2020 has been EXTRA. Kobe. Australia wildfires. Harvey Weinstein convicted. Covid pandemic. George Floyd. Protests. Riots. Murder hornets. Elections. Tiger King... and it’s just September! These things can make life feel overwhelming. Oh yeah, distance learning. Extra.  

But we know extra, right MOMs? 

Having a bunch of babies at once is extra. 
Multiples feeding schedules are extra.  
Getting to the grocery store with the entire litter in tow is extra. 
Paying double dance class, music lessons, sports tuition is extra. 

Everything we do appears to be extra to the outside world.  

Extra is our life. Quite frankly most of us wouldn’t have it any other way! However, when the Extra in the outside world invades our inner world, they have a compounding effect that can be overwhelming.  

As I’ve thought about what being EXTRA actually means for a group of women with multiples, all I could see was greatness. Extraordinary is not an exaggeration for mothers of multiples. Extraordinary is defined as follows: beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established; exceptional in character; to the amount, extent, degree that is noteworthy and remarkable. In my book, (and to anyone who witnesses you), you are extraordinary! You have received these babies and welcomed them into your family without missing a beat. Yep, it’s extra and busy but you manage and grow and excel. Extraordinary mothers, wives, women you are...never forget it. 

This year I want to do a dive into what this truly means. If life is going to be EXTRA (thanks 2020), I want it to be filled with the right kind of extra! We will explore what it means for us in our current seasons of life to be filled to overflow with goodness, peace, joy, tranquility, grace, favor, energy, excitement, optimism, and faith. So let’s flip EXTRA on its head! 

What if we had EXTRA peace instead of EXTRA turmoil? 

What if we had EXTRA joy to share, instead of EXTRA stress? 

What if we had EXTRA grace, instead of EXTRA drama? 

What if we had EXTRA wisdom instead of EXTRA information? 

We can live the kind of life that produces the right kind of extra. Extraordinary lives require extraordinary choices. Each month we will do a deep dive into how to push out the world’s EXTRA and build on the right kind of EXTRA in our families. We will look at what it means to truly flourish as a family, as mothers, as women, as an organization of extraordinary women! 

This is my prayer for you, EXTRAORDINARY women: 

“The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The lord lift up His approving countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).” -Numbers 6:24-26 

“Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us and by His divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.” - 2 Peter 1:3 

Tonya Flowers is a mother to Lucas, and twins Wyatt and Timothy. She is a wife, nurse, minister and curretly serves FWMOM as our Chaplain.