Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom.  I am grateful for her consistent love, support, resilience, and dependability.  And for 40+ years of daily communication (literally the only time we didn't communicate for a few days was my Mexico mission trip without a cell phone 25 years ago).  Yay, Mom! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Rachael LaJo, without whom I wouldn't have the privilege of knowing and loving Triston, Carter, Jace, and Kyndal! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Kristin Michelle  - Mom of Anthony, Diesel, Wesson, and Nash! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Karli Marie - Mom of Tate and Parker Elizabeth! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Sarah Elizabeth - Mom of Katherine Claire! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Kristin Renee - Mom of Miles and Hope! ❤

Happy Mother's Day to Teresa Wilson - Mom of Chet Lee and Michael! ❤

I'm thankful for all the women listed above and for so many others... women who pray for their children and do their best to raise them in Christ and to generously love and care for them through all the ups and downs of life.  I'm grateful for the children they have raised and are still raising.  I'm thankful for all the ways and all the times different women served as guides/mentors and have been a gift from God for me - there with nurturing compassion, kindness, encouragement, strength, and laughter just when I needed it.  Yay, Moms - you deserve to be celebrated!!

A few pictures from our lunch at Salt Grass this afternoon!

I also want to share a couple things God put on my heart today...

1) Guard your heart - the way you interpret your story matters deeply.

If I believe in my heart that God is withholding marriage and motherhood from me, that has a direct negative impact on my walk with God and on other relationships.  I've had to pray about that one several times, reminding myself that God is loving and kind and wise and powerful.  And He is for me (He has good things planned and knows what will have the highest impact on His Kingdom in every season of life).

2) On Annie's podcast, a pastor talked about God's command to be fruitful and multiply, saying that pairing up and having children was literally the primary way for the church and the people of God to grow and prosper in the days when the Bible was being written.  And now we understand that command has a double meaning... God wants the church to "be fruitful" with our lives and to "multiply" by bringing more people into His Kingdom (drawing them to Christ through our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).  He phrased it better and explained it with more nuance, but I appreciate the reminder that women without a husband and/or children still have the God-given opportunity and the responsibility to be fruitful and multiply.  God did not leave us out of His Kingdom or of that command, and I'm genuinely grateful for that!

"So God created human beings in His own image.  In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.'"  ~Genesis 1:27-28a

3) I'm still waiting on His next move in my story, but I trust that God is good.  And my highest hope is not in marriage or children, but centered in the stability of Christ!! ❤