Ep 92 From Abuse to Bounty—A Legacy of Freedom with Elizabeth Oschwald

Elizabeth Oschwald, entreprenuer and mother of 7 in her new blended family, shares how she now lives in the freedom Christ offers after enduring an abusive marriage.

She found herself facing the question: "Who am I?" followed by an even more important one: "Who are You, Jesus?"

Follow her story of how God brought her to freedom and how she now lives to encourage others to receive all God has for us as His children. Part of that story includes learning from five different mentors. She would be the first to say, you can't grow and learn and heal all by yourself.

You can find Elizabeth at her website: thejoyfulmama where she writes:

My journey of motherhood has not been typical or average.  In fact, there have been some pretty sharp twists and turns.

I have been a weak mama to 2 little girls in an unhealthy, and sometimes terrifying, marriage.

I have been a brave mama starting over with those same 2 littles, but struggling with their behavior, healthy boundaries, and my own identity.

I have been a hopeful mama as I gave it all to Jesus and allowed Him to hold the pen and rewrite my future.

I have been a diligent mama as I put in the work to correct a lot of wrongs and bring my daughters and I into alignment with who God was calling us to be.  {And without this step…I couldn’t have received the blessings God had in store for us.}

I have been grateful mama as I met the man of my dreams, David, and became Imma (that’s Hebrew for Mom…we like that better than “stepmom”) to his 4 beautiful children.

In every season- of fear, of uncertainty, of humble beginnings, of rebuilding, of hard work, and of receiving God’s immeasurable favor and grace– I have learned so much.  I have failed.  I have grown.

And I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to have it all together to experience joy in your journey.  You may be thriving, you may be barely surviving, or you may be somewhere in between– the key to joy, and to freedom, isn’t found in our circumstances.  It’s found in surrender.  When we give our lives away for something bigger than ourselves– that’s where we find joy.  And isn’t that exactly what being a mom is?

You can find Elizabeth on FB here,  where she ministers to single moms, step-moms, and all the moms feeling along in their parenting challenges. Thanks, Elizabeth, for allowing us a peek into your life and how God redeemed you into the freedom He meant for you all along.