Take a break It is okay. Really!

As moms we face guilt over so many issues. Perhaps the number one issue work out of the home moms are criticized for is spending time away from their kids when they aren't at work. After all, we are out of the home at least 40 hours a week at work and only have a few hours a day during the week to be with them, nurture them, train them. Shouldn't every evening and weekend be devoted to them to make up for lost time?

This is a terrible pressure to put on ourselves or other mothers. True, our children need us but they also need our best selves. As Sally Clarkson advises in her new book Desperate, "we all need a break or we will break."

"Day in and day out we give to our children, and it’s a privilege to do so. I’m thankful for the opportunity to pour into my children, but when we choose to give the best of ourselves to them, we will need a break, or we will break. We’ll get desperate," advises Sally.

So, it is okay to meet a friend after work every once in a while, or to get your nails done without kids in tow or even to spend a whole weekend rejuvenating. That is why I look forward to the two times a year I head to the mountains to a place called the Scrapbook Cabin. There, I meet with kindred spirits for a weekend that nurtures my spirit. I return rested, revived and a better mom, wife and colleague. So don't claim the guilt. God ordained rest. He gave us the sabbath, he exemplified it by going to the mountain to pray, he knew he had precious little time on earth with his flock, yet he took time alone to rest, prepare, reflect. It is important and necessary.

My break comes in two weeks! I'll be headed to the cabin and I am in much anticipation. After a long fall, filled with work travel, the move, the holidays, unpacking, and more, a weekend full of creativity and laughter and support from other women is just what my soul needs!

How do you catch a break?