As Usual Mother’s Day left me high and dry in the creative writing department!!! But I have a GiveAway for you and I hope you look at it and say… Huh? How is this related?
I confess (deep confession of a mother of “se7en+1”): Mother’s Day eludes me!!! It always leaves me feeling kind of sad. I don’t want my kids to feel they have to make me something or worse buy something one day a year to demonstrate that they love me. I have a feeling Mother’s Day is so marketed at kids and I think they may be “being taken for a ride…” I am totally content with my daily hugs and dose of fun and the little contributions they leave for me on my keyboard. More than that they share their secrets with me, their joys and their disappointments and that is far more than enough for me. They love me daily and I adore them constantly.
I think the crunch comes on Mother’s Day when mothers are being so idolized for their greatness and instantly my mind turns to thinking of past failures and mothering faults and things I should do differently: Have you ever read a shop bought Mother’s Day Card – the standards are high!!! Or worse you have eight kids you must be a “Super Mama”… No, I am blessed with buckets of love but I am no “Super Mama.” The only thing about mothering that I do that makes me extra-ordinary is that God has gifted us with these extraordinary children.
So what makes mother’s awesome people and worthy of a day of commercial praise? Well I think it may have a whole lot to do with the awesome people we are raising!!! And I don’t want to place my mothering on the HallMark standard of greatness I really want to do better than that. I want my kids to grow up and be exceptional for who they are and not just because I have a card to prove it. I want my children to grow up and serve God more than I want them to want a big house and a fast car… I won’t succeed without heaps of prayer… and luckily as a mom I have hours and hours in my day – when I am folding laundry or nursing in the pre-dawn when I can pray for my kids and their lives and their hearts.
Sorry “Card Companies” I think Mom’s are just awesomely ordinary people who need extraordinary faith to get through the day to day work of their day to day job.
I think many mothers take strain and a bunch of flowers isn’t going to fix it. I think many mothers are totally on the edge… and a slab of chocolate can only go so far. I realize some of the things that we think we are failing at are cultural. How important is it to keep the couch free of crumbs when you live in a culture that doesn’t have couches. How often I worry about “what’s for dinner” and really my concern is “should we have pasta or potatoes?” and this got me thinking there are so many mothers in the world who are living in despair because they do not know where the next meal for their children is coming from. In honor of those mothers we are donating ten bowls of rice a day this week. Join us and feed them – it’s free and it’s fun.
Meanwhile I mentioned a GiveAway… I love reading biographies, they always put my life into perspective!!! Christmas Evans (1776 -1838) was an ordinary man of extraordinary faith. He had a childhood that was far from ideal, packed with poverty, an abusive uncle, horrendous living conditions and absolutely no education. He went on to be an incredible preacher in Wales, in fact he was the catalyst for the great Welsh revival. I think Christmas Evans, who was no ordinary preacher is a great biography for all the non-ordinary mothers out there who are women of incredible faith raising their children on a daily basis.
As usual I have to thank Christian Book Discounters who kindly supplied the book for this GiveAway…
The GiveAway works in the usual way, comment before the end of this coming Friday, 14 May 2010, and I will draw and publish the winner next week on Sunday! – I won’t respond to your comments as I do on our other posts because I don’t want to be included in our own giveaway.
Our GiveAway Books are open to everyone: If you have won a GiveAway before never fear – enter away. If you live on the far side of the world – enter away. Postage takes forever from here but eventually it should get to you!
Good luck and get commenting!
This Post was hammered out as part of The Thirty Minute Mom’s Challenge at Steady Mom.
I received the first (store-bought) card that really told it like it was this year from my Mom. One of the lines said, “sometimes we wish we could do things over.” Yep, that is being a mom isn’t it?
Thank you for touching upon the reality of what makes this daunting and beautiful job what it is.
God Bless you and your family!
We just had our baby boy (baby #6 for us!) about 2 weeks ago and I’ve been struggling with the “baby blues”… I’ve been perusing your blog the last two days and it’s been very uplifting. Thanks for all you do 🙂 and for sharing it with all of us.
I called my mother to say HMD and she was all “thanks for the card from Asher” I”m like mom, I sent you one too it just must have not gotten there yet. oh…its hard to buy a card as so many do say thanks for being so great and she.just.isn’t. then she told me “soon A will be old enough to get you stuff on mother’s day – I’m like what? I could care less…I am blessed and privileged to be his mother I could care less about stuff! geez…I did see a nice tribute to mothers who have passed on one of my favorite sites. I guess it is nice to see this before you die so that is why its nice to stop and take the time to figure out what our mother’s (or anyone impt in our life) has done for us. http://beautybling.yuku.com/topic/7602
Thank you for so aptly putting into words my own feelings about Mother’s Day. This is a very inspiring blog and I love spending a few moments here whenever I get the opportuninty!
Have a lovely day!
ooo.. I’d like the Christmas Evans book please! Please enter me!
Would love to read that book.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
This post has been more inspiring than any prepackaged mother’s day gift! Also loved the rice site – Miléna has already donated 200g and what a wonderful way to support other mothers. (And how privileged I feel that I have never had to worry whether my children will have to go hungry…)
Thanks for the beautiful perspective. The book sounds fantastic.
Thank you for the thoughts. The book sounds great!
three bowls and then work had to be done 🙂
I think it should be Mother’s Day every day, and I think you guys get it right.
Sounds like a great book! I would love to read it. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Have a great day!
The book sounds wonderful.
I love your perspective on Mother’s Day. I have a complicated relationship with the day.
Last week we had vistors from Whales who were mentioning the revival that took place all that time ago. Would be good to read that book. Thanks for the perspective on M.day. Thankfully in Israel its not a big thing (yet)
Ditto! I want more for my children than to receive cards or chocs or gifts for being their mommy. The greatest gift I will receive one day is knowing that I raised, by the grace of God, men of God, the best husbands and fathers. Sometimes it feels as if I miss it, but other days I know His grace is enough.
Bless you! Thank you. I would love to read this book. Blessings!
The book sounds fascinating and your thoughts on Mother’s Day were great, too!
I’d like to enter also. I am just rediscovering your blog and am enjoying your posts on using Sonlight.
Thanks,
Mrs. H
I love reading Christian bio’s. I would enjoy reading this book! I also enjoyed reading your thoughts on Mother’s Day.
Great comments on Mother’s Day. . We love biographies: haven’t yet read about Christmas Evans. I do believe the prayers of mothers avail much. May all your blessings from God grow up to become blessings in our world.
It’s nice to visit your blog again after months and to see you all. We’re in PE, on trips is when I get a chance to surf. I loved your chair entry. I’m inspired to get more kid pics on mine. I’ve been on an “African scenery” binge, but Paul says ”more kids” and after seeing your chair pics, I know he’s right. We want to enter your drawing, it would make a good Father’s Day gift 🙂
Well done, well said. And amen to your Mother’s Day philosophy.
Well said!! Thank you for this post. I would love to read this book!
interesting thoughts:) Funny that a world that is largely demeaning of motherhood (say as a career) is happy to cash in on celebrating it! hope to catch up soon..