Daily I welcome new people into the ABC Jesus Loves Me Family through Facebook, the ABCJLM Newsletter, and this blog. I love it! Parents, grandparents, and teachers joining us on our mission.
But I realize that the vast majority of you do not know me. I mean really know me. What you know of me is strictly through a computer screen. Though I try very hard to be transparent and real, you only see what I allow you to see.
Any positive thing that you see on this blog or on the ABCJLM website is because of the Holy Spirit. I truly am humbled that God has chosen me as His vessel to aid families, churches, preschools, and groups to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In reality, I am a mom or teacher just like you. I struggle to keep it together, focus on what is important, and keep my eyes on Jesus.
To help you better know me, I want to share the down-to-earth, naked-truth, let’s-be-honest stuff that women really struggle with.
So here goes nothing…
23 Things (I Don’t Want You to Know) About Me
- There are days when I honestly forget to brush my teeth. Disgusting, I know! Some days, it’s noon or later before I make time for this important task.
- I have been known to hide things in my dishwasher or oven before people come over.
- There are times when I get frustrated with my kiddos which elevates my volume – and blood pressure. Dear Lord, help me!
- I really, really dislike exercising. While God is slowly moving my heart over to understand the need, I definitely don’t have a desire to work out.
- My work desk is a disaster area 99% of the time. This is why I got an armor (with doors) for my computer stand.
- I struggle saving the world all while losing my family. It is a balancing act I have to keep in check.
- At times, I desire a straightened house so badly that I bowl over anything and anyone in my way.
- Being strong-willed makes me hard to live with. Just ask my husband.
- I am really bad about placing expectations on other people. Unfortunately for them, they don’t receive the memo.
- I flunked “style” in high school and college. My hair and dress are anything but stylish. It’s a joke among my friends. Has to do with the natural curly hair, tight pocketbook, and that I don’t get out much.
- Sometime, I choose to block out the world – my family – by blogging or updating my websites. I call it my “mommy drug.”
- I can not write. I know it…My past composition teacher bled red pens on my papers to prove it. Remind me again why I have a blog?
- Because I can not write, I often have errors in my blog posts. Most of the errors I catch afterwards despite much proofreading. This is a huge frustration for me.
- The traits that I hate about myself are the traits in my children that absolutely drive me bonkers.
- I often ask my husband if God has told him to become a missionary in Africa. This is serious fear of mine.
- I don’t cry very much but just hearing my mom or aunt’s voice can make me cry when I am having one of “those” days.
- I am very prideful. (See #8)
- I put very high expectations on myself. So high that I fail to live up to them most of the time.
- Some days I am jealous that my husband gets to go to work and that I have to stay at home and keep the peace.
- Showering is not high on my priority list most days. (See #1)
- I don’t drink enough water to keep a camel alive.
- I can not ever get ahead “enough.”
- I can not run. It is a very big joke amongst our friends to try and get me to run just so they can have a laugh and try to get a video as they are sure it would go viral on YouTube. (See #4)
And there you have it! If that doesn’t make you quit reading this blog and search for my credentials, I don’t know what will!
But as I look over this list, I am reminded of my brokenness. My need for a Savior. Because without the saving grace of my Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit I would be a pile of clay. Praise God that He has taken this cracked pot and made it a vessel He can use.
As you use share on the ABCJLM Facebook pages and with your friends, I encourage you to drop the facade. Let’s be real with each other. Let’s make ABCJLM and Our Out-of-Sync Life places where “We all are broken. We all matter. And One gets the glory.”
I thought you showed a lot of honesty/realism/whatever you want to call it in many of your posts. I am right with you on most items in this list. #2 – #11 are exactly me, but for #6 it's me (with a military husband) who is the one who moves away from my friends. Many of the rest I can truly sympathise with, except #1 and #21 – I just can't go to sleep without having a quick shower and brush my teeth.
🙂
I really appreciate this post. Thank you for your honesty and for being vulnerable with all the rest of us cracked pots! I laughed out loud at some of your items because they are OH so familiar to me.
I also appreciate your call to "get real" in the blogging world and on the forum. It's hard to be vulnerable and avoid the temptation of donning a facade in real life, let alone online. Being fake online is nothing but a waste of our time!
Thanks again.
Tauna
I couldn't agree more!
Showers are so overrated. 🙂 A friend of a friend once said, "I haven't showered in 4 days, but I took the kids swimming, so that counts, right?"
Thanks for this post. I'm finally catching up a bit as my little man sleeps in his hospital bed. Thanks for all you do, or for all that God does through you. Will be praying for you as you tackle those big goals you mentioned in more recent posts (I'm going backwards in my catch up).
So glad someone agrees about the shower thing. 🙂
Insert my name into the article, and you've just written it about me. I'll just add that I hide chocolate from my family, instead of blogging! 🙂 xoxo
Chocolate is good too!
Thank you for this post into reality. Today I have been feeling defeated and discouraged. I struggle with insomnia and have for years so I often feel tired. With our recent addition into my family (a 2 year old) I often wonder what I'm thinking starting over at 45 when I was just getting to a point in my life that maybe just maybe I could get some rest. God has other plans and sometimes I feel inadequate even though I know that He has brought me to it He will bring me through it. It's helpful to know that I'm not so unique in the way I feel. I can identify with each and everyone of your statements! I'm very impatient and I want things to happen now and unfortunately people keep "reminding" me we have a long road ahead trying to adopt a child who so desperately needs a family but a birth mother not willing to give up her rights but no desire to change her ways. Thanks for sharing who you really are! I often see people like you who do so much for others and feel like I come up very short. It's nice to know others struggle with some of the same things and you manage to still conquer ? God bless you!
So thankful that you were encouraged. We all struggle. Some just hide it better than others. 🙂
Thanks Heidi for being real, I struggle with so many of these myself. The Lord wanted me to read this because I have been beating myself up a lot lately. Thank you for reminding me that I and all of us are broken and need our savior Jesus every second of our lives.
We all need the reminder from time to time. 🙂