Being a mom is hard! Being a Christian mom is even harder!

Let me say what most Christian mom's often think.

Kids make you wanna curse. 

Even those parents who don't curse have been known to swear occasionally.

And it really doesn't help that we have Christian woman who we are looking up too that never seem to bat an eye at the insane things children do. 

I'd love to say I gently remind my boys that coloring on the couch with permanent marker is not allowed in this house. 

It would be awesome not to flip my lid when they put the last 3 rolls of toilet paper in the potty because their army guys need a life ring. (Army guys that are under the 3 rolls of TP in the now clogged toilet)

And I'd love to remember the material items wont matter once I'm dead and gone as they are scratching my brand new 42" flat screen TV with fingernail clippers.

But reality is- I'm a yeller. 

I tend to fall back to yelling at the boys opposed to gently reminding them in my Christian Michele Duggar voice of what they should be doing or more often what they shouldn't be doing. 

I have recently deleted several blogs I have followed for years because they make me feel inadequate as a mother. They can bake, cook lavish meals, tend to their children, keep a spotless home, host Bible studies, and keep up a well written blog. 

I'm doing good to keep my kids alive most days. 

My goal in 2013 is to be gentle with my words, gentle with my hands, and honest with myself. 

If you've met my children you will know they don't get spankings like they probably should. 

But I've learned that sometimes the best discipline is a gentle tongue. 

I'm no longer looking at other mothers for advice. God gave me a heart that knows what my children need. He has given me instructions in a book I don't read as often as I should.

And I'm going to stop comparing myself to the mama's on pinterest, blogs, & facebook. 

I'm going to finally accept that I'm not perfect. I'm going to make mistakes. I'm going to have a messy house at times. I'm going to do things that others may think is wrong. And they may be right. But I'm going to figure it out along the way. 

At the end of the day God has given me a heart big enough to love 4 children and their daddy. And I can't imagine He would bless me with all this love and responsibility and not equipped me with the tools to raise them right. 

So if you're feeling down in the dumps today for doing all the wrong things in raising your kids and guaranteeing them to a life of therapy, fill your day with this verse 

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 

2 Peter 1:3