There are no perfect mommies

There's good shouting and destructive shouting and lately I seem to be of the latter group. You can cheer on your team (not the Cowboys again this year, unfortunately). You can yell, "STOP!" when someone is about to become a human pancake as a Mack truck rumbles by. You can yell insults at your husband because he never moves fast enough for you. Ouch. 

Good mommies get up off of the floor from folding laundry and walk up to the offender and say, "Mommy doesn't want you to play with the wall plugs, you will get owies." Bad mommies are so tired of saying the same dumb things over and over and over again that they simply scream, "If you touch that plug one more time I swear I will get up off of this floor and..." Voice fades. Toddler runs. She can't get up. 

How do we go from tired, worn out, yelling mommies to proactive, peaceful but still not perfect mommies?

We take care of us. 

As I look around my home this morning, I see piles of laundry. Dishes. Crumbs. Stacks of books. Bills to be paid. The Farmer's magazines. Blankets. (How can one family possibly have this many stupid blankets??????)

Do your children need that many outfits? Shoes? Toys? Blankets? Do you need that many plates and bowls and glasses? You may be adding to the tiredness and eventually the yelling because you may be buried in stuff. If you can go three days without washing dishes (Guilty.) you have too many dishes. If you can go three weeks without doing laundry you have too many clothes and towels. (Or you ran to Walmart to buy more underwear and socks. Also guilty.)

Do you honestly want to continue living this way? Pause.

Pause. That's my one word for this year. Pause and look at the situation from God's perspective. He has BLESSED you with children and a home and a husband. Is it perfect? No. And you should probably erase that word from your vocabulary, sista, because that ain't ever happening until you die or Jesus comes back. Is it overwhelming? Probably. Is it impossible? Nope, Because nothing is impossible with God and you can take that to the bank because it's right there in His Word.

So what's the Plan? (Are you noticing all of these words that start with "p"?) 

Pause.

Pray.

Praise.

Plan.

Pray.

Purge.

Pray.

Progress.

Peace.

Come on a journey this year with me where the end-goal is peace. 

Your homework for this week is to grab a notebook off of the pile on your dining room table. Walk around your home and make two lists. One of things you absolutely love about your home and family. (The way it is so quiet when they all finally go to bed after a long day?)The other list will be one of things to purge. Where is the clutter piling up? Start at the back door and walk through your home? (And no, kids are NOT clutter! :)) Just write. 

Next week we will make a plan and dive into the Word to see God's plans for you and your family. 

Leave a comment and let me know how I can pray for you. Let me know the areas you struggle with. We are on this journey together, to become the mommies that God is calling us to be!

Love you,

Carolyn

Hold on Firmly

Hebrews 4:14 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."


While we could get into a whole discussion about Jesus, our High Priest, I want to focus on the latter part of this verse: "hold firmly to the faith we profess."

A strong grasp...reach up and hold His hand. He will not let you go! even when you feel abandoned and alone, hold on, sister! Hold on to your faith - hold on to Jesus. Live boldly for Him.

Maybe you are saying, "Sure, Carolyn, this looks good in writing but it is not practical!" I am here to tell you that it is so much easier to live the life of a real Christian woman then pretending to be something you are not! Think about all of the times today you have caught yourself being fake, trying to please other people, making excuses, etc etc - are you catching my drift? Not yet? Did you give in to gossip today? Did you eat to satisfy your emptiness instead of turning to God? Did you pray, just to spend time with God? Did you study His Word?

I am not trying to make you feel guilty. I am the first to raise my hand and say, "Ummm...guilty." But I can tell you, dear friend, that living His way is so much easier. Trust me, hold firmly to that faith. Take it one day at a time - one minute at a time if you have to! Start thinking about your actions and motives and your words. When you speak, be speaking as if you were talking to Christ.

If Jesus left His towel on the floor would you nag at Him? Would you yell at Him to hurry up and get on the bus? Yep, you guessed it I am...ummm...guilty.

Hold firm to the faith you profess, and live the REAL life. Walk like Him, talk like Him, dress the way He would want you to dress, read what He would approve. Ooooh - are you thinking I am acting like a 1940s housewife? I am telling you - it really is EASIER to be strong and live boldly. Even if you are hurting, even if you are married to a non-believer, even if your kids are out of control.

Find yourself a Bible verse about strength and memorize it! Write it on post-it notes and stick it everywhere until it is in your heart. And keep on reminding yourself that God is your strength and that you want to be real!

For more inspiration, start studying Proverbs 31:10-31. We'll be talking about this passage a lot in the next weeks.

Know that I am praying for you. Hold on to the faith you profess, sweet girl!

Love,
Carolyn