Averill Gardner Johnson - If Mama Aint Happy

If Mama Aint

Happy

By Averill Gardner Johnson

If Mama Aint Happy

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

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Copyright 2021 by Averill Gardner Johnson

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible (AMP), Copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. Copyright 2011 COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.CommonEnglishBible.com). Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1995 American Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked EXB are taken fromfrom The Expanded Bible. Copyright 2011 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation (Todays English Version, Second Edition). Copyright 1982 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GODS WORD, 1995 Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Gods Word Mission Society. Scripture quotations marked ICB are taken from the International Childrens Bible. Copyright 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation. Copyright 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com. Scripture quotations marked VOICE are taken from The Voice. Copyright 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-63769-324-7

E-ISBN: 978-1-63769-325-4

This book is dedicated to:

My husband, Jeremiah. You are one of my favorite gifts from God.

You are always so loving and supporting of all that God puts on my heart, especially this book.

You have done so much to help this dream become a reality.

Our two boys, John Parker and Ezra.

Because of you two, I have stepped into the biggest adventure of my life, being your Mama.

I adore getting to watch you both grow in the Lord.

My parents, the greatest examples of living the Word of God continually that I have ever seen. You both have laid such a rock-solid foundation for me. I would not be where I am today without it.

My tribe of Mamas, my dearest friends that help keep me encouraged and keep my eyes focused on Gods Word. Everyone needs friends like yall!

Thank you all so much!

Foreword

Averill Johnson has given every mommy a gift if they will open it. As I began to read, I yielded my thirty-seven years of parenting experience as I read If Mama Aint Happy to this wise and lovely young mommy of two. In the most straightforward yet gentle way, Averill reminds us who we are and how important our role is, to our children, our family, our community, and most importantly, to the plans and purposes of God.

While normalizing the everyday things that can go wrong, she empowers moms with the Word of God to remind us of where our help comes from. Being a mom is no joke. My childrens ages span twenty-seven years. The challenges of today are so much more in your face and the issues children faced in middle school they now encounter in elementary school! If you take your eyes off the Lord for a minute, you can have full-on panic at what is out there. But the Word of God, His promises, and His help will give us the courage and keep our children strong.

Yet, it is too easy to neglect that time with the Master every day. We know that it makes or breaks our day, yet somehow the day is spent before you get out of bed. Or so it seems. Averill has done us a great favor. She has done the study and written down the scriptures and encouragement that can start our day right.

We all need reminders of who we are and who we serve. Remembering the joys of raising a family when the stuff seems to overwhelm us keeps us in a place of gratitude and peace. We all need to keep our eyes keenly open to recognizing the attempts of the enemy to not only make us feel crazy but to find a foothold in our childrens lives through our actions or inattentiveness to his tricks. I am happy to be able to recommend Averills book to help in all these endeavors.

Jesus will partner with you to be a happy Mama with happy children. If you are reading this, then you are desirous to be the best mom you can be, be instant in season and out, to be the love of Jesus to your family and the thermostat in your home. I join Averill in cheering you on as you read. Lets all agree in faith for each other. Say this out loud, I am the best mom my family could ever have! God has gifted my family by giving them me as a mom. I have His help every minute of every day. I am a happy Mama in Jesus name!

Read on,

Kellie Copeland

Introduction

Im sure you have probably heard the phrase, If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy. Ive heard it over the years. It is usually thrown around as a joke or just said to be funny, but to be honest, Ive never really liked it. I feel like it makes Mamas seem moody, grumpy, and ill-tempered. As if one little thing doesnt go their way, they will take everyone down with them. But a few weeks ago, the Lord spoke to me about this and totally changed my perspective.

I was in the bathroom getting ready for church one morning, and the Lord started ever so gently speaking to my heart. He said, Averill, you know the saying If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy is more than just a saying. It is a spiritual truth . Since then, He has taken me on a journey through His Word to see how beautiful the role of Mama really is, how, as Mamas, we help set the atmosphere of our home, and the specific things we can do to protect that atmosphere.