HEY! YOU ROCK!

Y'all. I am a MESS right now.
My house is a mess. My yard is a mess. My classroom at school is a mess. My dog is dirty, I'm out of shape, and I can't even remember the last time I cooked my husband a meal.
Can I just tell y'all about the past month? First, I got sick. I had this weird hormone imbalance and my face exploded with painful acne and I had a terrible headache I couldn't shake for days. Then, I decided to reorganize (okay, organize areas that haven't ever been organized) my whole house. You know, going through the entire basement, closets, endless piles of papers, that sort of thing. In the middle of the reorganizing session (that's currently still happening), we went camping. After that, my dog got super sick because he UNZIPPED MY BAG AND ATE MY RETAINERS (excuse me, what?!), and he was throwing up and had diarrhea because he had plastic in his insides. So we had to go to the vet three days in a row to get x-rays and medicine, and in the midst of that he also sprained his shoulder! Back to the vet, jiggity-jig. I leave him there for a week while we go on vacation to Yellowstone and the Tetons, and now I'm sick AGAIN. Sore throat, runny nose, cough.
Moms, life is hard sometimes. It just is. And I want to tell you something.
You are doing AWESOME. You are a ROCKSTAR. You deserve to be CELEBRATED!
Sometime last year, in a moment of feeling inadequate and not good enough, I wrote out all the things I felt like I needed to be doing regularly. They haven't changed much. Spiritually, I need to have consistent personal prayer time and Bible study, as well as following along with different Bible studies I'm involved in or my church is involved in. My husband and I help lead the young married and college groups at our church, so we need to be meeting with people individually or as couples, mentoring them and praying with and for them. I also sing on the worship team at church, so I need to be in prayer about that as well. As far as work, I need to be praying for my students daily, lesson planning, and keeping an organized classroom. I also need to be reading articles about education and creative new teaching methods. I need to keep our home clean, too, putting things away and dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and keeping up with laundry, ironing, and the garden. I need to be organized for all of our meals and grocery trips, and I need to prepare those meals daily. I also need to be in shape, work out regularly, and have a slammin' sex life with my awesome husband. Speaking of my husband, I need to respect, encourage, support, and pray with him daily. I have future goals, too, like writing books, having a family, and building a camp, so I should probably be working towards those things, too. Then there's the miscellaneous category, including things like flossing my teeth, taking vitamins, practicing guitar, reading educational books, walking my dog, and the list could probably go on for pages.
Oh, and let's not forget about rest...I need to have a balanced life with time to catch up with friends, enjoy my family, and recharge, because that's the way God designed us.
No wonder most women feel like they can't "do it all"...because we CAN'T! I don't even have my own kids yet, and I can't even begin to keep up with all that stuff! I'm sure a lot of you are more organized than I am, but most days I just feel like I'm drowning. I often think that if I could just get to where I'm treading water, then I could be fine for a while and keep up with things. It's probably my unique (read: procrastinating, creative, messy) personality, but I honestly am not even sure I'd know how to tread water if I got to the surface of all the things that weigh me down. I don't know if I've ever been on the surface long enough to learn how.
I'm learning something, though. I don't know that God even calls us there in the first place. If we could tread water by ourselves, we probably wouldn't need him. He gives himself as a life jacket for us, and I think we're idiots if we don't take it.
Here's a message for you: NO ONE has it all together. Nobody's real life matches their perfect Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/social-media-of-your-choice life.
What's the result of realizing this? Freedom.
Yes, freedom! Do what you can each day, and forget about the rest. Put Jesus first, your family second, and celebrate your accomplishments. Did you hear that? CELEBRATE! Today! Right now! Grab some balloons, turn up the music, and give yourself a dance party. Turn up your jam of choice (some suggestions: Don't Stop Believing - Journey, Respect - Aretha Franklin, Firework - Katy Perry, Overcomer - Mandisa), twirl around, and jump up and down. If your kids are home, have them dance with you! Throw around some confetti and glitter. Then, go out and get some ice cream. Or stay in and eat ice cream. Make yourself a sign that says, "I'M AWESOME!" and tape it to your mirror. Do something that makes you happy enough to laugh until your stomach hurts. Draw. Paint. Decorate. Lie in the sun and take a nap. Go for a walk, a run, a swim, a bike ride. Watch "Kittens Inspired by Kittens" on YouTube twelve times. 
Why celebrate? Because you are FREE in CHRIST! We're no longer slaves - not just to our old selves - but to our to-do lists. Did you hear that? Your to-do list is not in charge of you! And, friend, if you don't know Christ, you need to get to. Trust me, he's the only way you're going to stay afloat in this life. You can't do it on your own.

I really do challenge you to celebrate yourself today. Even though my house is messy, it's still a roof over our heads that God provided for us. Even though there are weeds in my garden, there are colorful wildflowers and bright orange pumpkins, too. And even though I can't "do it all" all the time, Jesus is honored by everything that I do accomplish for his glory.
I want to hear your celebration stories! If you feel up to it, celebrate another mom as well. Remember, not just those who have kids are "moms." Anyone who takes care of someone else is! So wives, teachers, nannies, nurses, your own mom - celebrate the women in your life today. Write a letter, make a phone call, send a text. Have your kids make thank you cards. Invite a friend to your party and make "I'M AWESOME BECAUSE OF CHRIST IN ME" signs together. Jesus celebrates you, too. I can promise you that. Taking care of people is his work.
YOU'RE ROCKING IT! #celebratemessymoms today!
"For freedom Christ has set you free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1, ESV). "He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light" (Job 33:8, NIV).