Celebrating Mother’s Day

On this Mother’s Day weekend, I’m thinking about my mother and about her mother, two of the women I admired most in all the world! How I miss them both! And I’m also remembering my mother-in-law. What a dear, precious woman she was! Each time I think of these women, some verses from Proverbs 31 come to mind:

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.  She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her."  (Proverbs 31:25-28 NASB)

This Mother’s Day, I’m celebrating and remembering my mother and my grandmother and the second mother I gained when I married her son. I’m celebrating the joy of being a mother and a grandmother. I'm so thankful for the blessing of my sons, the sons God gave me, the ones the doctors said I would never have. I'm loving my role as Nana, being grandmother to two precious young men who bring me so much joy! I'm celebrating the mothers of those young men, the daughters who came into my life because they are the women my sons chose, the women who love my sons. I’m celebrating the joy they each bring to our family, their unique personalities and gifts, and the blessing they are to all of us.

Mostly I’m celebrating that my mother and my grandmother and my mother-in-law and the countless grandmothers before them that I never knew, as well as those daughters who are now part of my life, all love the Lord and His Word. I’m celebrating our commitment to have families who love Jesus. I’m celebrating our desire to honor Him in all we do and say.

My prayer for us today is that we each be found faithful. There's a song called "Find Us Faithful" from the not too distant past that talks about this concept: May all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way, may the footprints that we leave lead them to believe.* 

I'm thankful today for the women who went before me who were found faithful, who left those kind of footprints. I'm prayerful today that I will be found faithful, that the fire of my devotion will light the way for those who come behind me. I'm prayerful that I will love the Lord with all my heart and soul and mind. That my love will be evidenced in my behavior. That I will leave for my sons and my daughters and my grandsons, and all who follow behind me, a legacy of that kind of devotion to the Lord. I'm celebrating today what God will do in and through us when we commit ourselves completely to Him.

And I am so thankful that I had a Mother and a Grandmother who modeled that kind of love and devotion.

 

L-R, my great-grandmother, Leona Harwell Knox; my mother, Helen Neil Austin, me, and my grandmother, Ethel Knox Neil


"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."  (Proverbs 31:30 NASB)


*Find Us Faithful: words and music by Jon Mohr

How Much?

 I love Thee, I love Thee; I love Thee, My Lord;

I love Thee, my Savior; I love Thee, my God.

I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;

But how much I love Thee my actions will show.

(words and music: anonymous, from Jeremiah Ingalls’ Christian Harmony)

Like many other hymns of days gone by, this is a hymn we rarely, if ever, sing any more. But my purpose today is not to discuss the history of church music, nor is it to celebrate or complain about (depending on your personal preference) music in churches today. Instead, I would like to focus on these lyrics.

 

It's the last line of the first verse of this hymn that I can't let go of.  But how much I love Thee my actions will show.

 

Saying that we love the Lord is an easy thing to do. Of course we say that. Even the most nominal of Christians would likely say that.  

 

But beyond our words, what do our actions say?

 

Think back over this last week. Or even just think about yesterday. What was there in your behavior or your conversation that gave evidence that you love the Lord?

 

Or did you perhaps give evidence of something else?

When Sunday comes, what will your actions show? Will you join with other believers in praise and worship? In Bible study? In hearing the Word of God proclaimed? Or will your actions show that you just don’t think that’s important anymore? That you’re just too busy.

 

We don't sing this hymn much any more, but I remember singing it frequently as a child in my small-town Baptist church. I loved it then. I love it now. And I'm challenged by it.

 

Are my actions revealing the depth of my love for the Lord?

But how much I love Thee my actions will show.

 

Something to think about.
 

 

"We love Him because He first loved us."  (1 John 4:19 KJV)

Strength

 “The Lord is my strength and my song…..” (Psalm 118:14 NASB)

One of my favorite worship songs to come out in the last 30-40 years is a song written by Dennis Jernigan called “You Are My All In All”. It’s one of those songs of worship we sing back to God.

The first line of that song (“You are my strength when I am weak…”) is a line we can all probably relate to, at least on some level. Most of us feel weak at some point, whether physically or emotionally, or even spiritually.

This worship song is reminiscent of a much older song first published about 100 years ago with this beautiful lyric: “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow……”. And you can probably finish the line:  “Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

May is Stroke Awareness Month. As a stroke survivor, I am keenly aware that my strength is all and only from the Lord. Without Him, I would not have survived. Without Him, I would not have made it through the grueling months of rehab, and without Him, I would not be able to continue to function as well as I do. He is my strength when I am weak.

My mother was also a stroke survivor, and was an inspiration to me when I faced my own stroke challenge. Although she had multiple strokes which left her with many challenges, she never lost her sense of humor and she never lost her joy in the Lord. Mother had always been small in stature, what some might have once referred to as frail, but she was mighty in spirit.  Because the Lord was her strength when she was weak.

In my months of learning to walk and talk and read and write again, there were many verses from the Bible that were called to my mind. And there were favorite songs that were called up from deep in my memory bank. Even when I couldn’t sing them, I could remember the words. These things gave me strength.

They reminded me of God’s great faithfulness. That He is my strength, even when I am weak. That He gives strength for each new day. When I am physically weak. When I am tired. When I am lonely. On every day, and in every situation, He is my strength when I am weak. All I have needed, His hand has provided. Great is His faithfulness.

“O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me loving kindness.” (Psalm 59:17 NASB)

You Are My Strength When I Am Weak.  https://youtu.be/xDZZ0-F5EKk

Great Is Thy Faithfulness. https://youtu.be/ErwiBz1QA4o

Last Words

 

We’re heading into Mother’s Day next weekend. In recent years, Mother's Day has been a mixed bag for me. I miss my own mother. She’s been gone from this world for more than 20 years. And I rarely get to spend the day with my sons. In fact the last time I was with either of my sons for this special day was more than 15 years ago. As a result, Mother's Day has become a time for me to travel down memory lane, which results in lots of smiles and some tears as well.

One memory that always surfaces at this time of year is hearing the doctor say that we would never have children. I remember the Mother's Days when I so wanted to be a mom and it seemed that would never happen. That's a painful memory, but one that is more than balanced by the fact that obviously the doctor was wrong and God had another plan. Two plans! Two sons!  The joy I felt when that same doctor told me the pregnancy test was positive has never diminished!

Motherhood is not an easy job. And I haven't always been a candidate for "world's best mother".  I've made my share of mistakes. Perhaps more than my share. Bad decisions. Lost my temper. Said things I have regretted. But through it all, I have loved being a mother. I love my sons. And the daughters they brought into my life. And the grandsons who now bring us all so much joy!

As I travel down memory lane at this time of year, there are so many things that make me smile.  Sometimes even giggle a little bit.

I smile when I think of hearing I love you, Mom, no matter what day of the year it is.

I giggle when I remember the poor hamster named Roscoe who met an untimely end when Brian jumped off the top bunk and landed on him.

I remember the big bows my mother always put in my blonde curls. And there were the sweet smiles and hugs of my own little blonde boys (who aren't so blonde anymore!).

I remember Baby Dedication services for our sons and our grandsons. Violin lessons and soccer games.  Long distance calls from England when Brian was stationed there during his Air Force years.

And I remember the last words my own mother spoke to me. We knew her time was short. We left Minnesota, flying down to SC, hoping we would get there in time. We arrived on Saturday around midnight. She left us on Monday morning. But on that Saturday night when we got there, she opened her eyes, smiled a faint smile and said the last words I ever heard her say.

"I love you." 

Those words are a treasured memory. And a reminder. We should never miss an opportunity to speak those words to those we love. Because we never know if we will have another opportunity.


"Love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."  
(John 13:34 ESV)

Let’s Make a List

  "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, 

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens......

                                                These are a few of my favorite things."

 

 

If you're a fan of The Sound of Music, those are familiar lyrics. Even if you're not particularly a Sound of Music fan, the lyrics are probably at least vaguely familiar.

 

These days it seems the world is just falling apart. It's hard to find any good news to talk about any more.  If we let it, all the gloom and doom that is part of our world can really drag us down.

 

Today seems like a good day for a change of focus. I don't know how things are where you are today, but here in the Upstate of South Carolina, we’re having a sunny day. Hopefully that means a warmer day! I have the usual aches and pains that come with this season of life. I could find all sorts of reasons for complaining if I really tried. And I wouldn't have to try all that hard!

 

Instead, I'm choosing to focus my attention elsewhere. To be thankful. To make a list of a "few of my favorite things."  Using the song as a starting point, here's my list:

 

• Raindrops on roses. I love roses. And hydrangeas. And gardenias. And daisies. And I love to see raindrops on those roses. It makes me happy.
• The next line of the song doesn't really make my list. I'm not a fan of kittens or their whiskers.  Kittens grow up to be cats, and I'm really more a dog person than a cat person. Whiskers on puppies. That I can get excited about!
• Bright copper kettles. I love copper pots of all shapes and sizes.
• Warm woolen mittens. Again, as with the whiskers on kittens, I'm not a fan. Mittens, yes. Woolen mittens, not so much.
• Coffee. Hot, strong, black coffee. That definitely is on my favorites list.
• Family. They’re my favorite!
• Friends. Definitely thankful!
• Books. Big books. Little books. E-books. All books. I love books. I love reading. It's one of the great pleasures of my life!
• The smell of rain.
• The smell of freshly mown grass.
• A big juicy steak.
• Pimento cheese, homemade by my husband. The best there is! (The husband AND the pimento cheese!)
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Pancakes
• The beach
• Last on today’s list, but certainly not least….my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him, I am nothing.

These are a few of my favorite things. I'm thankful for these things and for so much more. This only scratches the surface.

 

What's on your list today?

 

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."  (Colossians 3:15 NASB)

 

 

In the Dark

I spent some time last weekend with Jennifer Rothschild at one of her Fresh Grounded Faith conferences. I first became aware of Jennifer many years ago and was so impressed. Jennifer and I actually have a lot in common, even though we don’t know each other personally. We both love strong coffee and dark chocolate. And we share a love of God and his word. 

If you don’t know Jennifer’s story - or as she might put it, “in case we’re new friends” - Jennifer has been blind since the age of 15.

And that’s what this book is all about. Lessons I Learned in the Dark  is Jennifer’s story of learning to navigate blindness. But more importantly, it’s the story of spiritual lessons learned. It’s a story of learning to live in the joy of the Lord in spite of circumstances.

Reading this book is like sitting down and having a conversation with Jennifer over a cup of tea or coffee. It’s an easy read. And it’s an encouraging read.

If you have ever read anything she has written, listened to any of her podcasts, or done any of her Bible studies, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, you should. Jennifer is an encourager. And she has a gift for making God’s Word come alive. Even through telling her personal story. 

This is a book I highly recommend. Because through these pages you will get the message she shares over and over again. In this book. In last weekend’s conference. And over and over in between.

“Even when it is not well with our circumstances, it can be well with our soul.”

Lessons I Learned in the Dark is available on Amazon or from www.jenniferrothscild.com.

Preferences

Preferences. We all have them. Yesterday I wrote about some of the things I like and some of the things I don’t particularly care for. Most of those things are a matter of personal preference. Our personal preferences don’t all agree. And they don’t need to. Because that’s the nature of personal preferences. They are personal.

After I had written that post, I picked up a devotional book I had recently purchased and turned to the first chapter. There I was confronted with that very thing - personal preferences.

The scripture verse for that devotional was Romans 14:13 - Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother [or sister].

The devotion pointed out that these words of the Apostle Paul are warning us not to judge other Christian’s preferences.

Our preferences might have to do with some of the things I wrote about yesterday. Or about which Bible translation we prefer. Or what we watch - or don’t watch - on television. About whether your kids attend public or private or home school. About what kind of worship music you like.

“When we feel judgmental toward another believer, when we dislike their choices or convince ourselves they are somehow less spiritual than us because of them, isn’t a preference usually to blame? By contrast, God’s Word urges us to extend grace, not judgment, toward one another.” (From “Living Out the One Another’s of Scripture”**)

This may be one of the more difficult of the “one another commands”. We like our preferences. We want to hold on to them. We dig our heels in over the things we like.

We need to get to the place where we can distinguish between a deeply held conviction and a personal preference. 

I have some deeply held convictions about the Scripture. About who Jesus is. About worship - what it is and what it isn’t. 

But I also have some personal preferences. And many of these differ from those of my friends.

We won’t part company over preferences. We might have to part company over a conviction.

It’s important that we know the difference. 

Something to think about.

**Living Out the One Anothers of Scripture, Revive Our Hearts Ministries, Niles, MI