AND … do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted
pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK
THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the
winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In
short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering
Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother’s Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

What I
Didn’t Know by Rhonda Shrock

I always knew I wanted to be a mother.  As a girl, I played house with my
dollies, shushing them when they cried and kissing their plastic heads.

Looking back at that girl, I realize now that there was a lot she didn’t know.
This morning over my fresh-ground coffee, this mother of 22-1/2 years
scratched out a list of 10 things she didn’t know then that she knows now.

1.  I didn’t know – how could I? – just how completely a tiny, helpless
scrap of humanity can capture the heart and hold it forever.  From that
first whooshing heartbeat and the first butterfly brushes, a mother’s heart is never
again her own.  For all eternity, it enlarges, walking and pulsing and moving
outside of her body; in my case, in the shape of a blue-eyed boy with rooster tails.
Times four.

2.  I didn’t know that the size of a mother’s heart is always changing,
stretching to embrace each new baby that comes, then growing again to love their
friends and then their own families.

3.  I never knew, as I changed my dolly’s dress, how many reasons there
are to worry when you’re a mama.   Didn’t know about the nighttime
vigils.  Didn’t know the anxiety of separation, the terror that floods when
you turn around in the grocery store and they’re gone.  Didn’t know about
the fear of the pond next door or the concern that pays for swimming lessons.
Didn’t know the thousand-and-one reasons that keep a mother awake,
whispering prayers on her pillow in the dark.

4.  No one told me that loving so much means that you will hurt hard
and keen;  that what pains your child hurts you even worse.  I
didn’t know then that a playground taunt travels through that smaller heart and
lands square in yours, stinging and burning like fire.  I didn’t know that
motherhood makes lionesses of us all and that there’d be days I’d have to bite my
tongue and pray to not sin.

5.  I didn’t know how exhausting it is, being a mother.  I didn’t
know that it takes everything you’ve got and then some.  Didn’t know the
bone-deep exhaustion; how it strips you bare and shows how selfish you can be, but,
too, that you have more strength than you know.

6.  I didn’t know, playing house, how much joy mothers feel; joy so
big that it makes up for the pain.  Just looking at those eyes and the curve of
the cheek can make you so happy it hurts.  Watching them grow and find their
talent and win at something…all the money in the world can never buy that kind of
happiness.

7.  I didn’t know how making babies and raising them, how it binds you
to their father.  I didn’t know the intimacy you feel when your eyes meet
above those tousled heads, and your smiles say, “Just look at what we’ve done.”

8.  That girl in the homemade dress, she didn’t know that letting go is
one of the hardest things a grown-up mama will ever do.  Rocking those
babies in that small rocking chair, she didn’t really know that babies grow up and

walk away and there goes your heart, out into the big, wide world.  No one
told her that part.

9.  I had no idea how rewarding it is, being a mother.  How the
happiness that comes from boy kisses and awkward hugs can’t be bought or sold.
How proud you feel when you see what they’re growing up to be and that all
the planting and pruning and watering and feeding is finally making fruit!

10.  I didn’t know how much my babies would enrich my spiritual life or
how they would change the way I pray.  I didn’t realize they would lead
me to a deeper dependence on the Heavenly Father or how I much I would need His
wisdom to raise them aright.

These are things I didn’t know before I was a mother.  But I know them now.
Oh, how I know them now!  And I’d do it all again.

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies
and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook

Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series – a week long
celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of
today’s best writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St.
John, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on
Mother’s Day.

AND … do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted
pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK
THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the
winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In
short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering
Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother’s Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

He Will
Walk With You by Carey Bailey

As a little girl, I loved baby dolls. Loved them! I played school, adoption agency,
daycare operator and babysitter all day. I felt like I was born to be a mama.
Therefore, I was a bit anxious when the ages, 22, 25, 28 and 32 came and went and
there were no babies. Have you ever desired something so much and feared never
getting it? That was me.

My day finally came at the age of 34. I soon realized that God knew what He was
doing when He had me wait. To my shock, it wasn’t as easy as playing with dolls. I
was surprised that it wasn’t the dream world I imagined it would be! I felt like life
became a gigantic prayer.

“God, HELP me!”

“Please, God. Please, please, please make it all better. I can’t do this!”

“God, this feels impossible. Where are you?”

While I adore motherhood, it is harder and there are more adjustments than
I expected. (I am hoping there are some nodding of heads and Amen’s being
said out there in cyberworld.) Not only did I have a new life to care for, but my
identity suddenly felt all scrambled up. It took me until my son was one to finally
feel confident in my new role as a mother, confident that I could drop my child off
at preschool without crying, confident that I could go out with the girls’ and the
world wouldn’t fall apart, and confident that I could go on a date night and have
conversations that didn’t revolve just around our son.

I was feeling settled in my new world and then WHAM! I discovered I was pregnant

again. Can I be vulnerable with you? I actually cried when I found out. And they
were not tears of joy. I feel awful saying that out loud, and I hope you will give me a
moment to explain. It was not that I didn’t want another baby or feel like I couldn’t
love a new life, it was just that I got scared. Discovering a little person was on the
way sent a panic through me. Would my son still receive the love and attention
that he deserved? How was my husband going to feel about my body changing
again? Would I ever be able to pursue the vision I felt God had for me in writing and
publishing? I was truly wondering if I was going to be able to handle another intense
wave of identity crisis like the one I had just been through. I wasn’t sure.

God and I needed a serious talk. And in that conversation He carefully reminded me
of this:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

He reminded me in our time together that I, too, am His child and He has every
intention of loving me, caring for me, and giving me the future that He has planned
for me.

As mothers, we can get so caught up in parenting that we forget that we, too, have
a spiritual parent who loves us as His child. He loves you as much as He loves the
children He has given you. He will never forsake you.  And on those days
when motherhood seems too overwhelming and too impossible I step back and take
a deep breath. Then I remember that this journey I am on, right now, is the one He
has designed and create uniquely for me. I simply need to live in it, learn from it, and
allow His love to sweep over and through me.

He will walk with me! He will walk with you! Grab His hand.

Carey Bailey is a recovering perfectionist, wife, proud mama, and the
Family Life Director for her church in Arizona. She hosts an online community
for moms called Cravings: desiring God in the midst of motherhood where
she strives to make God time easier. Not less meaningful, just easier. She is

the author of Cravings {The Devotional} which is a set of forty devotional
flashcards for the mama on the go. Visit Carey online blog: www.cravingstheblog.blogspot.com Facebook: http:/
/www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline and Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/careycbailey/

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies
and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook
Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series – a week long
celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of
today’s best writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St.
John, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on
Mother’s Day.

AND … do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted
pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK
THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the
winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In
short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering
Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother’s Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

Stepping Out on Faith by Bonnie St. John

“Darcy . . .”

“Yeah, Mom?”

I momentarily held the undivided attention of my teenage daughter. Her thumbs,
free of their ubiquitous texting keypad, quietly dangled by her side. Her computer
and its omnipresent Facebook page were completely out of sight. I had almost
forgotten what she looked like without all these adolescent accoutrements. As we
sat down together on the burgundy leather sofa in our living room, I realized this
fleeting state of electronic dislocation was my chance to hatch a plan I had been
formu- lating for the past several weeks. Carpe diem.

“How would you like to write a book together?”

“About what?” I asked my mom. Write a book? This was a real surprise. I felt a bit
suspicious, but still curious.  I love to write, and Mom kept telling me I was
really good at it. I like writing poetry, fantasy, and sci-fi, though.  The books
Mom wrote were all nonfiction.  I wondered what we could possibly do
together.

“Well . . .” I hesitated. If I wanted her to commit to any extra work out- side her busy
schedule at school—not to mention work alongside her mother—I had to make this
really great. “It would be about women as leaders,” I continued, “a mother-
daughter investigation into leadership styles and structures.”

“Leadership?” I blurted. It came out as if I had a bad taste in my mouth—which I did.
I couldn’t imagine a more boring topic to write about. What is there to say
about leadership anyway? When you’re in charge, you just get things done, right?
Who wants to talk about that?

Her furrowed brow told me I was losing her fast. “Um . . . we could find women
leaders all around the world!” I said impulsively, frantically casting the ultimate
bait.

“Really? Would we get to travel a lot?”  I hadn’t thought about that. Heck, I’d
write about the mating habits of tsetse flies  if I got to go to Africa to do it!

But this project wasn’t just about the influence it would have on Darcy. I wanted
to do something that could have a potent impact on an alarming trend I had
witnessed in workplaces across the country: far too many women appeared to be
making a choice not to apply for top leadership positions when presented with the
opportunities to do so.

This project, then, was a bit of a Trojan horse. On the one hand, the saga of a
mother-daughter journey could seduce female readers, who might never bother to
read the Harvard Business School dissertations on the subject, into a meaningful
conversation about leadership. At the same time, if Darcy met a series of brilliant,
accomplished women— people even a cynical teen would be in awe of—perhaps
they could tell her all the things I’d like her to know—and more.

And she just might listen.

But where to start? How would we make it work? I suggested we do most of our
research by phone, as I did for How Strong Women Pray. My telephone
interviews with a governor, some CEOs, actors, sports figures, a college president,
and others yielded great stories and information. I promised my intrepid co-author,
though, that we could punctuate these conversations with a few visits in person to
exciting and exotic places—all with reasonably priced airfares.

“Why don’t we follow each subject as she goes about her daily life? That way
our readers get to come along with us and get a behind- the-scenes look at what
happens to them. Instead of just a boring interview, we—and our readers—get to
hang around with these women, see them in their natural habitat, and even see how
other people treat them.”

Although I agreed it was a wonderful approach, this idea of “job- shadowing” each
featured subject wasn’t going to be easy. Would these high-powered, important
women deign to allow us that kind of access? Would they be able to impart the kind

of wisdom that would resonate with our readers and truly make a difference in their
lives?  We looked at each other, both of us hooked on a crazy idea that we
weren’t sure we could pull off.

“It sounds impossible, Darcy,” I said. “We might as well get started.”

And so, we stepped out . . . on faith.

Bonnie is a 1984 Paralympics silver medal winner in
ski racing. Her education includes a degree with honors from Harvard, a Rhodes
scholarship, and an M.Litt in Economics from Oxford.  Her career includes
positions as an award-winning sales rep for IBM and a Clinton White House member
of staff. She now is a much-in-demand speaker, who makes nearly 100 speeches
each year to corporations and civic groups. You can visit her on the Web at www.bonniestjohn.com.

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies
and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook
Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!

AND … do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted
pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK
THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the
winner will on 5/14. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In
short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in
the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering
Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother’s Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

What I
Am Not by Tricia Goyer

Becoming a mother is a complicated thing. Not only am I trying to negotiate a
relationship with my child, I am trying to negotiate a relationship with myself as
I attempt to determine how I mother, how I feel about mothering, how I want to
mother and how I wish I was mothered.

Sometimes the easiest way to discover who we are is to know who we are not.

• We are not our children. We all know mothers who go overboard trying
to make themselves look good by making their children look great. I saw one woman
on the Oprah television show who had bought her preschool daughter more than
twelve pairs of black shoes just so the girl could have different styles to go with her
numerous outfits! Just as we -don’t get report cards for mothering, we also -don’t get
graded on our child’s looks or accomplishments. While you want your children to
do their best and succeed in life, your self-esteem -shouldn’t be wrapped up in your
child.

Life as I See It:

My individuality will never end. There will be no one exactly like me, not even
my child. She will be like me in some ways, but not at all in others. I -wouldn’t have
it any other way.

• We are not our mothers. I remember the first time I heard my mother’s
voice coming out of my mouth. The words “because I told you so .  .  .” escaped before
I had a chance to squelch them.

It’s not until we have kids that we truly understand our mothers — all their frets,
their nagging, and their worries.

It’s also then that we truly understand their love.

Since you are now a mother, it’s good to think back on how you were raised. If there
were traditions or habits that now seem wise and useful, incorporate them into your
parenting. You also have permission to sift out things you now know -weren’t good.
Just because you’re a product of your mother, that -doesn’t mean you have to turn
out just like her. Repeat after me, “I am not my mother.”

• We are not like any other mother out there. Sometimes you may feel
like the world’s worst mother. After all, your friend never yells at her son —
and sometimes you do. Then again, your friend may feel bad because you have
a wonderful bedtime routine that includes stories and songs. In many cases, the
moms you feel inferior to only look like they have it together. All moms feel they –
don’t “measure up.” Instead of feeling unworthy, we should realize that everyone
has strengths and weaknesses. The key is where we place our focus.

The Bible says, “Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without .
.  . comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we -aren’t”
(Romans 12:5 – 6, MESSAGE).

The problem with comparison is, we always measure our weaknesses
against the strengths of others.

Instead, we need to thank God for our strengths. We can also ask God to help us
overcome our weaknesses — not because we want to compare ourselves, or look
good in someone else’s eyes, but because we want to be the best mom out there.

Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies
and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook
Page (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!