Recently I was reading a well loved family magazine with all its encouraging and joyful stories about how the editor's and contributing writers' families all love the Lord and how their lives are just so great!

These stories, I presume, are meant to encourage fellow families to love the Lord and serve Him with passion and fervour. But suddenly they didn't seem to be all that encouraging to me anymore. In fact every story became downright discouraging to me.

It seemed as though these families have gotten their act together and their lives are just great. Well, my life is so not like that. Is anyone's life really like that?! Really? All the time?

Isn't it an unrealistic picture to paint? How come they don't face any obstacles? How come they don't have one-of-those-days? The magazine reminded me of some blogs or books I read which are always so upbeat.

Where they all are only too happy to tell me how to get my act together. And list down the 101 things that I gotta do so that my life can be just so. I told dh that these books actually don't serve to encourage me but rather make me feel worse! They tell me all the things I need to do - which I am unable to (for whatever reason) and make me feel like a failure or a lazy bum for being unable to do them all! I feel lousy and condemned.

So what's my strategy? I don't read them anymore! Haha! Really, unless it's some tips about cooking or home organisation, I don't read them them anymore. I don't even read homeschooling blogs that tell me all the fabulous activities mom does with junior to every day.

And let me tell you that my life is definitely not perfect nor great all the time. Sure there are good days with many moments of everything going just great : Children are obedient and cheerful and loving and school goes real fine. Then there are the bad days and the real bad days! Where I wish I was in another planet somewhere where I can actually eat a meal without 4 - or more! vultures hovering around me going, "Can I have some?, p-l-e-a-s-e?????" And when the day never seems to end.

That is why I wrote 10 Myths Debunked on my Building Up Moms website. Coz I certainly don't want anyone to think that I have got it all together. I know the principles to operate by but I am also human and I don't always do what I say. Ask my children!

I don't want to discourage anyone but to encourage. So, if by being real I can help someone, then great! And if you want some ra-ra type of reading material, sorry, you're at the wrong place!

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Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at :

www.BuildingUpMoms.com

Posted by Delci

Which is why I have also stopped reading blogs that only tells ONLY tells all the marvelous things about their life and children, esp those that are outright boasting!

Posted by sheza

uh-oh, I guess you won't be reading my blog. I try to only blog the positive. Why? Not because I am not real but 1) I don't want to remember the negative unless there's some lesson to be learnt
2) The negative is usually more personal... more than what I want for the whole world to know...

Posted by sonoranstamper

AMEN AMEN AND AMEN!!!! I'm usually an upbeat person, but there are days I would just love to roll over in bed and NEVER GET UP!!!

I love how transparent you are!!! It's refreshing to find someone else out there who is!!! I DON'T have it all together. I hit obstacles almost everyday! And, believe it or not, I'M NOT ALWAYS NICE!! : } Whew, that feels good just saying it!!

Believe it or not you have encouraged me when I feel like blogging something edgy or 'not so nice' I'm gonna do it!!! Ha!
Thank you!!!

I enjoyed stopping by!!!
Thanks for sharing,
Robyn