Here's a thought from my twenty-something self: 

"I'd love to be a mom ... someday. Right now, though, I'm LOVING life! I've dated some nice guys, even though I'm not sure any of them are marriage material. Not there yet. But yeah, one day, I'd like to be a mom."

This is my 20-something self with my sister & brother at his high school graduation:
   

Life was good! Things were fun! Wow, I looked skinny! But let's fast forward a few years.

Now here's a thought from my thirty-something self:

"I'm a wife, mom, crazy busy, trying to fit in workouts, worried that we eat out too much, taking the kids to the library, happy that they love to read, worried that they stare at screens too much, hoping I can love my kids well, and definitely always praying for them and praying for wisdom."

This is me on my latest thirty-something birthday:



When I think about my adventures in motherhood, I look back and wonder how much heartache I could have avoided if someone had shared with me some "mothering secrets" when I was in my 20s.

My mom was a great example. And I certainly felt prepared to be a mom in many ways, thanks to her. 

But no one prepared me for what happens between "regular woman" and "woman who had a baby." We're talking body changes that happen when you're pregnant, other changes after the baby's born, arguments with your husband about co-sleeping, breastfeeding, c-sections, VBACs, etc.

No one prepared me for that because who thinks about that stuff when you're enjoying college and dealing with life in your 20s?

Not even during pre-marital counseling do you really dive into the topic of "what happens when you become a mom."  

We discussed whether we both wanted kids, budgeting, dealing with the in-laws, all good things, all good things.  ;)

But it would be nice if someone warned husbands-to-be during premarital counseling that their wives-to-be can get CRAYYY--ZY when they're pregnant. 

The struggle (and the cravings) are real.

It would also be nice for girls to be better prepared for all the challenges that lie ahead for those who will be moms.

I thought, it would be cool to share some of my hard earned "mothering secrets" with college-age girls who might want to be moms someday.

Needless to say, when I was invited to speak about "Mothering" at Sparkle, an awesome college girls Bible study at Second Baptist Church Woodway Campus, I jumped at the chance! 

What happened, however, was that I ended up with a message that spoke to me almost more than what I hoped to share with the girls.

I'm sharing that message here, because maybe, just maybe, what I felt God put on my heart might be the "mothering secret" that comes in handy for you later.

Since I was speaking at a Bible study, here are the verses that went along with the topic of Mothering:
 
Proverbs 31:26, 28