portrait of ‘just’ a mom….

*So, what do you do??*

Have you ever been asked that question? Probably more times than you can count. How did you answer it? Or how would you answer it?

*I’m a mom.*

*I homeschool my kids*

or….*I’m a Executive Mechanical Engineer, Glorified Chef, Financial Manager, Professor with Tenure, Custodial Engineer and Social Planner Extraordinaire. In my spare time I am an animal rescue advocate. I take great pride in my work.*

{read between the lines: i repair all toys and electronics, customize meals for my picky little eaters, manage our household’s ins-and-outs, homeschool the little people in my house (although they sometimes know more than I do on a subject),clean incessantly, and keep an on-going calendar of events readily available for the times they become infamously bored. oh, yeah, i also keep living creatures (other than my children) alive when at all possible. when it’s out of my control, you will hear the toilet flush. i have never been more exhausted in my life}

Do either of those situations sound familiar? I know the latter describes me on a lot of days. Flushing fish, and all…

Would your answer to the question of *what do you do* be dictated by who asked? If you were speaking to another homeschooling mom at the park, you’d probably feel comfortable answering with a simple, *I stay at home and homeschool my children.*

Yet, if someone you felt had a higher authority were to ask, would you be as comfortable answering in the same manner??

Unfortunately, I have caught myself saying the words, *I am just a momma* -

Just a Momma? Am I kidding myself?? No, I may not be the DEAN of a University, or a buyer for a top designer in NYC, (heck, some days I don’t even get out of my pajamas), but I am far more than just-a-momma! I am the mother of my children. Because HE has called me to be.

So, God called you to be the Mom of your children (or children to be), and He has called most of you reading this to homeschool. What does all of that mean?

That you are to run around frantic every day, doubting yourself and your children – always looking for that extra hour (or two) so you can get it all done. Not at all.

God called you to be where you are before you ever thought of arriving. He knew well in advance your talents and abilities for the job. His calling for you is meant to increase and expand those gifts, as well as challenge you to learn new.

If HOMESCHOOLING MOM is your job, who do you report to? Your husband? Your school district? Your mother-in-law??

If you are trying to please any of the above, you are setting yourself up for a fall. Although wisdom may come from your spouse and others, you are employed by the One and Only, and He is who you are to report. In the smallest of decisions, you are to consult with your employer.

It doesn’t matter what curriculum the family down the street is using. It doesn’t matter if the best of the bloggers are sold on a glorious math program. If He does not have it in store for your family, you shouldn’t either. When you are having ‘one of those days’ and are worn out by 5pm, (or some days by lunchtime), your mind easily start to think of THAT OTHER MOMMA. The one who always has a spotless house and a fairy-tale marriage, and whose children are always beautifully dressed and well-behaved. (and then you stop to wonder when was the last time your children brushed their teeth!)

Just as there is no perfect family, there is no perfect homeschooling family.

When you are desperately in search of something new, you can be easily convinced. Whether it is a new curriculum, a revised chore chart, or that o-so-perfect dress the sales lady insists you must have. Therefore, your responsibility is to get plugged in. And consult with your employer. Only then will you receive His POWER and strength to make the right choices.

A Positive Mom is one who realizes that neither circumstances or people are perfect. She is realistic in her expectations, recognizing that her husband and children have weaknesses as well as strengths. And most important, she humbly acknowledges that she has a fair amount of flaws herself. ~ Karol Ladd, The Power of a Positive Mom

It may seem minute to pray about a curriculum choice. It may seem even sillier to pray about your children completing chores. But if it is on your heart, it matters to Him. Regardless how small the situation may seem, all of the details are a part of His master plan. The details matter to Him, so they should matter to us as well.

The Power you have as a mom matters. Parents matter. Your parenting style matters. This is not to say one is superior of all others; this is to say that every action, reaction, and syllable uttered matters. Whether they are directed to your children or to the driver who just cut you off on I-75 (uh, em). It matters. Because it all matters to Him.

You are blessed with an amazing gift of motherhood. With homeschooling as a bonus. Your reward may not be a paycheck at the end of the week, nor is it a gold medal at the end of the race. It is so much more! The fruits of your labor will be eternal. What you build for your family by the choices you make will matter more than anything. What you do as just a homeschooling mom will matter eternally.

Stop rushing down the fast lane of life and start living as who God made you to be. Write a statement of who you know God is calling you to be. Put it where you will see it every day.

Then the Lord said to me, ’Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others’ Habakkuk 2:2

Without a vision, you have no plan. Without a plan, you will wonder without focus.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13

It is solely His Power that enables each of us to be a Positive Mom.

- Jenn, Daze of Adventure
@dazeofadventure

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