Happy Mother's Day to Me!

I had a beautiful Mother's Day!  Worship in my Father's House, out for lunch (which if this marks a special occasion, then every Sunday lunch is a special day :-), a 3 and 1/2 hour NAP!!!, and cards and a sweet new book from my husband and kiddos.  I love this thing called Motherhood!

I remember having a hard time my freshman year of college picking out a major, because even then I already knew I just wanted to be a wife & a mother.  I know, that doesn't sound very ambitious for a new high school graduate embarking on a whole new world.  And I didn't spend my college years just pining away, longing for the day of holy matrimony & being barefoot and pregnant.  I had a lot of fun, made wonderful memories and lasting friendships, and God patiently guided me into the career of nursing....which had you asked me my freshman year if I had considered a nursing degree I would have said, NO WAY! 

Fast forward to my first year of working after college graduation.  It was a season of my life that I remember quite well.  In a nutshell, I was kind of ticked off because things hadn't turned out according to my schedule.  Forget the fact that God had blessed me with a college degree, a wonderful new job with great colleagues, a duplex rental with a close friend...I could go on and on regarding God's blessings.  But I chose to focus on what I didn't have...that husband and kid thing I mentioned earlier.  And while I rejoiced with others, it was hard to be the only one who wasn't starting the honeymoon phase of life.  Yeah, yeah, yeah...poor me.  But if you've never been there, it hurt.  I never felt abandoned by God, and I cried out to him regarding my hurts and my fears.  But I basically told Him that since His way of doing things wasn't giving me what my heart desired, then I would take a hiatus from the straight & narrow and try to do things myself.  What a gracious and patient Heavenly Father; what a friend we have in Jesus who sat at the right hand of the Father and interceded for me during this time.  I definitely needed it.  It wasn't long before I hit rock bottom, making some poor decisions.  I very clearly remember laying on my couch and crying out to God.  I surrendered to HIS WILL for my life, and if that meant a life of singlehood, that was ok.  I'd rather be single and have the peace of God, rather to be married and out of the center of His will.  How in the world do people function without Jesus?  There is no way for them to have complete peace in their hearts!  And so, within the next year I moved to Memphis and you know the rest of the story.  A wonderful and humbling career at St. Jude, precious new friendships, and good things come to those who wait....I hopped aboard the Shane Train....ha, ha, ha!  

I love my family.  I love Shane.  I love my Avery Leigh.  I love my Parker David.  And I love my Carter Hudson!  Thank you, God, that despite my failures, you still have blessed me immeasurably!