For her worth is far above jewels...

Today marks the 30th birthday of my wife, Shannon. I thought I'd share some thoughts of what I know of her:


At the sound of a toddler's thump a mom can be seen and heard moving to his rescue, ensuring that safety is near. Mom will not let him down. Mom will protect him.

When the darkness swallows the world and all is still but the tearful cries of a tiny baby girl, a mom can be seen and heard scaring off the night and restoring comfort to her daughter.

With surmounting, daunting, and sometimes overwhelming work, children who need attention, food, care, and discipline, a mom can be seen and heard diligently working and attending to all while her husband is away at work. He need not be concerned with anything at all—she is there, at that means that all is well.

In the face of the tedious work of cooking and cleaning, in the face of a life that is not glamorous nor respected in the world of the almighty career, a mom can be seen preparing food for her family.

In the presence of monotany, a mom and a wife can be seen pressing on where many would have given up, slacked off, stopped caring. But not this mom. She is a gem. She is gold. She is the incarnation of a jewel encrusted chalice that is filled with the sweetest wine...and those words still fall short of her greatness, for she is a mom. She is a wife. She is a creature loved by God, adored by her husband, cherished by her children, and esteemed for more than she is ever told.

Some women bear the title wife. This one elevates it. Some women receive the honorable title of mother. This one gives the title honor.

Mike