Dear Mom,

Moms of all kinds have been blessed with the greatest role on the planet.  Motherhood brings out every emotion known to man, and our efforts and sacrifices are all worth the privilege of raising God's children.  I'd like to address twelve specific types of moms today in twelve tiny little letters.  My hope is that you'll see yourself through God's eyes and know what a gift you are to the children you are raising.

Dear New Mom,
Congratulations! You have been blessed with an amazing gift.  You will find amusement in the smallest of things, you will smile at just the thought of your precious baby, your heart will leap for joy at each new milestone, or for no particular reason at all. You will enjoy limitless cuddles, hear adorable coos, and gaze at beautiful smiles. You will encounter many trials, experience many sleepless nights, and feel alone at times. Embrace this new journey: the good, the bad, and everything in between.  You are shaping the mind and heart of a special and unique human being. You are important! You are worthy! God has given you a wonderful and honorable task and He has full confidence that you will raise His child to be a great man or woman.  Rest in His presence often, and don't ever be afraid to cry out to Him.  Let the Lord lead you in your new journey and have faith that He will cover all of your shortcomings and will fix your mistakes.  His hands are on your child.  He never stops watching and never stops caring.  Stay strong, New Mom.  You are amazing!

Dear Adoptive Mom,
You have a special place in my heart, as I was adopted by an incredible woman.  You are raising and loving a child that is meant to be with you! The Lord has blessed you with this child because He knows you are meant to be his mother.  As you well know, a child does not have to come from your womb to belong to you.  You have the honor to raise a child in place of someone who just couldn't do it themselves, for whatever reason.  They value you, they thank you, they admire you, as do I.  You take this gift, this role seriously, and you do it well.  You provide for this child in ways that no one else could.  You give of yourself day in and day out to make sure he feels loved, secure, and confident in you.  You bless him every day, just by being the woman who chose to love him more than anyone else.  You are wonderful!!!

Dear Birth Mom,
You also have a special place in my heart.  You are a very special kind of mom because, despite your circumstances, you chose to give LIFE to a child, and to give that child a chance at a life that you felt you couldn't give him.  You have given a doubly blessed gift! Not only have you gifted your child with a new family, you've gifted his new parents with the child they've always longed for.  You spent 9 months nurturing this child inside your womb so that a mother who couldn't have a child would be abundantly blessed. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed.  You are a hero in your own right, and the Lord smiles at you.  You have given life!!! You are courageous!!!

Dear Working Mom,
Good for you! You are providing for your family and working hard to make sure your children have the best life possible.  As you wake up every morning, know that the Lord is watching your children and that He is so proud of you for doing what needs to be done.  Don't let anyone guilt you into thinking you should be doing anything but what the Lord has called you to do!  You have a special kind of drive and so much strength.  You work hard all day to provide, and come home to nourish your children not only with food, but with the abundance of love you have for them.  You are incredible!!!

Dear Stay at Home Mom,
You give of yourself day in and day out to bless your children with your love and presence.  You cook, clean, play with your kids, and teach them to be the best they can be.  You sacrifice your "me" time to have "we" time all day every day.  Your children appreciate you, even when they don't show it.  Enjoy this time you have with your kids.  While it can be hard to go day in and day out without adult interaction, your efforts pay off little by little until your sweet babies learn to do life on their own.  This is all worth it, Mom! You are incredible!!!

Dear Single Mom,
You do it all, and you do it well!  You often have to make extra sacrifices to provide your children with abundant lives, and you fight harder than most.  You don't have to do this alone!  Let God help you. Allow Him to lead you.  Turn to Him in the good times and bad.  Being a mom is hard, being a single mom is hard x100!!  You are a warrior!!!! You have guts, courage, will-power like none other! Married moms look to YOU for inspiration on how to pull strength from places inside us that we did not know exist.  You have so many hats to wear, yet you do it gracefully.  For those times when you just can't do it all, please don't feel ashamed of reaching out for help.  People don't want to help because they feel sorry for you, they want to help because you are more than deserving!  You are an inspiration!!!

Dear Mom of Many,
You have children in every nook and cranny of the house, yet you parent with grace.  You are the queen of organization! You have a heart the size of Texas. How could you not?! Moms with many children are often misunderstood or judged for their choices, or their numerous little blessings.  You combat those judgmental comments with a smile and you keep on keepin' on.  Don't let anyone tell you you're wrong for parenting so many children.  You know that children are a blessing and your cup runneth over!  Raise those kids knowing you are blessing the world with several unique, important people.  You are phenomenal!!!

Dear Mom of Few,
You love your little family, and you love them fiercely! You are no less a mother than those with twenty children!  You make great sacrifices and put so much effort and love into raising your child(ren).  There is no less honor in parenting one child than in parenting many.  Being a mom is hard, no matter how many children you've been blessed with.  I felt the toll just as much with one and two children as I do with the four I have now.  Push aside those voices that tell you you have it easier because you have less children.  They've forgotten what it's like to be in your shoes, or they would be praising your efforts.  You love with a love that no one else can give your child(ren).  You are remarkable!!!

Dear Mom who feels she's failing,
I know the feeling all too well.  I've been in your shoes too many times to count.  You are not failing, sweet woman.  You are thriving!  Your children love you and they know you love them.  Don't beat yourself up when things don't go as planned, or if things go wrong.  Don't compare yourself to other moms... if you do that, you'll ALWAYS feel like a failure.  Instead of looking side to side, look UP! Look up into the face of Jesus and see the love and support He has for you.  Sometimes we run out of steam.  Sometimes we have to call it a day and let all heck break loose and just be okay with it.  Sometimes we need to wear our jammies and sit on the couch and breathe.  Sometimes we need to take our shortcomings to the Lord and know that He is stronger than all of our weaknesses.  You are not failing, Mom! You are THRIVING!!! (even when you don't see it) <3 Need I repeat myself once more? You are NOT FAILING! You are THRIVING!!!!

Dear Mom who has lost a child,
I cannot even begin to think of how it would feel to lose a child.  The thought alone pains me greatly.  You are a strong woman.  Your precious child is with Jesus.  A mom who has miscarried feels the pain just as a mom who has raised a child for however many months or years.  You feel the loss and my heart breaks for you.  I pray the Lord wraps his mighty arms around you and brings you comfort as you mourn the loss of your precious blessing.  You are loved, dear Mom. You are loved and you are forever your child's mother. <3

Dear Woman who longs to be a Mom,
You're fighting hard to bless a child with your love.  You pray and plead with the Lord to give you the gift of a precious life, a baby or child to love, hold, and care for.  My heart hurts for you when you hurt.  My soul sings with you when you feel those tiny little glimmers of hope.  I am not going to tell you how to handle your circumstances.  I've never been in your shoes, so it is most definitely not my place.  But I will tell you that my prayers are with you and that God loves you and wants the best for you!  I pray that God gives you the desires of your heart in the way that will bless you the most.  You are so patient, dear mom-to-be.  Stay strong when you can, and cry your heart out when you need to.  Lean on those who love you, especially the Lord.  You are loved!!!

Dear Empty-Nester,
Your children are grown, but as you know, your work as a mother is never done!  You may be livin' up your new life as an empty-nester, or you may be feeling great sorrow as you go through life in your quiet home.  I have great respect for you.  You stuck it out all these years and now the Lord can use you and your vast knowledge of motherhood to bless other moms who are going through parenthood right now.  You have so much you can give.  You can be a wonderful light in a young mom's life.  We all look to you for wisdom.  Your insight is important to us.  You are our go-to for a wealth of information and support.  You are WISE, dear mom!!!!

We all have our individual roles to play.  We're all important to our children.  We are all different in our approach, and that is okay.  It is more than okay!!! God gave our children to us because He knows that we are the best mom for them.  No one else can parent your children the way they need to be raised.  You are it and you are the perfect fit!  Never stop leaning on the Lord and His Word while you are on this journey.  Be blessed, Dear Mom.  Smile, knowing that you are right where you need to be.  Love and hugs to you!

~Em

My Heart

  There are six people in my life who fill my heart more deeply than anyone else on the planet: My best friend Jesus, my ruggedly handsome husband, and my four adorably wonderful children.  They are who I live for.  They are who I'd die for.  They are my everything.

  As moms, we all go through a series of emotions on a daily basis, heck, on an hourly basis.  One minute, the kids can be smiling, cooperating, and warming your heart, and the next, all you-know-what can break loose and you find yourself hiding in the bathroom just to clear your head.  I know~ I just went through it today. ;)  We can all use a pat on the back, a good hug, or a kind word. Whether we feel we've got it all together, or we've failed miserably, we can always, always use some encouragement.

  I love to write to encourage others. Whether it be through a letter, a Facebook status, or a simple text, I enjoy lifting people's spirits in the best way I know how.  My goal in sharing my thoughts and experiences is to be a voice of encouragement and love to other moms who might need a little pick me up, or who might just want to hear that someone else knows exactly what they're going through.

  One thing is clear: I don't know diddlysquat about the grand scheme of things, but I know a heck of a lot about love and the life of a mom.  I'll share what I know... or rather, what I think I know about motherhood, marriage, homeschooling, my relationship with the Lord, and life in general.

Grab a cup of coffee, and join me on this quest to explore the big things and little things in life: the things that grasp our hearts.