defining success.......for me

I think about this......A LOT. I feel pressure to 'be' something. The right kind of mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, friend, employee, neighbor, church member, sister-in-law, woman...you get the point. Well after much thought, prayer, tears, conversations, I have determined that I cannot and WILL NOT define myself by anthing else but "Follower of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God!" I have put pressure on my kids to be the "best" they can be. To live up to their potential. To get good grades. To be liked by people. To have good manners. The only thing that matters in their lives is that THEY are "Followers of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God!" Really! It doesn't matter what college they go to or if they even GO to college. Will that matter when we stand before God? Will he ask us "what was your GPA?" or "what did you do for ME?" "Who else is here because of YOUR life?" Is this an excuss for mediocrity? Absolutely NOT. Giving less than your best in anything is sad, but not a SIN. I have put TONS of pressure on Tom to be the perfect husband and father. You know what? He is learning, growing and is becoming the Man of God we need in our home. Forgive me Tom for ever making you feel like you aren't "enough." I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. Regrets? Yep, I have a few. I cannot change the past. I can only move forward from today and say "I will only be successful if God is pleased with my life." To some, publicly writing this seems bare-naked, but for those of us to who ARE pretty 'bare' most of the time, it is the only way to feel the freedom of change. And you know what? I am going to screw up LOTs more before my life is done. That is the beauty of GRACE! a word/concept I am praying to be better at extending to my girls, to my husband and to the rest of the world. Am I bold enough to publish this? Well, since most of you know how I am :) ........here goes! May each of you find the meaning of success in your lives!