I'm perfect, my house is always clean and my kids never fight!

Good Morning Everyone! Did you get a good laugh at the title of this post, I sure did. I think I needed to write that so I could feel a little better about myself this morning. Of course it was one of those mornings. Presley decides it's more fun to wear her "mock it milk" instead of drinking it. Keller insists on putting his belt on himself which only leads to tears of frustration five seconds later. Presley wants to get back in bed AFTER her hair was looking so stinkin' cute, and I can't find the pair of soft, leather knee high boots I want to wear! (Hey, it was 71 degrees this morning and it felt like Fall, I believe when I start to wear my Fall clothes then it will become Fall... OK that's just silly, but I digress..) You get the picture, we've all been there. I want to make sure my kids leave the house with cute clothes, Keller has the perfect spike in his hair and Presley doesn't have anything on her face. I want to leave my house in the morning spic and span and know that when I come home, dinner will be cooking in the Crock-Pot. I want everyone to think I have it all together, when in fact I really don't.

So that got me thinking. Motherhood triggers something in us that has probably been dormant for awhile, maybe since say; Junior High? We're seeded with this desire to be well thought of, to be admired, to be affirmed in our hard work as moms. We sometimes may stretch the truth a little...just a little. We say our babies sleep thru the night when they really don't, our discipline plans always work, every time and we never fight with our husbands. We are masters at making our lives seem so yummy and cupcakey (I made this word up) that in all reality we are living in chaos.

When we operate from being seen in a certain light, we only do ourselves a dis justice. We can't develop healthy relationships in the messy soil of reality, and guess what? That's the only place where they are going to grow! Presenting a fake life to others generates fear in our own hearts and intimidation in everyone else's, and creates nice, fake relationships- with our friends, family, even with our own children.

Authenticity ranks terribly high on Jesus's list of required attributes. It's not how good we are that counts, because honey, there are a lot of good people in hell...I'm just saying. What does count is how truthful we are about how good we're not. Only then can Jesus get busy developing us into the redeemed daughters we already are in Him!

So here is my challenge to you fellows mommies and bloggers. Can we speak truth to each other and ask for help when we need it? Can we admit when we fail and stop worrying what someone will think. Can we allow someone to be the same people on the outside as they are on the inside? Can we live real lives in front of each other, imperfect in our humanity but reclaimed through Jesus?

I will if you will.

If you and I do, others can.

If we all do, everyone might.

For today and ever day, speak authenticity.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand, you guide my counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory... my flesh and heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart forever. Psalm 73:23-26