Mother's Day...and the flood of emotions that come with

Wow, my 5th mother's day - how did that happen? I so fondly remember every day, before I was even married, of what I wouldn't give to be a "mommy"! How I would love my children with every ounce of my being, how I would forever teach them amazing, wonderful, loving, honorable things that only a mother can truly teach...you can see where I am going...UNrealistic expectations! That's right - they are everywhere. And lately that is what I'm flooded with...keeping the perfect balance of marriage, being a mom, a part time working from home mom at that (what is the acronym for that...SAHWFHM - stay at home work from home mom), a loving and adoring and submissive and encouragin wife, a forever friend who never misses a birthday or anniversary or kids' birthday or death of a pet kind of friend...and so on and so on

Let's get real ladies (yes, I say ladies b/c no man in their right mind would really get caught up in my nonsense, and I have 2 girls who some day will get to read my ramblings)...so back to getting real...God is the ONLY perfect ONE whom will ever cross our paths, EVER! So instead of creating my list of unrealistic expectations that I think everyone else in the world also has of me, I need to LET IT GO! Let go of the tasks I don't accomplish; let go of the fact that although I should've been working or doing bible study, I accidentally went to Target to get "just a couple things"; let go of the days where I raised my voice at my kids one too many times (although this one I truly need to work on); let go of the fact that all day I was really longing to create a conversation in my head that my husband and I were going to have when he got home b/c he was "Just dying" to tell me this really meaningful and emotional thing that occurred to him during the day that he couldn't wait to share with me...and the girls quietly played together in a room so we could have that uninterrupted moment...LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you laughing with me yet?

Okay, my point is (at 12:21 am) that I clearly have set myself up to fail at EVERYthing, so give it up; give it up to the One who cares about every single one of those dreams, wishes, unrealistic expectations that I've ever had and ASK HIM to give me some reasonable goals and expectaions! Then ask my husband what 3-4 expectations he has that are most important to him; ask my children what their favorite thing to do is that I can try to accomplish for them every once in a while; and ask and pray for wisdom and discernment for all the other areas I still allow to hang over my head.

Tonight at bible study I was sharing how all God really asks of us as moms is to raise our children in the way they should go...that's it ;) The only way we can do that is by surrendering ourselves to Him. My kids should expect to know that I love them no matter what, that Jesus loves them no matter what, and I need to focus on that expectation - love them and include them in loving others. Such a hard thing, yet so simple thing, to do. And somehow I know I have failed at it, but that's an important one! I need to focus in on those oh so important expectations, and I should just let God take over the rest. He is a loving, forgiving, all-knowing God who will get me through it. And with that, I just realized how tired I am, esp. from typing this without glasses on ;)

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Dear Lord - let me please get this one right!