Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Don't Try To Measure Up ...
It is a nasty cycle trying to measure up all day long as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, or sister ... I have given myself permission to NOT get it right all day long EVERY DAY ... There are some days when I am a really good wife, but not such a great mom. Weeks when I am good friend, but stink as a wife and then there is the rare moment when I do a pretty good job with all the titles God has called me to be ...
It is funny when people ask, HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL w/ 6 kids, 147, basketball, doctors/hospital and just life? Well, I really don't very often ... I am a type A personality, so organizing and check lists are my DREAMLAND, but that doesn't always work in the moment ... And I have decided to just laugh it off when things don't go my way or I lose my sanity !!!! hee hee
Give yourself permission to FAIL because it is in those moments when God can do a great work in you ... It is like you give HIM permission to mold you again into the person HE wants you to be ... One thing that Suzanne and I have committed to each other is that we will always check in on how we are doing in our marriages and our relationship with the LORD ... These two relationships are the corner stones for all the rest ...
So always remember on the days when it just isn't clicking don't hold on to that feeling ... Open up your heart and let the LORD re-direct you and refine you ... It is important to feel defeated at times in our flesh ... It puts ETERNAL things in perspective ...
You are fearfully and wonderfully made according to scripture, so if the God of the Universe made you then HE can use you just the way your are !!!
I so wish I had some pictures from this weekends Created To Care Retreat ... My friend Andrea did an amazing job at hosting, organizing and making sure all the MOMS were encouraged and revived ... I love sharing God's story in my life and about 147 ... I am real, I am a mess, I am normal, I am crazy and so much more ... I just want to be a vessel for God and I know you do too, so DON'T TRY TO MEASURE UP to anyone, but the person God has called you to be ...
ANSWERING THE CALL,
It is funny when people ask, HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL w/ 6 kids, 147, basketball, doctors/hospital and just life? Well, I really don't very often ... I am a type A personality, so organizing and check lists are my DREAMLAND, but that doesn't always work in the moment ... And I have decided to just laugh it off when things don't go my way or I lose my sanity !!!! hee hee
Give yourself permission to FAIL because it is in those moments when God can do a great work in you ... It is like you give HIM permission to mold you again into the person HE wants you to be ... One thing that Suzanne and I have committed to each other is that we will always check in on how we are doing in our marriages and our relationship with the LORD ... These two relationships are the corner stones for all the rest ...
So always remember on the days when it just isn't clicking don't hold on to that feeling ... Open up your heart and let the LORD re-direct you and refine you ... It is important to feel defeated at times in our flesh ... It puts ETERNAL things in perspective ...
You are fearfully and wonderfully made according to scripture, so if the God of the Universe made you then HE can use you just the way your are !!!
I so wish I had some pictures from this weekends Created To Care Retreat ... My friend Andrea did an amazing job at hosting, organizing and making sure all the MOMS were encouraged and revived ... I love sharing God's story in my life and about 147 ... I am real, I am a mess, I am normal, I am crazy and so much more ... I just want to be a vessel for God and I know you do too, so DON'T TRY TO MEASURE UP to anyone, but the person God has called you to be ...
ANSWERING THE CALL,
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19 kind words.:
Beautifully said! Thank you! I couldn't agree with you more and love the way you put that "it is important to feel defeated at times in our flesh, it puts eternal things in perspective...good stuff!
Amen amen and AMEN! Love you sister.
As always, Gwen, your words speak straight to my heart, THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for this encouragement!
Thanks Gwen, I needed to read that. If you ask anyone that knows me they will tell you "type A and organized" are 2 words that go hand in hand with me. Some days it is just not easy to let go and it's really hard to have other non-type A's (like my husband) tell you too because they just don't get it but it is refreshing to hear coming from another type-A. I definitely needed to be reminded to let myself fail at times and I appreciate your post!
Oh, my goodness.. thank you SO MUCH for posting this because it's exactly what my heart needed to hear! I have really been struggling lately with how to 'do it all', have it all 'together', AND have a positive attitude ALL of the time. I often wonder how moms with MORE kids or MORE responsibilities DO IT and I can't, I must admit. I do TRY to do the best that I can every day, and I know that no one is PERFECT.. but I AM pretty hard on myself. Needless to say, I'm going to try to take your advice!
AMEN- I fail all the time!!! Thank God for GRACE!
Wow, Gwen! Such wisdom and truth! We can't do it all and even if we could come close, we wouldn't need HIM! Thanks for sharing your heart.
Just what I needed to hear! Thank you Gwen!
just what this woman needed to hear tonight. thanks.
Your words are refreshment to my soul. I really needed to hear this today. Love ya.
Gwen, thank you. xoxox Esty
Thank you sister...I just needed this today..after a long morning with my children not being very respectful to each other. Scolding and discipline wasn't cutting it, but cleaning did! thank you thank you thank you!
We are to hard on ourselves all the time!
Jill
www.campfunk.blogspot.com
Amen! God has really been showing me that this is exactly where the gospel is! Thanks, Gwen!
Loved getting to meet you last weekend, Gwen! You are so precious, and your love for the Lord and for orphans and adoption just shines from you! Thanks for sharing your heart with us!!!
Loved what you shared and the part about accountability for your marriage and walk with the Lord is what it is about. Those two are KEY in everything else. Thanks for your transparency. Already missing you with the conference coming up. Love to you all!!!!!
Lisa
I kid you not I have been having one of THOSE days when i just felt like I was less than enough in EVERY area and my prayer was, "YOu know Lord if I could just hear that someone I admire...like those 147 million moms...felt this way sometimes...it would really be an encouragement today! Wow!! Thank you for admitting that there are just times when you aren't perfect and you can't do it all. Sigh...I feel better:)
I, too, get asked all the time "how do you do it?"
... as a mother of a dozen children
... as a homeschooling mom
... as an adoptive mom of a child with RAD
... as a woman with a speaking & writing ministry
I, too, am a Type A kind of woman. However, the key to my crazy life has been FLEXIBILITY. I can make all of the lists, and double check them daily. But, if I get too set on those lists, that is when I fail. I have to be able to daily surrender my lists to the Lord, and allow him to direct my steps.
It's a balance ... structure vs. flexibility. If I focus too much on either one, I cannot do all that I do. I must always seek the balance.
Hope your week is BLESSED!
Laurel
PS: God worked an AMAZING MIRACLE in my life this week. You might want to check out my blog posts all week (as I have so very much to share). Love ya!
Us Type A moms like to have things under control and it's just like God to remind us that HE is the one in control. Thanks for sharing that it's okay to not be in control in all areas at all times, that's not really our place anyway. And thank you, Laurel, for your input as well.