I watched my wife lay on that hospital bed with her face pale and sweaty. Her body was still cramping and bleeding from complications after delivering our third child. “Please bring me the baby,” she said. “I need to feed her.” I shook my head in amazement and said to the nurse, “Mommies are warriors.”

Thankfully, my wife is doing better now, but I’m learning to appreciate the heroic role of mom. According to Salary.com, if you added up the total value of a mother’s work ranging from chef to housekeeper, day care provider to van driver, moms would earn a salary of $117,000. Guess I shouldn’t complain when my wife wants to go out to eat once in a while. She’s earned it!

Moms have one of the hardest jobs in the world. But their duties go well beyond feeding, grooming, and shuttling the family. They’ve also been entrusted by God with spiritual training. The Apostle Paul writes to a young pastor named Timothy, “I clearly recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy’s faith and spiritual formation were directly tied to the loving training of his mom and grandma. This is not to undermine the central role a father must play as spiritual leader in the home. But let’s pause and tip our hats to mom.

Mothers, don’t grow weary in doing well. You’re changing the world by raising up a new generation of teachers, soldiers, artists, inventors, pastors, and missionaries. Grandparents, keep praying for your family, cheering them on, and reminding them that God is always faithful. And Fathers, take time this Mother’s Day to sincerely thank that heroic woman who raised you, and the one who is now helping you raise the kids. Let them know just how special they are.

President Teddy Roosevelt said in 1905, “The woman’s task is not easy—no task worth doing is easy—but in doing it, and when she has done it, there shall come to her the highest and holiest joy known to mankind; and having done it, she shall have the reward prophesied in Scripture; for her husband and her children, yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness, shall rise up and call her blessed.”

Over 100 years later, those words still ring true. Happy Mother’s Day!

This article appeared in today’s edition of our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star.


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As some of you heard, Natalie bled a lot more Saturday evening, so we had to take her back down to ER. The doctor did a D&C around 11 pm to clean out her uterus and stop the bleeding. Amazingly, she was discharged about an hour later and we got a good night’s sleep. Natalie is feeling much better today.

We’ll be waiting and praying this week to see if this solves the problem for good. Natalie has an appointment scheduled for Friday. They think this should fix the problem, but if bleeding persists, she may need a hysterectomy. We certainly hope that won’t be necessary, but continue to trust in God. For the moment, all is quiet. Natalie’s mom drove down today to help out, which will be really nice the next few days.

After all the drama this weekend, we really appreciated this video. It provided some great comic relief. Enjoy!

Praise the Lord! Abigail Adelle Jones was born yesterday at 1:08 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and is 19.75″ long. Thank you all for your prayers.

Natalie had very heavy post-delivery bleeding, clotting, and sharp pain for about five hours. Finally, the doctor did a DNC which revealed a small placenta lobe still attached to the uterus that was causing the bleeding. Once back from OR and stabilized, she received four units of blood and is now doing much better. She gets her first meal this morning. Thursday was a long day full of pain and frightening moments, but we knew God was with us and felt His grace in many ways. There are so many reasons to be thankful.

The doctors did their first ultrasound on Abigail for her hydronephrosis. We’ll get an update sometime today of what needs to be done next. The cupping on the right kidney is still there, so we will probably be referred to a specialist, but don’t know how much of this will happen while we’re still at the hospital. Thankfully, Abigail is eating and going to the bathroom normally and showing no signs of discomfort. She’s a precious little girl, and we’re enjoying lots of cuddles after yesterday’s excitement.

Thanks for your continued prayers for Natalie and Abigail. The doctor will probably keep them in the hospital at least through Sunday morning.

Every pre-marital counseling course should include some basic advice on family finances. I’m very grateful Natalie and I were required to read the Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples, which helped us talk through some important issues, set up an early budget, and avoid many pitfalls.

A recent article by Smartmoney.com might also be helpful. They list six common financial mistakes made by young families:

1. Carrying too much debt
2. Operating without a budget
3. Failing to begin planning for retirement
4. Inadequate life and disability insurance
5. Not preparing for college tuition
6. No rainy day fund

Even if you’ve been married for years and have made some costly mistakes, it’s never too late to begin heading in the right direction. You can read the whole article here.