For This House
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
Every Season. Every Space. All for Him.
August 25, 2025Â |Â 7 min read
Ally Veldhuisen
Before having kids, I remember having endless time to spend on my goals and dreaming up new ones. My five-year plan wasn’t color-coded or laminated, but I could spend entire weekends researching new careers or diving deep into passion projects—wherever the wind blew me. Now, things look pretty different. My days of uninterrupted pursuit are on pause.Â
I feel a frequent tension between who I was and who I’m becoming. My old goals haven’t disappeared, but they’ve certainly shifted. Motherhood was always a dream of mine, but it was never my sole aspiration. I have found myself wrestling daily to find contentment in all the beautiful hats I get to wear as a mother while still longing to make a lasting impact beyond my home.
While it may not always feel like it, motherhood doesn’t require abandoning your passions. In fact, it invites you to pursue them with greater intention and authentic purpose.
Here’s what I’ve noticed: your passions and dreams will have seasons. Sometimes they’ll be front and center, and other times they’ll quietly simmer in the background. Both seasons are necessary and beautiful.
I have found the early years of motherhood are a season of planting. I read books during naptime, I write blogs while babies sleep, and some days I simply hold on to the vision of what I want to pursue someday.Â
These little years are not lost. Later seasons might bring opportunities to step more fully into my passions, but in the meantime, God is preparing my heart and refining my purposes—and he’ll do the same for you.
Fulfillment is found in walking faithfully in your calling, not checking every dream off your list. Some days, my calling is changing diapers and guiding behaviors. Other days, I’m called to use my gifts to impact my community.Â
The secret is learning to see each of these callings as sacred work…
*Investing in your marriage creates stability for generations.Â
*Nurturing your kids shapes future kingdom builders.Â
*Pursuing your passions allows you to steward the gifts God has given you and model that for your children.
It may not always seem possible to set aside chunks of time to pursue your passions after meeting all of the other needs in certain seasons, but you’ll reap rewards for doing so. Maybe one night a week the dishes can wait… maybe that fifteen minutes could be better spent pursuing your passions and fanning the flame of your creativity and identity beyond motherhood.
You don’t need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress. Fifteen minutes of writing while coffee brews, listening to a hobby podcast during school pickup, or sketching ideas while your toddler colors all contribute. Consistency trumps intensity every time. We’ve taken this approach with our blogging endeavors, too!
Let your kids see you working on your passions! Bring them into your world when it works—they might be your biggest cheerleaders, and they’ll learn valuable lessons about following their dreams.
Protect time for your marriage first, then your kids, then your personal pursuits. This might mean saying no to some opportunities in certain seasons, but it ensures you’re building on a strong foundation, and that time for your dreams will come around again.
Find other Christian women who understand the beautiful tension of pursuing dreams while prioritizing family. They’ll encourage you during challenging seasons and celebrate your victories. You’ll find a great community through For This House. We’d love to connect with you!
Regularly bring your aspirations before God. Ask Him to align your desires with His will, to open and close doors according to His timing, and to give you peace about the season you’re in.
You are not selfish for having dreams beyond your home. The gifts and talents that make you passionate about following your dreams are probably the same skills that make you an incredible wife and mother.
If you are in a waiting season, God may be using that to prepare, refine, and redirect you toward something better than you originally imagined.Â
If you’re in a busy season of juggling multiple roles and responsibilities, remember that you don’t have to be everything all at once.Â
Our kids are watching how we handle dreams, disappointments, and all the complexities of adult life. When we pursue our passions with wisdom and good boundaries, we’re teaching them that following God’s call often means embracing both sacrifice and fulfillment.
God is still writing your story. The dreams you’re nurturing now may look different from your original vision because they’re being shaped by the love you pour into your marriage and children. This foundation makes everything else you build stronger and more meaningful.
You’re not losing yourself in motherhood and marriage; you’re uncovering the woman God always intended you to be.Â
Instead of putting your dreams on hold, let them be refined by love, and notice the difference.
Dear Lord,Â
You know my heart. Align my desires with your will, open and close doors according to your timing, and give me peace about the season I’m in.
Amen
Expand on this prayer by making it specific to what’s on your heart. What dreams are stirring in you?
Ally is the primary founder of For This House. She just finished renovating a cute, old house in small town Washington where she lives with her husband and young son. Ally is a teacher by trade, but also enjoys library cookbooks and watching Downton Abbey. Learn more about Ally.Â
Ally is the primary founder of For This House. She just finished renovating a cute, old house in small town Washington where she lives with her husband and young son. Ally is a teacher by trade, but also enjoys library cookbooks and watching Downton Abbey. Learn more about Ally.Â