Count Your Many blessings

A couple of nights ago a Facebook post from my sweet friend Ashley Sparks caught my attention. As I read it, her words resonated deep within my spirit. I've lived in third world countries and know just how very true it is that we are blessed beyond belief in this country. Yet even here in the USA there are mothers wondering how they will feed their children dinner tonight. If you've got that figured out, then count your blessings! 

Thank you, Ashley, for this poignant reminder!

Ashley Sparks

May 24 at 7:39 pm

I'm sitting here scrolling through Facebook and I see some friends who are very well off doing exciting things in exciting places that I may never get to do. My first thought is "Man, I wonder if they have any idea how good they have it. This is just the stuff of dreams to most people." 

And then I realize I am sitting here on my front porch, holding an iPhone. A home is the stuff of dreams to most people in the world. A smartphone is an extravagant expense to the vast majority of the global population.
*They probably wonder if I know how good I have it.*

I am listening to my children playing just inside the door, laughing and squealing. Motherhood is something many women dream of, but are unable to achieve even after years of fertility treatments or adoption heartbreaks. There are also many mothers who have had to tell their precious children goodbye far too soon.
*They probably wonder if I know how good I have it.*

I watch my loving, supportive husband pulling into the driveway after a day of gainful employment with benefits. We live in a nation where work is often hard to come by, and full-time jobs with insurance are a coveted commodity. Too many people are jumping from part-time gig to part time gig, praying that their hours aren't cut so that they don't have to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table.
*They probably wonder if I know how good I have it.*

We are heading to have dinner at a restaurant with my mother-in-law who came into town to see preschool graduation and spend time with her grandchildren. Many parents would give anything for their parents and in-laws to be on this earth to see their grandchildren.
*They probably wonder if I know how good I have it.*

I am preparing for the summer, wondering how I will keep my kids on a good schedule with no school for a whole 68 days. Meanwhile, millions of mothers worldwide would give anything for their children to have access to school for even a few hours a week in a ramshackle building with no supplies.
*They probably wonder if I know how good I have it.*

Right now, somewhere, someone is desperately hoping and praying for the very things you take for granted. Take the old hymn to heart daily: Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

The Gift of Motherhood

Sons are a special gift from God!

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
Motherhood is a gift. It takes just a brief moment of intimacy to create a child, then about nine months for that child to develop each finger and toe, eyes, ears and nose, internal organs and hair. From the moment she realizes that her body is cradling a new being, a woman is forever changed. She is no longer just a girl or somebody's wife or daughter. She is a MOTHER with all the hopes and dreams and longings of the universe centered on the tiny baby growing in her womb.

My youngest 2 children, Anna and John Carl fill me with joy.

The one day the miracle that is childbirth brings her face-to-face with the little person she has dreamed of day and night for months. Her newborn knows her voice and gazes at her entranced. As she relishes the feel of satin baby skin she experiences a love unlike anything she has ever known. Knowing that her body is capable of providing baby's sole sustenance for at least 6 months is both empowering and overwhelming. 

It is a gift filled with unexpected surprises like exhaustion, mood swings and aching breasts. There are moments, perhaps, when a new mother might wish for a brief second that maybe she hadn't been given this gift! But those moments are overshadowed by the joy of baby's smile, the contentment of snuggling a baby who has nursed to sleep, and the satisfaction of knowing that she is the only REAL expert on her baby. She is the one who understands his expressions and intuitively knows what he needs before he even has a chance to ask.

My oldest daughter, now a mom herself, is a delight.

It is a gift that keeps on giving. Sometimes it gives frustration when a toddler won't listen. Sometimes it gives hurt when an older child is hateful. Sometimes it gives heartbreak when an adult child makes a bad decision. But it also gives wonderful memories made in the most mundane moments, memories of words adorably mispronounced, of spontaneous expressions of love, and of sweet hugs and kisses. It gives a deep sense of satisfaction as children learn and grow and become amazing people.

Yes, Motherhood IS a gift. For those women whose arms ache to hold a baby and whose eyes are heavy with unshed tears, it is a gift that seems elusive. So if YOU have the amazing privilege of being a mother, enjoy this Mother's Day knowing that the very best gift you could ever receive is the unconditional love of the miracles you brought into this world!

Be Good to YOU

Four generations: from left - my mother, me holding my grandson,
my daughter, and her mother-in-law,

Have you ever noticed that we women sometimes beat ourselves up? We are quick to take on the mantel of guilt, and we are often harder on ourselves than anybody else.  My mother (who at 75 is a paragon of wisdom in my eyes) frequently reminds me to "Be good to Glenni."

Mothers have a genuine responsibility to respect themselves because of the example we are setting for our children, particularly our daughters. Australian author Kasey Edwards poignantly discusses this reality in a letter she has written to her mother in the book Dear Mum. Take a minute to read her post, then come back....

My Beautiful Mommy

My mom with her two girls!

Like Kasey, I remember thinking that my mother was absolutely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Actually I still think that! But when I was a child, I thought she encompassed all the glamour of a movie star. I wanted to look just like her. Fortunately for me, she never complained about her appearance; however, she did spend well over an hour each morning making herself beautiful. I assumed that in order to be beautiful, I would have to do the same. She worked in an industry that placed a high value on physical appearance, so she dieted and worked hard to stay thin. I remember as a teenager going through a "chubby period" before I thinned out and feeling just horrible about myself.

My body type, like hers, is NOT naturally stick thin. After baby #4, I never did manage to get all the baby weight off, and each year it seems a couple of extra unwanted pounds creep on. At 75 and 53, the two of us continue to encourage and help each other in our battle against the bulge. But neither of us places our self-worth on how we look.

You ARE a Beautiful Mommy!

I want my daughter's inner beauty to shine through!

As a mother you have a tremendous impact on how your daughter views herself. You have the opportunity to teach her by example that beauty comes from within. But if you simply give lip-service to that concept, she will see right through your hypocrisy! Do you truly believe that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made"? (Psalm 139:14) Or do you act as if the Creator made a mistake when He created you the way He did?

Do you make it a priority to practice forgiveness? To be kind to others? To speak words of encouragement and peace? Or do you assert your right to hold onto grievances and to let those around you know how upset you are with a perceived wrong? It is so true that children learn what they live. A little girl who grows up with a mother who is a truly beautiful person with emulate those qualities. A little boy who grows up with that same mother will look for those qualities in his spouse.

So take a few minutes today...and tomorrow...and the next day...to think about how YOU can be good to YOU!

A Sword Shall Pierce Your Soul

Today we remember one of the darkest days of human history. As we think about the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, we often focus (rightly so) on the agony He felt when He experienced not only the physical suffering, but also the intense spiritual pain of complete separation from His Father.

However, I want to take a moment to reflect on what His mother went through on that day. Thirty-three years earlier she had taken her infant son to the temple as prescribed by Jewish law. There a man named Simeon took Jesus in his arms and spoke the following words:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

Then he spoke directly to Mary as he said:

Medieval art depicts His grieving mother at the cross.

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  (Luke 2:34-35)

As Mary stood by the cross grieving over the horrible death her son was experiencing, she surely must have felt as if a sword was indeed cutting right through her. I wonder if she remembered those words that Simeon had spoken so long ago. As she looked up at the dying Savior did she see the baby she had nursed, the little boy she had cuddled, the child she had lovingly taught?

No mother wants to see her child suffer, and as parents, we feel that we shouldn't outlive our children. Nevertheless, in those last moments of his earthly life, Jesus took a moment to make sure that his precious mother would be cared for by his dear friend, John. What an incredible bond between mother and son!