For my Mom

Thank you, Mom

It’s not Mother’s Day or your birthday but I need to express

Thank you, dear mother, and the point I do stress

For the service you rendered in my rearing years

The giving, the loving, the laughter and tears

You made breakfasts and lunches, bags with pictures drawn on

Cleaned house, laundered clothing, didn’t go to the salon

You did more by eight than most do all day

Serving your family in your special “mom” way

I see it now more than ever as the job is now mine

To take care of my loved ones a thankless job by design

Serving young boys morning, noon and night

The expectations higher than a soaring kite

They demand as I work to make their lives good

Doing all the things I think that a good mother should

As they rant and they rave over this thing or that

I feel lower and lower thinking I am their mat

I know now how you felt not a thank you was said

As you worked and you served all of us in your stead

You could have pursued a career just for you

Getting praised for all the creations you’d do

I say it right now, better late than never

Thank you dear mom for the service you did render!!

Scars

Fifteen years ago Todd and I drove through downtown Boulder, Colorado on a gorgeous October afternoon.  We were enjoying having the T tops off our Nissan NX 2000.  The outing was cut short, however, by an oncoming Suv that hit us head on.  Because I neglected to wear a seat belt the impact caused me to collide with the windshield producing lacerations to my head and torn ligaments in my ankle.

Months went by as I went to physical therapy and had two different surgeries on my head and eyebrow.  We waited somewhat patiently for a settlement to come through the insurance agency and when it did we were ecstatic.  

I remember leaving the attorney’s office with a check in our hands, the office secretary called out to us to inquire as to how we would spend our funds.  A down payment on a house?  A new car maybe?  She almost fell out of her chair when we said, “We are going to adopt”.

I still have scars on my head and a strange looking right eyebrow, but I also have an amazing 11 year old son.  I work hard everyday to cover my scars and pencil in my eyebrow but I wouldn’t change a thing because of what they brought into our lives.  I would go through it again to have him.  My scars paid for his adoption.

When we see Jesus face to face His scars will still be visible, on His hands, His feet, His side and His brow.  They will be the only scars in heaven.  My scars will be gone, but His remain.

He would take all of those scars on again just to have us with Him eternally.  His scars paid for our salvation.

Isaiah 53:5 (King James Version)

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Ephesians 5:2 (New Living Translation)

 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Choosing to Love

Choosing to Love

My husband leaves his socks on the bathroom floor, he forgets to take the trash out and he leaves water glasses and coffee cups in various places in the house.  

The honeymoon is definitely over, well it’s been over for almost 19 years but when I wake up in the morning and he is lying there next to me, thank you Lord that he doesn’t snore, I think to myself, “How blessed am I”.  

I went through a phase of complaining about my husband and the things he didn’t do.  I would call my friend on the phone or my sister and talk about how irritated I was at this thing or that.  The thing is, it didn’t change him but it did change me.  It made me more aware of the things that bothered me and I  began to dislike my marriage, my husband and even myself.  

I was listening to a preacher on television, I can’t even remember who now as it was quite some time ago, but he talked about how our words can bring life or death to everything in our lives.  I realized at that moment that I was bringing death to my marriage by the way I was talking.  My words were creating an environment of darkness for my family.  I was choosing to dislike my husband and my marriage.  

I decided to make some changes.  I stopped talking negatively about my husband to everyone I spoke to.  I started talking about how wonderful he was, even if I didn’t feel it, I said it.  I began to speak about how great it was to be married to such a sweet man, caring father and dedicated worker.  I spoke love and life into my marriage and pretty soon I started to feel it too.  I started to see my husband the way I was speaking about him.  I was choosing every day to love him, even if I didn’t feel it.

Love is a choice, not a feeling.  Feelings wane, they dissipate, they die.  But if you make a decision to love your spouse no matter what, that is when healing can take place.

When you speak life into your marriage that is when you will see that you really do love the wonderful person you are married to, no matter how many socks you have to pick up.

Happy Valentines Day!

Beating up on Mom

As women we have the tendency to compare ourselves to other women.  Wish I had her figure, her hair, love her make-up, her clothes, her house, etc.  She has such a wonderful personality, she is so patient, she is so peaceful, so together, I wish I was as organized as she is, wish I was a housekeeper like her, wish I could be as involved in the church/ in the school as she is, wish I had as many friends as she does, she gets along with people so well, I wish I was as good as………and on it goes.

But one of the most dangerous places we can compare ourselves as women is in the area of motherhood.

I always thought all mothers were the same—they had the same job – the same calling, the same, same, same.

Guess what----They are not and they are not supposed to be!

I used to look at other moms and think – Wow what a great Mom she is – she is so together, so patient, so sweet, so organized.  Her Children are so well behaved – she is such a great mother – I wish I could be more like her—

I put on the gloves and started to beat myself up. 

The good news is – Moms are not all the same – just because they are all Moms doesn’t mean they do their jobs the same way – the Bible says that some are prophets, some teachers, some evangelists.  But I always thought all Moms were just the same – NO NO NO!!

Just like there are different gifting and different callings there are different Mom’s.  Our kids are all different so why do we think we need to be the same.  We are not!

Some of us are strong in the areas that others are not and that is exactly why God placed our children with us!

Isaiah 49:5   says that “He formed me in my mother’s womb.”  God knew before that baby was born who the mother would be – even those of us who have adopted children need to know that God put these children in the right home – the best atmosphere for them to become who they need to be.

I am not saying that we should not try to better ourselves as mothers by studying the Word and listening to mothers who have wisdom to impart in our lives – What I am saying is stop comparing yourselves to other Moms

Peter was not Paul and Paul was not Timothy – Each one had a separate calling to a specific people!

As a Mom you have a specific calling to your children not that you cant minister or care for other children but your specific calling is to your children.  God gave you the ministry of parenting your children.

I had a mother tell me once to look at mothering as a job, but I disagree.  You can quit a job – you cannot quit a ministry!

When God places a calling on your life you can choose not to do it but you can never quit.  The calling never goes away     Romans 11:29  For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

I used to think to myself “Jesus was tempted in all things but He wasn’t a mom”

Now I see that He is father, mother, brother, friend and savior.  He does hear our cry; he does understand a mother’s heart, her longing to be better, her cry for more of what she doesn’t have. 

Don’t beat yourself up anymore for what you think you are not.  God gave you all you need and He is what you are not to your children.  He loves them more than you do.    Psalm 127:3  Behold Children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Sin Nature

I had the opportunity to have two of my favorite kids visit my house on Saturday night.  I enjoy seeing these little ones out of the normal Church routine.  Todd had to take our oldest son to a basketball game during dinner so our youngest and I ate with our two small guests.  I realize that my table rules are different than some but to this four year old the excitement of being a guest overruled the obligation of manners.   

  Explaining to him that when he is at Miss Amy's house he must abide by Miss Amy's rules, was not good enough for him, his quick rebuttal indicated that he had his own rules.  In my head all I could hear was "You're not the boss of me".  I have to chuckle now when thinking back on the innocence of his sweet little face even as he defied my authority at the dinner table.   Let me be clear, this little boy is not a bad kid, on the contrary, he is one of the best behaved kids I know.  His parents work hard to teach him manners, God’s principles and the difference between right and wrong.  It makes the point of this message all the more meaningful because even the best of person, the most innocent of child, still has a sin nature.

We are not born Christians, we are born sinners.  We cannot enter into God's Kingdom with the sin of man on us.  Even this little guy has a sin nature; he is bent toward being self willed.  He wants his own way.  We are all this way.  The Word says we have ALL sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.  Not one of us, no matter how young, is without sin.  We ALL need a Savior.  We all need to be born again.  Born out of the sinful flesh and into the newness of life with Christ; and because we all are bent toward that self will we must continue to renew our minds through the Word of God.  We can't expect to "poof" change in an instant when we get Born Again and be free from the tendencies of selfishness.  After all, that is what sin is, the selfish desire to do just what we want to do.  We must renew our mind through the reading of The Word in order for our selfish thinking to be changed to selfless thinking and a heart after God.  We can have victory over the sins that have us ensnared.   

Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Bible)

22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

    23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

    24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

Pride vs. Humility

This is not a subject that everyone understands but one I think everyone has experience with, that is the subject of Pride. 

The dictionary defines pride as a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. 

The Bible says God hates pride.  Proverbs 8:13 says,  To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
   I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 29:23 says:  A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of a humble spirit gains honor.

As Christians we can fall into the trap of pride and not even realize it.  It is easy to see on someone else.  We look to someone we know and say things like “They think they are so much better than everyone else because they are singing solo’s and they went on the missions trip”.  But do we see when we are being proud?  Do people view us as “Holier than Thou”.  Or do they see the humble spirit that is so thankful for God’s goodness and His salvation.

I have to bring to the attention one man who I believe to be a truly humble man of God.  Our children’s Pastor walks in humility, you can see it in him on a daily basis.  Now humility does not make him a lower person.  No, he knows who he is in Christ.  He knows he is more than a conqueror, a king and a priest, the child of the Most High God.  But at the same time he does not make anyone he is around feel that they are less because he is who he is.  On the contrary, he makes others feel good about who they are in Christ as well.

My dad has recently had the opportunity to talk with our children’s pastor and his exact words were, “He is just a regular guy”.  A big compliment coming from my dad, he feels that anyone in a spiritual authoritative position thinks that they are better than everyone else. 

Are we a “Regular Guy” to people around us?  Loving them with the love of Christ but not making them feel in any way that we are somehow superior because we have been a Christian for 40 years or we go to a specific church.  We need to make sure pride doesn’t get in the way of our walk.  Yes we are to be proud of Jesus and what he did for us on the Cross but don’t transfer that pride to who you are.

Look for others you see humility in and find out what makes them walk that way.  You may be very blessed to find out how they got there.