the imperfect mother

The perfect mom isn’t perfect.

She’s the perfect mom for her kids, but she isn’t perfect.

In fact, her kids are probably the ones who know the best how imperfect she really is.

As I look back at my childhood and growing up years, it isn’t the bad days, the exhausted years (as I am now finding out, it isn’t days or months that a mama is going to be always exhausted, it’s years ) , the days that ‘mama ain’t happy’ and isn’t the perfect mother that I recall most quickly. It’s the days we did plays about every subject under the sun, that we spent time with friends and family, the days we made new foods  in the kitchen, the seasons of learning new skills, it was the moments that make memories. The growing up in a family that loves God and each other. The growing up in a home where school wasn’t a place, it was a lifestyle. The growing up in a home that was always looking for  creative ways of giving to others. The growing up in an imperfect home and world so when I find myself wondering why I can never seem to be the ‘perfect mom’ I can look back and know it’s the imperfections that give the greatest understanding of grace and mercy, of forgiveness and understanding, of loving the unlovable and appreciating kindness and giving thanks in all circumstances.

This is a gift that is worth passing on to our kids. The knowledge that even though mama isn’t perfect, mama gets upset and frustrated, mama is tired and mama has bad days. We have a God that loves us, that forgives time and time again. It’s in our own sinfulness that we can help point our children to the Savior that we so desperately need and help them see that they need Him too.

And generation after generation are going to be imperfect. It’s the world we live in. But it’s the little moments, the finding joy in the now, the knowing that what we are doing in raising our children is impacting eternity that gives a mother the strength to meet another day and keep on going.

So, thanks Mom, not for being perfect but for being the perfect mom for me!

(my grandma, my mom, myself and my oldest daughter – all around 4 months)

this season

Loved this from Lindsey’s post this week……

“I know in the next season of my life, I will truly miss kissing boo-boos, wiping sweet bottoms, and putting on multiple pairs of little shoes and coats, so why not see the beauty in it now? Lord, give us grace to embrace the season you have placed us in and take time today to enjoy the blessings.”

It’s a wonderful reminder to enjoy these busy days with little ones! You can read the rest here!

Being an Intentional Mom

Found a new blog today….. not only is her blog beautiful but I was wonderfully encouraged reading through her posts.  This is one post, linked below, I especially liked and really related too. So often there is much in my head I WANT to be doing and I am not. The tyranny of the here and now, the laundry and the dishes and the crying babies distract me. But I realized this morning I am so thankful for this blog and so many others I often read. Ann Voskamp, Sally Clarkson, At the Well….. that encourage me daily to take the moments now. To treasure these moments and make the most of them in the midst of the daily grind of life. The long days, the short nights, life with little ones is never easy, but we can choose to be encouraged. To keep on pressing on to our goals and to keep living more and more intentionally.

Being an Intentional Mom.

Today…. I am thankful for all the encouragement I receive from women I have never met, yet I often feel like I know well… thank you for sharing from heart and helping this mama you don’t know.

Thank you.

These are just some of the blogs that encourage me often….. A Holy Experience/Ann Voskamp, I Take Joy/Sally Clarkson, At the Well, Mom Heart, Stretching Into Blue/SarahMae, Passionate Homemaking……. will you share in the comments below any ones you especially love?

 

 

This post is linked as part of Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday link up

thoughts on mothering

Motherhood – in all of its splendor and reality– is one of the greatest gifts God could ever bestow upon any person and yet is completely entwined with some of the greatest challenges we may ever face.

Our job is non-negotiable.  We can’t stay in bed because we don’t feel like we have the strength or the energy for today; we have to get up and carry out those repetitive routines whether we want to or not.

Excerpt from this article at Momheart.org, click here to read it all! 

via Sixty minutes an hour….. from in-courage this morning!

But really? That’s exchanging one gift for another. These days I have now, they are precious, just like the ones I’ll have in a few years. Wishing them away is to miss the beauty right in front of me, encrusted countertop and all.

Enjoy and may your mothering be blessed this week!

the Resurrection

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 13-14,20-22, 55-58

The kids and I often talk about how Christ died for sins. For my sins, for their sins. As much as a child can understand it, they do. But I am often struck as we are talking that I have to mention this as well. HE DIDN’T JUST DIE…. HE ROSE AGAIN AS WELL! Without the resurrection Christ’s death would have no point. He had to come back to life. This is what separates Christianity from all other religions. And without it the gospel message is not complete.

Thank you Lord for your total, complete and finished work – a perfect life, a sacrificial death and the Resurrection!

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

And then one day I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Words: Bill & Gloria Gaither

Thankful for my laundry

Laundry – it seems much of my life is consumed by laundry. 

With 5 little ones, a husband that works in the carpentry trade and myself, we create alot of laundry.

It’s just life. 

I often am looking for “the best” way to do laundry. One load a day? All the laundry for the week on one day? Well, neither work overly great for me. I can’t seem to get enough done in one to call it good for the week. It usually stretches into 2-3 days, which sort of defeats the purpose of “one laundry day”! One load a day doesn’t seem to get it done either, we have more laundry then that. 

For me, what works best at the moment is a couple days of getting as much of it done as we can. Usually Monday and Tuesday. I can get most all the laundry done on those days. Then another day, Friday or maybe Saturday I do another 2 loads or so. This keeps the laundry fairly caught up and doesn’t leave me feeling like I do laundry all. the. time. There are days when I realize “I’m just not even starting a load of laundry today” – and I love being able to do that. Other days when I keep it going all day and end up with a ton of clean laundry to fold  

But for the most part I get it all done. If I don’t it waits till another day. And that’s okay.

It’s not all gonna get done today! 

This week as I was thinking about the laundry and the shear amount of it that had accumulated over the weekend, I was feeling discouraged. There was just so much to get done. But then I realized my attitude wasn’t going to change the amount of laundry on the floor. Or the fact that 4 of the kids were happily playing in the backyard which is mostly dirt and would be coming in and needing a change of clothes several times in the day. So, I decided I just needed to choose to be thankful. I looked around and realized I was very thankful for my washer and dryer. This “laundress” position would be much harder without them. I was thankful for 5 healthy children who got their clothes dirty running around and having fun. I was thankful for the work my husband has right now that brings him home covered in sawdust. And then I got that washer going and going and going …… and yes, I need to go change the laundry even now

This post is linked as part of Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers and and Homemaking Wednesdays at Raising Homemakers. 

Domestic Kindness « Femina

I read this blog post this morning and realized I need to work on showing more kindness around our house. I am printing this and sticking it on our fridge to help me remember this week…..  how about you?

Domestic Kindness « Femina.