Celebrate Family

Okay, so maybe you did and maybe you didn't notice the new button on my sidebar.  I don't add many, so hopefully it caught your eye without any extra distractions.  And I want to blog about this Month-Long blog party celebration of the FAMILY through the Family Proclamation. (Which is celebrating it's 15th YEAR!  Can you believe it?  I remember when it first came out!!!  Oh, boy . . . I remember when . . . that's a sign that I'm getting old, isn't it? ;-D)

First of all, if you don't know what the Family Proclamation is, or are feeling a little rusty since the last time you read it, you can read it here.  I took a minute to go back and read it; and I am so glad I did!

There are a few things that are constantly on my mind these days:

1) The condition of the world, particularly as it affects and will continue to affect my children.  I think about how I want to raise them, where I want to raise them, where they are going to best learn the values I work hard every day to teach them, where they will be the most free to grow and develop AWAY from the world and it's ever-digressing and changing ideologies, media, rhetoric, etc., so that they will be prepared to ENTER the world and face and CHANGE the falsehoods.

2) How I can be a better mother and LOVE LOVE LOVE every moment of this great adventure.  I am constantly looking for books, craft ideas, discipline tactics, activities, etc. that will help me to fill my children's lives with everything that is wholesome, good, praiseworthy, etc.  I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I struggle with this Mommy business . . . really struggle.  (Movie time, anyone?  Like two or three times a day sometimes?)  But I never stop seeking new ideas, greater strength to make it through with flying colors, a better way to understand and communicate with and teach my children, etc. And you know that JUST when I "think" I've gotten it down pat, they're going to move away to college! ;-D  Oh, well . . . as long as I'm prepared for it! :-)

3) That said, a third thing that I am very passionate about is making the world a better place.  I mean rolling up my sleeves, digging into, and even creating among all the wonderful resources there are out there for people trying to make a difference one.day.at.a.time.  In fact, sometimes I have this huge internal conflict between #2 and #3.  I'm working on it, though -- a work in progress for sure!  Even when I found this amazing blog, I was thinking, "See, now why didn't I think of doing something like THAT?  I would LOVE to be involved in planning and carrying out something like this!"  Well . . . I can!  And I'll try to NOT feel like I'm getting the crumbs off the table! ;-D

Tonight as I read this blog post about the MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF THE FAMILY and the Family Proclamation, I felt like I had some prayers answered. It's ALL right there, isn't it?  The answers to my daily struggles, fears, hopes, dreams, ambitions, etc.  It's ALL addressed in The Family Proclamation!  A a lot easier than what I keep trying to make it.  A LOT simpler.  And it gives me focus and parameters to keep me in line when I might be tempted to go out of bounds every now and then.  (After all, the grass really ISN'T greener on the other side . . . it's just someone else's grass!)  And I am so excited to join this month-long focus on the one thing that matters the MOST in my life!

What better way to prepare for the arrival of this new little baby at the end of that month?  I think this is just what I needed! (Well, one thing, anyway! Hahahahaha!  Wouldn't it be easy if this could answer ALL of my pre-baby needs/questions and take care of every bit of preparation?)

I hope you'll join as well!