Christmas Crazy...

Alright people...I love Christmas about as much as anyone I know, and the kids and I are feeling it.  We are having dance-offs to every holiday station we can find right now.  We are finally enjoying that it's dark at 4:45 p.m. because when we are out and about, we can spot Christmas lights. We even had hot cocoa with mini marshmallows and candy canes, we have even decorated and sipped on some eggnog...

BUT, I am also finding myself being sucked in to the vortex of Elf on a Shelf, The Advent Calendar and the latest...The Light them Up Service Project Calendar.  Last week, I got an incredible video from a family...where instead of doing a holiday card, they made a five-minute video of their last year.  It was sensational and you know who you are.  I LOVED it.  It's just that all these things have bombarded me with a whole different level of standards for us mommy's and my spirit is so unsettled with it. If you love it, go for it.  If you find joy from it...great.  If you're kids learn service from it?  Who the heck am I to frown upon it?  It's just that I feel the need to be able to do all of them too...simultaneously.  I know, I am a dork.

Am I known for having too high standards of myself?  Yep.
Am I known for trying to do everything others are doing? Yep.
Am I known for trying to have everything done picture perfect? Yep.
Am I known for thinking that if others are doing it, I should be able to pull it off too?  Even though my circumstances are totally different than theirs? Check.

So...you can see my dilemma.  Thank God I have people in my life who can snap me back to truth. Thank God for his word. Thank God for prayer. Thank God I can right myself again and remind myself to take a deep breath and chill out.  Each of the things listed above are great things in and of themselves...it's just that combined, they add up to too much.

And I can't help thinking that in all of it, we are raising the standards higher and higher for ourselves as mothers.  What ever happened to the days when you were a great Mom simply because you baked some cookies, served a few people in need in some discreet way and poured some eggnog for your kids a few times?  I can't help thinking we are shooting ourselves in the foot ladies. And, I am sure I will get on another soapbox soon about how every time I turn around...there is another rule about TV being from the devil or anything that isn't organic being toxic or trick or treating being a terrible choice for my children...at some point it becomes my deal and I have to choose to create my home the way I choose with the principles I believe in...if only I could lay down that burden and need for approval that I have in me...lay it down 24/7 and never, ever face it again. :)

Or maybe I am the only one who does a mental freak out when I'm given another blog to read about the next list of ways you too can be an amazing christian mother if you too do this next thing...it's all with great intention. It's all with a great purpose in mind but I tend to read all of them and panic.  Maybe it's just down here in the bible belt...

So, today I have decided to lay all that down and choose to be peacefully content with doing what I have always done.  It's enough.  It's loving and full of service and godly...but I am avoiding the checklists.  Big sigh.  Now, I just need your prayers that I won't pick that back up in an hour. :)

Maybe the next best thing might be to turn off my computer for the next month!? :)

With love and in need of a Saviour,
Annette