I have the privilege of speaking to a MOPS group in a couple weeks. In all honesty, I never thought they would be my audience. You know…those moms. Ironically, I am one of those moms. You know, the kind who stays home and makes the conscious choice to be around their kids all day.

You see, when I was little I said I wanted to be a mom when I grew up. No joke. I wanted to be a mom and stay at home because I have a pretty awesome mom and that’s what she did. And hey, my sister and I turned out pretty good, so that had to be the right decision for me too.

Of course when I made that decision, I had NO IDEA what I was agreeing to. Honestly, most of the time, I still don’t know what I signed up for.

Initially, my life didn’t really change. Samara, my oldest, was pretty compliant to whatever schedule (or lack thereof) we threw her way. As long as she could sleep, she was content. Added bonus was that she never really experienced separation anxiety so I could pass her off to any momma at church who was looking for a baby fix.

But twenty-two months after I had Samara, I had Aliyah and everything changed.

It was hard and I was pretty sure I was guaranteeing my kids would be in serious need of counseling later in life.

You see, I thought to be a mom, I had to be able to cook wholesome, everyone-loves-their-veggies kind of meals every night. To be a good mom, I had to be able to keep the house clean. I mean, I was home all day after all. I thought to be a good mom, I had to be able to brainstorm awesome activities and crafts that would interest even a one-year-old. And that was not me.

That is still not me.

But through some really dark and miserable moments, I began to learn that being a mom is so much more.

Being a mom means that I will be there unconditionally for my girls.

Being a mom means that I will encourage them to dream big, no matter how fantastical their dream may seem.

Being a mom means that I get bruised knees from the amount of time I lay myself before God on behalf of my girls.

Being a mom means going to bat for them against the monsters they fight–whether they are imaginary or real.

Being a mom takes guts, but delivers no glory.

Being a mom is what I have been called to do. It’s a piece of who God created me to be. I have been called to be a speaker and a writer, but I have also been called to be a mom; and that is one of the most noble and humbling callings I can imagine. It is the most challenging job I have ever had, but when I hear my sweet girls tell me, “I love you mom,” and pummel me in a hug, the reward surpasses any frustration I’ve dealt with.

I’m going to mess up, loose my cool, and sometimes overreact. But more than anything, I am going to continue to grow and learn what it looks like to do this mom-thing. I’m going to love my girls #likeamom, I’m going to encourage my girls #likeamom, I’m going to play with my girls #likeamom, and I’m going to continue to pray over my girls #likeamom.

I am brave #likeamom.

I am strong #likeamom.

and I depend on God #likeamom.

While I never imagined that moms would be my target audience, I am honored to share my heart with them (#likeamom) and hope for more opportunities to share with other amazing moms in the future.

*If you happen to be a part of MOPS of Hillside in Keller, TX…I can’t wait to share this with you in greater detail on March 18th*