Get Real...

I am not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions...but have always been a fan of making a life growth plan, an idea I stole from my friend Bill Allsion years ago.  So in the spirit of looking forward to new life growth in 2013, I am excited to share with you a challenge for this year.

I want to invite you to join me in just being real this coming year.  By "being real," I mean authentic, and by "authentic," I mean imperfect.  I have had the privilege of getting a sneak peek at Jill Savage's newest book, No More Perfect Mom, and have been reminded of how often we compare our insides to everyone else's outsides.  So often in life, we go about pretending to be okay when really our hearts are weighed down with sorrows, or we allow fear to keep us silent rather than asking for help.  The truth is there is so much freedom that comes from just being real with people, and not just freedom for you.  There is freedom for those around you also, because when you are real, it allows them to be be real.  So, I am going to spend this year blogging about real life, the trials as well as the triumphs.

Here is a quote from the introduction of Jill's book, "Have you ever wondered what is wrong with you, with your family, with your kids? Nothing is wrong with you or your family. You are normal. Your frustrations are normal. Your disappointments are normal. Your struggles are normal. In fact, that’s what this book is all about: the reassurance that you are normal."

I hope to share in this "Get Real" journey with you in 2013, here are a few ways you can get started...

1. Sign up for Jill Savage's "No More Perfect Moms" 31-Day Email Challenge. I'm sure it'll be a fantastic way to start the new year. You don't have to have the book {which doesn't release until February anyway} to be part of this. Click here to sign up so you can start receiving real-life encouragement in your inbox on Jan. 1.

2. Don't buy the book yet, but get ready to do so Feb. 4-9. Along with the release of "No More Perfect Moms," Hearts at Home and Moody Publishers will offer additional bonus resources worth more than $100 if you order/buy the book anytime Feb. 4-9. Click here to learn more about this and sign up to be reminded of the release date.

3. Visit "No More Perfect Moms" website. This is where you can share stories, learn more about the book, and view motherhood resources.

4. Choose one friend to get real with. Look through your facebook friends list, think about the other people in your circles, and chose one person to start being real with.  Someone who you can invite over, even if your house is a mess.  Someone you can talk to when your kids are behaving less than perfectly, or you are fighting with your spouse.  Someone you can share your struggles with.  And most importantly, someone you can encourage to also be real with you.  Romans 1:12 tells us to that we can "be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."   

 Let me know if you want to join me in this challenge, I look forward to hearing from you soon!