2 Peter 1:5-7

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
December 7th
Today is actually December 15th…which means Mom is wayyyy behind!  Luckily, Miss Snow has kept up each day and continued to brighten our 25-day-long holiday celebration.
When I first read this scripture, I envisioned a well rounded kid, making excellent choices that reflect a good nature, a faithful person, and a hard working, ethical human.  Now that I am re-reading it a week later, I see that no where in the scripture does it say:
Add to your character a panic-sticken  version of yourself who runs around 90 miles an hour like a chicken with her head cut off who doesn’t sleep well, who can’t think straight, and who has ulcers.
And this is the point when I wonder: has my attempt to do all and be all taken a wrong turn somewhere?  Like, a horribly, terribly ugly wrong turn?? Perhaps I should NOT feel like a runaway roller coaster just about to derail around the next loop-do-loo or sharp curve???  Is too much of a good thing (serving the schools via PTA, the students via tutoring, the community via Junior League, the congregation via church, the neighborhood via a well-decorated house and neat yard, the kids via a fabulous Christmas,the Coach via a clean and tidy house where the laundry is all done, and myself via a workout each day) really NOT a good thing anymore????  Do you see how the question marks increase with my blood pressure?????
Last Friday (the 7th) Miss Snow brought us a new Christmas movie – The Elf on the Shelf, of course.  She stacked with her gift, all of our holiday DVDs from the gameroom as well as a big bowl and a couple bags of microwave popcorn.  Clearly, she wanted us to sit down with a movie and a snack and each other and enjoy the evening…


By the time the kids got home from school, Miss Snow had even popped a bag of the popcorn, unwrapped the new movie, and grabbed a blanket to snuggle on the couch upstairs.
In the end, the DVD player would not open, the Heisman was being awarded, and the 5-hour old popcorn was a bit chewy…we wound up downstairs with a new bowl of fresh popcorn, watching sports, but still snuggling together under a blanket on a couch.
It wasn’t the picturesque version that I had envisioned, but I’ll take it!  So what if the outcome didn’t look just like the dream?  We spent a Friday night together, having fun, being silly, and sharing an event that (after Coach being in NY for the Heisman Award presentation last year) is special to us, and that is plenty good enough for me.
So, maybe it’s okay that I’m not accomplishing my TO DO LIST perfectly with grace and style.  Maybe it’s okay that I spent the better part of an hour indulging in a little crying jag this morning.  Maybe it’s okay that, although it doesn’t feel like ENOUGH and I am guaranteed to fall short, I’m doing what I can to do all and be all.  Maybe, just maybe, it is all OK…
I promise to post all our Guardian Elf days – even if I’m a little behind schedule.  It’s turning out too special not to share!
Enjoy a fabulous Saturday, and be sure to hug your loves today!!