My Greatest Joy

I LOVE being a wife and mother. I suppose my greatest joy, outside of being saved, is the joy of raising children for the Lord. And now, 2 sweet grandbabies are added blessings! I love it that I get to be such a large part of their life.

I adore my children. They have always been such a blessing to my husband and I. I can never remember feeling regret or grief over them when they were growing up. I just enjoyed every day with them. I home schooled our children for 12 years, so we had LOTS of days together. They are all happy, well adjusted, social, very talented young people. One of my favorite things is hearing them all sing together for church service. Our daughter in law blends right in with them to make a nice little quartet.

Our son is married to a sweet young lady and they have 2 precious babies. What a blessing to my life that they live right next door! He is our youth pastor, music director and Christian academy supervisor - a very busy young man! His wife is a wonderful, Godly helpmeet to him. I couldn't have hand picked a better young lady for his wife. They go together like peanut butter and jelly!
What a blessing that we get to spend so much time with them. I love those impromptu nights when neither of us has plans for dinner and we end up eating together, just because. And the grandbabies.... oh boy, I could write a book! They are so precious! Little Darren is only 2 1/2 but he is my constant "helper" and Katie is such a happy little lovebug!


Our daughters are both in Bible college and I LOVE it that they want to spend time with me when they come home on the weekends! Many Saturdays, I get to enjoy the morning by door knocking or bus calling with them. We always stop at Sozo's coffee shop for a coffee treat before we head out. Then later on, we'll head to Walmart or Meijer or Cato or Goodwill - LOL and just spend time laughing and shopping and chit-chatting about everything under the sun. They both sing like a Lark and play the piano like they're trying to walk it across the floor! They are without a doubt 2 of my very best friends in the whole world! This past week for Mother's day I got to hear them sing in their Ladies ensemble and hear them play in their Bell choir from college. It was TREMENDOUS!

I love it that since my children are growing into adulthood that we can talk about more serious things. They become confidants of sorts. My kids have grown up in the ministry since birth, and have seen the "underbelly" of it. But amazingly enough, after all they've seen and experienced, they have surrendered their lives to the Lord for full time ministry. It seems only natural. They have all been groomed for it. My husband and I don't take what we have for granted - we know it was the Lord that helped us put a love for the ministry in their hearts.

My heart is just full of praise to God for our precious children. I can't think of them without thanking God for the blessing that they are to our lives. They make me so proud (in a humble sort of way!)

Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5