Moms Like Us ..You!

This week, instead of having a Mom Like Us share her thoughts ...I would like YOU to share yours!

Are you a mom like us? Can you relate to the moms who have shared their hearts the last few weeks? Which questions did you most relate to?

For the next couple of weeks, I am going to as YOU some of these questions, and I would love for you to answer them ...we havent had a lot of comments on the blog, but I have heard alot of great feedback in other ways. So, I know that these answers are a great encouragement to Moms Like US!

So, this weeks question ...What do you feel is your greatest struggle as wife/mother?

See the links below to see some of the answers of our other Moms Like Us! :)

Moms Like Us: Jessica

 Our Mom Like Us of the week is a gal I met through the Seeds of Faith ifellowship (a weekly blog hop for christian women)...I have learned to appreciate and look forward to her wonderful ideas and thoughts on her blog, Our Family for His Glory. She has wonderful wisdom to offer in the area of teaching children and families to love God.  I have really enjoyed getting to know her better through this weeks post ...I know you will too!


{meet Jessica}

A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD

My husband (Gabe) & I have been married for 8 1/2 years & have 5 precious children… Alyssa & Elliana just turned 6, Kayla is 4 1/2, Isaiah is 2, & Annabella is 1. After we were fist married, my wonderful husband had the opportunity to do an internship at an amazing church. About a year later, that same church was looking for an associate pastor, & now he has been working there for the past 6 1/2 years. We truly feel blessed! Often people will think we have the perfect life… loving family, hearts for God, happily married, wonderful children… but, we are just like any other family where tears & pain are intermingled with hope & joy!

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM/WIFE?

It is hard to choose a greatest struggle! I think for me, there are many things that (especially combined) become even a greater struggle! Finding balance is one…between housework, being a loving/respectful wife, loving & caring for 5 children, spending time with God, homeschooling our children, helping at church, having time for friends, etc. I feel quite overwhelmed.

So, this is definitely a struggle for me, there just never seem to be enough minutes in the day to accomplish all that I would like to. God has helped me prioritize my days, & I am very blessed to have a husband that is more laid back than me in a lot of ways… this has helped me to let go of a lot of my own expectations.
Raising godly children is another… I know how important it is for ME to be following hard after God, otherwise how can I expect that of my children? I need to be CONTINUALLY seeking God & His guidance while raising this family to one day be lovers of God… it is a struggle, as it gets discouraging, when no fruit is being shown, or when I am just plain tired of dealing with the “heart issues” of our children (& myself)! But it is a struggle well worth fighting for.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO?
I believe God has called me (& really each of us) to bring Him glory in ALL that we do! Right now, my purpose is to be the best mom & wife & homemaker that I can be… to train my children to love & obey God, to be a respectful, caring wife, & to make our home a place where God is truly glorified! When I first had our twins, I was so discouraged that I couldn’t get more involved in reaching others for Christ… a sweet friend lovingly told me that I had 2 precious souls that lived right in my house that needed to be won for Christ. I had never looked at it that way before, & was so encouraged by her words to pour my energy into leading the little ones God had blessed me with to Himself.

WHAT RESOURCES THAT YOU FEEL GOD HAS GIVEN YOU DO YOU FEEL ARE UNIQUE TO YOU?
I guess I’m not really sure! I know God has given me a love for children, & creative ideas to teach them about God. He has also given me 5 little blessings :) that I learn from every day, & 1 amazing husband that is a godly, loving father to our children! And He gives me strength & joy for each day… otherwise I would never make it through!

A YAY ME! FROM THIS WEEK!
I got (with my husband’s help) all the clothes switched around… spring/summer clothes packed away- fall/winter clothes washed, folded & put away in drawers. It is always such a huge endeavor (& I always hope nobody stops by during the process)… but, it is finished- HURRAY!! :) I don’t have to pull out all those bins for another 6 months (hopefully)! {And the kids felt like it was Christmas… getting all the “new” clothes!}

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY?
Yes, the house feels at least a little put together if I make sure to have that one chore done. Plus, I expect my kids to make their beds each morning (except for Sundays), so I try to be a good example… making my bed, even when there are a thousand things I would rather be doing. :)

ARE YOUR DISHES DONE RIGHT NOW?
Yes!! :) Well, they are at least getting cleaned in the dishwasher as I type. And, usually I have a couple little helpers that are just dying to come & put the dishes away for me… they’re so sweet!

IS YOUR LAUNDRY ALL CAUGHT UP?
Sort of! Laundry is one of the things at our house that I often feel I cannot keep up with (although I do have helpers for this as well)! With our 3 girls switching clothes 5 times a day (to put on their ballet leotards & wedding gowns, etc.) & with the fact that this has been a busy week for laundry with all of the clothes switching around we did… I’m OK with the fact that there are some dirty clothes awaiting washing (there always are!!), as well as some clean clothes sitting in laundry baskets waiting to be folded & put away! I like to do laundry on Tuesdays & Fridays, so that I can keep up on the laundry as much as possible, & I am not stuck doing it every day.

WHAT VERSE DO YOU USE WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL?
Oh, there are SO many! I like to have verses hanging around my house so that I can see them randomly throughout my day! One of my favorites is Philippians 4:6-7 (actually I think I need to memorize all of Philippians)… “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And, Colossians 3:23 is helpful for ALL of us (to remember who we are serving)… “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Moms Like Us: Miriam

This week, our Mom Like Us is a mom I met via the bloggy world..we found each other through comments on ours and others' blogs here and there and yonder. I have been so encouraged by her sweet words of quiet encouragement on my blog, as well as her words on her own blog My Country Cupboard . I enjoyed getting to know her more through these questions, and I know you will as well.

{meet Miriam}

 A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD:
My husband, Daniel, and I have been married 6 ½ wonderful years. We met when I was 11 and he was 14, but it was several years until Daniel realized he was interested in me :) I was 19 when we were married after dating for 9 months (engaged for 2 of those :) )   I am living my dream – I always wanted to be a stay-at-home wife and mama :)  Susannah is our beautiful (and smiley!) 8 month old daughter.   I enjoy cooking and baking from scratch, and love to read a good book when I make the time.  We live in a tiny house on 2 ½ acres and are about ready to break ground for a nice-sized addition onto our home (DIY).  We love the country and look forwards to owning a big farmhouse on several acres one day, Lord willing.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM/WIFE?

Whew. I'm glad I'm not alone in this one: Time management :)  But I'm working on it.  I'll probably still be working on it 100 years from now if I'm still around! Ha!

PURPOSE TO WHICH GOD HAS CALLED YOU:

As I stated above, I've wanted to be a homemaker for as long as I can remember.  And I really feel like that is my calling.   But He's still working on me... I feel it every day.

WHAT RESOURCE DO YOU FEEL GOD HAVE YOU THAT IS UNIQUE TO YOU?

My growing up years.  I grew up on a dairy farm where I learned how to work hard and do a job well and completely, think logically, multitask, how to organize, direct and execute a mission, and a whole lotta other stuff that most people don't have the privilege of learning these days (and that's not saying I loved learning those lessons, but they serve me well now!). 

YAY FOR ME!

I got my homemade baby food supply restocked :P  I can procrastinate pretty good!

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Right now it is not made.  I don't “make” it every morning but most days at some point I like to toss the covers back up towards the pillows so it looks somewhat orderly.

ARE YOUR DISHES DONE?

HA!!!! <--- that means “far from it”  (But the kitchen is the first room I clean when I clean!)

IS YOUR LAUNDRY CAUGHT UP RIGHT NOW?

I'm on top of it in that I'm caught up on washing and drying.  The folding and putting away part... not so much.

WHAT VERSE DO YOU USE TO GROUND YOU WHEN YOU ARE FEELING OUT OF CONTROL?

2 Corinthians 9:8 
God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.

{learn more about Miriam by visiting her blog My Country Cupboard}

...and meet some of our other Moms Like Us ...Kim, Brandi, Rachel and Molly 

Moms Like Us: Molly

I have been getting some great feedback about this weekly feature! I think you all are right with me when it comes to loving being able to see how we are not alone, or our struggles unique in this crazy job of wife/mom/daughter of God :)

This week ..

{Meet Molly}

A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD
I’ve been married to my best friend Kevin for 5 years and am mom to two sweet, spunky, and hysterically funny girls, Charlotte (3) and Katie (almost 1). Kevin is in the Army and has spent half of our marriage (including most of Charlotte’s first 17 months) in Iraq. We moved last year to find a job that would keep him a little closer to home for a while. While he works, I stay home with my girls and our two cats, volunteer with the National Guard’s family programs, and ponder learning the craft of woodworking. 

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM/WIFE?
To balance all of the roles I play. I was Molly long before I was a wife and mom, and I struggle to maintain the delicate balance of dying to myself while still holding on to my identity outside of those roles.  I think it’s easy to swing too far in each direction – to demand that I be put first to the detriment of my family or to always put myself last, also to the detriment of my family. I’m learning that it’s in embracing who God made me to be that I can best fulfill the roles He has blessed me with.
 
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE YOU FEEL GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO?
Blessed Theresa of Calcutta once said “What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me can ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” I believe that God has called me to live my very simple life with great love and in doing so to show the world His heart.

WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU FEEL GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOU?  
There are so many resources God has blessed me with, but so few are unique to me. It’s really the combination of all of them that make my life what it is. But for the sake of the question, one aspect of my life that I am blessed with is having an open mind, with the desire to continually learn more and to challenge myself. I am unafraid to question my deeply held beliefs and to change my understanding of things as I learn new things. I know that if I am truly seeking God, He won’t ever lead me astray. Another resource that I consider invaluable is my education - I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, focusing on interpersonal relationships, and a Masters in child development, focusing on applying current research to inform your work with children and families. For me, that means continually educating myself on what we know about how kids develop – right now I am reading Girls Will Be Girls (JoAnn Deak) and The Philosophical Baby (Alison Gopnik).

A YAY ME! FROM THIS WEEK
I have almost lost all of my weight from the second baby. As of this morning, I only have 5 more pounds to lose!

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY?
No. About 1 o’clock in the afternoon, an overwhelming urge to sleep combined with a nicely made bed makes me crazy. It’s just easier to never make it and then curl up in it guilt free while the kids sleep.

ARE ALL YOUR DISHES DONE RIGHT NOW?
ha. are yours?{ha. NO.}

 IS YOUR LAUNDRY CAUGHT UP RIGHT NOW?
I wish. Laundry is the bane of my existence. I inevitably miss stains that then set in, and I always sneeze uncontrollably whenever I fold it. And as soon as I breathe a sigh of relief, my family brings me the 17 outfits the 3 of them decided to wear that day and I’m starting all over. I’m making steps to get it under control, but I'm finding it really comes down to willpower, which I strangely seem lack when I need it most.

WHAT IS THE VERSE THAT BRINGS YOU BACK TO THE GROUND WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL?
Honestly, it depends on the moment. My needs are constantly changing, and God speaks to me through different verses at different times in my life. Right now, God has been speaking to me most clearly through great Christian thinkers; the following prayer is by Thomas Merton and no matter where I am in life, I always return to it in times of distress:

MY LORD GOD: I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. 

{Thanks so much, Molly!}

Moms Like Us: Rachel

Well, I have to say that last weeks "Moms Like Us" is a bit late ..I have not excuse than, I totally forgot! :) But, I wanted to make sure you got to share this mom answers asap...because we are so encouraged to hear when we are not alone in this whole being a wife/mom/christian thing ...

{Meet Rachel}

A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD

I married my high school sweetheart, Jared eleven years ago. Quarterback meets band nerd, yeah I know kinda funny. We have two amazing children. Jared works long hours and very hard for us, but he is happy to do it. I love his sense of humor the most. He keeps me in stiches daily. He is an amazing husband and I am very blessed to have him.
I kept my job in retail after stepping down as the manager two years ago. I work two days per week for some fun money. I love to coupon and find it like a game to see how much I can save. I am an organizer for a meetup group for preschoolers, and the den leader for my son's cub scout den. I also homeschool our children.
Wyatt is 9 and has the most wonderful sense of humor. He loves to tell jokes and sing, and is fiercely protective of his little sister. Wyatt has had many problems over the years learning somewhat due to a medical condition. This year we have decided to homeschool, and I have not regretted that decision.
Abby is our very spunky 3 year old. She is incredibly athletic. She can already hit a softball across the yard. She loves to dance, and can be seen boogying around the house. She loves her brother and it warms my heart to see how much they really love each other.

We had a hard time getting a pic this week of all of them ..but these pics were taken this week of her little punkins at the Pumpkin Patch! :)

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM/WIFE 

Discipline. Discipline for my children and even discipline for my self. Not to say I don't discipline, but being consistent in it.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE YOU FEEL GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO?

I don't know. This is the question is always struggle with. I know that He wants me to raise my children to be godly children, and to be supportive of my DH. Some friends have said that I can be a good and objective listener, but I am not sure that is all that God has planned for me.
I also believe that God can constantly change what role he wants you to play. For instance, maybe this week He needs me to be there for a friend. Hear her out, support her, pray for her, minister to her, and to tell her that God wants her to come back. He fights for her daily. This month he could put me in a position that someone else is watching my responses to a situation. He could be using me to show that someone that we can go through difficult situations without reacting with anger.

WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU FEEL GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOU?

The ability to multi-task. Sometimes I look at my schedule and wonder how I do it. I am also live near by both sides of our family. They are such a blessing. I also love that I have such wonderful godly women as friends to lift me up when I need it. Surrounding myself with these people constantly renews me when I am on empty.

{Courtney here ..I can back this one up, she can juggle more stuff than you would believe!:)

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY? Not a chance. Really? Do people really do that?

ARE ALL YOUR DISHES DONE RIGHT NOW? Yes

IS YOUR LAUNDRY CAUGHT UP RIGHT NOW? No, but it isn't out of control.

WHAT IS THE VERSE THAT BRINGS YOU BACK TO THE GROUND WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL?
Well what I read when I feel out of control is this Phillipians 4 12-13. It is so encouraging for me. It pulls me right back in and reading it works liking take a big deep breath.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I also really like Psalm 33 20-22. It reminds me to put my trust in him.
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

YAY FOR YOU!
Well not really a yay for me moment,, but certainly a warm and fuzzy one. I told the kids we were taking them out to dinner. ( A rare treat). 
These were there responses:
Wyatt: Is it a kids eat free place? We want to make sure we are using our money wisely, and not being wasteful. (And yes it was-boy am I proud of him)
Abby- You are the bestest mommy and daddy I ever had! I love you! (Not sure if that is the best compliment-since Jared pointed out we are her only mommy and daddy, but I loved it)

Moms Like Us: Brandi

I think that so many of our mommy stresses are related to the fact that we sometimes feel alone in our struggles and frustrations! I know that there is much relief for me those times when I am reminded that we are all in this together, and that we all struggle with these same things on a regular basis

So, for our second week of Moms Like Us ...

{Meet Brandi}

 A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD ...

I have been greatly blessed to be Ben's wife for eight years and Riley and Wesley's Mommy for two. Did I ever imagine thatGod's blessings would bring me all the way across the U.S., far, far from family and friends....only to give me more amazing friends and family? Nope. 

But here we are, happy as can be! Ben is a teacher, as well as a football coach and after-school mentor. I don't love the long days of football season, but then I remember the wonderful payoff of summertime and lots of extra Ben/Daddy time forus. That, plus the great example he is for so many high school aged students who could use all of the good examples that they can get. 

I get to work PRN in Physical Therapy, which I am so thankful for. I still get to work now and again, but mostly I get to be home with our sweet little muffins. The boys are twenty seven months, and that
should be enough said as to their ever-busy, wonderfully exciting toddler-hood. (Are they even still toddlers? I guess they're almost preschoolers already.) 

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM? 

  ...time management. Nothing new there I know, as all moms have that struggle. But I have an image of the Mommy I want to be in my head, and I find it tricky to be that woman every day. (o.k., sometimes it's tricky to be that woman for hours in a row if I'm being honest.) I really try to remind
myself that chores like keeping the laundry up, or keeping the kitchen clean are important pieces to the whole of a happy home. Spending time with the boys is so important, and I do so much better at it when I've done the other not-as-exciting must-be-dones around the house. I do agree that Mommyhood is about self sacrifice, to an extent. I try to remember that God's reward for serving Him in the role of a
good parent is going to far outweigh the small self sacrifices like missing out on extra hours of scrapbook time for instance. I also think of what my good friend Courtney says in that these times are "a season" in our lives. These precious Mommy days will soon become
Mom days when the boys won't need as much, and I may find myself
missing all of the needing of Mommy. 

***I'll come back to this list during nap time!***

(Courtney here ...I had to leave that in because who cant relate to that?!)

 

 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE YOU FEEL GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO?

I sometimes feel that God's purpose for me is to truly be the quiet and gentle spirit in my family. If you knew my extended family, and my tendency to not be so quiet or gentle at times, you'd understand when I say that I'm a work in progress. Being the only girl in a family with three brothers, I can see now that I'm more of the sounding board, ear to bend, shoulder to lean on for my siblings. I'm definitely beginning to understand what selfless sacrifices my Mom must have made over the years and now enjoy her as a friend as much as my mother. When I think of Ben and my family, I also think of the role I aspire to lead...quietly and gently. I think about my boys' future and the girls they'll become friends with and especially the one's they'll marry and I pray that the character they'll look for in those girls will be God-centered. I further pray that they'll naturally be drawn to that because of the example they've been given from their Mommy, not inspite of their Mommy. The role of a quiet and gentle spirit in my marriage is again, a work in progress. Perhaps Ben could better answer about my success in that regard when looking for a true picture. I feel that real strength is sometimes being quiet and gentle, although that's not what the world would say. In the meantime, I'm still working on myself.

WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU FEEL GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOU?  

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of "unique resource" is having twins. Now honestly, in the beginning, meaning most of year one, I probaby wouldn't have thought of 2 x everything as resourceful. But the beauty of God's timing is that we live in His unfailing patience, and after having been through a time of higher stress, or difficulty, He's sees us through and causes us to grow. By no means am I saying that I've mastered the art of Mommyhood, but I feel like I'm seeing now how 2 two-year-olds can in fact be a wonderful resource. Do I feel like that every minute? No. Do I feel like that when they are best buddies and learn and play together? Yes. Am I especially feeling that way when they have the same nap times every day? Absolutely.

A YAY ME FROM THIS WEEK?

My "yay" for me moment was Thursday evening when I decided to give the boys and early dinner, pack them up and take them out to watch Ben coach his Gators for their Thursday night game. Packing up the boys can be a chore that sometimes outweighs my good intentions of outings. (Silly perhaps, but true...don't judge me too harshly.) There came a point when I knew we'd be late to the game and I still needed to stop for cash to get into the game, ect. I made up my mind to go however, and we made it, better late than never. The game itself stunk for the Gators, but was a "touchdown" for the Greene team. The boys could not have been more well behaved. I love them, but they're two....I knew it could have gotten hairy. Riley sat on my lap, and Wesley sat on the bench for the entire second half, without a single whine, cry or complaint. They cheered for Daddy and the Gators, they ate snacks and best of all they snuck up and suprised Ben after the game as he didn't know we were coming. Ben said several times that that was the best part of his entire day. "Yay" for Mommy. :)

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY ? .. No. Do I wish I was that neat and tidy, yes. I'd say I average around 30 to 40% of the "make my bed each day" goal.

ARE ALL YOUR DISHES DONE RIGHT NOW? ...Yes. I am more of a dish fanactic than a make my bed fanatic. For some reason, (o.k. my Mom is that reason) I just have a need to have a cleaned out sink. If I'm at the sink to rinse, then I'm there to also get the dishes in the dishwasher and get it running. Then empited. My dishwasher is currently running.

HOW ABOUT YOUR LAUNDRY? Yes. I am on top of the laundry curve at the moment. There are times when I'm parting through laundry like Moses through the Red Sea, but today, I'm caught up. Ask me tomorrow, and I'd most likely have a different answer.

WHAT IS A VERSE THAT GROUNDS YOU WHEN YOU ARE FEELING OUT OF CONTROL?

 I like John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world."
Not to get into a political debate, but at times things in this present time seem to be overwhelming. I can't help but think back on OT times when nations rejected God and He let those nations fall. Our only guarantee is that because Jesus overcame the world, in every sense, with His Spirit we can have peace and courage.

Another favorite of mine is Jesus' prayer in John 17. In verses 19-21 Jesus says "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You Father are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."  I've read it over and over and one day it just hit me in a way that highlighted the fact that this recorded prayer was Jesus praying for the apostles, and US....we are the "but for those also who believe in Me through their word" people. (perhaps not a revelation to you, but it just hit me as so personal) Jesus was praying for us, specifically, all of those years ago, just before carrying out God's will of the cross. It's a written account of His personal prayer to His Father and they were talking about us, AND wanting us to share in Their glory. Whoa. It just really stands out for me.

{Thanks for sharing Brandi!}

Moms Like Us: Kim

I think that so many of our mommy stresses are related to the fact that we sometimes feel alone in our struggles and frustrations! I know that there is much relief for me those times when I am reminded that we are all in this together, and that we all struggle with these same things on a regular basis! 

I would like to begin a weekly feature, called Moms Like Us where we will meet a mom who we can relate to on a deeper level. 

Our first Mom Like Us, is Kim - she agreed to be a guinea pig for our first week! 

{Meet Kim} 

We asked Kim some questions, so that we can get to know her better. Here are her responses ...

A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BROOD
I have been married to Greg, a truly amazing man, for a little over seven years, and I have two children, Luke (4), and Anna (2).  A few weeks before we were married, my husband was hired as the youth minister to a church outside of Charleston.  We moved there from Tennessee a couple months after we married, and have lived and served here ever since.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A MOM/WIFE?

  Prioritizing.  Sometimes it seems that being a mother and homemaker are mutually exclusive tasks.  It seems like I can't clean without neglecting my children, and I can't play with my children without neglecting my house!  For awhile after having kids, I struggled with guilt:  whatever I was doing, I felt guilty that I wasn't doing something else.  If I was doing laundry, I needed to be playing with my kids.  If I was playing with my kids, I'd feel bad for not serving more at church.  If I was serving at church, I was worrying that I was neglecting my marriage.  Looking back, it was kind of ridiculous, and I'm getting better at praying about priorities and then letting God lead me through each day.  Still, it is sometimes hard even now to prioritize my time.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE YOU FEEL GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO? 

Hmmm.  My purpose on earth is to glorify God and to point others to Him.  At different phases of my life, that has meant different things. Right now, I believe that it means pouring love into my children and raising them to love and obey the Lord; making my home a haven both for my family and for others; and making all of my resources available to God to use as He sees fit.

WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU FEEL GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOU?   

Well, I can't say that any are unique to me, but He has given me time, money, a decent work ethic, and a moderate amount of talent at writing.  Probably my most unique "resource" is my husband.  As a youth minister, he is gone a lot of nights and weekends, but he takes advantage of whatever flexibility he has in his schedule to serve his family.  The effort he puts into taking care of the household (mowing the grass, being the family "banker," washing dishes, etc), and the attention he lavishes on my children make my job soooo much easier!  Like I said earlier, he is truly an amazing man.

A YAY ME! FROM THIS WEEK 

I have had much more energy this week b/c I have been eating healthier.  Baby carrots and hummus were both half off at Bi-Lo this week, so they have become a regular snack.  Feta cheese and apples were also half off, and so I have been eating spinach salads with feta and apples for lunch, instead of my usual soup and sandwich.  I guess this is more a "Yay, Grocery Stores!" than "Yay, Me!" but I've been so happy to eat healthy things that I got for really great prices!

DO YOU MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY?
Yep.  I try to, for my own sanity.  Oddly, the days I'm most relaxed and content with my life are the days I might let it go undone.  But on the average day, seeing a nice made-up bed throughout the day just makes me happy.

ARE ALL YOUR DISHES DONE RIGHT NOW?
Nope.  Unless we have a baking day or have guests over for dinner, dishes in this house only get washed once a day, at the end of it.  I clean up after each meal, and rinse everything, but I leave the dishes in the sink.  And then...my wonderful husband washes them after I go to bed!  Seriously, I did not ask him to do this.  He's just that good.  So I go to bed every night with dishes in the sink, and then wake up to a nice, clean kitchen.  It's a great way to start the day.

IS YOUR LAUNDRY CAUGHT UP RIGHT NOW?
No, but I'm getting close:).  I am hoping to catch up by the end of the day.  I've actually found that once I get on top of it, it's pretty easy to stay "caught up."  Unfortunately, the only thing EASIER is to get behind again.  Go figure!:)

WHAT IS THE VERSE THAT BRINGS YOU BACK TO THE GROUND WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL?
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Prov. 3:5-6.  I find this verse to be very freeing, b/c it clearly defines my role, as well as God's.  My role is to trust God and to acknowledge Him.  His job is to make my paths straight.  I don't have to understand everything or figure it all out on my own.  I just have to trust and acknowledge God.  That's always a comfort to me.

Thanks Kim, for sharing!

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