I see motherhood as akin to being a home decorator. My job in my family involved setting the tone: celebrating by bringing color, music, and beauty into every aspect of our home; gathering great, hopeful stories through books; cultivating wonderful memories with friends through parties and bible studies, meals, and traditions; lighting candles in the darkness and playing music to lift our souls.

The task of building our homes into places of beauty and life that will feed the hearts, souls, and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be "home makers" — to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world.

The ultimate key to providing a nurturing environment in the home is you, mamas. The physical surroundings can make a big difference. In the end, though, what our children and husband need most is not a perfect home or perfect training or a perfectly spiritual role model or a wife without faults — but a mother and wife who is committed to doing whatever it takes to love them and make a home for them.

Read more about this in Mom Heart Moments.