Ponce a wanna time...uuuhhhmmm....once upon a time there was a young girl that had an empty spot in her heart. And God filled it so wonderfully with a beautiful baby girl. She filled it so much that it expanded and created a void that was soon filled with a precious baby boy. And she lived happily ever after.

Seriously...How blessed I am.

My 20 year old daughter makes the best Sweet Tea I have ever tasted. She has perfected the art of brewing and the end result is the absolute epitome of this southern favorite. She surely didn't learn her secrets from me since my tea has always been mediocre at best. And tonight as I sipped on my passable imitation of her extraordinary original I pondered on how wonderful it is that my child shared her *mad tea-brewing skills* with me.

I know that over the years I have taught my children things. There is not any way you could have children under your roof and not teach them something, whether good or bad.

I think many times we neglect to acknowledge that we also learn from them.

What have my children taught me? They have taught me how to stand up for those that I love. They have taught me that no foe is to big, no giant cannot be slain when I am fighting for them. I have learned from my children that it is important to really be interested in their lives, not just to pretend you are interested.
It is when you really listen that you hear the most.

I have learned from my children that I should pay attention to actions as well as words. I now know that they really do listen to me, and that it really is best to tell them why instead of just *because.* I have learned that arming them with reason helps them to fight battles on their own, and gives me the assurance that they can fight even when big bad Mom is not around to get their back.

I have learned that the more I love the Lord, the more I give of myself to Him, the more they love Him and long for a closer walk with Him. I have learned more about faith and redemption from those two little faces that used to shine up at me to have the answers and to offer forgiveness than I could ever have learned anywhere else.

I learned what it means to be loved unconditionally, and what it means to love without bounds. I know what true hurt feels like, too. I have learned that you can survive when you feel like your heart is broken in two. And I have also learned that you can put the past in the past and walk on into the future.

I have learned the importance of a promise, and the comfort of a hug. A kiss truly does fix a hurt, and a kind word goes further than I ever could have imagined.

How great the Father's love for me, that He would so richly fill my life.

Because He loves me so I now know what love really is. And as a bonus, my tea tastes better too!

Oh how I love Jesus, because He first loved me.