Hello: This is the Millennial Marathon Mom

No one accidentally runs a marathon....

Some things we are simply born in to with out our control. Being a "Millennial" in America for example, I did not chose this title nor place to be born. Other things, like completing a marathon, you must chose, daily, to prepare for in order to be qualified to tackle this mighty feat.

Just a little information about myself, I am currently a 29 year old mother of 4 children. My oldest son, Eli is 7 years old, my daughter EmmieJean is 6, my true middle child, Jude Memphis is 4, and my baby boy at the caboose is 2, Josiah. I am a part time photographer, full time wife, mother, and believer in Jesus.

I know very well the challenges that come with raising children in this day and age. I know all too well about the worlds attempt to put us all in a box, or limit us by the time of our birth, our race, or even the generalities of a few. I am inspired to write to you, as a Millenial Mother, who has committed to run this race of motherhood from a stance of faith in Jesus. I chose to run the difficult race of mothering against what may be popular in order to find what is true, to find what is love, to find what is worth finding.

The first, and foremost challenge, may just be that although I love Jesus, sometimes I still get angry at the tiny humans he has entrusted me with. The biggest challenge may be, being completely honest about where I am, and where I want to be as a mother. Being a Christian doesn't come with a perfect button. ((Although that doesn't change the fact that I still have access to Pinterest and may be able to be convinced I am the only mother out there missing the mark)). I think deep down all of us mothers know that the "Pinterest Perfect" life isn't even real, however that doesn't get rid of our fear of not achieving it. We still struggle inside with worry that we may disappoint our children, or fall short of their expectations for life. How much of our fear is being sculpted by the culture around us instead of the truth of love, and what actually makes life great? There has never been a time in the world where being a parent could be so seemingly easy and so hard at the same time. We can give our kids over to the tablet baby sitter any time we like to make it easy, but then comes the hard part of telling them no they can't have the endless access to entertainment all day everyday. There are so many choices for food, clothing, schooling, faith, sexuality, you name it, everything is now up in the air.

We take this all back to the words i started with in the opening... "No one accidentally runs a marathon..."

The definition of the word marathon: a long-lasting or difficult task or operation of a specified kind.

Motherhood is very much a marathon if you decide you want to do it on purpose, for a purpose. We can all think of a great, older woman figure in our lives who we aspire to want to be more like in our walk as a mom, wife or even just as a woman. Maybe she was your mother, or grandmother, or maybe a church teacher, or school teacher. This woman is someone who when you remember, she was always kind, patient and tender. There for you if you ever needed her. Imagine if that woman would not have decided she was going to endure to the end in her race. What if this woman would have given over to her selfish ambitions and desires. What if this woman would not have been so available, what if this woman would have been angry toward you? You probably wouldn't have any memories of a woman like that, you definitely wouldn't have fond ones.

Hebrews 12:1 says "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Might I also add, "since we have so great a bunch of tiny eyes surrounding us"

These little children we have been entrusted with will learn from us first, no matter what we think we are responsible, to a large degree, of how they see the world, how they love, and how they understand who they are.

So in this opening entry I say, if you are interesting in running with me a while, lets learn how to love and lead our little children in the way they should go, so they may lead a life worthy of the price Jesus paid for us.

Please feel free to leave comments or email in topics you would like to cover.