Moms-Take five!

‘Tis the week before Christmas.

How in the world did it sneak up on us again?

Are you stressing?

Did you think you had it under control this year only to find that it is going to take Mighty Mom going into major overdrive to have everything picture perfect ready in the short time we have left?

STOP.

JUST STOP.

Take 5 minutes or so. Sip your coffee, relax and breathe. Go a little easier on yourself, and read through these five posts for some ideas and encouragement.

1. The Happy Wives Club: Making Marriage a Priority When You Are Busy

I’ve got to tell you I did a major happy dance when I came across The Happy Wives Club, for those who believe love rocks. You mean there are lots of women like me who adore their husbands?! Woohoo! We hear and read so much negativity about marriage and disrespecting our spouses that this blog was truly a breath of fresh air. In this busy season Fawn pens a great reminder about making sure we take the time to make our marriages a priority. If we don’t, who will?

Fawn writes:

So Wednesday I decided to carve as much time out of my day as possible to do some special things for him.  Simple things I knew would mean alot to him.  I was feeling really good about myself and what I’d done that day for my hubby.  That was until I was stopped dead in my tracks.  I realized the reason these things were so “special” was because it had been so long since I’d done them.  I’d somehow allowed the busyness of life to compete with our relationship.

Read the whole thing, and be prepared for some quick, simple and possibly surprising steps to keep your marriage strong.

2. The Better Mom: Not Exactly the Picture Perfect Family

While our kids our still young, our households can be so incredibly hectic, and perhaps we sometimes find ourselves wishing for those quieter moments in the future when the kids become more “real” grownups. Sally Clarkson shares:

Somehow I thought that my training would transform my children into something supernatural. But though, all have matured, and I am so blessed that they love us and love the Lord, all are very much the same and have the same personality issues and antics. The mix of all of us together is dramatic–never a dull moment.

My role as a mother has grown with my children, but it has never lessened.

Click on over and read it all, and be joyful for the here and now, as imperfect as we all are.

3. I interrupt this project for a little focus: Christmas- 1 Corinthians 13 Style

This post from Kathi Lipp is one of my favorite reads this year, and is going into my Christmas planning notebook for next year.

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

Go read it, print it, let it convict you so you remember what is important in your life.

4. The MOD (Mothers of Daughters) Squad:  Lack of Planning

You are probably all familiar with the saying “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part”, and it probably runs through your head fairly often as your kids are in a panic, asking you where their favorite jeans are. However, what happens when it’s you who is guilty? Author Tracie found herself there recently.

I’ve seen this print numerous times on Pinterest.  It generally gives me little chuckle as I recall previous employers, clients, etc. who weren’t timely in preparing for their needs, which in turn meant they expected me to hand them the world, wrapped up pretty-like, in an undoable amount of time.

Anyone relate?  It’s easy to see this in light of others lack of planning.

But what about when it points to me?  Ouch!

God has laid these exact words on my heart lately in a very real and painful way.

I love how Tracie shows me that I, too, need to be mindful of my time management, and I hope you enjoy her reminder as well.

5. Karen Spiegler, Twas the Night Before Christmas…for Moms!-a parody

I assumed that there was a woman somewhere who had written an ode to moms as they scrambled to finish up on Christmas Eve, and so I was delighted when I found this piece by Karen, and really enjoyed her message.

When this season gets to be too much – just read this poem…

Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode

Only one creature was stirring, & she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,

while visions of Nintendo 64 & Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,

with a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee.

So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,

which made her sigh, “Now what is the matter?”

You can read the rest here. Enjoy, share, laugh, and return to your day with a little more joy in your heart and lightness in your step.

Sharing at No Ordinary Blog Hop

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