Love / Hate

I have a love hate relationship with the internet.  I love reading blogs of people I know, and some organizing / designer blogs of people I don't know.  Really.  Love it.  I get all of these great ideas from other people, and I store it in the back of my mind (or on Pinterest) on my unrealistic to do list.

That's why I hate it.  The good ole' WWW can make one feel very inadequate.  A friend of mine and I talk about this frequently.  Nobody puts things on the internet that they don't want you to see.  In fact, I've had more than one person tell me in the recent past that they thought I had it all together and that I had the cleanest house.  Oh.  My.  Word.  I was quickly to tell them how off they were.  I don't have it all together.  I tend to spend more time on the internet than I should (although I justify that because I never watch TV.  I literally have one show that I must see.), I don't play with my kids enough, I'm very selfish at times, my house has typically been a wreck lately, I have been an awful steward of the money the Lord has given us at times (my eyes have been opened to this when I pulled out the 18 month clothes for Grant.  Jacob was in them for two summers, and I think Grant could literally go 2 months solid wearing a different outfit.  That's pathetic, and I'm very ashamed to admit that fact.), and this list could go on and on with the things I am failing at.  Then I go and turn on the computer and I see a design blog with a perfectly decorated house, that even on a "budget" as they call it I would never be able to afford to do.  Or I look at a craft blog, and I'm reminded of how poorly I manage my time, and I would never find the time to do crafty things like that.  Or I even look at some of your blogs.  I see wonderful mothers soaking up every moment they can with their children, and I'm reminded of how much more I could be doing as a mother.  So, I have to ask myself, why in the world would I torture myself in this way??  Yet every day, I do it all over again.  And if I guess, I'm probably not the only one.

And here's proof that I don't have it all together.  I never want to be a discouragement to other mommies out there.  So therefore, I'm going to completely embarrass myself with this one.

This is what you see....  (Even though I'm still dying to redo our kitchen, it looks all together here...)



And recent reality...

This, my friends, is a mixture of laundry in the process, and a whole lotta stuff we dropped in the kitchen when we came home from the river last night.  I'm in my clean living room so I don't have to think about it.  :)

One of my favorite blogs to read posted a while back a "messy house tour."  It was hilarious because every room in her house looked like this, but when you see her beautifully decorated rooms it can make you feel inadequate.  (Here is a link to the video of her "Messy House Tour")

Most stay at home mom's deal with exactly what I'm talking about.  Feeling like they aren't good enough, or every one else is doing it right and you aren't.  Well, that's not the case, and God doesn't want us to feel that way.  Although I do believe he wants us to do our best (and this picture obviously doesn't show that!), but I don't think he wants us to live a life of guilt.

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
Psalm 37: 23-24


"She (the proverbs 31 wife) watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."    .................   "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31: 27, 30  


Oh how I long to be like the Proverbs 31 wife!!!  Check out this site - http://www.myproverbs31life.com/

OK, I could go on and on, but I truly feel as though I am rambling.  I think you get what I was getting at though!  :)  Fight the urge to let the WWW make you feel inadequate.  We are all going to mess up, but you have to keep holding the Master's hand through this journey called life!