{"id":2550,"date":"2010-11-09T09:38:20","date_gmt":"2010-11-09T14:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.buildingcathedrals.com\/?p=2550"},"modified":"2010-11-09T09:38:20","modified_gmt":"2010-11-09T14:38:20","slug":"when-mom-blows-out-the-candles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/buildingcathedrals\/2010\/11\/when-mom-blows-out-the-candles\/","title":{"rendered":"When Mom Blows Out The Candles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Yesterday was our dear Red\u2019s birthday. \u00a0Let\u2019s everyone sing together\u2013 \u201cHappy Birthday to you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

I jokingly wrote to her that I hoped she was being pampered on her birthday, but that I highly doubted it because she\u2019s a mom of four and it takes a lot for a mom of four to get away for birthday pampering.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest, it\u2019s hard for this mom of four to get away to use the bathroom, let alone leaving<\/em> the house for something lovely like a pedicure!<\/p>\n

From here, these types of thoughts can lead in two directions for me.<\/p>\n

The first is a dark path, leading to self pity and self righteousness. \u00a0It is one filled with thoughts like, \u201cI\u2019m a self-sacrificing mother who doesn\u2019t ever get attention. \u00a0 I\u2019m responsible for everything and everybody, yet no one cares for me.\u201d \u00a0This is obviously a rather sinful route of thinking. \u00a0It is fruitless and joy-stealing. \u00a0It allows little room for redemption and can breed eventual feelings of entitlement if left untended.<\/p>\n

The second is the more holy of the choices and the path I trod less willingly, but more prayerfully. \u00a0It leads to thoughts such as, \u201cI am blessed beyond measure to have these little souls to tend. \u00a0The gifts they give to me are precious and priceless. \u00a0While this season of life is busy and less about me, it is bringing me closer to Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

From here I have purpose<\/em>, I have love<\/em>, and I have Christ<\/em>\u2013no better gifts for a mother on her birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength.\u201d \u00a0\u2013Mother Theresa<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday was our dear Red\u2019s birthday. \u00a0Let\u2019s everyone sing together\u2013 \u201cHappy Birthday to you\u2026\u201d I jokingly wrote to her that I hoped she was being pampered on her birthday, but that I highly doubted it because she\u2019s a mom of four and it takes a lot for a mom of four to get away for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":730,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-motherhood"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen Mom Blows Out The Candles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yesterday was our dear Red's birthday. \u00a0Let's everyone sing together-- "Happy Birthday to you..." 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