Purpose

Ok, confession time.

Last night when I finished typing up the "Changes" post, I really wasn't expecting much feedback. My humble little blog doesn't get much traffic, and I've always been okay with that.  I mean, while I firmly believe I have the 3 most darling, smartest, amazing kids on the planet that everyone should want to read about, I completely understand that you may disagree, firmly believing that you are actually the one who has the most darling, smartest, amazing kid(s) on the planet that everyone should want to read about.

It's a pointless argument, so I'm not going to waste any time on it. As I said last night, this blog began as a way to record our family's memories to share with family and close friends who want to keep up with what's going on here. It was also intended as a point of reference so that when I go back to scrapbook them later I don't have to rely on memory. That, my friends, would be disastrous.

My memory isn't what it used to be, and I fully blame my darling children for that. :)

Where was I going with this?  I don't remember.

Oh, yes...confession time.

The response to last night's post surprised me. While it was by no means a huge response by "celebrity blogger" standards, it was a start.  Enough of a start to confirm what I feel God has been nudging me about....that I need to use this blog as a voice of encouragement. That you who read this blog are feeling similar rumblings, are seeking more, are looking for validation and encouragement as you raise your children. It's a scary world out there, but it's the one we live in.

I started reading the comments on the blog and on FB....and I got a little panicked.

What if I don't meet their expectations?

What ARE their expectations?

What if I fail?

Where in the world does God want me to go with this?

 So I turned off the computer, put my phone on the charger, and got in bed.

And I prayed...asking God to show me, one blog post at a time, exactly what He wants me to share with you. And I chilled out considerably, thankful for my Jesus who has a calming effect on me. He's really good at reeling me back in. :)  My hope through all of this is to make Him more famous through our story. To show people who read this blog that there's WAY more to this life than just making it through another day, another endless pile of laundry, another trash bag full of dirty diapers. When He made us mothers, He entrusted us with His greatest creations.  That's HUGE, people.

The truth is, I love being a mom. It's the only thing I feel like I was made to do.  According to my dad, I've been a mother since my sister, Reagan, was born when I was 2. Poor kid. ;) I'm sure she and my other sister, Beth, didn't always appreciate my need to mother them.  I mean, they already had a mom, and she was really good at it. But I couldn't help it. So you can imagine how utterly thrilled I was on that January day in 2001 when I became a mom to my very own (that I had to share with my husband;) baby boy.  I had found my calling. :) But with that calling came great responsibility.

This was a little person that B and I were SOLELY responsible for. 

*gulp*

That scared the crap out of me.  Still does....almost 11 years later. ;)

And since I'm all about being honest and transparent here, let me say this:  I MESS UP ALL THE TIME. I've had to apologize to my kids way more than I'd like to admit.  

I've gotten frustrated with their endless trails of shoes, clothes, toys, and snack wrappers.

I've let them watch more tv than they probably need to (yes, even SpongeBob. The horror;)

I've stepped on more Legos and Hot Wheels than I care to count.

I've had more "head-spinning, crazy mom" moments than I want to remember.

I've yelled when I should have talked quietly and carefully.

Thankfully, and mercifully, God has made children incredibly forgiving. And forgetful.

And I know without a doubt that my boys love me almost as much as I love them,

even though we often debate who loves who more. :)
What can I say?  It's a love fest.

I've renamed this blog "The Mommy Revelation" because I believe the moms of this generation are thinking differently.  And that is good. We're waking up and realizing that it's time for something different. The world we lived in as kids is completely different from the one our kids are living in today. I'm not okay with the constant comparisons, the feelings of failure, the ongoing competition that moms have between each other, and the resulting pressures that often get projected onto our children.

Let this be your safe place. A place to rejoice in our awesome mom moments, to regroup after our not-so-awesome mom moments, to encourage and build each other up.  Some of my posts will be lighthearted and funny.  Some will be more serious and purpose-driven. I've enabled the comment feed option for each post so that not only can I answer a question or make a comment, but you can talk to each other as well.

I'm excited....more to come