Loyal, deep friendships are hard to find.

But especially in the new mom season.

Simple conversations are a struggle as you meet the needs of a baby (maybe a baby and a toddler) and suffer from sleep-deprived-brain-mush. Then you throw in the insecurities of this new role. . .and you want to give up all together.

Awhile back, Libby (young mom to two under the age of two) emailed me. She vulnerably shared her friendship struggles. Then she boldly accepted my invitation to come on the podcast.

In this episode she shares her frustration with being the “inviter” and longing to be invited. She also asks for truth to help fight insecurities and negative self-talk. We also discuss the topic of how to develop meaningful friendships when you are caring for lots of little ones. Lastly we focus on practical ways to show hospitality to our neighbors. . . without worrying about what they think of us.

I also invited my four-boy-mom mentor, Leslie Johnson (SurseeGal) on the show. This is Leslie’s 3rd time as a guest (listen to her here and here).

Leslie has an amazing way of welcoming others into her life and home. In fact, it was a simple invite to her MomHeart group that began our friendship.

Since I’ve admired how Leslie fosters and develops friendships, she seemed the perfect mentor to answer Libby’s questions.

Like the last “That’s Me . . .” episode, the two interviews are spliced and edited together so that you hear Libby’s question then Leslie’s answer.

Praying Leslie’s wisdom will inspire you to be brave, “cast your net” (as she says) and grow friendships in 2016.  I pray God will speak His Truth over you, whispering how valuable you are and how He longs for you to be in community with others.

Connect with Leslie Johnson:

Site :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Instagram :: Pinterest 

What we chat about:

Libby’s Questions: 

* What if you always reach out to others, but you need someone to invite you?

* What Scripture or help do you have when social insecurities creep up?

* Being a mom with two under two, how can I develop meaningful relationships?

* What is the best way to reach out to neighbors? How do I turn off the negative self-talk after taking the risk?

Leslie’s Answers: 

* Be honest with God. Cry out about your need and your desires.

* God can give you life-giving friendships. Have faith in that.

* We all need to spend time with the Lord (be creative in how)–God’s Word will tell you who you are.

* A great idea for keeping Scripture ready for when you need to hear Truth.

* Have your spouse or mentor remind you of truth.

* Invite people into what you’re already doing.

* The fabulous idea of hosting a regular creative night.

* In connecting with neighbors, look for opportunities and be available.

* Easy ideas for gathering neighbors together and inspiration to be brave.

Other topics we cover: 

* God’s desire for us to live connected to Him and to others.

* How Jesus modeled life around the table and living with others.