Its getting colder.

As much as I love the Summer, I love Autumn even more.  Its the way things smell, the feel of the air, the seasonal fruit, the fairs, and maybe a  touch of anticipation of Christmas.  Things have really gotten busy around here lately now that fall has come.  Audra started Pre-school, which is awesome.  She was so ready and is learning so much.  Not to mention, its nice for me to have a couple of hours in the morning with Elijah.  Its like he and I have little dates throughout the week.  She also started Gymnastics,  which has been, ummm...interesting.  I think she might be getting kicked out though (whole other story).  Then Nick and I started school.  He for his Masters, I for my Associates.  Thats complicated things a little.  We also joined a Small Group (a.k.a. Bible Study) which is something we look forward to on a weekly basis.  So yeah, its been a little chaotic, to say the least.
While I am enjoying the quickened pace as of late, I'm also having a hard time with being hard on myself.  I can't help but feel the pressure to be the picture perfect woman-mom-student-wife-friend-christian-and house keeper.  I look at all of the women who surround me.  Those I know, and those I am only acquaintances with.  Here is what Im up against....

Woman #1- Super crafty (sooo talented) and has the warmest house you have ever been invited to.
Woman #2- Amazing christian woman who is so close to God that it just seeps out of her being (and makes you want to be around her). 
Woman #3- Super motivated, active, and fit mom.  I cant even get into that one...
Woman #4-Successful business mom
Woman #5- Mom and successful working woman who looks GREAT in everything she wears.  Im sure she would be picture-ready even if she had not showered for 3 days.
Woman #6- Woman who has a super clean house, is a runner, has two kids, and makes home-cooked healthy meals daily.  This one makes me want to cry...

*sigh*  I just want to like who I am, ya know?  Truth be told, there are times when Im proud of what I have accomplished in life, but most of the time...I find myself wanting to take parts of these other women and build myself into my idea of perfect.  Then when I fall short, it really hurts.  Even if I could collect half of these women's attributes, I would feel better.  But then I think about this verse in the Bible...

              So God created human beings in his own image.
      In the image of God he created them;
      male and female he created them. 

 *Genesis 1:27

So if God is perfect (and he is) and he created ME in his own image, should I not give God's work some respect?  I absolutely should!  I should strive to love myself just as I am, just as God made me, because this is who I'm suppose to be right now.  I'm not going to stop striving to be better, but I'm going to try to stop beating myself up over not being like her, or her, or her...etc. 

                                             You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
                                             and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank 

                                             you for making me so wonderfully complex!
                                             Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 

                                             You watched me as  I was being formed in utter
                                             seclusion as I was woven together in the dark of the 
                                             womb.

*Psalm 139: 13-15