Strength...

I need to write an article on STRENGTH. My audience is going to be "moms". Any ideas? Suggestions? Direction to go with this? There's no guarantee that my article will actually be published, but I am going to try to write it... oh, and it has to be submitted by Wednesday, so I need to get started on it ASAP!! This post is probably going to be my brainstorming session (at least the beginning of it)...

Strength, Moms... It takes a LOT of strength to be a MOM!! Especially a SAHM... strength to deal with your kiddos all day long... strength to not go crazy from lack of "real people" communication on a daily basis... strength to find time to accomplish all you have on your agenda... strength to be the backbone in the family - to run the household seamlessly with no one realizing all that you do to keep it running!

For Working Moms, it takes strength to leave your precious kiddos in the care of another person while you spend the day in another world completely... it takes strength to focus on your job/career while constantly wondering how/what your kiddos are doing... it takes strength NOT to call your kiddos caretaker every hour to check on them - I know about this one!! but to check on them constantly would be showing a lack of trust in the caregiver and distract you from your J-O-B... it takes strength to try to "cram" all of your household duties in and still have time for your kiddos before collapsing into bed at night... it takes strength to get up the next day and start all over again... it takes strength to manage your household on top of your job and any other responsibilites (church, girl scouts, friends, etc) that you have taken on...

sometimes, it just takes strength to say NO... NO to more activities on the agenda, NO to your screaming toddler in the store, NO to working more, NO to friends and family who want to come over, NO to yourself to slack off and indulge yourself when your family/kiddos need something, NO to your kiddos/family when you need time to yourself, NO to your desires when they will not have the BEST result for your life... saying NO takes a LOT of STRENGTH...

not knowing a lot about the ezine that will be possibly publishing this article, I dont know if i can incorporate scripture into it or not... if i can, it would be an awesome chance to share how God has given me strength to get through situations that i couldn't have gotten through without him... if not, i will need to focus more on personal strength and finding strength in numbers...

okay... time to get off the computer and get out my bubble charts!! :-D yeah for a good brainstorming session!!!