Happy Mom's Day and My 100th Post!!!

Happy Mother's Day to the amazing women who love deeply, give generously, and sacrifice often for us, and whom we love so much!  Thank you moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, and moms-in-law for loving your children and grandchildren so well, and for bringing us so much joy.  You are loved and appreciated!

and

Happy 100th Crazy Joy blog post!  What an awesome and inspirational journey it's been so far, and such a joy to get to have a place to share my heart, live to encourage, and be encouraged by the gifts and kindnesses of so many other blog-world and non-blog world friends!  What fun we have on here, and I am grateful!  Thank you for reading, encouraging, and inspiring me.  I am in constant awe of God's amazing faithfulness and I love sharing it with you.  Here's to hoping I'm just getting started on this crazy joy journey!

Yay for today - a day to celebrate!  It is so fitting because without the inspiration and encouragement especially from my mom and grandma, I would be such a different person.  Their love has truly shaped me and changed me, and allowed me to see and know God's love so much more fully, which has fueled greatly how I share my life through my blog.  And I am so truly grateful for a mother-in-law who gave life to and raised the sweetest son who now loves his wife so wonderfully well.  That is such an incredible gift, and I am thankful for your heart that is full of love for your family!  Not only that, but I have sisters-in-law who are doing an amazing job raising godly, loving, and oh-so-fun children who are delightful to be around.  What sweet spirits they all have, and special close relationships they share with their beautiful mamas.  They all are also quite lovely, generous, and kind.  I am blessed to call you all my sisters and my family!  And of course, countless friends and members of my extended family are celebrated today for sharing a love I'm sure only a mother can understand, one that I hope to know someday too!  I respect you, pray for you, and learn so much from you!

So I'll celebrate this day by writing a poem and sharing some daisies.  When we were kids, all the way through college, my mom used to buy us corsages to wear at church on Mother's Day, because she always said it was a day to celebrate the children she was blessed to be the mom of.  She has such a sweet and thoughtful spirit, and this tradition was just one of the ways she showed it.  I love that yesterday she surprised her mom who lives 8 hours away with a surprise visit, so they could be together on Mother's Day for the first time in 33 years!  What a rare blessing - I'm sure they are having a blast!  My heart is with you on this day mom - I love you!


My mom and I also love daisies...she the traditional little white ones, and me the big colorful gerberas.  Another way I love how we are beautifully different.

(Meredith Haley Sonson)

Today is a day to celebrate the love

of the beautiful women of whom much is asked of.

We honor the ladies who love and who lead;

who teach and who pray, and much wisdom do heed.

We are grateful for moms and grandmas, aunts and sisters too; 

for their unconditional and selfless love, much gratitude is due.

Dear God we thank you for creating it this way,

showing mothers how to give more than we could ever repay.

For knowing we would need a caring, nurturing guide,

to hug us and teach us how in you to abide.

When moms sometimes don't know exactly what to do,

please simply give them strength to stay close to you.

Please spill love and hope on the women in this world,

who are tired and weary, longing for a little one to behold.

I am so very grateful for the women that I know,

who have shown me the way true joy does grow.

Who have given me grace, and shared in my pain,

rejoicing with me in moments that call for singing in the rain.

I pray for the time I can join in on this sweet day,

when I have my own children whom I can celebrate in May.

Thank you for letting women experience a love like no other,

help us each day to honor and celebrate our mothers.

(Flower Pictures Online)