You Are Just Right

I don't know about you, but I constantly battle with feeling not good enough for my family. I want to be more. I want to be better. I want to be that mom that my kids remember from their childhood and smile about. Or want to be like me, to follow my lead.

My mom was not perfect. Not even close. And in many ways she did a much better job than I do. What is ironic is that it isn't those mess-ups or those super-mom accomplishments that I look back on so fondly. I remember mostly her character. I remember never feeling unloved. I remember her giving her all for us all the time. I remember the fun times we shared playing board games, camping, or doing family holiday traditions. I remember when she would make treasure hunts for me while she cleaned the house. I remember her making some of my favorite foods, and her teaching me to make them too. And most of the "bad" things I remember, I recall them being my fault. My mom is my hero. She is my best friends still. She is the type of mom that I strive to be. She was just right for me.

You are just right for your child, for your husband, for your family. I am just right for mine. See, God in his infinite wisdom has molded you and gifted you to be everything that they need! You will mess up. You will succeed. You will have "failure mom" days and you will have "Super-mom" days. But what you do in between and through both of those, the character you display, the love you express, that is what your kids will look back on with a smile; that is who your kids will want to grow up to be like.

Think about what you want them to see, day in and day out, high and low, in a mom...then be that mom. You are just right for the job.

The Guilt of a Dreamer

My "dream list" includes spending time on every continent, gliding down the Amazon River to spend days lost in the treacherous jungles, translating the Bible for a people who have never held the Gospel in their hands before, packing up and leaving all of my troubles and struggles behind, growing old with my husband on a beach watching the sunset, and looking like Nicole Kidman when I am her age!

Those are just a few of the things I would love to do with my life. I find, however, that when I begin to dream these, or even less harmful dreams like a romantic get-away, a new outfit, or remodeling my bathroom, I begin to feel guilty.
As moms, I believe we become too accustomed to being the "nobody" of the house. Sure, we all encourage our obsessive behavior by telling each other that our homes cannot function without us...but in the process we lose who we are. It becomes a joke and laughing matter because we are lost as to what to do about it.  Our kids' and our husband's well-being come before our own. They get clothes before we do. School supplies come before our novel reading list. Their food tastes take precedence over our own. How they choose to spend free time becomes what we do. Their schedules become our schedules. We push ourselves out of fear of becoming that mom who neglects her children and puts herself and her selfish desires before that of the care of her family. We will not be that woman!

After time of living with this mind-set, we can lose sight of who we are - our passions, our dreams, our simple pleasures. When we begin to dream, our logic screams at us, "what about the kids!? How would that affect them?! That's selfish!" And then we feel guilty for ever dreaming at all.

I am writing this today because I think this is wrong. I think that God has created us with adventure and dreams in our hearts! I believe that we should be willing to take a look and see what else is out there, what more life can have in store for us! Give a little more room for yourself sometimes. You spend all of your time and extra money on your children - get yourself a gift sometimes! Plan a night out for yourself or you and your spouse! Don't be afraid to be a woman with her own dreams and desires. This doesn't necessarily mean packing up and heading out to some remote island (though it might!) but it may include breaking the unhealthy walls of the rooms we have built ourselves into. What we might find is that our marriages are strengthened because we return to being the woman our husbands married. We may make our children proud of our accomplishments and give them inspiration to reach their own goals and dreams. You may find fulfillment and pleasure in your life that you had given up hope of ever having.

Dream big!

Desperate

There was a blow up at my house today between me and my six year old daughter. We are just alike. What I realized today, however, was that my children have, over the course of some time, become spoiled.  I never wanted a spoiled child, however, I have always striven to be the best mom I could be, sacrificing to give to them, etc. And now they believe that the world revolves around them and they do not appreciate anything that they have. But what is worst of all, my daughter has begun to lack passion for things.  Today I decided to make some changes around the house. We would begin to get less until we learn to appreciate that which we have. The initial response was less-than hoped for, but we are moving forward now.

Meanwhile, seemingly unrelated, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she was telling me about one of those valleys that we all go through, when we wonder why God allows so much hardship to happen to us. Of course, my typical answer is that it is just the consequences of living in a fallen world.

As I was doing dishes, I suddenly realized that these two things are actually related to one another, extremely related. Let me explain...

We have all, at some point in our lives, been desperate for God. Desperate. As the breath that we breathe, we needed his presence, his hand in our situations, his strength, passionately desiring Him. Can you think of that time? I would bet money on the fact that this was not an easy time in your life. Quite possibly it was one of the worst times of your life. That is the connection.

Without the "valleys" of our lives, we would never experience that desperation and passion for God. If everything were peachy all the time, we would, like my daughter, lose our interest in everything, lose our appreciation for our blessings and our passion for life. Without tears, how could we experience pure joy and truly understand it? Without pain, how would we understand comfort? Without heartbreak, how would we realize true love - how would we even know it was true love without experiencing the loss of it? It is for no small reason that the saying "you never realize how much you love something until it is gone" or similar is so well known.

God wants to spoil us. God wants to give us everything. God does not want to cause us pain or suffering. But sometimes, for our own good, He allows us to endure it. This evening, my dear Spirit has spoken to my heart. I must change how I interact with my children. It is not good for me to give them everything. I must also change how I interact with my God. What do I need to strip away to be grateful of Him again? This is the focus of this household for now. May we in the near future be found desperate for Him.

12 Days of Christmas Traditions I Love: Day 6 Caroling at the Care Center

I remember going to sing Christmas carols at the care center with my family when my son was only five months old. One of those moments passed that you hold on to and "ponder in your heart." I remember watching as my mom, holding my infant son on her hip, walked in to an elderly woman's room and reached out her hand to her and spoke with her and showed her my little boy. I remember this woman using all her strength to rise out of bed toward my mom to take her hand and see the baby. There was such joy on the woman's face. I realized several things at that moment. One, I have an incredibly compassionate mother who sets a great example for those around her. Two, I wanted to raise my children to love those around them in this way as second nature by raising them with the same example as I had before me this night.

Six years later, I am beginning to see the fruits of this labor. We once again visited the care center to sing carols with some of my children's friends. I was almost brought to tears as I saw my daughter unhesitatingly enter the rooms of the residents to shake their hands and give them a hand-made ornament. I was proud as I watched her little brother follow her example at four years old, as he shook hands and said "Merry Christmas" to each person.

Caroling at the Care Center is definitely on my list of favorite Christmas traditions. Besides the above, here are a few reasons why I think you should visit the care center:

1) It brings joy and excitement to the residents
2) It reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas - loving and giving
3) It teaches our children to get out of their box and think about others before themselves
4) It nourishes the residents fulfilling our command to care for the widows and orphans, which goes beyond just their physical, but their emotional and spiritual needs as well.

If you haven't had an opportunity to go this year, look for a church or group that is going, or make your own small group. Find a few of your favorite Christmas carols, buy a pack of ornaments or candy canes to hand out and just go. You will be so blessed!

Remebrance of Sincere Faith

Do you ever wonder what you would be doing if you weren't a mom? Occasionally, I do. It is amazing to me that once a woman of faith takes on motherhood and the raising of her child, all else seems to slip away. We often joke about having "no life," because every last effort in a day is consumed by doing the most to raise those beautiful blessings. And sometimes, if you are like me, you wonder if all that you do is even worth it. Will they even care? Will it make a difference?

The biblical mother and daughter pair Eunice and Lois remind me that it is most definitely worth it. Paul immortalized these two women with one statement in a letter to their grandson/son Timothy:

"I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well." 2 Timothy 1:5

Sincere faith. We don't know much about Eunice or Lois, but we know a lot about Timothy. Just knowing that these two women were the ones that taught him about God and the Scripture from the time he was a small child (2 Timothy 3:15) is enough for us to know that they were good moms. They did what it took. They raised him with a fear and love of God - a sincere faith. And they did a great job. At least as far as Paul was concerned, all their efforts did make a difference in the character of Timothy and how God was able to use him in the early church.

It's ok to get worn out. That is when we must turn to the God who is our fulfillment, our breath of life. Just remember today that it all matters! Let go of all the things that don't. Feel free to make a mess if it gives a few laughs. Let the laundry pile up on a sunny day. Teach them to fear and love the Lord. Teach them to enjoy the beautiful life around them. Make those memories! Build those relationships so that you may pass on that sincere faith.

Comment: Do you have a Eunice or Lois in your life? Tell us about her!

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Today is my daughter's birthday. She is turning six years old! I am so proud of her. She is beautiful, inside and out. On her birthday, I always find myself faced with these questions:

1) Does she have any idea how much I love her?

2) Am I training her (especially by example) to be a godly woman?

I am not sure if these are typical questions, but they are always mine! So as I get ready to go off and decorate a table, pick up a cake and love on a very beautiful girl, I want to leave you with a little encouragement, Mom.

You are doing a great job! If you are loving God with everything that you are and you are selflessly living in order to raise your girl and teach her to obey God, then you are doing everything right, dear friend! Mistakes are just good opportunities to teach her how to handle life. Face everything with a loving, patient spirit and trust that God will mold her into exactly who he wants her to be!

What's "Bored?"

I have seen rather a few posts lately centered around beating summer boredom. My initial thoughts are, "Bored? I would love to be bored right now!"  Summer is all but boring in our home. It is the time of year that we get to do all the exciting things that we can't do during the rest of the year. So I thought that today I would give you a little taste of our life right now. If you are in the same boat, may you find encouragement and laughter, knowing you are not alone. If you are battling summer bordom, let us give you a little inspiration!

Last week we finished up the county fair. For our first fair, I was rather proud. Princess brought home four blue ribbons and a white ribbon, plus a few participation ribbons, for her photography and chicken show, and even caught one of the greased pigs!. Brother brought home a red ribbon for his rooster (cockrel). I was rather proud of them.I was also proud of myself. See, I don't like birds one bit, but the love of my children found me outside "dunking" chickens into the swimming pool, getting them washed pretty to show. I felt so awefully bad for the shivering little chickens that I pulled out my extension cord and hair dryer and began blowdrying them, right when my sister called to see what I was doing. Awkward! We also attended all the other events to cheer on and encourage all of "our other children." That pretty much filled our week! By the time we made it home for the weekend, my son was so obsessed with showing that he was a "show sheep" for three days and would not speak to us without a "baaa!" in front of it. As I set the food out on the table one night he slipped in and stole his plate. I found him in his "pen" eating on all fours with his face in the plate because "he was a sheep." My daughter was just so tired that every little thing was DRAMA. Again - Bored? Really?

Yesterday, it was really hot, so we were unsure of what to do for our family day. The kids wanted to swim and play, but the heat. So we had an Underwater Theme Day. We began by coloring some pictures of undersea creatures. We watched some Under the Sea movies and then had a grilled fish dinner. The kids swam and pretended to be under the sea creatures and then we read some underwater stories before bed. It was a splash!

My kids are participating in the Library Summer Reading Program. This has filled in most of our gaps of free-time. Princess is shooting for top reader this year, so that has me running to the library for more books every other day or so. Brother isn't quite big enough to read on his own yet, so I use that time to work on phonics with him and do a bit of reading aloud together. I believe we are somewhere past 100 books since June 1. I even got on the band wagon and read a book myself. I only had to stay up until 1:00 in the morning to finish it!

Add in some trips to see family and some vacation spots, we will be hitting St. Louis, Grammie's and Loulou's and maybe even Nanny's for several days each. The weather forcasts the 100s coming up. I am hoping I come out as the Golden Tan Beauty and not Lobster Lady. We add in some Roller Skating, Bowling, Miniature Golfing, Lazer Tag and Pool parties with the youth group. We just finished up t-ball (such fun to watch them when they don't even know which way to run the bases!). Swim lessons begin in a couple of weeks and Princess has a birthday coming right up! Fill in the gaps with play time in the kiddie pool outside, doing our chores in the house and garden, playing backyard ball and having a few playdates with friends and we have ourselves one hoppin' summer shedule!

I am gearing my thinking towards 4th of July now. Last year we had a cozy firework display together at home. The year before found my husband and I on the roof dropping firecrackers down our chiminey to chase off bats (a story for another day!). I am trying to decide what this year will hold! I have gathered some cute recipes and ideas out of some family magazines. I will let you know how it all falls together!

For now, I have spent enough time on the computer and must return to my outrageous summer!
What ideas have you enjoyed this year?? I would love to hear how you are keeping busy!

Saturday's Fun Family Time Tip #6: Spring Time Joys

Ok, so last weekend was Easter. You are worn out and still playing catch up on your chores. If you are like me, you also started your Spring Cleaning! Tonight's Family Night may not be highest on your priority list! No problem! The great thing about family nights is that as long as you are together, it is making memories and building those essential family bonds! So here are some things that I do to create those family moments even when I am overwhelmed with my "to dos." The main idea is to celebrate those Spring Time Joys!

1) During your busy work day of Spring Cleaning, set "break" times (I try to break at 10, 12, 2, etc). During these breaks, give your kids your FULL attention. Have a snack. Play a short game of cards. Do a craft or activity like play-dough or beads. Make sure they know that even though you are busy, your time with them is still precious!

2) Play "while you are working" games. Play word games or have your kids read to you or tell you jokes. You are working, but that doesn't mean they can't be there having fun with you. Try focusing your games on Spring Themes.

3) Take time as a family to plant starter seeds for your garden. Or do another spring project like building a bird house or preparing your mini-farm for this springs fair animals. Clean out a closet or room together. These projects can be fun with good attitudes and positive direction for you kids!

Spring is here! Celebrate with them! Whatever you decide to do, add a fun project and creative snack or meal to top off the theme!

Here is a cute idea my sister did for Easter (and I know you all have left over hard-boiled eggs from last Sunday!):

Here's the easy recipe:
Ingredients:
Hard boiled eggs
food coloring
mayonaise
curry
salt
water

Directions:
Carefully peel the eggs. Cut them in half. Put the yolks together in a bowl. Fill four other bowls with different colors of food coloring and about 1 cup of water. Place the egg whites into the different colors and allow them to sit and "get colored." Mix together the egg yolks, mayonaise, a TBS or more of curry and dash salt (to taste!). It should be a creamy texture. Remove the egg whites from the coloring and let them dry. Then fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture and yo uhave a great Spring Time Treat!

Saturday's Fun Family Time Tip #5: Freezer Fill Fishing

It is spring and the best time to be outdoors! One of the things our family loves to do together is fish. It gives us quality time to spend without distractions - time to talk to one another, relax, and just enjoy God's creation together. It can also provide for a bit of fun family competition! Guess who took home the trophy on our last trip? That's right, Mama!

You don't need to know a ton about fishing to have fun. All you need is a pole, line, hook and worm...and a nice little pond or stream! Make sure that you have a license if you are not on private property! And one of the best perks about this family time activity: it puts food in the freezer!

And A Recipe To Match
Mama's Easy Fish Pouches
Ingredients:
Fish fillets
Butter or Margarine
Bag of frozen mixed or stir fry vegetables (or fresh if you have them!)
Italian seasoning
Foil

Preheat oven to 450*
Cut foil into approximately 6 in. squares
Place one fillet on each square
Place a hand-full of vegetables on the fillet
Place a tablespoon of butter on top of fish and vegetables
Sprinkle generously with Italian Seasoning
Fold foil up into a pouch and place on a baking sheet
Cook for about 30 minutes until fish is flaky and fully cooked inside
Serve over rice!

Saturday's Fun Family Time Tip #4 - Royalty for the Day

A really great way to have a family day is to let your child be the King or Queen for the day (or afternoon or night). Sound scary? It really isn't! You would be surprised the things your kids will choose to do if they get to pick. Mine usually want to play Candyland, watch movies, paint fingernails or go to the park. That's not so hard, is it? I think that by letting them choose the family activities every now and then, lets them know that you are interested in spending time with them and in the things that they enjoy doing - not just having them with you to enjoy what you enjoy.

Today's Recipe to Match:
This is a really easy recipe to do with the kids or in a hurry. It was one of the first that I was able to do by myself as a kid!

Princess Cake
Ingredients:
2 cans pie filling
1 box white cake mix
1 stick of melted butter or margarine
slivered almonds (opt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Pour pie filling into bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish
Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top (try to cover pie filling completely)
Drizzle the melted butter over the top
Sprinkle the almonds (opt)
Bake for about 1/2 hour until top is golden brown
Enjoy hot or cold!

The General Idea...I Guess!



...my cup overflows. --Ps. 23:5



Saturday's Fun Family Time Tip #3: There's Always an Occasion

There is always an occasion to celebrate! Seeking out those silly little holidays and celebrating them is one of the best ways I have found to come up with new and creative ways for us to spend time as a family.  Last week, we celebrated Barbie's 63 birthday! The week before that we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with green eggs and ham!  Today: It's St. Patrick's Day!
It is easy as corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
1) This year, I got a couple of St. Patrick's Day book from the local library. We read one last night, and I explained about Irish culture and the myths of the leprechauns.
2) After they went to bed, I left a little gift outside their doors. This was no ordinary gift - I had totally forgotten to plan ahead and had to search the house high and low for something! (Tip: Planning ahead makes things easier!)
3) On St. Patrick's Day, wear green! Warn them that they will get pinched if they don't and (*gasp*) give them permission to gently pinch anyone not wearing green today!
4) Stew up some corned beef and cabbage! I found a great recipe that I am going to use at allrecipes.com. I remember my mom making this meal every year on St. Patty's Day! It is a great tradition!
5) If you are a craftier person than I, this would be a great day to whip out those creative buds and let them blossom!
6) If you are Irish, use this day to talk about your family heritage. One branch of my family came over from Ireland when our country was brand new!

It is easy to find ways to celebrate all the little occasions. It makes family time a little more interesting and exciting too!  If you need more ideas, there are websites out there that list all of those little known holidays (some may even make them up!). I like to go to this website: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/
Don't ever worry about feeling silly - it's the silly things that make the memories!

One Shot

Do you like to look at old picture albums? I love it! Often, on a special occasion, I will set out a few for our family to sit and look at together. I love the memories that old photographs bring up and we can't look through them without more than a few laughs.
The funny thing about photographs is that you can't change them. You can't give yourself a new haircut in that high school picture. You can't take that boy's arm from around your shoulder. You can't put a smile on your face back at Aunt Lucy's birthday party. You can't remove the scrape on your daughter's head from where she fell down the stairs on picture day. You can't paint the walls of that ugly little first house. And you can't change the memories that are a part of them. You can't change what happened in those photos, or what happened before or what happened after. Most of us wouldn't want to.



One of those One-Shot Moments I'd never change!

 Our lives are like a giant album of memories. Each moment we live is a photograph. It is a moment that will be whatever we make it and we can't go back and change it! That is why it is so important for me to live each moment to the best of my ability. Because I only get one shot at it! I can never go back and redo right now.
There are days that I am so tired, I would like to put the kids straight into bed. But story time, the telling of our "favorite part of the day," and prayer is one of the best bonding times that we have. Some days I feel that I would rather read my Bible in peace, but I know the importance of letting my children see me studying God's Word.  Some days I am so worn out from their antics that I want to give up and just say "whatever," but I know that the lack of consistency would be damaging to the discipline of my child. I will get very real with you right now: some days I don't want to give up myself and the things I want to do in order to serve and be the mother of my family. On those days, my husband and I always just tell ourselves that this is our only shot. One day I will be old, my house will be perfectly clean because no children will live there; I will have time to read as many books as I want; I will have money to buy my extra goodies because I won't have to buy clothes, diapers, cleats, notebooks, milk...I will get to travel as much as I want because I won't have children I am leaving behind. But the main thing there is...I won't have children. They will be gone. This is our one shot to raise them. However we raise them is how they will be raised. The memories we make with them right now are the memories we will have left. The relationships we form with them will determine whether they come back to visit regularly and bring the beautiful grandbabies, and call, and write. And the spiritual walk we lead them on right now will determine the spiritual road they take as adults. And we've only got one shot.
I use the example of children because this is what is my passion and priority, but this principle applies to every moment of every woman's life, with or without children. This is your one shot at today. What are you going to do with it?

Saturday's Family Time Tip #2

With all that our family takes on in a week, a lot of times we are tired when Family Night rolls around. One of our favorite solutions is dinner and a family movie! Our family movies are not typical either. We spend the 2 hours conversing about what we are seeing on the TV. "Oh, that was not a good choice!" or "Wasn't she brave?" and other comments come out of my mouth constantly. The result? Media savvy kids who can watch with discernment. Often have I heard my four year old daughter interject, "That is not appropriate!" Likewise, when things get carried away on-screen, we turn it off, showing them that sometimes this is necessary to keep a pure mind.
So how to choose movies? My trusty sidekick is Focus on the Family's Plugged In movie reviews. You can find their sight at www.pluggedin.com. They even have a page for Family Movie Night, complete with activity pages for the kids and discussion questions for the whole family. Our "theme" this week was Superheroes." So here's this week's

Recipe To Match
Super-Hero Pockets - Makes 8

You Need:
1 can Jumbo Pop-up biscuits (I use the Flaky)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 can marinara sauce
1 sm onion
1 bell pepper
Sm bag Mozzarella cheese
any other pizza-topping-type ingredients (opt.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
In a skillet, brown the beef, pork, onion, and bell pepper.
Roll each biscuit out flat.
Fill each biscuit with the meat filling and cheese. (Do not over-fill!)
Pinch each pocket closed.
Bake in oven until golden (approximately 10 minutes)
While baking, heat marinara sauce in small pot on the stove.
Serve each pocket covered with marinara sauce.

This makes a fun family project! Each person can add their own special ingredients to their pocket, making it just what they want! Suggested ingredients: Pepperoni, mushroom, pineapple, tomato

If you have a Fun Family Time Tip, feel free to share!

Saturday's Family Time Tip!

It is often hard for parents to afford to take their kids out to do things, especially going to the movies. If you have younger kids, B&B Theaters has made an easy solution to this! Two Saturdays a month they offer Saturday morning KidToons.  Your kids will feel like they have gotten a really special treat, and your budget will not suffer as much!

We're off to the theatre this morning! Check in each Saturday for more Fun Family Time Tips!

Dream a Little Dream

From the time I was eight years old, my dream was to go to Africa one day.  I wanted to see the beauty of the land, the people, the animals. I read books about it, watched movies about it, and even made a scrapbook of the animals I would find there. It was my "before I die..." request.
The summer I was nineteen, I stepped foot off of a plane into Kimberley, South Africa. The feeling I felt I can only assume is the feeling of one's dream coming true.  I spent six weeks in South Africa that summer with a missions team working with the people in different countries throughout the country.  Cape Point was forever written in my mind as the most beautiful place on earth.  I left a portion of my heart there (forever). I returned again three years later.

I feel extremely blessed to have attained my life dream when I was only nineteen years old. Many reach the end of their lives without ever having done so. What I have learned about attaining dreams, however, is that they don't stop once you've reached them; they grow. My dream then became a desire to serve in South Africa full time (one that I have not yet attained).
Often, as mothers especially, we feel that we must exchange our dreams for reality. In a sense, we do. Yet, I feel that it is more in pursuit of a bigger dream. "I will not pursue my dream of ____________, because I want to devote my time to raising up my children to follow Christ wholeheartedly, to be well-educated, and to have a strong family environment in which to live, and my dream would not attain that higher goal." Does that mean that we shouldn't dream, or that our dreams don't matter? No. It simply means, as Rudyard Kipling so eloquently put it in his poem If,

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

then you are able to reach for something much higher than where your dreams could have ever taken you! Dreaming allows us to realize the potential that we have in our lives. The key is to understand that our dreams are so limited and "small-scale" to the plans that God has for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Don't allow the burdens of the everyday life cause you to lose your dreams. Take hold of those dreams as something that God has wired inside of you for some purpose, for some reason that is yet to be explained. I believe there are several ways in which He equips us for His service - by experiences, by knowledge, and by passions and dreams. So today, DREAM BIG! Just don't make dreams your master, for there is only one that belongs on that seat!

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Don't Deal in Lies

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hate. - Rudyard Kipling's "If"

One of the reasons that Christian women often feel so burdened down is because we put so much pressure on ourselves with unreal expectations.  The world itself is constantly dealing out lies to women about how they should look, act, shop, dress, work, parent, even think, through tv, magazines, ads, books, and even other women.  Women, even young teens, are pressured to give themselves away.
Christian women can be told even more lies...We are expected to be all of the above, while being supermom, having a perfect looking home, having personal Bible study and prayer time, attending and volunteering for all church events, pleasing our husband all the time, and strictly adhering to the church's standard of behavior.  Oftentimes we simply label this perfect model of a woman "The Proverbs 31 Woman."
THIS is being lied about and dealing in lies.  THIS causes us to give way to hate...ourselves. THIS is what causes us to lose the joy of a life found in Christ.  THIS is what burdens us down, enslaving us to Satan's lies.
So how do we see these lies for what they are?  We learn who it is we serve and what His expectations of us are, and we don't worry about anyone else's opinion.  "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32  All throughout the New Testament we see that Christ came to offer us freedom.  We are set free in order to live a life for him without burden.  So about these lies?  Here is the basics of what God asks of His women:

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

So what are we to do? 
1) Watch that our behavior is positive (reverent, not slanderers, not drunkards, self-controlled, pure, kind). 
2) Love our family.  It does not give a criteria of what we must accomplish each day for our husbands and children, nor does it give the 5 steps to have the perfect child.  It simply says to love them.  How easy is that?
3)  Be busy at home.  What?!  Yes! The word busy was used! However, if you notice, there is no indication as to what type of home you should have, how it should be decorated, how clean it should be, nor how many cute pinterest ideas you have incorporated into your hall closet!  It just says to be busy at home.  This opens up the doors for you to use that creativity that God gave you to create the living space for your family to fit your family.  It opens the doors for you to do what needs doing and not worry about what doesn't get done.  God doesn't expect you to have everything done each day; He expects you to be busy working on it.  As I type, I have 3 baskets of laundry lying on my bedroom floor waiting for me to fold them.  Are my kids still alive?  Yes.  Is my family still functioning with my laundry on the floor, unfolded?  Yes.  Should I have stayed up until midnight last night folding it?  No.  God doesn't want a worn out, sleep-deprived version of you.  He wants you at your best!  So take the time needed to rest, without feeling guilty for what isn't done.  Then, when the day begins again and it is time to work, be busy at home (not on facebook or the other wonderful, mind-sucking sites there are!).
4) Be subject to your husband.  As much as we would love to deny it or ignore it, God wants us to let our husbands be the head of the household.  Does that mean that you are just a slave to him and that it doesn't matter what your opinion is on things?  Not if you are in a godly, loving marriage.  It simply means that God will hold your husband accountable for the things that go on in your family.  It means that it is your husband's job to manage everything.  In our family, I do the planning and the organizing and the finances!  I do these things because my husband asks me to because he knows that God has gifted me in those areas.  Yet, I always make sure to tell him exactly what I have going on - approve it with him, in a manner of speaking.  Allow your husband to be responsible for that which God will hold him responsible. 

So today, my dear sister, don't deal in lies, and don't give way to hatred.  Live a life of freedom and truth...and love!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1