Cookie Cutter Mom, I Am Not

I won't lie to you, when I first became a Mommy and up until recently, I struggled to find my footing in doing things in my own way.  I wasn't and still am not afraid to ask for help, because I knew then and now that I don't know it all. I found myself trying to imitate those who looked like the perfect cookie cutter mom.  I would ask them a ton of questions and then would try to implement what they did into our lives.  I would get frustrated when I couldn't finish out a project or when something didn't work for us. 

 It took me a long time to realize that just like we like to customize our homes to our specific needs, the same applies to rearing children.  This rings especially true to me since we are now homeowners.  I will spot something new and wonder why the previous owners set it up that way.  It's strange to me, but it served a purpose for them, and now I'm looking for all the ways I can customize it for us.  I digress, yes, there is a general guideline to follow, but there is no one size fits all in this thing we call parenting.   I've started to slowly find my way and then  I watched a sermon online by my friend Melodi Hawley called "Skills Like Katniss" and she said something that just illuminated a new truth for me.  She talked about how we are to "Gather" our children and duplicate us! Boom! The hammer dropped, I didn't realize until that moment that I had been trying to be Mommy Jones instead of Mommy Cara because for some reason I thought I wasn't enough for them. 

 Now, duplicating ourselves can be a very scary thing, right? (I mean, let's be honest, we are all a work in progress.) But, not if we aim to duplicate all of the good things in us, the talents and gifts that are ours. Sure, I can teach my children things I am not familiar with, but why not start with what we already know.  So, here I am, this summer, thinking about all of the fun things I want to do with Oregano and Bugsy and what I want them to learn.  Fresh with the teaching from Pastor Melodi in my head, I'm going to pour into my girls what I know. I'm going to stop trying to teach them things other moms are teaching their kids for the sake of trying to be a cookie cutter mom and I'm going to be me.  So, Oregano will learn to sew and bake this summer.  Bugsy, will make messes and eat the goodies. I will be able to teach them many things, but this is my start.  This is my start into pouring myself into them, all the of the good, talents, giftings, as much as God as I possibly can fit into their little hearts.  My goal is that my girls do not come back to me as adults and ask why I didn't find the time to give them something that I freely had to give.  Break the mold with me and be who you are without comparison. 

Galations 6:4  “Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work done well and won’t need to compare himself with someone else”

Sewing Lesson #2

Here's a link to the sermon I mentioned, Mommy's you will not regret watching this.  Promise. Warning, you may want more children if you do watch this.  :)  Skills Like Katniss