Do Everything

I am getting overwhelmed with all of the great articles and parenting books I have been reading lately. I catch on to a lot of things from other people's blogs, so I am usually behind the curve, and I am sure most of you have already seen some or all of these, but they were too good for me not to share (and I also want to have them here in case I want to reference them again).

This blog is so great, and every time I read it, I am inspired to try to be a better mother.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/i-wish-i-had-a-child-like-you

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-application

Both of these posts really stirred a lot in my heart. Motherhood has been so much more than I thought it ever would be- in good ways and in challenging ways. I'm not the mother I thought I would be, and that is also good and bad. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to work on how I mother Helen Claire (especially as we enter toddlerhood), and these posts sum up some of what I feel inside... especially this excerpt:

"The good news is, you don’t need to have been through some elite mother’s training camp to apply the gospel in your life. You need to believe. Trust God, give thanks. Laugh. Believe — and that will feed your children. Rest in God, and your children will learn to. Extend God’s kindness to you, to them. Forgive them the way God forgave you. You have everything you need to spiritually nourish your children, because you have Christ."

It gives me comfort to know that I don't have to be my "perfect" vision of a mother... I need to know who I am in Christ and give Helen Claire that same kind of trust in her life.

Which brings me to another point... I was sitting in the drive thru for lunch today. I had taken a dress to the monogram place so it would be ready in time for school picture day next week. I had a million different things running through my mind... errands to run... things we need to do this weekend...immunization records I need to get to school. Anyway, a song came on the radio about doing everything for the glory of God... even the little things. It's a Steven Curtis Chapman song called "Do Everything", and it starts off with a verse about a mama with a child on her hip, putting on her lipstick, trying to head out the door. It's pretty much my morning day after day, so it resonated, and I started thinking, "Do I really do all of that- especially in the busy morning rush- for God's glory? Does my child really see that I have joy in doing those things.. "every little thing", for her and with her- when she's pulling on my leg and trying to open my bathroom cabinet for the 16th time and I need to get dressed and get to school and work on time... probably not." The purpose of the song is that it all matters, even the little things we do that we think no one notices. It all serves a much greater purpose, and we should do those things in a way that "tells the story of Grace." That's a lot to live up to, but it is so true and important.

So, anyway, I think God is trying to send me a message. As I sat there, I thought, one day, I'm not going to be this busy mother with a little one and lots to cross off my list. We had freshmen move in day last week at work, and it hit me live and in person that one day, that will be us- we will be those parents moving our baby to college. So my mind went back to the articles and the song and how I need to have an identity in Christ, not just in what I do every day or where we are right now in this life stage, because this is all so fleeting. Just ask any of those parents from last week... they will all tell you it seems like just yesterday.

Is this WAY too deep for this little blog? Are y'all caught completely off guard. I know you just came here for a cute little post about how much Helen Claire weighs or what she likes to do these days. I know I usually just have pictures and updates and little fun Helen Claire stuff, but I felt like this was important for me to get out today, since so many things in my life have been pointing me straight at this lesson. Maybe I needed to put it all out there to finally realize that God has been trying to get me to see this. So, thanks for letting me. I promise things will be back to normal next post :) And, since you made it all the way to the end of my ramblings, you do get a little treat- we have a whole post dedicated to this little girl's Cabbage Patch adventure coming up soon! (P.S.- I can't get enough of those baby thighs).