Today is a neat day.  My son met me when I got out of the bathroom this morning with a card.  It was handwritten and told how much he loved me and appreciated me.  On the back was this simple message, "Please enjoy breakfast."  He had cooked me scrambled eggs and made me a roll with strawberry jam (my favorite).  He brought it into my bedroom along with a big cup of coffee.

My youngest son gave me a handwritten letter on stationery and in an envelope that told me how much he loved me and said that he wished me "lots of hugs and kissis."  :) 

My husband wrote me a letter that told me how much he appreciated me and loved me. 

My oldest son at home had a gift bag full of wonderful-smelling bath products and a neat back scrubber.

My oldest son and daughter-in-law gave me a neat pan with a handle (yeah!) and some coffee creamer.

My daughter cooked me a lovely lunch (and got up an hour early to start on it before church).  She fixed me oven chicken with crunchy topping, garlic cheese mashed potatoes, homemade biscuit sticks and green beans.  She even fixed a wonderful cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips that spelled "Mom."

After lunch, my kiddos at home gave me a pint of Ben and Jerry's Coffee ice cream with Heath chunks.  Wow, I never knew such a wonderful thing as this existed.

I am so blessed.

But I have to tell about my own mom and her gift to me this Mother's Day.  My mom painstakingly hand wrote a recipe book for my sister and me.  Inside is every one of her favorite recipes from her 45 years of married life.  There are recipes from both of my grandmothers and some other relatives as well, I think.  She has sections in this book for every kind of thing imaginable.  She said she has been working on it since Christmas.  She wrote until her hands hurt, then started again the next day.  She went through every cook book she had and every recipe box.  (My mom has a lot.)  At the end is a section on "Household Hints."  She tells her hints on how to use common household items to clean things.  She tells how to get out stains and has the stains listed in alphabetical order.  She tells what to do when you need something and don't have it.  She tells what she means by oil and "Dawn" in her recipes.  It is just amazing.  What a treasure.

I could never be a mom like I have.  My mom is so kind and caring and so understated.  She has never demanded attention and is content to be in the background at our family get-togethers.  My dad is the more loud and "fun" one.  But she always makes sure all of the details are taken care of.  She serves with every fiber of her being.

This morning my husband preached on Mary pouring out her alabaster jar of precious perfume and "wasting" it on Jesus.  My mom has consistently poured out the treasure of herself for our family.

I want to pour out the treasure (such as it is) of myself on my loved ones and indeed everyone I can just as I would for the Lord Jesus.  I want my life to be an act of worship to Him that will smell strongly of pure devotion.  I want to do what I do for Jesus, pouring out my life on Him.  Not so that others will see and approve (they didn't approve of Mary), but so that my Lord will be blessed.  I want to do what I do for Him and Him alone.

I don't mother so that my children will rise and call me blessed (I hope that they one day will).  I mother for Jesus.  I display friendship and give words of encouragement for Jesus.  I fix meals for neighbors and others for Jesus.  I serve Jesus and Jesus alone.