Editor’s note: Today we have another installment of our Moms’ Night Out: A Real Life Look series, where our writers share how this movie resonated with them, how it touched them where they are right now, how they found a glimpse of the priorities and beauty they sometimes overlook in the midst of the daily grind. Enjoy!

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Getting to sneak peak and watch Moms’ Night Out, being released Mother’s Day weekend, was a real treat.  But the bigger treat was watching it with my husband.  Date Night at home!

Moms’ Night Out is supposed to be a family comedy about the beautiful chaos of parenting but somewhere in the midst of the laughter; there were times I had tears in my eyes watching the perils of the moms on the screen.

Even though the writers of this movie are men, they somehow captured the way moms are tough on themselves, the way we strive to be a form of mothering perfection for our families that doesn’t really exist, and the way we hide our parenting struggles from our mom friends around us.

I absolutely loved watching this movie with my husband, but I can’t wait to see Moms’ Night Out with my girlfriends at the theater.  We moms need each other.  We need to let down our guard, show that none of us have it all together all the time, and build each other up through faith, fellowship and fun.

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There were times last night when my husband turned to me and said this movie was a bit too close to home.  A mom who seems a little crazy stressed and has blow-up moments while forgetting to put mishaps into their proper perspective??  Um.  It’s like they were inside our house. (Only my house doesn’t look like it came out of a Ballard Designs catalog. I loved the décor of the set.)

It’s a really good thing I know how to laugh at myself, because at times it felt like it was me up on that big screen feeling like I was failing at the basics of life and just trying to keep it all together.

And that’s part of what was so beautiful and funny and the same time.  We are all “that mom” sometimes.  We have crazy moments where we lose it and explode and wish we could emulate those women around us who seem to be doing it right.

What was this movie like?  Laughter, tears, a little introspection, and lots of reassurance that we are all a little mixed up crazy and that’s how it’s supposed to be.   Parenting is a tough job, an important job. No mom is the “perfect mom” and even those who look like they have it all together have a bit of paralyzing stress from time to time.

“I’m a Mess.  But I’m a Beautiful Mess.  I’m His Masterpiece, and that’s Enough.”  True and powerful words that sum up the message of Moms’ Night Out.  God made us; He gave us our children and family.  We need to trust that we are doing what He created us to do and just breathe and enjoy.

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Tune in tomorrow for another installment of our Moms' Night Out: A Real Life Look series!

Copyright 2014, Lisa Jones