A Joyful Surrender

* The Sacrifice of Motherhood  Love involves sacrifice . When we love one another, we sacrifice our time, energy, and sometimes even our desires (i.e., going to eat Chinese food with a loved one even though you really want a big, juicy cheeseburger). These sacrifices demonstrate to the others that we care about what is important to them  (i.e., Chinese food) and beyond that, that we are invested in who they are. Mothers are constantly faced with opportunities to demonstrate this kind of love. Here are just a few examples: Mom takes off work to attend her child's holiday party at school. Mom stays up all night to care for her sick child. Mom sits with her child at the end of a long day and watches     (insert kid's favorite television show)     instead of      (insert mom's favorite television show)   . However, mothers are not only given such opportunities to demonstrate love towards their children. They are additionally faced with pressu

Any of you who know our family well probably know a little bit about our Son. And, if you know anything about Son, you know that he is a bit more shy and timid than Husband or myself. Son is well-known for saying things like: I'm too scared to ask... I can't go by myself... I don't want them to talk to me... Everyone will look at me... While I am definitely the most extroverted of my household, I am guilty of struggling with the very same fears. My inner thoughts just look a little bit differently: I'm too nervous to ask for help. I don't want to be alone.  They wouldn't like me if they really knew me. People think I'm weird.  Regardless of how our thoughts differ, it is clear that we share similar fears. Specifically, the fear to be who we are, who God created us to be . This fear can also be describes as the fear of man. In other words, we are overly concerned what others think of us. (Feel free to read my last blog post for more on this top