Preparing for motherhood....

Don't get any ideas!! I am NOT pregnant. (-; But God has been working in my heart and showing me that I need to be preparing for the day when i have children. Before getting married, I took a time preparing to be a wife. I still lack in many areas, but I know that that time of preparation strengthened my marriage so much and prepared me for this journey I'm on as a wife. I was so blessed to have Emily Dinsmore (who was Betts at the time!) preparing alongside of me as she too planned and awaited her wedding. We asked women of different ages to mentor us and teach us, and we studied God's word about what He says about marriage. Now, even as I continue learning about my role as a wife, I have felt that God is adding motherhood to my planning and preparing process. Even now, Marvin and I pray for our future children and ask that their lives glorify our living God. It's interesting that around the time that I started to really think more and more about this, the opportunity came to my life to come to Gainesville, GA, for 2 1/2 weeks and take care of 3 kids while their mom, a Delta flight attendant, takes a training course up in Minneapolis. In fact, I am here, in Gainesville, right now!! I have been here a week already and have enjoyed homeschooling, taking care of, cooking for, and really, mothering to an extent the three Long boys of the ages of 14, 11, and 5. I am with them from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. And I am also SO blessed to be staying with my wonderful sister, Natalie, and her wonderful family and spending time with them at nights and on the weekends. Matthew, Luke, and Richie have found their way into my heart already. I prayed for them even before I actually had met them and have loved getting to know them. In addition to the blessing of taking advantage of this learning experience, it was also a huge blessing to fly to the States on one of Mrs. Long's Delta buddy passes and use this trip not only as a job opportunity, but as a visa trip. It buys me several more months in Honduras before having to leave again. Marvin and I hope that soon I will have a permission slip to stay in Honduras without having to leave. We are in the process of changing my type of residency. Anyways, the Lord continues to faithfully mold me and teach me, and I pray that this year be a year of learning and preparing much more and that someday, I can be a wonderful mother and role model for my own children.