Happy Mother's Day!

What a day I've had so far! It started at 5:30 a.m. with the sound of my alarm. I was up and out of the house early as usual. The morning brought with it major technical issues at church and one of the craziest and stressful Sunday's we've had in a long time. As usual, God showed up and although things didn't go as we had planned, they ended up going just as God had planned...imagine that! ;)

Andy and the girls came to first service and then left to run some errands and head home. When I got home Andy had BBQ hot dogs waiting for me (yes, I requested hot dogs for my Mother's Day lunch), along with a beautiful arrangement of flowers in the center of the table and my gifts from Bella.

We had a wonderful lunch and then I opened my gifts. Bella made me a painting of herself on clay! ;) Better than the gift though, were her cards that she made for me. The first one said, "Dear Mom, Thank you for helping me through my life. You are the best mom ever. Love Bella". "...helping me through my life." I have no idea where she comes up with this stuff, but it cracks me up and I LOVE IT!! The second card was with my flowers and it said, "Dear Mom, This is from me and dad and Chloe. This is a special surprise for yo u and Happy Mother's Day to you. Thanks for being my mom." And on the back of the bag she made to put my gift in she wrote, "I love you. You are the best mom ever. I love you so much that I can't stand it!" I love that girl so much and I can't tell you how much it made my day to read what she wrote. What a special treasure!

Of course the whole time Chloe sat in her chair eating her hot dog, repeating "Hot Dog! Hot Dog!" over and over! ;)

Anyways, I feel so blessed today. I have a wonderful husband and two fabulous daughters. I feel so grateful and content right now and I can't express how grateful I am for that. Just a few years ago, in the midst of infertility and loss I felt like there was something missing, something I longed to desperately for. I can't say that I will ever understand God's plans or timing for my life, but I do know that His plan is perfect. Even in the most difficult times. I looked back at my journal for 2006 to see what life was like for me this time of year. I wrote this and I want to share it. I was studying this verse while preparing to teach a class at church. The verse is Jeremiah 29: 10-14. The Message version says this...

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.” “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.” “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I send you off into exile. You can count on it.”

I've been working on this for a while, but when I read it today I was struck by the last part..."I'll turn things around for you....You can count on it!" How awesome is it that we have a God who cares about each one of us so much! He cares about our individual needs, desires, hurts and joys and he tells us that if we call out to Him and are serious in seeking him that we won't be disappointed. Now I know this doesn't mean we will get whatever we want, but it does mean that He will give us exactly what we need and in the end it will be enough. Our God is SO good!!

Today I can honestly say that God has given me "exactly what I need" and in the end, "it was enough"! I'm always amazed when I look back and see how I have come through different times in my life. I'm so thankful that time heals, but at the same time leaves us with just a touch of the pain so that we will never forget what it means to be cradled in the arms of God and to experience His love for us.

So, with that, Happy Mother's Day to all the "moms" out there. If today brings with it hurt and heartache, hold tight to the One who can heal all wounds and continue to trust that God has an amazing plan and purpose for your life!