The Blessing Of Being A Mom!

When you were little, what did you dream of being when you grew up? A nurse? Doctor? Lawyer? Judge? Coach? Teacher? Chef? Entertainer? Chauffeur? Banker? Vacation planner? Well, if you are a mom, or you know someone who is, then you know someone who is all of the above and a whole lot more! And the blessing of being a mom is a gift from God.

Being a mom is a hard job. There are no two ways about it. It is twenty-fours hours a day, seven days a week. Even if you work full-time outside the home, you don’t stop being a mom even when you have “other” things to do. Your kids are on your mind, and more importantly, in your heart, no matter how far apart you are, and how old your kids are. But, no matter how hard it is, being a mom is worth it all.

My mom was a blessing. She and my father were killed when I was five years old. I think about them and miss them every day. Now that I am a mom, I especially wish I had my mom around to share advice and stories. Although I only had them in my life for a short time, she and my dad will be in my heart always. And, I learned something very important from my parents, and that was to love Jesus. They relied on Jesus and loved Him with all their hearts. My mom especially knew she was important to Jesus, and He guided her in her role as a wife and mom.

Jesus loved everyone and was kind to everyone as He walked the Earth in human form. He made women feel respected and cared for, which was something many men at that time did not do. For example, He had a wonderful relationship with his Earthly mother, Mary. John 19:26-27 (NKJV) says, “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” Jesus loved Mary so much that He wanted to make sure she was well taken care of. This is why He called on John, whom He trusted, to take care of her in His place.

So, whether or not you have children, you mean a lot to a child, even if you don’t know it. If you are an aunt, older sister, cousin, teacher, tutor, mentor, coach, babysitter, nanny, or neighbor, you have touched the life of a child in a motherly way. And that is a blessing!

I encourage you to read Proverbs 31, this week! May you have a Happy Mother’s Day, and know how special you are. Be encouraged and be blessed!

Proverb about wives…

I think this writer was trying make up for something he did …

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. http://read.ly/Prov18.22.NIV

Love is a Choice

It seems like everywhere you look, people are talking about breaking up. It happens all the time in Hollywood. It happens on Main Street, U.S.A. It is sad, painful, and often messy. We often hear people say, “Well, I just don’t love him (or her) anymore.” Or, perhaps you have heard someone lament, “I don’t know how it happened, but the love just died.” When we think about love, let’s take a look at some things the Bible says about love.

We are told in John 3:16 (KJV): “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now that is powerful. That is pure, real, true love. The Bible goes on to tell us, in 1 Peter 2:24 (KJV): “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Jesus suffered beyond anything imaginable for each one of us, and He did it willingly out of love.

My husband, Rob, and I have been together for seventeen years. He is, without a doubt, the man God hand-picked for me. He is my best friend, and I can’t imagine my life without him. Is it all sweethearts and roses? You have got to be kidding! It’s real life. Sometimes it has been messy and painful. It’s been sickness, lost jobs, disrespectful in-laws, the death of a special loved one, a difficult fertility battle, and the list goes on. As much as I love my husband, and he loves me, we are far from perfect. That’s why we need John 3:16.

However, Rob and I realized a long time ago that love is a choice. We choose, every day, to love each other, and by doing that, we are honoring the commitment we made years ago when we stood in front of God and our friends and pledged our lives to each other. We said, “Until death do us part” and we meant it.

That pledge has really been tested over the years. If someone had told me seventeen years ago some of the things Rob and I would’ve had to face, I would have laughed. There is no way I would have ever believed them, but that is life. However, God knew what we would go through, both individually, and as a couple, and now as a family, and He covered us with love through the blood of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

It would be unrealistic to say that things are always good. Life happens. We live in a fallen world full of sin and pain. What we need to do is focus on God. I challenge you to pray every day, first thing in the morning. Commit each day and the people in your life to God. Ask Him to bless you to see these people, your loved ones, as He sees them, through the eyes of love.

Funny Church Signs… Part 1.