a mother...

Being a mom is a 24/7 job.  When they were younger Ashlyn and Landon came to me to have almost all of their needs met.  Things like refilling their sippy cups, fixing boo boos with magical-mommy-kisses, or picking them up and holding them in my arms when the world felt unsafe were a constant part of my days.

Now that they are a bit older their needs are different but equally as important.  They don't need me to get drinks for them anymore but they still come to me when they are hurt, both physically and emotionally.  They come when they don't know what to do about friends, when they need answers to tough questions or when they just need reassurance that they belong and that someone loves them.

It made me realize, isn't a mother's love a perfect example of the love of Christ?

A mothers love requires selflessness right from the start.  From the moment you realize you have a life growing inside you, you put the baby's needs before your own.  You take vitamins, eat healthy and see the doctor regularly to make sure that you are doing everything you can to keep your child safe and healthy.  After they are born you sacrifice things, like sleep, because your baby needs you or because your child needs the comfort that only you can provide from the scariness of the dark.  As mom's we put our own desires and our agendas aside as they grow, taking time instead to teach them, keeping a watchful eye on them to ensure their safety and training them up in the way they should go.  We are there to cheer for them when they succeed and comfort them when they fail.  When they try our patience, argue with us or fight us tooth and nail, we choose to keep loving them.  We demonstrate to them that love is patient and kind.

The love of Christ is that exact same way.

We are selfish and we take and we take and we take.  We constantly fail, we insist on our own way and our own timeline, sometimes even fighting Him tooth and nail.  Yet knowing all of that and seeing the ugliness that is in our hearts He loves us still.  He continues to pursue us.  He selflessly put our greatest need before His own well being and gave up His life for us.  He loves us and proved that love by enduring death on the cross.  It is by that perfect love that I know I can trust Jesus and that I have reassurance that I am accepted and loved by Him.

I want Ashlyn and Landon to know that same truth.  I want them to find their worth in Christ and to know that no matter what they do they are accepted and loved by Him.  Jesus gave me the perfect example of how I can love my kids and I always want to do my best to love them that way.  I want them to always remember that they can come to me when they are struggling.  I may not have all the answers but God does and I will lead them to His Word so they can find the answers they so desperately need.

Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs on the planet.  Nothing can prepare us for what we will experience.  We will question and second guess our decisions.  Some moms question whether they should be a stay at home mom or a mom with a full time job outside her home.  Some will question whether public, private or homeschooling is best for their children.  As a mom I often fall into the trap of comparing myself to others and harshly judging myself by the way I seemingly don't measure up.  But I also know that when I look at other people and their lives and everything they've accomplished, and all the things I haven't, and then I look at one of my kids... I know not a single day has been wasted.

"Children are not a distraction from more important work.  They are the most important work." --C.S. Lewis

As mom's we are destined to fail.  A lot.  We are not perfect and neither are our children.  We will argue, we will lose our tempers.  Our kids will test us and push us to the point that some days we may even want to give up.  But we don't give up.  Because our children are a gift from God and we know we were chosen, by God, to be the exact mom that our kids need.

"Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise."  --Andy Stanley

We do all these things and more because we know that motherhood matters.

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The day before Mother's Day Ashlyn and I had a girls day with Memejo.  

We took a little road trip to the coastal town of Cambria.  On the way down we talked and listened to comedians like Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld and Brian Regan on Pandora laughing hysterically as we drove.

Our first stop was lunch where we had some of the best burgers and fries and the lighting was pretty much perfect...

The small town is filled with unique shops and art galleries.  We strolled down Main Street, enjoying the nice weather.  Ashlyn wanted to visit every antique store and specialty shop along the way.
                            

So many people have recently commented on how much older Ashlyn seems.  She has gotten so tall.  It's true.  She has grown at least a few inches this year and is almost as tall as Memejo.

Ashlyn wanted to find a hat in one of the shops.  Memejo jokingly showed her one option and judging by Ashlyn's reaction I'm pretty sure it wasn't what she had in mind.

Memejo and Ashlyn were checking out this Mexican Sage plant and feeling the furry blossoms.  Although they were soft to the touch the scent wasn't as nice...

We had a lovely day.  I am thankful for my mom and that God gave me two amazing kids.

Blessed beyond belief.