My heart's desire is for you to realize how valuable and precious you are, to know that you are a dream of God come true. While raising six children, I have had to depend on the Lord to give me certain nuggets of truth and insights into being a child of God. I would love to share these nuggets with you, hopefully bringing you closer to Him and a life filled with joy and peace.
Yesterday was Mother's Day and I spent it surrounded by family and friends who I love dearly. There was hustle and bustle, laughter, a crying grandson and love. Throughout the day, I quietly watched my family talk, play and laugh. It was beautiful and almost complete. My thoughts often drifted to my mother, who left this earth several years earlier. She would have loved sitting there amongst us, watching the kids, sipping a glass of wine and talking of earlier times.
Me, my sis, my DIL & her mom
Each time I thought of her, my eyes would silently fill, but I would smile through my tears. What she imparted to me is so powerful and ever present that I walk with her every day. My sister was there and I know she struggled with the same memories of our mom. But she reminded me of a song by Mercy Me called The Hurt and The Healer. Part of the song says, "I'm alive, even though a part of me has died; you take my heart and breathe it back to life. I fall into your arms open wide, when the hurt and the Healer collide."
My husband and my baby
What a powerful statement. What joy that can come from suffering! At that moment when glory meets your hurts, He makes you ALIVE! So, every year, on Mother's Day, I am tempted to be sad and at a loss without my mother. But instead, I take great joy having my family around me, knowing that she would be so happy and blessed to see us smiling and laughing. She would not want us to be sad and miss out on a day of blessing!
My son & Daughter in law
I hope you all enjoyed Mother's Day and were blessed with family and friends to love on. If you are missing your mom, remember that you can carry her in your heart and feel her presence every day...and that she would want to see you smile and hear you laugh and know that you are enjoying life...the life that she gave you!
My sister, grandson & DIL
The grandson!
Pause my music player at the top right of this page and listen to The Hurt and The Healer by Mercy Me.
Erin, Happy mother's day to you. May each Mother's day be filled with joy in knowing your mom mothered you well. And may you pay it forward, loving your family as she did. Beautiful post!
Moments like this are hard. It's been 11 years since I lost my grandma in early, who was like a second mom to me. So I understand what you are feeling and I just cherish moments even more. I hope you are comforted as well with this song.
I couldn't hear it clearly as it looks like you have music playing on your blog and they were playing over one another. :(
I'm glad you found joy in your day. I love the last two pictures the most. These are wonderful snapshots of your memories and should warm your heart to know your mother saw exactly that and smiled along with you all.
You have a beautiful family. I was so blessed reading your post, God is just so good. My grandmother passed away when my mom was 12 years old and I know that when we have family gatherings, she thinks of my grandmother.
We have to make every day count and let our loved ones know how much we love them, because we don't know the day or the hour when God will call them home.
Aloha, Luana. Thank you for your encouraging kind words. It's true, you think about loved ones at every occasion and it can either cause you sadness or bring you joy. I choose joy!!! Blessings, ~Erin
I've got a friend who just lost his mom last month--Sunday was VERY hard for him--I'm going to share this post/song with him--I don't know what it is like to have this sort of loss I'm sure he will find comfort in reading this.
OMG, Pam. I'm so sorry. I know it had to be a very hard day for him. I hope he spent the day going over fond memories of his mom. I will pray for him and hope that this post blesses him. Blessings, ~Erin
Thanks Erin --he knows his mom is with her heavenly father and she had made peace with leaving this world-she passed while her son and our minister were reading the Bible to her. He is the worship leader and on Sunday he sang the song Love came down by Ben Cantelon ~I’ve found a love, greater than life itself I’ve found a hope, stronger and nothing compares
It was so MOVING!!!
Thanks for the prayers...I don't know if he's read the post yet, but I KNOW it will Bless him
It's amazing how the bitter and sweet go together in life, always overlapping it seems. Babies are such great reminders of the role we play in the chain of generations. I'm glad you had a good day and that you have sweet memories of your mom.
Beautiful post, Erin! Reminds of just how thankful I am to still have my mom. She is my hero... one of the biggest blessings in my life. She's been through a brain tumor and breast cancer, and God has still allowed her to stay here with us. What a wonderful perspective you have shared with us. Hope your Mother's Day was amazing!
erin, thank you for always sharing your heart. i really needed this post and song today and to be reminded that with pain always comes beauty. i love all your photos and memories of mother's day. you are one beautiful mama, inside and out. i'm glad you got to spend it amongst all your loves <3 xoxox maria
Erin, I'm so late in responding to this post, but it's been sitting in my email waiting patiently! Haha. I hope you had a beautiful Mother's Day...it sounds like you did! I really miss my mom, but I'm so grateful she's still alive to be able to call her or skype her whenever I want to. Thanks for a beautiful reminder to cherish every moment I can with her (even if just via phone) and to also cherish every moment with my own children.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteHappy mother's day to you. May each Mother's day be filled with joy in knowing your mom mothered you well. And may you pay it forward, loving your family as she did.
Beautiful post!
Thank you, Karen. I hope that I pay it forward too. I pray that I can be near the mom that she was to us! Thanks for stopping by!
Delete~Erin
Moments like this are hard. It's been 11 years since I lost my grandma in early, who was like a second mom to me. So I understand what you are feeling and I just cherish moments even more. I hope you are comforted as well with this song.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't hear it clearly as it looks like you have music playing on your blog and they were playing over one another. :(
Oh, sorry! You can pause my music player at the top of the page!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
~Erin
I'm glad you found joy in your day. I love the last two pictures the most. These are wonderful snapshots of your memories and should warm your heart to know your mother saw exactly that and smiled along with you all.
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks, Kenya!! I know she was smiling with us. It's what got me through the day! Thanks for visiting my blog!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
Erin,
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful family. I was so blessed reading your post, God is just so good. My grandmother passed away when my mom was 12 years old and I know that when we have family gatherings, she thinks of my grandmother.
We have to make every day count and let our loved ones know how much we love them, because we don't know the day or the hour when God will call them home.
Have a blessed day, Aloha :)
Aloha, Luana. Thank you for your encouraging kind words. It's true, you think about loved ones at every occasion and it can either cause you sadness or bring you joy. I choose joy!!!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
Erin!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you had a blessed day. Such a amazing family you've got. God bless you all!
Thank you, dear. I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
~Erin
What a wonderful uplifing post!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've got a friend who just lost his mom last month--Sunday was VERY hard for him--I'm going to share this post/song with him--I don't know what it is like to have this sort of loss I'm sure he will find comfort in reading this.
OMG, Pam. I'm so sorry. I know it had to be a very hard day for him. I hope he spent the day going over fond memories of his mom. I will pray for him and hope that this post blesses him.
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
Thanks Erin
Delete--he knows his mom is with her heavenly father and she had made peace with leaving this world-she passed while her son and our minister were reading the Bible to her. He is the worship leader and on Sunday he sang the song Love came down by Ben Cantelon
~I’ve found a love, greater than life itself
I’ve found a hope, stronger and nothing compares
It was so MOVING!!!
Thanks for the prayers...I don't know if he's read the post yet, but I KNOW it will Bless him
Wow, that must have been so moving to watch him sing that song! I know you'll be a great friend and strength to him.
Delete~Erin
It's amazing how the bitter and sweet go together in life, always overlapping it seems. Babies are such great reminders of the role we play in the chain of generations. I'm glad you had a good day and that you have sweet memories of your mom.
ReplyDeletePerfectly said, Beck!! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day too. Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
Beautiful post, Erin! Reminds of just how thankful I am to still have my mom. She is my hero... one of the biggest blessings in my life. She's been through a brain tumor and breast cancer, and God has still allowed her to stay here with us. What a wonderful perspective you have shared with us. Hope your Mother's Day was amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing, Paula. I know you must thank God every day for your mom! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
erin, thank you for always sharing your heart. i really needed this post and song today and to be reminded that with pain always comes beauty. i love all your photos and memories of mother's day. you are one beautiful mama, inside and out.
ReplyDeletei'm glad you got to spend it amongst all your loves <3
xoxox
maria
Thank you, Maria. Your kind words always bless me! It was a very special Mother's Day, inded!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin
Erin, I'm so late in responding to this post, but it's been sitting in my email waiting patiently! Haha. I hope you had a beautiful Mother's Day...it sounds like you did! I really miss my mom, but I'm so grateful she's still alive to be able to call her or skype her whenever I want to. Thanks for a beautiful reminder to cherish every moment I can with her (even if just via phone) and to also cherish every moment with my own children.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, my beautiful friend!
~Rosann
Were you able to see your mom on Mother's Day, Rosann? I hope that you had a wonderful day with your precious princesses!!!
DeleteBlessings,
~Erin