**If you would like to listen to this blog post, scroll to the bottom for the audio version.

The day after Mother’s Day, I get to wrap up this beautiful series I have been writing about for the last six weeks.  I wanted to use this blog post today to review, but also to give a few final thoughts that I pray will help you on this crazy, beautiful journey of motherhood.

 Let's dive in...

The first essential I discussed is by far the most important in my book.

Love yourself. 

You can’t truly love others unconditionally, if you don’t love who God made you first.

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37

My best...

**If you would like to listen to this blog post, scroll to the bottom for the audio version.

Are you ready?! 

Week 4 of the six part series:  Essentials Every Mom Needs to be the Best Mom for their Kids

Take care of your TEMPLE.

It is my FAVORITE thing to do so I can regroup, refocus and become re-energized.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought with a price.  Therefore, honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I have so many favorite verses, and this is one.  It reminds me that the Holy Spirit LIVES IN ME.  God gave me this body to steward as a place for the Spirit to reside in.  He also gave me this body as a vessel in which to complete His work.  This body was bought with a price.  If God sees my body as precious and wonderful, then so should I.

Do you ever...

**If you would like to listen to this blog post, scroll to the bottom for the audio version.

Do you remember when you were pregnant? 

I do.  And my word is, “Ugh.”  I want to apologize to the ladies who have either (a) not been pregnant or (b) loved being pregnant.  To those ladies, let me paint the picture of my pregnancy (to some of you who also had horrible pregnancies, you can totally skip this part because you know what I’m talking about here). 

It started at 4 weeks.  Yep, I knew instantly when I was pregnant because the, “I only want to sleep FOREVER” and “Oh my goodness, that smell makes me want to vomit” started.  Those two only intensified from there.  Getting out of bed was like trying to get slime out of carpet…slow and almost impossible.  Plus, who really wants to get out of bed when you know you are going to just vomit or feel like vomiting the rest of the day.  

No, this...