What MOPS means to me...

I was completely honored to get to share with my MOPS group..."What MOPS means to me!!" in our monthly newsletter!! And since MOPS has been a huge blessing and a large fundamental resource for me in raising these boys I wanted to share it on our blog so I will always have this memory of how special it has been being apart of this lovely group!! I came to the group not being that close to anyone or having any family in it and I have become great friends with these women and am beyond grateful for the huge family dynamic we now share!!

Here is a picture of the insert and the message typed out to read better underneath!  

Please let me start off by saying I am completely honored by being able to share what MOPS means to me! Those of you that know me know this is no easy feat considering I am a pretty dramatic person and it is hard to portray my passion through (just) words! And I must say the impact MOPS has had on me is something I defiantly  am passionate about!! 

 

Luke 1:49 He has done GREAT things for me. 

I could begin a list of all the great things (He) and MOPS has done for me but the greatest thing is this...

I found confidence in who I AM as a mother. 

Joining MOPS is probably one of thee biggest blessings I have ever been given!

Once I grasped who others are as moms and let go of my opinion of them I was able to find myself ! 

I was able to say Yes I know I made "this decision" and of course- I wouldn't change one thing about it and couldn't be happier BUT-yes it is hard sometimes!! (especially when it came to having three boys in less than four years!)

MOPS has given me an insane sense of normalcy which is so needed for us striving to do it all moms! 

It has taught me that....

A bad moment doesnt make me a bad Mama!! 

And it definitely and most importantly encouraged, strengthened, and heightened my understanding of HIS grace! I have a keen sense like never before because of the encouragement I have received from my fellow mommies but also in all the awesome messages we have studied  from the curriculum! I remember hearing once from a video that...

"I was made for my children in all my entirety. Failure and all!! And they were made for me!" 

Like how refreshing is that!? Just grasping that fact is like a breath of fresh air for me!  What a peace that put deep down in my ever trying and tired soul. 

 I find myself feeling different after I leave, and while I'm there. I place myself into this place...a place of...

Surrender. 

 

I have learned to surrender. 

Surrendered to Gods will...it isn't always the easiest....but it is always the best. 

And being able to do motherhood with a bunch of other women that they too are trying to control every moment and surrender every moment (and sometimes at the same second) sure does help!! 

Not only is in informative on a deep level but it also helps moms to be creative, find fun ways to celebrate holidays, surprise their husbands, plan meals, etc.

Boogers, bums, and never-ending need for food is kind of time consuming when it comes to little people. So this help is so much appreciated. 

I will never forget the first time I came to this MOPS group..I was nervous out of my mind because it was my VERY first outing by myself with all three boys(the baby being just 4 weeks!)

But the second I arrived at the facility, all of my nerves melted away. 

One word – AMAZING.

Walking through the door I saw a bunch of precious, super real women gathered together with the sole purpose of rocking their God-given Mom calling.

They had come because they wanted to find community.

They had come to laugh or cry (a roomful of pregnant/nursing/or toddler-rearing women?  It will happen, people) or whatever they needed to do to feel heard and understood.

They had come for the childcare. 

They had come to have a delicious bite of breakfast  that didn’t include microwaved pancakes, stale cereal, or nuggets for that matter. 

They had come to lift each other up in the face of sleeplessness or breastfeeding issues or to encourage one another through the stomach bugs and terrible 2s toddler challenges.

They had come to get crafty.

They had come to be mentored.

 They had come to be inspired.

That day I went to MOPs I decided that I would be back even when I had a kid bawling on my hip because I knew I was going to need those girls in my mommy-ing journey.

It has changed me...it made me

Be courageous 

enough to always see the greatness in others and courageous enough to defy popularity and stay true to what GOD has for me and the COURAGE to know the difference! 

It makes me feel like the "real me". 

I could not be more grateful! 

MOPS...helps mom's (especially this one) build a happy(ier) home.