A Mother...

is one of the greatest blessings from God. It is an honor to be a Mother, to carry the life of a child inside your womb, to birth a precious, newborn baby, and then to parent that child for the rest of their life. Just because it's an honor and a blessing, doesnt mean it's always the most glorious, easy, painless, and fun job in the world! However, sometimes when I think of a Mother, more of the opposite/negative-type of words come to mind: hard, painful, long-suffering, tiring, chaoctic, sleep deprived, sad, counselor, doctor, chef, noisy, tearful, discipline, loss of privacy, loss of freedom, long hours, dirty, uncomfortable, late, always on guard, etc, etc, etc. But, as soon as those words start to fill my mind and thoughts about the job of a Mother, my heart overtakes those thoughts and is immediately filled up with the most wonderful, positive, encouraging, words that dont hold a candle to any of the "negative" type words! What a Mother is privaledged to be a part of and see and experience, fill the heart with more JOY than any other thing on this earth. Children offer unconditional love, hugs, wet kisses, smiles that make the world shine, giggles, accomplishments that make you and them feel like the most important person on earth, minds that are extremely teachable, little noises while their sleeping that is so peaceful to watch, a body to hold in the middle of the night, a voice on the other end of a phone saying "I love you," fun, parties, dancing, laughter, expressions that could make you laugh all day, imaginations that are out of this world, made up words to a song, gorgeous eyes to stare into, and hearts that long to be loved.

A Mother will change mind, body, and soul in ways she cant as just a woman. A Mother is forced how to learn and do things she never even thought possible. A Mother loses a whole night's worth of sleep and is completely okay with it the next morning just from receiving one hug and one "thank you!" A Mother goes hungary to make sure her children are fed first. A Mother works around the clock to ensure her children have clean clothes, clean bodies, a clean house, food to eat, activities to do, doctor's to see, friends to play with, a safe car to ride in, a school to learn from, and most imporantly, a God to believe in.

Being a Mother has done all these things to me. Being a Mother has completely changed my life. From the time I was a little girl and played countless hours with my babydolls and dreamed and talked of the days when I would become a Mother, I would never had imagined it to be as rewarding, great, fun, joyous, and beautiful as it is!

So, on this Mother's Day, I want to thank my Mother for giving of herself in all those negative things I listed earlier, but also to say thank you for giving of yourself and making yourself available to me in all the positive ways as well! Because of what she taught me, I know I am strong enough to face each day as a Mother. She taught me how to advocate for my children and how to be their biggest fan! She gave me a background of faith-which is the single most important thing in my life and thus created a path for me to follow down in how to give that to my children. She taught me how to love others above myself. She taught me how to work hard and how to never give up, even on those days when that's all I want to do! She showed me unconditional love and cherished all those special memories we as Mother's get to have with our children. So thank you, Mom, for being my Mother and shaping me into who I am today. And to my Mother-in-law, thank you for taking me on as a daughter. You have shown me love and blessings in ways that still continue to amaze me! Your humility is something I look up to and your kindness is like nothing I've ever seen. You've taught me how to put myself first and stand up to other people in such a Christ-like manner. You have so much grace and your ways are beyond generous. All of these things I watch and soak up and try and put into place within my own home. So thank you, for loving me and helping shape me as well into the Mother I strive to be.

And most importantly, I want to thank my Father in Heaven who allowed and chose me to be Hailee and Hannah's Mother. I've poured out in tears and smiles my gratitude and thanksgiving for the great honor and blessing it is to be a Mother. There is no other bond quite like the one between a Mother and her child. Thank you, Hailee and Hannah, for loving me on the good days, and on the bad days! Thank you for your precious hearts that love each other. Thank you for your smiles and hugs and kisses all day, everyday. Thank you for pushing me so deep in my relationship with the Lord. Thank you for showing me that there's nothing I cant accomplish. Thank you for filling my days with laughter and joy! Thank you for making my job as your Mother, the most amazing and rewarding thing I've ever experienced! I love you two precious girls more than any words could ever express. You are the wind beneath my wings and I pray you will one day, "arise and call [me] blessed" (Prov. 31:28) because I have not only prayed, but showed you how to have a passionate, love relationship with the Lord and desire to know His word.

I once heard that having a child is like watching your heart walk around outside of your body, and once I became a Mother, I completely understood that quote. Being a Mother is the greatest honor there is. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mother's out there!