local moms group that had joined. Even though it was a struggle to get there with a toddler and newborn in tow, I decided to make the effort. I’m so glad that I did. I didn’t realize how lonely I had been until I was surrounded by other women. I found other moms who could relate to all that I was experiencing as a new mom and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Joining that moms group was one of the best decisions I made in those early years and it sparked friendships with women that I still have today.

• Start conversations with other moms at the park or a play center. Meeting other moms at the park or play centers is another way to potentially meet new friends, especially if they happen to live in your neighborhood and frequent the same places you do.

• Look for other moms to befriend at your child’s activity or class. When my daughter was two, I took her to a mommy and me class. We met another mom and daughter who became friends and we would all spend time outside of the class. It was nice to have someone my daughter connected with as well.

• Join a new group or Bible study at your church. Do you have a hobby that you love or an activity you enjoy? Being a mom doesn’t negate our need to enjoy our own interests, and finding a group to be a part of that doesn’t have anything to do with motherhood can  be a great place to find a friend who can support you in what you are passionate about or interested in. Having friends who are in other stages of life is important and valuable to our mothering, as well.

• Reconnect with an old friend you’ve lost touch with recently. Motherhood can be busy and we can sometimes lose our connection to friends we’ve had in the past. This might be a good time to intentionally reach out to an old friend and catch up on how you’re both doing.

God designed us to be in relationship with others, no matter what stage of life we are in. Friendship is so important in the midst of mothering. If you are lonely, take some time to pray and then look for one place in your life you could reach out to another woman and make a new friend today.

Friends, our new motherhood E-book Grace for the Imperfect Mom: A 31-Day Invitation to Refreshed Mothering just came out and we could not be more excited to share it with you! This book was a labor of LOVE, full of GRACE, and the UNDERSTANDING that we are all in this mothering journey together! We wanted to write this book because we realized that we are not perfect, not even close, and that maybe some of our mama friends needed some encouragement (as we have found that we do!).

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As moms, we constantly juggle many things—schedules, appointments, meetings, activities, chores—along with the emotional, mental, and spiritual care of our children. On days when dinner burns, the kids are pulling each other’s hair out and stepping on your last nerve, you may wonder if you’re patient enough, kind enough, or just plain good enough to be a mom. It’s enough to make you bend under the pressure if you think too much about it!