Why you don’t have to be Martha Stewart or the Queen of Pinterest

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Categorized as Rhonda's Posts

I posted this on Facebook yesterday, and judging by the number of comments that came in, it struck a nerve with my friends. I’m sharing it here in case someone else needs permission to keep it simple.

Quick, little confession to start the week. I don’t like planning big, official hoo-ha’s. Like graduation parties. I am not Martha Stewart. I am NOT the Pinterest Queen. Shoot, I’m not even in the court. At all. (Well, I’d win Miss Congeniality, but that don’t plan no party. Just sayin’.)

What happens is I get overwhelmed. I take on a mountain of pressure (one of the HImalayas, you know?), and I literally lose sleep. Somehow, I think it has to be a grand, glorious production that at least equals what others do with every piece of memorabilia, award, ribbon, report card, and photograph of every burp, hiccup, and twitch that their child has ever made, on display. In a–well, creative, Pinterest-like fashion.

As though all of this measures the love I have for my child.

The cumulative effect is it paralyzes me. So here’s the deal. I’m done picking up pressure. This has been my personal crusade for months now, and I ain’t stoppin’. I refuse to compete (that was me doin’ it to myself anyway), and I plan to have fun.

Here’s what I won’t do. I won’t have the best decorations. And that’s okay. I won’t have a seven-course meal. That’s okay. I won’t make you look at a lifetime of stuff that won’t mean to you what it does to us. And that really is okay.

Hear me on this. Some of you love doing these things. Love the planning, the decorating, the details, the frills. Oh, my! Go for it! It’s your gifting and your joy. I’m applauding you with both of my hands, and I mean it.

Here’s what I will do. I will put out SOME pictures of my kid. I will bring out SOME of the awards he’s won, this smart cookie of mine. I will have good food; simple and easy. And I will have a grand and wonderful time…so that YOU will have one, too.

This morning while I was doin’ my three miles in the breeze and springtime sun, I was prayin’ out loud. Askin’ Lord Christ ahead of time to bring the right folks to this rollicking, frolicking celebration on The Three. I prayed out loud, telling Him that I want every single person who sets foot on our place to feel peace and joy and happiness and rest and to leave lighter and happier and more joy-full than when they came.

So if you get an invitation, here’s what we’re doin’. We’re havin’ a bounce house. We’re playin’ some corn hole. We’re havin’ some food. We’re sharin’ our love.

WE’RE HAVIN’ A PARTY! Let’s get it started. # nopressure # simplicity # party

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