Raising children and fulfilling my title as mommy is more than getting creative with meals and snack ideas, more than keeping our house cozy, clean, and inviting. More than kissing and patching up owies. Way more than pressing uniforms and Sunday shirts, making sure teeth are brushed and keeping intentional in their education.
It is in actuality raising souls that will continue choosing Jesus Christ or one day to reject Him. If I look to my resources to conquer this serious task before me, I find myself quaking from within. It is in those moments that my loving Heavenly and Kingly Papa assures me that He will carry out His beautiful and altogether lovely masterpiece in our life.
All He ask of me is my complete givenness and undivided loyalty and trust in His ability. To allow the beautiful pruning of growth in my own life. Somehow, as I yield myself in obedience to Him, a selfless spirit of caring for and nurturing my little family flows naturally from me!
Is that beautiful or what?! Yes, it is very beautiful indeed!! As I live my life for my Kingly Papa, I also taste of exclusive wonders that graces the life of a princess daughter! It is actually having His royalty surround us, and we find that no matter if it's tidying the house or hiking the magnificent Rockies, we are basking in exuberant joy!!
This freedom and fulfilling life, in Christ, I would not exchange. With all this, I hasten to add, that because my flesh would naturally stray it's own way, I have found the Great Shepherd's hook, about me more than once, gently guiding me to where the pastures truly are lush, but in my single inward focus, somewhere else looked a bit lusher. What I failed also to see were the bramble bushes that I found myself tangled in. As my Sweet and caring Shepherd gently untangled the mess I found myself in, it hurt to have the thorns and brambles removed and in His gentle ministrations, I mistook the pain that my wanderings brought and as He painstakingly set me free, I associated the pain with Him at times.
My wonderings brought consequences and He risked setting me free, but knowing at the same time, that freeing me from the bramble bush also brings pain and there is no way around it. You know, (smile) as ironic as it may seem, those times that has been the very things that drew me to my Saviour's sheltering embrace are the times in life I've thanked Him for the most.
It is not freedom to me, to wander from Him, it is discouragement, disappointment and if I get any pleasure from it whatsoever, it has been fleeting, unsatisfactory, and temporary.
Whereas my life is filled to overflowing as I bask in His love, makes all of life peaceful, restful and joyfilled. Even the call for down moments where in myself, I would feel unsure, I find myself more and more naturally turning to see if this paprticular situation has taken my Kingly Papa by surprise and every time, without fail, I see His completely unruffled confidence and smile, and I rest in Him and find the peace that passeth all understanding as Scripture promises.
With every good thing, there comes testing to build strength. There is just no way around it. If I want a healthly body, I have to eat right, exercise. If I want to build muscle or tone, I have to make the required effort. And if I want my life to be the real deal, as pure as silver or gold, I have to allow for the heat and fire moments in life to melt me down enough so that the impurities can be filtered out. The more our lives experience this, it has a astoundingly rippling effect in our life that can't be pursued any other way. Our marriages, our families, our relationships prosper.
When we are free to love selflessly, we experience love in return and as our arms are emptied of ourself we can love and hold others close. It's beautiful! When I nurture only myself, I am filled up in a different way, and I have almost no compacity to reach outward and in the end, I am an unhappy self-riddled person. Jesus created us to love outward, to live outward, and then is when our life becomes full and overflowing with all the good stuff!!
A mommy's life is definitely full, but all the living, giving, sacrificing and what could seem like "missing out" times is small in comparison to the fulfilling of Proverds 31:31
31 "Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates."
And even now, God lets us catch glimpse of what these are...the little arms wrapped tight around our necks, the wet kisses and I "wuv" you from our littles, the confidence and trust the children place in us, the times the kiddos insist on sharing their sweet treat with us..(just last night little Branson wanted me to take turns with him in sharing nibbles from his sweet treat leftover from his valentine's goodies. My mommy heart wanted him to enjoy it, but the truth of the matter is, his enjoyment came as he said in his baby voice, "you turn" and I'd take a tiny little nibble and then he'd take his turn. ) ;) Or all the years we invest in teaching our boys to grow into gentlemen who are caring and preferring to the ladies around them and than I have to allow them to take the lower place in their desire to serve me. That is and has been hard for me sometimes! They are still my littles ( even tho' Michael is much taller than me and Cameron isn't far behind! ;) ) I have to allow them to exercise their integrity-filled manhood in giving me the last piece or sometimes slightly bigger piece of dessert~all because they want to! To give me their chair if one of us must stand. It's the years of toilsome effort and then we taste of our "works praising us" through our children who are choosing to also live outward. The caring and giving and loving one another is the most beautiful artwork of a Master Creator's Hand.
And I quietly realize that my Kingly Papa smiles upon me as I taste beautifully and am credited by my children as "the fruit of my sacrifice in their lives" when it was really my Papa behind it...just as He promised. ;) And somehow, I ponder in the quietness, if I didn't see my Kingly Papa also add a joyfilled wink with His smile. ;) 
Just a reminder of our adoption! Our sweet M and M made us very lovely valentine cards. :) What a joy to bond with these precious kiddos!! We trust our Kingly Papa to do what we never could in bringing these kiddos home! If He has laid it on your heart to bless this adoption, you will find a donate button at the top right of this blog. Feel free to leave us a note of encouragement and/or prayer! We look forward to hearing from you!!
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Hi:)! It is our desire that as you view our blog you would be greatly encouraged and inspired in your own walk with Christ on this journey we call "life".:)