Love covers up a multitude of sins

I was recently watching a television show with my family, and there were two men in their 40-50's, and they were driving on a long journey looking for antiques and they had been on the road for weeks and they had both grown weary....The one says...."you might thing this is weird , but I am missing my mom, I am just wondering how she is doing and can imagine her working in the garden"....the other quickly added, " I was thinking of my mother too....a man never grows too old to love and miss his mother". I loved that. We have a high calling as mothers. God has given us a blessed role to enrich our children's lives. I experienced the complete opposite this week as well. One gal told me that she hated her mother and her mother hated her, and they had each hired attorneys to sue one another for one thing or another. It may be that you are in one of the situations above. You are missing your mother, or you are hating her. Or...maybe your just indifferent to her....or maybe you simply love your mother and find great comfort in having her in your life.

Sweet Mother, I simply must tell you that' however 'we suffer in this lifetime ....through our mothers or fathers, or sisters or brothers, friends or foes.....It is sincerely the method God can use to draw your heart to HIM and cause you love him more. It sounds simple....but it is action packed. It takes an inward heart towards loving our sweet Savior and an outward expression of an inward heart of love and forgiveness. I know it well....as the last few months have been somewhat of a full circle experience for me. My mother died in February and I had the sweetest conversation I had ever had with her 12 hours before she died. While on the phone the night before, I pondered my love for her, how God had healed my heart towards her, and how deeply grateful I was for that. WE together spoke of Jesus and how we looked forward to heaven....little did I know that the next day....she would be standing in heaven hearing the sounds of heaven as it speaks of in Rev. 4:

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to meflike a trumpet, said, g“Come up here, and hI will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once iI was in the Spirit, and behold, ja throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.3 And he who sat there had the appearance of kjasper and carnelian, and around the throne was la rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were mtwenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders,nclothed in white garments, with ogolden crowns on their heads.5 From the throne came pflashes of lightning, and rumblings1 and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning qseven torches of fire, rwhich are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was sas it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are tfour living creatures, ufull of eyes in front and behind: 7 vthe first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures,each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 e“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

My mother was a baby in her walk with Jesus, but it was a sweet relationship she had with him as I found out the night before she died. She knew him, she was His child. I really did not know my mother very well. As a child I was off and on living with her through a series of situations, and eventually lived in foster homes. It was not a normal Mother /Daughter relationship, and we had very few times to be together. She often was without a place to stay, and I was staying with people I barely knew . As I grew up and married, we rarely saw each other due to complicated living situations and life in general changing once I was married.

God used my mothers difficult life to draw my heart to Him. He continues to do so. I stood next to my mothers body the day she died with my first born daughter Rebekah. As we stood there, holding hands in a damp cold room, I had tears in my eyes and heaviness in my soul... but my soul was warm....so warm because I was grateful, I had finally found love and it came not through her love or lack of love towards me but through HIS love for me. We cannot get the love we desire or crave from human love, our souls will only be filled with heavenly love from a Savior who laid down His life for you and for me. Sweet mother...you will never be able to totally and completely love your sweet ones.... until your love is complete through Christ.

May I remind you of a wonderful scripture that I pray will penetrate your sweet heart and give you energy and strength to keep on fighting the good fight

I PETER 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

We must conquer ourselves sweet mothers...so we can give our children Jesus and not the broken little girls we USED to be.....let us give our sweet ones Jesus today and let us build up the kingdom of Heaven and bring great glory to our very precious King...King Jesus.

A Reminder!

I have found that Mothering changes as the days turn into years and my children turn from little girls and boys into men and women. Two of our 5 children are now considered adults!....The days of pure exhaustion from the physical work of mothering, are silently drifting away. This new season of Mothering the Lord has blessed me with is a season of encouragement and prayer. It is taking all the truths that Gary and I have poured into the foundation of our children's lives and now , in this new season...we simply(easier said than done) remind them. We remind them what they were taught, we remind them of who they are...we encourage their decisions, we simpy are not holding their hands any longer and leading them.....we are on the sidelines, cheering them on.

The new Testiment is full of the disciples reminding the Saints of what they already knew.....

9. John 14:26
   But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
   
10. Romans 15:15
    I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
    
    
11. 1 Corinthians 4:17
    For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
    
12. 1 Corinthians 15:1
    [ The Resurrection of Christ ] Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
    
    
13. 2 Timothy 1:5
    I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
    
    
14. 2 Timothy 1:6
    For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
    
    
15. 2 Timothy 2:14
    [ A Workman Approved by God ] Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
    
    
16. Titus 3:1
    [ Doing What is Good ] Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
    
17. Hebrews 10:3
    But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,2 Peter 1:12
    [ Prophecy of Scripture ] So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
    2 Peter 3:1
    [ The Day of the Lord ] Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.
18. Jude 1:5
    Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
    

I recently was visiting with a dear friend of mine who was sharing with me, through deep weeping, some of the choices that her young adult son is making. Her heart breaks as the world pushes in on him, and at this time in his life, he is not fighting back. As she poured her heart out to me. I couldn't help but think what a Godly Mother she had been. Her faith, and grace are towers! Her heart is breaking.....I pondered the years, upon years that she has poured her heart out to the Lord for him. The day to day taking his hand and leading him to the Lord. As I pondered the FOUNDATION she had established him with ...I thought of one of those little army men that are adhered to a plastic foundation. They are rooted in this foundation, they have to lay down with it sticking up....they have to walk with lopsided flops. It made me think that this is what this young man is dealing with. It made me smile to think of him walking around with this cement of a foundation that is not visible to the human eye....but is there because of Gods holy faithfulness! As he lays down.it sticks up, as he saunters along the path, he is really waddeling along with a foundation of love and the truth that he was bought with a price and is NOT his own but belongs to the HOLY one! It became our visual for praying for him. That he would be REMINDED of his foundation and be drawn to repentance. That he would become uncomfortable with the life he is living because of the foundation that goes with him.....

Often I feel like I am saying the same thing to my children in a miriad of ways...same message...different words on different days. I recently read in Philippians 3:1
For the rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you (over and over) of the same things is not irksome to me, and is (a precaution) for your safety.

Sweet Mother ....do not grow weary in doing good! Continue on! Fight the good fight! The foundation you are laying today, will be the reminder your child may need for tomorrow....

Glory Revealer!

Holy watchfulness!  This is our role in mothering, that often gets overlooked.  As we desire for our children to experience God in concrete everyday ways...it really becomes our job as mom's to reveal to our children the Glory of God.  It takes a heart that is watching and crying out to God to show himself to you....so that you can show Him to your sweet ones.

Often, we become so busy with the details of an over busy life, that we forget to show our children that he is involved in the everyday mundane tasks of life.  You sweet mother are called to reveal to your children His greatness and His beauty.  Are you aware of Him yourself?  Are you looking, watching and waiting for him to reveal himself to you so that you in turn....can show the "beautiful one" to your children? Are you even now imagining how God himself does show himself to you in a given day?  I was there myself at one time...My walk with God was like a dry piece of toast going down without moisture....it was difficult and completely DRY.  I knew that Gods word was sweet and rich and I was to thirst after it... as a deer pants for water

Psalm 42 verse 1

As a deer pants for flowing streams,

   so pants my soul for you, O God.

I desired it, but didn't have a complete grasp of how it looked.  Therefore, I began to ask God to reveal himself to me...so I could reveal him to my children.  I began to pray in faith with a heart that wanted to show my children he was real.  I asked Him to whisper his secrets in my ear.....

 This is what God did....

He opened my eyes so big and so wide to the absolute beauty of who he was that I could not at times contain it.  He, sweet mother.... is so sweet, so beautiful and so worth getting to know.  His Holy word is that....it is HOLY and Sweet as Honey!  His word became my delight daily.  I longed for it when I was grocery shopping, or visiting with a friend.  I began to look for him in my day.  I would tell my children that we needed a parking spot and would pray that he would give us one....we would all pray in faith...and when we got one...HE got the glory.  If we could not find an item lost in the house, I would sit my children down, and we would pray.  When we found the item....we would given him the glory.  This is what we do mothers...we are Glory Revealers....taking our sweet ones and pointing to Him in all the unique and different ways he shows himself throughout our days!

Once, years ago, my daughter was going to have surgery.  It would take 6 weeks for her to recover and walking would be difficult...I gently told her that it would be difficult for her to walk...but that God would help her.  She looked at me and said "well moma....I will pray and ask God for an electric car to help me get around".  I told her "NO you may not ask God for an electric car"....."Your Dad and I will not buy you an electric car".  She simply and sweetly said that she was not asking us but asking God for one.  It became something that my husband and I had to have a conversation about because we knew we were not going to buy her an electric car....and we were not sure if we should even allow her to pray about it.  Gary decided that she could pray about it....it was not in rebellion she asked, but in childlike faith.  I gently reminded her off and on how we could not afford an electric car and that she more than likely would not get one.  After her surgery...and through many hard and difficult days in the hospital....we finally were home.  We were tired and had finally had the entire house settled down...and the door bell rang.  We all looked at each other wondering who could be ringing the doorbell.  Gary answered the door and it was some people from our church and they said they brought our daughter a little gift.  They wanted her to be carried to the front porch to see it.  I really did NOT want her to move....but Gary picked her up and took her to the front...and there sitting on our driveway was the cutest, pinkest electric car that I had ever seen.  AN ELECTRIC CAR.....they had bought it for their daughter at Christmas, but it really was not being used, and they felt that it would be a great gift for our daughter. I began to weep, at my daughters great faith...and a Holy God who hears the prayers of little children....she looked at me with the sweetest little girl smile and reminded me that we can ask God for anything...he really does care.  She became a glory revealer to me, when all I wanted to do was reaveal him to her.

How are you revealing God to your sweet ones today?  Do you need to ask God to first reveal Himself to YOU....and ask him to whisper his secrets in your ear?  He loves you sweet Mother...He loves everything about you...and longs to spend time with you.  He is all about revealing himself to the ones he loves.  Watch....pray.....pant after him....and watch what he does....THEN  be a Glory revealer to your children whom the angels sing....

Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come! 

Being a good mother....is a love relationship with Christ

Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind .

This verse sums up the fullness of what being a GREAT mother is...it is loving HIM.  It is very difficult for us to desire something for our children that we do not own ourselves.  Is it the desire of your heart that your children would love Him and walk a holy life...devoted to HIM? Is it your desire that your children would live in a manner that they would be aware that the Lord Himself is their keeper and that even when you are not around...or looking,  they are aware that HE IS?

  Then dear Mother....this must first be your desire for YOURSELF.  

One of the greatest harms we can place on our children is to live a life that requires Holiness, without the example of Holiness.  Another word for this would be Hypocrisy.  More is caught than taught sweet mother.  

What does Loving God with all your Heart, Soul and Mind look like?....it looks like this..... you live like He is watching you...because He is, when you are given too much change from the grocery store clerk.....you return it.  Live like He is listening...because He is.  Choose your words carefully....through the power of the Holy Spirit...because they are recorded....in the hearts and minds of your sweet ones. Love His HOLY word...read it to your children....Savor it.....and watch them watch you Savor it!! Make Him the unseen guest at every meal, every conversation.....Talk about him when you sit, walk and stand. 

  If you don't love him like the scripture says....then cry out to HIM for more of HIM!  Yes, we can ask for more of HIM....He delights in us wanting more of Him.....He loves you dear mother....and YOU are the secret(through Christ) in raising wonderful sons and daughters of the most High God....Taste and See that the Lord is sweet, you can never have too much.   Your love of Him and His ways and principles, will set a fire in the hearts of your children, that you can pray and fan into a roaring forest fire!...Amen!

It is a sweet gift from God to be a mother.  Each day has its challenges, and it's pressures, and the temptation is to put these irritants ahead of what really counts.  Today sweet mother....ask your Loving Shepherd to give you a double portion of Himself, a portion big enough to share with your sweet children.  He is the only thing that will bring you true happiness, and will bring true change into the lives of your children.

One time we sold our home, and were moving into a new home.  It was a bitter sweet time for me, because this old home we were leaving was the home that I spent many nights praying for my children....seeking diligently His word; to give me wisdom to raise my children for him.  It was difficult to leave.  I went into my empty house right before we drove away for the last time... I looked in each room that used to hold my children's furniture, and a fullness of LOVE and a swell of deep gratefulness came over me...I began to weep.....God had revealed himself to me in this home....It did not come from me not pursuing him....it did not just magically fall into my lap....I deeply wanted more of Him...and he gave Himself to me so sweetly.  I got on my knees in my old bedroom.... and I asked God for more...for a double portion.  I was grateful for all He had given me, but wanted more.  Sweet mother....He loves to give more to his children. He is kind and good and is able to help you raise your children to bring him Glory!

Love Him, Seek Him.....and watch how your love for Him will flow over into the lives of the ones that watch YOU for their example!

 

What I like about you!

Each year on... MOTHERS DAY... I try to take the time and write a letter or note to my children expressing to them my gratefulness to God for his great gift to me in... THEM! Had He not given them to me, I would not be a mother....and it is a sweet priveledge to be a mother! This year, I made each of my children a jar that I labeled "What I Like About YOU" In each jar, I wrote out small sentences of thing I loved about them. Such as...

You always bring sunshine in my sometimes cloudy days
You reflect and bring Glory to God in your obedience and love to Dad and I.
You are such a wonderful sister to your brother.
You are always willing to help and do anything I ask you to do with a joyful heart.

I gave them to my children, and their faces lit up and they were encouraged in Christ.
You know Sweet Mother, it is always easy to see what is wrong, or what our children can be doing "better"! It goes with this daughter of Eve that lives in us....but we have the King of Glory that gave us the Holy Spirit, and when we walk in HIS ways and lean towards seeing the good in our children....God cannot be anything but Glorified!

As we build up our children in Christ, we become the Mothers that He calls us to be...
Why don't you make a jar full of sweet expressions of your love towards your child. Surely....there is something you can write down...ie: I LOVE the way you blink your eyes! I love how you love sports! ect

May God bless you today sweet Mother, as you lay down your right to your own day...MOTHERS DAY....and deflect the praise to those who made you the mother you are ....Your children!

Easter Bows

Every year on Good Friday, I place a large black bow on our front yard tree. It is a family tradition I started when my children were very little, and they look for the black bow each year, reminding them that the skies went dark, and the Savior suffered a terrible death that Friday.... years ago. Last year, we got a phone call from our neighbor seeing the black bow, and in her kindness, she called to express to us her sorrow for the death that we experienced. She wanted to know who had died, and how sorry she was for our loss. I gently smiled as she spoke, quietly worshiping the Lord for the phone call. I thanked her for her call, and said yes, we have had a death....who was Jesus our beloved Savior. She seemed releaved that that is all it was. I went on to express how in a few days we would have a big WHITE bow on our tree celebrating the resurrection of Christ from the dead. She got off the phone with me rather quickly....but I simply had to smile. I shared the Gospel of Christ with my neighbor through the family tradition, of placing a bow on my tree. I was able to share this with my children and it was a blessing to us all. Maybe next year you and your child could tie a bow on your tree and share the Gospel with your neighbors in a very quiet , but profound way.

Dirty Socks equals New Eyes

Last week my washing machine was not working all week. As the laundry piled up and we continued to wear clothes each day; the laundry room began to fill quickly with clothes. My dear husband Gary who fixes everything in our home that breaks ( yes,everything....he is amazing) was waiting on a part. One morning ,as I sat on the stairway, making the decision to put on my tennis shoes... without socks, my eyes grazed Ben's shoes and SOCKS from the day before. The socks looked somewhat decent! I snagged them up and put them on, and found that it was ok to wear already worn dirty socks from the day before. I was content. I was happy....with slightly dirty socks.
The week prior to the washing machine breaking....I would have never even imagined stealing any ones dirty socks and feeling blessed and delighted with them. I had new eyes for that week and new grace.
I really really like clean clothes and I especially LOVE new clean white socks, but I was not offered that last week, and it was good for me to go out of my comfort level. I think I could do it again....but my washing machine is back ...it is humming along, and the oxyclean is mixed in with the whites, and I am wearing clean (old) socks.
Gary came to the rescue again. He is amazing and I appreciate the man of God he is more today that I ever have. I bless the Lord for him...!
Do you need new eyes, and new grace for where you are today? Does your neighbors child, or friends child seem better to you? Are you comparing yourself to another? Are you comparing your husband to another? This will quickly bring you to being miserable...Today, ask God for new eyes and new Grace . Be thankful and content for where HE has you. It may seem to you it as though you are wearing dirty old socks, but many times it is our perspective of these socks (and situations) that bring us to despair. Look around, walk in thankfulness, pass out(extra) hugs to all the children today....love on your husband. This is where God has you this is what He has offered you. Oh...and don't forget this wee little truth....More is caught than taught....we are being watched daily by the ones God has placed into our lives. What you are today, will be what they become tomorrow. James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.