Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

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Moms and the Mission of God {TableTalk guest post}

December 10, 2022 by Marissa Leave a Comment

My husband and I have been TableTalk magazine subscribers for a couple of decades now, so it was an honor to write an article on motherhood for the November 2022 issue. Here’s a preview . . .


hen I was a teenager, my best friend and I loved to discuss parenting. We analyzed the parenting differences we saw in families around us and tried to connect the dots between parents’ actions and the children’s success. Sometimes the outcomes within a family varied widely, and we wanted to understand why. It’s no wonder that we both went on to be psychology majors in college.

Now that I’m parenting three teenagers, I sometimes fall into a similar results-based mentality. Most of my adult life has been focused on raising children, and I hope my efforts will bear fruit as my children enter adulthood. It’s tempting to think that my children’s worldly success or biblical faithfulness determines whether I fulfilled the mission of God as their mother. But I also know that only God is sovereign over my children’s hearts and lives. They are the Lord’s vessels, not mine (Isa. 64:8). I need a shift in my thinking about God’s mission for motherhood.

Long before the fruit of our labor is revealed, our motherhood fulfills the mission of God when we glorify Him by humbly and obediently laying down our lives for our children. In our daily tasks of instructing, disciplining, and caring for our children, God gives us opportunities to pass along the truth of His Word to the next generation. He uses our work as mothers to conform us to the image of His Son and to increase our dependence on Him. And He is glorified when we obey His call to serve our families sacrificially.


To read the entire article, head over to the TableTalk website. While you’re there, take a look around – they publish wonderful, insightful articles, and you might consider subscribing to their monthly magazine!

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Approaching the Final Exam of Motherhood {Guest post on Risen Motherhood}

February 5, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

This fall I watched my little boy grab his backpack full of thick textbooks, his lunchbox, and his trombone and walk into his first day of 9th grade. He’s a thoughtful boy, and he comforts me by wrapping his arms around my shoulders in a hug. (Did I mention he’s taller than me?) I have a high-schooler. And I’m terrified.

He’s been a delightful child and teenager so far. But it feels like the final exam of motherhood looms ahead, and I’ll soon find out if my parenting has been stellar or a disaster. It feels like the stakes are high, and my failures could impact the rest of his life. A verdict is coming on how well I’ve performed my most important task, and I’m hoping for a perfect report card: an A+ child, an A+ reputation, and an A+ motherhood GPA. Nothing less is acceptable to my anxious heart.

But when I look at my son as a final exam to ace rather than a fellow sinner being sanctified, I’ve forgotten the gospel. My fear stems from unbelief.


I shared these thoughts and more in an article at Risen Motherhood this week. How can we apply the gospel to our fears when the final exam of motherhood is looming? I’d love for you to click here and read the article.

While you’re there, I hope you’ll explore the vast resources at Risen Motherhood. They consistently share thoughtful, gospel-centered content via their blog and podcast. I think it will quickly become one of your favorites.

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Cancer and God’s Sovereignty {Guest post for Tabletalk}

February 2, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

This was one of the most difficult articles I’ve ever written. When I faced the possibility of my children’s lives without me, the truth of God’s sovereignty didn’t give me the guarantee I desperately wanted. But I’m learning to rest in God’s character and find my hope in His rock-solid promises even when the future is uncertain.

Here’s a link to an article I have up on TableTalk Magazine’s blog today. I hope it encourages you in whatever you’re facing today. 

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Jesus is With You as You Suffer {No Matter What Monday}

January 7, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I have many parenting moments that I’m not proud of, but one of my worst mom-fails happened as I slept. My daughter was frightened in the middle of the night and came to my room to wake me up. She shook my shoulder and said my name, but I kept snoozing. My neglected little girl eventually gave up and went back to bed. 

As I read Mark 4, I wonder if the disciples felt a little bit like my daughter that day on the Sea of Galilee. They were scared, and Jesus was sleeping. 

“On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:35–38)

Let’s pretend we never heard this story in Sunday school, and we don’t know what the next verses say. (We’ll get to them next week.) What does this passage teach us about being in the middle of the storm of suffering? 

When the waves are crashing over the side of your boat and it’s filling with water, it’s doesn’t mean Jesus  has abandoned you. Jesus was right there with the disciples, and He’s right here with you. 

If it seems like Jesus is sleeping while you suffer, it’s not because He doesn’t care. It’s because He cares about you that He’s waiting for the perfect time to calm the storm. As we’ll see next week, He always has a purpose to His timing, even when we can’t understand it. And in the meantime, you can trust that He is with you.  

No matter what you face this week, Jesus is with you in the storm of your suffering. 

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marissahenley.com

I write to remind myself of the truth of God's promises. I share my writing here in case you need to be reminded sometimes, too.

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Click the image above to learn more about Marissa's books: After Cancer and Loving Your Friend through Cancer

Recent Posts

  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part 3 {Guest post for enCourage}
  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part Two {Guest post for the enCourage blog}
  • God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season – Part One {Guest post for the enCourage blog}

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