The Best Mother's Day Gift

I am so excited about Mother's Day this year. I usually scour the cool stores around town looking for the perfect gift for my mom. I am not a shopper; far from it. But this one day of the year, I want to give my mom something she will love that she wouldn't go out and buy for herself. (I usually fail.)

But this year I actually just asked my mom what she wanted. And she told me! We found the most awesome gift! (Yes, picked it out together.) She is going to be so excited! PERFECT!

 Now, this isn't a shopping blog :) Hopefully you know by now that if anything is good enough to get me this excited, there's bound to be some sort of Biblical parallel.

 Yep.

 Because I have a confession to make: the first four years I got to celebrate Mother's Day as an actual mom, I hated it. I said it. I hated Mother's Day. Because I was completely exhausted, worn out, behind on sleep, and barely functioning. In all reality, the last thing I wanted to be those first few Mother's Days was a mother. Babies are tough!

 Being a mother made me so much more grateful for my own mom and what she went through with me. I mean, I had gotten her gifts every year on Mother's Day, but I honestly did it because I was supposed to. That all changed once I became a mom. It was SO HARD. Everything that you used to do for yourself (bathing, washing your hair, brushing your teeth, choosing cute clothes, painting toenails) go out the window unless you happen to have 2 minutes of time to yourself. All your time, energy, effort, thought, and creativity go to your kids.

 In fact, I guarantee your mom was WAY cuter before you were born. Don't blame old age on her weird fashion sense and bad hair. Blame it on the first 4 years of your life :)

 So let me tell you straight from the heart: I am a mom now. And I know what your mom wants for Mother's Day.

 It comes from Exodus 20:12, which says, "Honor...your mother." 

 Don't roll your eyes. I'm serious.

 She wants to be honored!

 But WAIT! Do you want to know what honored means in the Hebrew? (Of course you do!)

 "to be heavy; to be wealthy, honored, glorified... to be renowned; to honor, glorify, reward; to make numerous. If the base meaning is 'to be weighty or heavy,' then by extension...substantial, honored, glorious, wealthy" (Zondervan Exhaustive Concordance).

 To honor means TO MAKE BIG. Make a big deal out of your mom! Your mom wants you to honor her by acknowledging what she did for you. 

 I know; you'd much rather just get her a pedicure :)

 But seriously. Put some thought into this: Your mom deserves honor. YOU NEED TO HONOR HER.

 How can you do that?
  • Start today and make a list of all the ways she sacrificed for you, loved you, taught you, helped you, etc. Print the list on cute paper.
  • Find old pictures of you and your mom and put them to music. A little memory video. Be sure to add text saying specific ways she is amazing.
  • Get together with your siblings and record yourselves telling stories about how great your mom is. 
  • Take your mom out for coffee. Just the two of you. TELL HER how awesome she is and explain why you think so. 
  • Do something that she used to do for you. Make her breakfast, clean the house, wash the car, go to the grocery, etc. (Remember! SHE DID ALL THIS STUFF FOR YOU! EVERY DAY!) Don't take any money. 
  • Consider all the ways you are like her. Put it in a little notebook.

(I'm sure this is enough to get you started :)

This kind of honor is long overdue. And I wish I had done it years ago. It took having my own kids to realize how much my mom did for me. You don't need to wait that long :)

Happy Mother's Day to your mom. She's awesome.



Some of you have signed up for Bible Study, but there's room for more! May 26-29 (Tuesday through Friday), we'll meet in the mornings for an hour and you'll have stuff to do on your own in the afternoons. Place TBD. Text me, comment below, or email me at myleslienotebook@gmail.com.

It's going to be great! You won't want to miss it! Open to high school and college girls.











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