disciplined by Him because of our willful disobedience, but the
Bible tells us that it is because of His love for us that He
reprimands us (Proverbs 3:11–12). God disciplines those He
loves because, like any good parent, He loves us and wants us
to grow in godliness and maturity. Sometimes the path to
maturity means we have to walk down some rough roads. But
the wonderful thing about God is, when we walk with Him, we
never walk alone. He is always right beside us, loving us,
encouraging us, and helping us, even when we do not see it or
feel it, just as any good and loving parent does.

Embrace Your Imperfection

We must accept the fact we are not perfect and never will be.
Some days I have to remind myself of that truth over and over
again. Much of our society today makes us feel that we, as
women, moms, daughters, and even little girls, need to portray
an image of perfection. But that was never God’s intent. We
can’t turn on the TV or read a magazine in line at the grocery
store without being told that lie through the Photoshop-
corrected advertisements, articles, and commercials. But I am
not a perfect woman. I am not a perfect wife, and I’m most
definitely not a perfect mom. I struggle against my own
expectations and those put on me by others and society in
general. I struggle against my feelings of just not being
enough.

Good enough.

Smart enough.