Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I am a perfectionist in many ways. That does not mean that my house is perfect, etc. I do tend to be very detailed with projects and the like. Sometimes I even put off projects because I do not have the time to do them "just right". I think my worst point of perfectionism has always been events. I want family moments to be picture perfect...memory perfect. I always wanted everything to be just right. I really don't know how my children ever enjoyed doing things with me in the past. They could not muss things up, they could not have a spill, etc. I would fret and sigh at the littlest of things.

I had to get over this. I could feel it eating at me. I hated what I would say. I hated my frustration and annoyance. I had to finally confront it for the sin it was. I had a critical spirit. I did not want to be like that and had prayed over the years for the Lord to help me with it. Then I realized He had helped me by convicting my heart. It was up to me to recognize this behavior as sin and refuse to sin any longer. I am not perfect by any means, but just realizing that has cooled my tongue. I don't have a problem saying, "Forgive me sweety, Mommy should not have snapped at you like that." Where before I could see my children getting tense at moments like that, now I see them relax and continue to enjoy themselves.

Even when I discipline I can do it with a calm voice and gentle manner. Does that mean I compromise? Nope. My children may not have memories of a mommy that was always this way, but no matter. They will have memories of a mommy who's heart was changed by God and was a better mommy for it. It will be a testimony for them.

Tonight we dyed Easter eggs. Before this would have been a night of some fun and much annoyance. We had fun instead because I chose to not sweat the small stuff! Does my counter-top sport various splotches of dye stains? Yes, but a little Comet will take it out and my girls had fun with me. It won't be a memory of mommy being cranky every time we did something, it will be of what we did together. Spills clean up and tears can be mended, the heart is harder to fix. I want my children's hearts...the rest is small stuff.

More of You Lord, less of me.

On another note, a sweet thing we do with the girls each Easter is Resurrection Rolls. We take large marshmallows and roll them in butter, then in cinnamon sugar. You then wrap a crescent roll or flattened out canned biscuit around it. Bake according to package directions. As we do this we talk about why Jesus died for us, his death and burial. We talk as the rolls are baking. When they are done we ask if Jesus stayed in the tomb. No, He did not...we explain how He rose again and defeated death, Hell and the grave and ascended to the Father. We then break open our rolls and they are empty! We just adlib now, but I used to have a sheet with specific verses to use at each part of the preparation. You could probably do a search and find it. It would be good to read Mark 15:33-47 and Matthew 28:1-10. I want to try and make food memories with my children on the holidays. Special things that go with the day. Recipes they can have to share with their children one day. Some are just for fun and some, like these rolls, teach them. They impress upon them what we believe in a memorable way.

Love,

Shawna