I AM a good mom!

I know some of you saw that title and were thinking, oh boy 'what is she up to today?'

Or, maybe after some of my other, more "overwhelmed" entries in the last couple of weeks, you're thankful that that slump is over, let's get on to the happy, cheery stuff.

Or, maybe you were thinking she needs a dose of humble pie.

Or, maybe, and this is the one I hope for all of you mommas, you were thinking, that's Damned right. You are and I am too.

Really, if you're a mom, stop reading this right now and just say to yourself, I AM A GOOD MOTHER.

How did that feel?

I know it made me feel better when I forced myself to say it this morning!

It all started with a conversation I had with Scott last night. After I told him the 5 things I appreciated about him (see my last entry), he first asked me why I was being so nice (ha!), and then decided he wanted to tell me five things he appreciated about me.

Not sure if this one totally counts, but one of them was...

"I appreciate what a responsible mother you are."
"Well, what does that mean?" I asked.
"Well, you don't go out and get drunk or smoke cigarettes or get tattos."

I'm laughing as I write that because it is what he really said. I mean aren't those things a GIVEN?!

He did go on to expand about my thoughtfulness about their constant needs, and feeding them, and making sure their clothes fit, etc. And, I thought, "Hmm, he's right. I am constantly thinking about their needs. I do try to take good care of them. I play with them and read them books. I've made sacrifices in my own personal life so that they can have a wonderful start to their life."

We do take these things for granted--all that we do for our children. It all becomes so routine that it doesn't seem out of the ordinary-- it just seems like part of life. But it is these routine, daily things that make their lives what they are and that make them feel loved. Because our children are not old enough to understand or say that they appreciate these things, I'm here today to tell you that they do and that you ARE a good mother for all that you do.

We need to say that more often to ourselves. I know I spend a lot of my days, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed, thinking about all of the ways I am failing as a mother and wife. But I NEVER sit down and think about the ways I'm excelling as a mother and a wife-- and there are just as many!

Philippians 1:6 says, "He who began a good work in  you will be faithful to complete it."

I was struck this week with how that verse applies to motherhood. God, who literally began this work within us (the physical growth of our children within us), will continue teaching us how to be good mothers to them.

I find myself, so often, thinking of the 40 or 50 something year old mom, whose entire house is in order, who has her organizational systems down, who seems to have a great balance, as my model for motherhood. But, the truth is, that women is a wonderful mother, but she is in a completely different season than I am! I may be that mother too in 10 or 15 years. It's as if when I was working as an entry level editorial assistant at a publishing company having wished I was CEO! It doesn't happen that way.

Motherhood is a new role, a new job and it takes YEARS to reach that level, that season!

So today I'm doing two things,

1. Celebrating what I have done right and where I am now.
2. Being hopeful for the woman and mother and wife that I will continue to become as God is faithful to complete his work in me.

Have a blessed weekend and a Happy Easter. I'm putting my computer away for as much of the rest of the weekend as I can!