10 Things My Mama Taught Me

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Well, it is time to wrap up my week of Mother's Day posts. What better way than to tell you things my own mother taught me. Mama, you are the best!!!

1. Say 'Yes' To Jesus Always - I saw my mom spend time with Jesus every day. I looked in her Bible which was marked all over with my name next to different verses. I knew she prayed for me. Jesus always came first. When God spoke to my parents about moving to Siberia in the early 90s, my mom's response was 'yes'. Her response to Jesus is always 'yes'.


2. Flirt With Your Husband Every Day- I don't think I have ever seen a marriage as fantastic as my parents. They love each other. Every day growing up they would flirt, hold hands and tell us kids how much they loved the other. It brought such security and taught me how to love my husband. Not just the 'for better or worse' kind of love. The 'leave you notes throughout the house/ a sweet message on the answering machine/ a love note written on the mirror in lipstick' kind of love.


3. Let your kids be kids. When I was a kid , I was really a kid. I made forts, had lemonade stands, got poison ivy, had mud fights with friends, and imagined fantastic adventures. I was allowed to act my age. Unlike other kids, I wasn't pressured to excel at a sport at age 10, keep perfectly clean or be at the top of my class. I had to work hard & finish what I started, but I didn't have to be the best. I was free to be a kid.


4. Make Home The Best Place To Be  There were always people in and out of my house as a kid. Visiting missionaries, people my mom was discipling, or our friends. Our house was a fun place for people to come.  In fact, once in high school, I came home one evening to find my friend Stephen sitting in the living room hanging out with my parents. People just wanted to be there.


5. Cook Dinner & Eat Together  My mom made dinner every night & our family ate breakfast and dinner together until we graduated high school. It might sound prehistoric, but my family is closer than any other family I know.


6. Never Leave The House Without Lipstick  My mom isn't obsessed about her appearance . She didn't criticize the way she looked and talk about what she needed to change. But, my mother always looks pretty. She always puts on lipstick & fixes her hair. She understands the importance of having groomed eyebrows. Thanks mom for teaching me to take care of myself.


7. Honor Your Parents  My mom does a great job of loving her parents. She is a great daughter...I think she learned that one from me...


8. Always Make A Plan My mom always has a plan. She knows the details and probably has several version of her plan should something not go as expected. Real Simple would be blown away at her organizational skills. Sadly, this was not an inherited gene.


9. Always Be Up For Adventure Once when I was in high school I really wanted to get a dress for Easter. We drove around my hometown and couldn't find anything. It was early afternoon & I threw out the idea of driving to Austin ( which was 2 hrs away ) to shop there. So, she called my dad & told him he was on his own for dinner. Down to Austin we went. We spent the late afternoon dress shopping ( I did get a pink dress from Banana Republic & I STILL have it) then grabbed a nice dinner before heading home. Moments like that are priceless. Be up for the adventure.


10. Do What You Can We didn't have a lot of resources growing up, but my mom always did whatever she could. I remember sitting in the back seat with my brother driving home with my mom from the grocery store. Along the way we passed a woman on the side of the road who was obviously quite poor. My mom pulled over & gave the lady all the groceries we had just bought. My mom taught me what it is to love others.

I can't tell you what an honor it is to have her as my mom. I love her with every ounce of my being & want to be her when I grow up. Thank you mom!!!