To The Greatest Moms I Know...

~My Precious Mother~

Who can find a virtuous (excellent in all forms) woman. For her worth is far above rubies. Strength and honor are her clothing. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31

On this Thankful Thursday I would like to thank God for some of the most wonderful, dedicated, and selfless moms I know, who have been so influential in shaping the lives and character of their precious children.

First, I want to thank God for my own mom, who is now with Jesus. She is and will forever be close to my heart♥ There is nothing I do or say that has not been impacted by her remarkable influence in my life. I miss her more and more as the years go by. She was the greatest example I have ever known of what it means to live a self-less life, and the most generous woman ever. I love you mom...

I’d also like to honor my husband's mother as well. She was such a gift to me and I’ll be forever grateful for the son she raised. She is also now with Jesus. My advice to all of you who still have your mom’s is to enjoy them while they are still with you, and let them know how special they are each and every day!


Also, I would like to ask you to keep in prayer some very exceptional mom's who will never again experience a Mother's Day in the quite the same way. These are courageous young women that I personally know and love, and who now have children in heaven. Each holiday is filled with many different emotions, but I think that above all of them, Mother's Day must be one of the most difficult.

Today I would like to honor four of these amazing ladies who have taught me what true faith, courage, and devotion is really all about.

♥ By now I'm sure most of you reading my blog know what a special relationship I have with Tonya Nason. Tonya and I met at St. Jude while our son’s were undergoing treatment. Not only did we become best buddies, but so did our boys. If you have not had the privilege to get to know her, please stop by Safe In His Arms. She's warm, she's witty, and she has an astounding passion for Jesus. I love you Tonya, Happy Mother's Day to you!

♥ The next mom that I've come to love and admire is Heather Duckworth. Heather has stolen the heart of so many. As she journaled about Jacob's battle with cancer, Heather recorded the largest number of visits to her site in the history of Caringbridge!! Can you imagine? Well, you would only have to read one entry before you're officially hooked. Her love for Jesus, her children, and her unique spirit of Joy permeates all she does and writes about. I'm so blessed to know her and to be called her friend. Stop on by and visit Heather at Faithful Froggers and you'll see what I'm talking about!

~Heather & Donnie~


♥ Another special friend that I have connected deeply with is Susan Pauxtis. I also met Susan through Caringbridge. Her brave son Timmy fought a courageous battle with brain cancer. From the very first time I dropped by to visit their site, I was captivated by her writing and her love and dedication to the cause of fighting these horrible childhood diseases. Since Timmy went to be with Jesus, Susan and her family started a Foundation in his honor. She recently sponsored her first “Timmy Tour De Shore”, which raised over, $70,000.00 to help fund research for childhood brain tumors. They have already set the date for the next one in October. Susan has been a tremendous support for all of us mom's who are still in the battle. I love you Susan, and I pray your Mother’s Day is one filled with beautiful memories of sweet Timmy.

~Susan & Timmy~

♥ Finally, I'd like to end by honoring one other special friend of mine named Dawn. As you might have guessed by now, I first met Dawn through Caringbridge also, but I finally got the privilege of meeting her in person while Jordan and I were at St. Jude for one of his six-month check-up’s. Getting together with her has become one of the highlights of my regular visits to St. Jude. She works as a Volunteer at Habitat for Hope, encouraging, visiting and bringing dinners to needy families who are staying in Memphis while their children are in treatment. Dawn lost her precious son Shae to cancer 7 years ago. She continues to bless me and countless others in so many ways. Happy Mother’s Day to you Dawn, you are a true blessing.

Yes, these are my many heroes. These are the brave one’s who never gave up in the face of insurmountable odds. Who stayed the course and ran the race set before them. They are champions who remained faithful until the very end. While it is true that their precious children are now in heaven, they never lost the battle. What a glorious passage we find in 1 Cor. 15,

“…when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I would also like to wish all of you a great Mother's Day! I've never met so many dedicated, loving mom's. I continue to glean from each one of you, and it's been such a joy getting to know you all.

Please join us at Sting My Heart to see what other grateful hearts are thanking God for.