In 2009, I had the great privilege of interviewing my mom for a writing assignment. What an enriching experience that interview was! (If you have the opportunity, I urge you take take some time to interview your mom. You’ll likely be surprised by what you discover about her.)

I gained many nuggets of wisdom from that interview. Since then, I’ve watched my mom continue to live a life immersed in integrity, faith, and love for her family.

My mom and I have always been close. I love her deeply and greatly admire her. She is my best friend.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I’d love to share 8 beautiful lessons I’ve learned from my mom.

#1: Pray constantly for your family.

In the interview with my mom, I discovered how instrumental prayer has been in her life as a wife and a mom. Early on in her marriage, she prayed constantly for my dad—that he would come to know and love Jesus. Shortly after my family moved to Colorado, my mom met two other mothers from her church, and the three of them prayed often together.

“It was definitely a group of people who were very innocent, who were young in Christ,” my mom said. “And yet God amazingly answered prayer after prayer.”

One of those answered prayers forever changed my family. My dad gave his heart and life to Jesus.

My mom also told me her secret to raising kids: PRAYER.

She described her prayers as a mom as:

“My prayers were simple. I’ve never been a big fancy prayer. It has mainly been, ‘God, I’m not able to do this. I don’t know how to do this. God, I need your help.’ I think it’s just pouring out your heart honestly . . . and when you get to a place when you truly mean what you pray, God hears you every time. He always does. That type of prayer He will answer.”

#2: Fight for your marriage.

The first five years of my parents’ marriage were difficult, and my mom shared that many times she wanted to give up. But she didn’t.

She fought for her marriage through prayer and trust in God.

She shared that even after my dad became a Christian, they still experienced challenging seasons in their marriage. Though it might have seemed easier at times to give up, they didn’t.

Now that I’m a wife, I cherish this great lesson that both of my parents taught me.

#3: Never leave home or go to bed without asking

for forgiveness from those you’ve wronged

and forgiving those who you have wronged you.

As is common with siblings, my brother and I fought often as kids. I’ll never forget the many times my mom would plead with my brother and me to never leave home or go to bed without asking for forgiveness or offering forgiveness. This lesson remains with me to this day, and I’m often quick to forgive and to say I’m sorry when I’m wrong.

#4: Encourage your kids to dream BIG,

and don’t be afraid to reach for BIG dreams yourself.

My mom has always believed in having BIG dreams. She encouraged me at a young age to not be afraid to pursue BIG dreams. Over the years, I’ve shared one dream after another with her, and never once has she told me my dreams were stupid or silly. Instead, she stood along the sidelines and cheered me on.

I’ve also watched my mom dream BIG for herself. For many years, she had put her dream of obtaining a college degree on the shelves as she raised my brother and me. But when we were older, she returned to college and received a degree just before her 40th birthday.

#5: Embrace seasons of waiting.

Whether it’s been spending years praying for her husband to believe in Jesus or waiting to finish her college degree, my mom embraced these seasons of waiting with grace and wisdom.

#6: Live a life of integrity,

even if it means going against the flow.

Over the years, I’ve watched my mom live a life of integrity. In her jobs and personal situations, she has been placed in challenging situations with no easy solutions. And time after time, she has chosen the high road, even when it was not popular or resulted in criticism. I admire her for her decisions and have sought to follow in her steps in living a life of integrity.

#7: Listen.

My mom is usually one of the first people I call when I need to share something on my heart. And my mom has always been faithful to listen.

#8: Honor your marriage vows—to love and cherish

your husband for better, for worse, for richer,

for poorer, in sickness and in health.

Through the ups and downs of their marriage, both of my parents showed me what it truly means to honor your marriage vows. The most beautiful example of this love and devotion was during my dad’s fight against stage 4 cancer. This, by far, was the most difficult trial in their lives, and it was in this season when I saw how God blessed me with a mom who honored her vow to her husband to stand by his side during sickness. The love and tenderness my mom showed my dad will be forever imprinted on my mind and heart.