30 Days of Thankfulness 2011-Day 15

I am thankful for BLOOM, my mom's group that meets every Tuesday.  BLOOM stands for Building a Legacy Out Of Motherhood. 

We have spent the semester going through a parenting book, and today was our last day before a long Holiday break...full Thanksgiving Feast, absolutely beautiful decorations (sorry I didn't get pics!!), and lots of amazing door prizes.  One fortunate mom walked away with a $100 gift card to Target! 
 Michelle Duggar was our speaker today, believe it or not. (I did not get a photo with her, although I should have.  I felt like a poser since I do not watch her show regularly, isn't that stupid?).  Her sweet spirit and disposition was so genuine.  Whether or not we understand her lifestyle or not,  it is so evident that she loves those children with every fiber of her being.  Just being in her presence made me proud to be a mother, knowing that at the end of the day, we all desire the very same things for our kids and are striving to be the best moms to these little ones as we can be!
This semester at BLOOM, we have delved into reaching our children's hearts, not simply correcting them or training them just for the sake of behavior modification, but really getting connected to our kids' hearts...looking into why they do the things they do, what is causing them pain, or how we can help shape and mold their hearts to become more like Christ, not mini-replicas of ourselves or that pre-determined idea of who we believe they should be.  
On the days that parenting feels just plain too hard or too overwhelming, or when I feel ill-equipped to make yet another decision that will directly affect these little lives, I want to remember this...that God did not make a mistake in giving these children to this mama.  

I tell my children all the time, "Out of all the boys and girls in all the world, can you believe God chose YOU for ME?!"  That's pretty profound, if you ask me.   
So today, I am thankful for BLOOM and the powerful reminder these last months that I am just the person for the job of mama to Maddie, John David, and Lainey. 
Beth over at Flair For Home, and I are teaming up for this series of thankfulness and would love for you to join us, even midstream!  Grab a button in the right sidebar for your own blog or head over to My Heart's Desire Facebook page and leave a comment!
Have a great night!