1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I am learning to be joyful. I am learning to be having the ongoing chats with my Lord and saviour. 

But at the moment, most of all, I am learning to be thankful in all and everything. 

The challenge is, though, what can I be thankful for in the hours or days of pain, nausea and fatigue. I can be thankful for being sustained, I can be thankful for those that are upholding me in prayer, I can be thankful for the support and understanding of those around me, I can be thankful for all the people I have in my life who are a blessing to me.

And that leads me to being thankful for my mum. My mum, my best friend, a true servant, who is filled with compassion, who goes above and beyond to serve and love those around her, and she does this tirelessly and without complaint. You can see it in her dedication to her students and her school. It can be seen in her love for her family and desire to help us in whatever practical way she can. I am thankful that mum introduced me to Jesus as a child. I am thankful that she took us all to Sunday school throughout our childhood. I am thankful that she would drive me back and forth to Youth group on a Friday night. Mum modelled to us what it meant to be a dedicated teacher. And even though we saw the amount of work she put in teaching, for little recognition or pay, there was something there that caught us, sparked our interest in teaching, and so now she has three grown children who are all teachers. That speaks volumes about a person. 

There is so much I am thankful about having my mum in my life. From the afternoon coffees after long days or weeks at work. To the chats on the phone. To the practical help I need now. Mum is not afraid to get in there and get things done. (As seen by my latest house moving adventures!). 

So, this post (though slightly delayed) about layer cakes comes at a time when we were celebrating mum and her 60 years. A special birthday and a special person, deserved a special cake.