Metro Moms

Counting Down Why I LOVE Being a Mom

Taraleigh is the mother of three adorable children.  Jacob (5), Brianna (3) and Joseph (7 months) fill her busy life with both hilarious and challenging moments.  Those who know her best are affected by Taraleigh's pursuit of humility and her frequent requests for counsel or input.  She and her husband, Kyle, serve heroically in the church including homegroup leadership.  Her passion for the church, her family and her personal growth in godliness makes Taraleigh a joy to know!

10. Pushing my kids on the swing until they are giggling uncontrollably.

9. Snowcones are a gourmet dessert.

8. Pretending I am a Queen while my kids are the knights and princesses.

7. Watching my kids worship like their daddy.

6. Reading the same stories to my kids that my mom read to me.

5. Never being alone. J

4. Explaining why the sun looks like it is following us.

3. Snuggling with my baby after his bath.

2. Listening to my kids pray and hearing them say“yes Lord."

1. Being able to preach the Gospel daily, even during times of discipline and training, and praying for the day their hearts are opened!

What I Love Most About Being A Mom

Michelle is a pastor's wife and mother of Michael (11) and Harrison (5).  Her ability to balance loving her husband, caring for her home, and sacrificially serving alongside her husband at a church she loves -- while training and homeschooling her sons -- is evidence of God's grace in her life.  This ability is rooted in her personal pursuit of her Savior in the midst of a full life and numerous demands on her time.  We are grateful this blog will allow you the privilege of getting to know Michelle!

I love that I have a God who loves my children more than I will ever be able to love them and who faithfully teaches me to love them like He does.

I love learning to enjoy the things my boys enjoy, including my participation in a recent nerf gun battle. This seemed to give them a great deal of joy! (They keep asking, "When will we do it again?")

I love how God gently reminds me what is important and what is not, what are priorities and what can wait, what is of eternal significance and what is simply temporal and fleeting.

I love that my two boys play with toads, make messes, have stinky shoes, and get filthy...even if it doesn't all come out in the wash, everything is going to be alright!

I love that God in His wisdom has given my husband and I two boys who love life and live it to the fullest, which has caused me to run to God and cling to Him for strength and endurance to keep up with their seemingly boundless energy.

I love having one little boy and one rapidly growing boy who still enjoy holding mom's hand.

I love the displays of affection - the random hugs and kisses that come even on the days when I have spent most of the hours training and correcting them - truly an evidence of God at work in their hearts.

Some days I wish there was a little more pink and lace in my life but I have learned to love blue and brown and testosterone in excessive amounts - ha!

Out of all the millions of moms in the world, I love being the only one they call mom.

What I Love About Being a MOM!

Stephanie has spent most of her life in Orlando at Metro Life Church, where her dad served as a pastor for many years and where she met her husband, Chris, who serves administratively on our church staff. Caleb (5) and Alec (2) fill her days with laughter and keep her on the go!  Stephanie's thoughtfulness, warmth, and heart to serve is first seen in how she cares for her home and family...but all those who know her have benefitted from her love.  You will, too!

Wow...how do I put into words what I love about being a Mom?  So many things flood my mind...I will just have to share a few.  Maybe the best way to limit my many thoughts to just a few is to share some of my most special memories - all of which contribute to loving my role as a Mom.

So, here it goes...

- There's nothing like the feeling when I found out I was going to be a Mommy (especially when getting pregnant was supposed to be difficult for me).

- Delivering a new life into the world and holding him for the first time.

- Being the first to tell Caleb and Alec about Jesus.

- Being there to celebrate all the "firsts" (who can forget the first time they sat up or ran with eyes sparkling even after a short absence or tried to sing along during worship?)

- Snuggling in the middle of the night and feeling him next to me as he goes back to sleep.

- Making memories and starting family traditions (and taking lots of pictures to remember them, of course!)

- Watching as Caleb met his newborn brother, Alec, for the first time.

- Being able to be at home with them and knowing that it is a privilege and my God-given calling.

But out of all these wonderful moments, I think the best part about being a Mom is when my boys come up to me (unsolicited) and give me a big hug and kiss and say, "I love you, Mom" or "You're my Friend!"  It just doesn't get better than that!

What I Love About Being a Mom...

We officially begin our blogging this week with "Mothering Joys."  Today through Thursday, four moms will share what they love most about being mothers.  Sheree will introduce the authors...ladies you'll be hearing more from in the future. These moms are godly women whose behind-the-scenes life message validates the things they share.  I'm so glad you get to meet them!  On Friday we'll begin "Friday Favorites" with a winsome post and a yummy recipe.  Enjoy!

Elyse is the mother of four.  Her oldest daughter, Sarah, is now with the Lord while Matthew (7), Hope (4) and Emma (9 months) keep her very busy.  She is known as a wonderful cook, a thoughtful and loyal friend, and a diligent homeschooling mom who loves her children dearly.  She and her husband, Jon, are longtime members of Metro Life Church and serve in homegroup leadership.  Their home is regularly full of people and all who know Elyse are affected by her passion for the Lord, her family and the church.  You will always benefit from Elyse's warm and honest posts.

What do I love about being a mother?  This question brings so many thoughts and images to my mind: the feel of baby Emma's soft hair rubbing against my face; the look on Hope's face as she tells me how much she loves me; and the endless conversations I have with Matthew talking about things he should be too young to understand.  And I still love hearing them call me "Mommy," perhaps because I was never supposed to have children. 

The list goes on, but beyond all those moments one thing stands out above all else...the opportunity to share with my children about our Lord and Savior.  What could possibly be better than sharing the wonder and majesty of our God with them?  I love using small everyday things to help them see who He is and sharing the big things so that they, too, can be amazed by His grace. It may be a simple moment we share watching a sunset while proclaiming the beauty of what God has created.  Or a significant moment explaining to Matthew that God allowed his older sister to die, and that although we don't always understand His ways, we can always trust Him. 

Now that my older children can actually stand through our Sunday worship times :-), I love listening to them sing, knowing they're really beginning to understand some of the wonderful truths about which they are singing.  Hearing them talk about the gospel with simple faith that doesn't understand why everyone doesn't believe humbles and amazes me. But even better than that is hearing them call Jesus their Lord and Savior. 

What do I love about being a mom?  Seeing a new generation come to know and love their God...and now my own children are a part of that generation!!!  What could I love more than this?