NFL wife, mother-of-7 Kirsten Watson named executive editor of MomLife Today
As a mother of seven, a businesswoman, philanthropist, pro-life activist, and movie producer, there’s little Kirsten Watson, wife of NFL star Benjamin Watson, hasn’t mastered.
But when presented with the idea of serving as the executive editor of MomLife Today, an online community of Christian mothers, she was “a bit leery.”
“I was so honored to be asked, but it is a huge responsibility,” Watson told The Christian Post. “So many moms come to the site for encouragement and to be shepherded and discipled. I didn’t know if I had the bandwidth to take on the role, or if I could do it well.”
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After spending time in prayer with her husband, Watson felt God calling her to accept the position.
“I was never at peace with a ‘no,’” she said. “And so, we decided to say ‘yes’ after much discussion with God. You go into it knowing you’re not fully equipped, but God is. I will put my 100% into it and speak truth in love.”
Founded in 2008 by Tracey Eyster, MomLife Today seeks to encourage and empower moms to invest in their children, families and communities for God’s purposes and glory. Now, Watson will take over the leadership and management of the online community.
Contributors to MomLife Today include Priscilla Shirer, Dr. Meg Meeker, Crystal Paine, Barbara Rainey, and Mary Beth Chapman. When she first visited the website, Watson said she was “amazed and wowed” by both the diversity of writers and the quality of the content.
“Everything is so deeply rooted in Scripture, and it was very encouraging,” she said. “These authors understand that that truth is where we start. We are believers, we are Christians, we are daughters of a King. Because we know this to be true about ourselves, and we know this to be true about God and His faithfulness, we can then direct our children.”
“Because of that first relationship with God, the motherhood piece is an outflow of that," Watson continued. "The love we have for our children flows from the depth of our understanding of how God much loves us and what He’s done to save us. When our identity is first in Christ, how we maneuver in our families, with our kids, with our spouses, and in our community changes.”
A homeschooling mother of seven young children, Watson understands firsthand the challenges that come with motherhood. She’s previously opened up about her miscarriages and struggling with isolation — a temptation she knows is common to many mothers.
“Isolation can happen in so many ways. You’re so exhausted and you don’t want to open yourself up to judgment. You’re trying to do the best you can, and really, you just want sleep,” she said.
“Often, isolation feels like it's the easiest and safest way to go about motherhood when really, mothers need community, encouragement, and wisdom,” Watson contended. “We need to create the space for mothers to be honest and transparent with what they're going through, and then also create a space where every opinion is respected so we can have some great conversations.
“Ultimately,” she added, “We are not going to disagree with what God says about shepherding our kids. My hope and prayer is that this space will be a safe and encouraging place to have those conversations.”
Married for 15 years, Ben and Kirsten Watson are prominent voices in the pro-life community. In addition to speaking at the 2021 March for Life later this month, the couple is behind a documentary on the topic of abortion called "Divided Hearts of America."
Watson told CP that whatever role God has called her to take on, her goal remains the same: To make disciples, share the Gospel, and love others well.
“My hope and prayer for MomLife Today is that it brings people to Jesus,” she said. “I pray it brings moms together, and that moms that are not believers will come here for encouragement and maybe hear the Gospel for the first time, or maybe some type of relief. Yes, we have fun articles and conversations and videos, but ultimately, everything is intended to bring you to Jesus."
For mothers “in the thick of it,” the wife and mother offered the simple encouragement — “get in the Word and spend some time with God.” MomLife Today, she said, hopes to help mothers to do just that.
“We have to be in the Word,” she emphasized. “There were moments where my Word literally consisted of watching 'VeggieTales' with my kids. Find time with the Lord, however you can. We can’t give our kids anything we don't have. Fall in love with Jesus, and from that, all of our other areas of influence will change.”
“The more we love Him, the more we know Him, the greater our influence will be.”
