I smile as I snuggly settle the warm throw covers about me to the sound of God's chirpy winged creatures coming through the open windows. I feel delight seeping through my inner heart. 

My early-morning so far has been what is sometimes a nearly typical morning. I sip hot coffee, reheat my now cooling cup of comfort. Resettle a sweet little one back in their warm fuzzy covers and whisper sweetly to them to go back to sleep. I begin to read a heartwarming piece that inspires my soul to live life beautifully. 

I find myself reheating my cooling yet again, cup of coffee...and settle another early waker with loving and nurturing care back in their cozy bed. 

For a change of scenery I found myself to the family room facing the mountains, where through the open windows I am not so bombarded with traffic sounds but can actually hear nature. 

These are beautiful years… Caring for my sweet little ones.

It's not that I don't ever dream about Mike and I as empty nesters scaling the world on great adventures for the Lord, or on a cruise for two mind you. ;) 

But seriously, we think of child years as investing in and nurturing and raising and growing our kiddos. And we do. But the truth of the matter is, these years are probably the most important years for growing me as their mama. Preparing me and furthering my life in Jesus to be able to give, to serve, even when our warmly created nest becomes empty. 

There's nothing quite like motherhood that inspires my soul to selfless living to sacrificial giving. There's nothing quite like mommy-hood to press me deeply into my prayer closet… Or to take my bewildered mind and heart to God's Word for answers, for direction. And nothing quite like mommy-hood to pull me away from the noise, from the busyness of life, to a quiet spot to hear my Lord. 

Yes these are growing years for all of us and the comforting and assuring thing to me is, we are growing together. 

There is more than a bloodline that knits a family together. It's pursuing noble purposes together. It's taking our differences, our sameness, our giftings and our talents and mixing them into something even more beautiful together.

For us parents it's teaching… And faithfully teaching some more… and even when it feels like all the teaching we're doing is somehow sifting away.

And when chasing noble dreams feels like we're chasing a mirage.

And then we turn our questioning gaze to our Savior, wondering if it was ever from Him after all... 

We feel our inadequacy's strongly and our own inconsistencies stare starkly up at us. 

Then our Savior leaves another love note hint upon our soul that we are indeed still on the right path toward the hidden treasure. He then bids us to look around us. We do. We see pearls strewn lusciously about us...they're hidden in our children's laughter, their trusting gaze filled with love for us, the respect that their actions speak, the letters they write to us and the prayers we hear uttered from deep within their heart of hearts, that eternal living part a.k.a their soul. We gaze in awe upon their child-faith which is strong and pure and unflinching. It does not waver. 

We are spellbound. Awestruck.. Till tears of gratitude flow from us as the purifying gentle rain it was meant to be. 

As we gaze up at our Saviour to thank Him, we look into the eyes of yet another one of our children as they are speaking to us. We smile. We speak kindly. Then we smile again, but this time to ourself as we realize that our children's eyes were His. We breath in thankfulness for His gentle reminder that in loving and serving our littles, we are indeed loving and serving Him!

It's now dinner time. More beautiful noise. More dishes to wash.. and we are strengthened. We are not chasing a dream-filled mirage. We are living, truly living, purposefully. 

We smile. The treasure is up ahead on the pearl strewn, rock infested pathway. We will not give up. 

We gather our sweet babes about us.. We put our heads and hearts together once more as family, mixing a beautiful portion of our unique differences, our sameness, our gifts, and our talents and we continue on.