A Tribute to My Mom

It is time to end my blogging hiatus with a very blogworthy topic: My Mom.  I'm always a little nervous to write about someone so worthy of praise, because I know I will not be able to say everything.  But here's an attempt at honoring my Mom and pointing out some of her excellent qualities.

Happy Mother's Day!

What an amazing woman!  My mother, Faith Stynsberg, is probably the most servant-hearted person I know.  She is always serving--and always doing it cheerfully.  She has been pouring herself out for her own husband and children for more than 27 years, and she continues to minister to many other children and families through daycare, AWANA, VBS, and a multitude of other ways.

It was a blessing to me, Tyler, and JaNae that Mom was a "stay-at-home-mom" who was always there for us (even while blessing others through daycare).  She and Dad have always prioritized spending time with us and being there for our big events (or what seemed to us to be big events).  Mom and Dad have very gracefully handled the process of becoming "empty-nesters," striking the balance between giving us freedom and independence while still being involved in our lives.  Mom sent me a package for my birthday, even though I would be coming home just a week later.  That was pretty cool.

Mom is an incredibly hard worker.  I used to take for granted all the things she does; now that I'm a little older, I admire her more and more.  I love how she finds creative ways to make a difference.  Every year, before most of us have even started thinking about Mother's Day, she begins using every spare moment to make delicate bows (around 200 of them) for Mother's Day corsages.  She puts countless hours of work into these corsages each year (and Dad helps a lot with the process too!) to provide mothers with this symbol of honor while raising money for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.  In the past couple of years, she has also perfected the art of making mittens out of old sweaters, and this has raised money on different occasions for Living Hope, Breaking Free, and our sister church in Ukraine.

Much of this work goes unnoticed, because in the world's eyes, these are "small things." Mom has never set out to climb the corporate ladder or find a place in the spotlight.  Instead, she cares for children in their most formative years, dealing with dirty diapers, picky eaters, fights over toys, and a million "why" questions; she washes dishes, vacuums carpets, and cooks meals; she works patiently and diligently on her crafts, knowing that small things do make a difference; she studies the Word of God; she prays.

And she allows God to shape her into the woman He wants her to be.  If you're looking for an example of Biblical womanhood, hang out with my Mom for a while.  Watch the way she respects and submits to my Dad and the way she loves her children.  Observe her attitude: selflessness, cheerfulness, self-control, patience, and rarely a complaint coming out of her mouth (though she deals with more physical pain than most of us understand).  Oh, I am richly blessed, and I hope to become very much like this woman of God.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; 

her husband also, and he praises her.  

'Many women have done excellently, 

but you surpass them all.'

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31:28-31 (ESV)

I thank God for you, Mom.

Love, Alyssa