Mother's Day 2009

On a personal note, I wanted to write a little something about Mother's Day. I think that sometimes Mother's Day can turn into a day that looks similar to Valentine's Day. It can become a day when people feel like they should be showered with gifts, flowers, breakfast in bed, compliments, and affection. Often times I feel like people want their day filled with these things so they can then brag to their friends and family members about how lucky they are while listing all of the material things that they have received throughout the day.

Maybe I'm weird, but Mother's Day has such a different feel to me than any other day of the year. For me, it is not a day where I'm expecting my husband to spend a lot of money on me. It is not a day where I'm expecting my children to serve me and wait on me while I lay on the couch. It is also not a day for me to call up my friends and compare notes over who had the best Mother's Day. In my life, Mother's Day has taken on a completely different meaning.

There are 2 main components of Mother's Day to me...
1. To recognize and show appreciation towards honorable Mothers.
and
2. To praise God and acknowledge how blessed I am to be a mother.

There are many women out there that deserve every ounce of honor, praise, admiration, and appreciation that I have in my body for being such amazing mommies -

Karen, Amy, Kelly, Tonya, Jenn, Monica, Suzie, Amy B., Mary R., Mary T., YaYa, Donna, Debra, Samantha, Courtney, Megan, Kat, Julie, Michelle, Laura, Jen T., Angie...

These mommies have all taught me something about being a better mom. They have taught me better discipline strategies, they have taught me how to be more patient, they have shown me how to live in the moment, they have been encouraging words of wisdom, they have been strength during difficult times, they have been strong in their faith and firm in their support for their child, they have been a blessing over and over and over to me and I'm so thankful for their friendship, for their honesty, and for their example.

However, the greatest examples that I've had in my life have come from my Me-Ma and my Momma! Never have I met 2 woman more amazing both as wives and as mothers. They have raised kids that love them and work hard to honor them daily. ("Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her..." Proverbs 31:28) They have shown their children unconditional love and they have forgiven them numerous times. They showed God's love to each child and worked hard their entire lives to be sure that their kids experienced God's love first-hand. I am so amazingly blessed to have been given such an amazing Momma and Me-Ma and I can only pray that one day my kids and my kids' kids will think of me with half of the admiration that i have towards the two of them. "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" (Proverbs 31:29)

Finally, Mother's Day has changed even more for me over the past 4 years. I have become overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and appreciation ever since bringing home my first "bundle of joy". I know that I do not deserve to be a Mommy. I also know that God doesn't "owe" me anything, especially 2 amazing children. This day is not a day for me to let people recognize me, instead, it's a day where I want people to recognize what God has done in me and for me. I am a Mommy because of Him...I am an okay Mommy because of Him. I get to wake up in the morning and spend time with my kids, because of Him. He gave my kids to me. He picked me to take care of them and to nurture them and to plant Godly seeds in their hearts. It is because of all of this, and especially because of what He did on the cross for me, that makes this day feel totally different than it used to feel. It is because of this that today I say...

I am one blessed woman, friend, teacher, sister, daughter, wife, and
MOMMY!!!!!