As we approach Mother's Day, we reflect on our job as moms, the greatest job in the world! This poem reminds us that amidst our many job descriptions, the most important is the foundation we lay of faith and relationship with Christ. Whether you are a single mom, step mom, foster mom, adopted mom, mom of one or mom of many- you are your child's first glimpse of Christ. The love of Christ compels us and gives us the supernatural strength to do all that we are called to do. The evidence of this love is the very beginning foundation of what we pray will develop in our children to be a solid and unbreakable faith in the One who is love. I pray you will feel cherished this Mother's Day and every day. Blessings from my family to yours.

 

WHY I BELIEVE IN GOD

--MY MOTHER'S UNDYING LOVE By James M. Becher

As we celebrate on this great day
The wonder that is Mom;
Did you ever stop to ask yourself
From whence her love has come?

I've never seen the red sea part
Or gathered manna from above,
Nor watched a dead man's life re-start
But, I've known the miracle of a mother's undying love.

She gave me everything she had,
And wished to give me more.
She gave herself to meet my needs
And never once got sore.

She tried to teach to me the right
And lead me in His way;
And prayed for me with heartfelt tears
The times I went astray.

O' now I know my God is real.
Christ lives within my heart.
But it was my mother's faithful love
Which gave this faith it's start.

So tell me that there is no God.
I'll ask you very plain:
From what other source 'tis possible
My mother's dear love came?

Let every day be Mother's day
And honor her with love;
For surely she's a special gift
Sent down from God above.

Umm...Let's Talk About That

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

My family and I have had a couple of interesting encounters lately. The first occurred at my little cousin’s choral concert for her school. She attends a public high school that is geared toward college prep and advanced studies. She was singing her first solo and was excited to surprise her mom with her on stage performance. The theme of this particular concert was a tribute to Whitney Houston and her life as a performer. But her choir director’s song of choice for my little cousin threw me for a loop! She was selected to sing, “Saving All My Love for You”—a song about adultery. The first stanza reads as follows: “A few stolen moments is all that we share/ You’ve got your family and they need you there/Though I’ve tried to resist, being last on your list/But no other man’s gonna do/ Cause I’m saving all my love for you.” The second half of the concert was contemporary. My cousin did not sing in this part, but the student sang “Dirty Diana” by Michael Jackson and a few other songs by modern artists such as Usher and Rihanna.

The second odd experience occurred this past weekend as my husband and I, along with our precious boys took a last minute trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We arrived at the resort right at check-in on Saturday to hang out at the pool and relax. However, while we were there swimming in the family pool with the other parents and their kids, a large party of about fifty young, college age men entered the other end of the pool. The problem is that about fifteen or so of those men started to engage in really public displays of affection. Needless to say, it was time for us to get out of the pool. But what hurt the most was that my oldest son, who usually loves hotels and all things Disney, felt so uncomfortable that he was ready to go back home. 

That’s when it occurred to me: we are living in very different times. The Bible states that, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9. But it was clear to me that by the time Mikey turns six, I will probably have discussed things with him that I had not even thought about until I was in high school. It’s not that we didn’t have inappropriate songs in our day, but we did not sing them in front of our parents and we certainly did not sing them at a school sanctioned event. There have always homosexual people, but I have never seen such a large, brazen display of public affection at a family resort. I agree with the Bible, sin has been around from the beginning of time, but the shame surrounding sin seems to be fading as everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

It’s clear that I need to be ready to give an account, or an answer, for the many uncomfortable moments life will present to my kids. It’s clear that I need to teach them to love the sinner, but hate the sin. It’s clear that I need to teach them that the Bible is our plumbline, telling us what true righteousness looks like. There are absolute truths: God is real. We did not evolve from the monkeys we saw at Animal Kingdom. Evolution is a theory, not a fact. Certain behaviors are wrong—i.e. adultery. God created us male and female in his image, and his Word governs the scope of those relationships.

I am sure that many would be offended by such “narrow-minded” remarks, but I’ve decided that as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. We will love on the sinner, but we will not conform to the patterns of this world. Moms, I would encourage you to encourage and pray for each other as we seek to raise this next generation of disciples, and that God would give us the words to explain the truth in love with our children and the world around us.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

Prayer: God you are so good, and holy, and right. Your word is true, and when you set boundaries they are for our good. When we are “in the grey” about something, help us search your word for the truth so that we may be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope that is in found in you. Help us to explain difficult and uncomfortable topics to our kids in a way that they can understand and in way that truly pleases you. Help us to teach them to love and pray for those around them, but to also distinguish the truth from a lie. Please gift our children with discerning hearts, steadfast minds, firm convictions, love that overflows, and hearts that rejoice in the truth. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

VISION OF LOVE

VISION OF LOVE

A dedication to my friends and family

My son woke up from nap time with a fever. Being that we have 3 kids it was just another day in the Pierce household. You know, we were planning a date that evening, had a sitter, everyone was fine all day and at 4:30 pm the inevitable happened. After contemplating what this mysterious bug was going to turn into we called off the sitter and prepared for a restful night with the family instead. Little did I know all this would soon change!

Proverbs 16:9    In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

My husband went on a Publix run at about 9:30 pm. everyone had gone to bed and the fever had long been broken by the Motrin given at 6pm. I was resting on the couch going through the mass of e-mails awaiting my response when I heard a strange noise. The house was quiet but the noise wasn’t distinct enough to make out and I semi-ignored it looking around as if to point out where and what I had heard by process of elimination. There it was again. My kids talk in their sleep, surely it was some dream that brought them to far off places in the imagination of a child. No, there it is again! It was at this point that I arose from my comfortable place on the couch and said to myself I better check on D.J., though I was sure he was fine. I went upstairs slowly and found his back to me in his bed. He was making a horrible grunting sound and that’s when it hit me that things were severely wrong.

Isaiah 41:10   So do not fear, for I am with you; 
                                     do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
                           I will strengthen you and help you;
                                     I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

My son was flaccid, burning hot, unresponsive, and had grunting respirations! I ran him downstairs not really believing what was happening. I tried to arouse him but there was no movement. I laid my son on the couch on his back. His respirations sounded worse. His eyes were rolling side to side and back, his body was postured in toward his core, and again came the grunting sound as he attempted to breath.  My heart raced as all the years of training as a paramedic and RN raced through my head. I performed a sternal rub-no response, is he incontinent-no so I crossed off a seizure, is it epiglotitis-God please no!! I called my husband; my hands shook as I attempted to dial the phone. I frantically demanded he leave the groceries and come home. I began to search around for the thermometer, unable to find it I ran to the freezer and placed ice packs under his neck and in his armpits-no response. I was terrified as his lifeless body lay there. I begged him to “talk to mommy, baby” I screamed DJ what felt like a billion times with no sweet sound exiting his lips. As I begged God to spare my son and help me to help him his breathing took a long pause. I felt like I was looking down at a scene played out in my head over and over when I was a medic only this time it was happening to me. I couldn’t wait anymore and I called 911. While I was on the phone I begged the dispatcher to please get them here faster! All I could say is DJ talk to mommy and Oh God please don’t take my baby!!!

Psalm 116:1  I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

As my husband arrived just before the comforting sound of the sirens he grabbed my son’s lifeless body and ran him out to the rescue truck. All I could do is stand in the middle of my living room as if I was frozen. My mind attempted to make sense of all that had just happened but I couldn’t fathom it. I noticed my 11 year old standing to the right crying and shaking but I couldn’t hear sound. I snapped out of this state in time to ask my neighbors who had come to see what had happened to stay with my kids and rush out the door to follow the rescue vehicle. My street had become a spectacle of fire trucks, rescue vehicles and police cars all lit up as if a carnival were outside my door. I jumped in my car and attempted to follow the rescue truck that was going full speed with lights and sirens. As I drove my heart raced, my hands shook, and my mouth spoke. It’s amazing what comes out of your heart to God when your entire body is encompassed with fear! “God, please God, don’t take my boy! Please God!! Please” is all I can remember. The mother in me searched for some way to help and my mind went straight to Kate! I know I can trust Kate to spread the word and start a prayer chain. That was my only hope. I can’t imagine what she thought on the other end and I still have no idea what I said to her but my heart cried out for prayer. When I arrived at the hospital it had been almost an hour since I had first heard the haunting grunting sound. My son was in my husband’s lap in a bed. His eyes met mine and though he wasn’t responsive enough to talk yet I felt my adrenaline pour down and thanked God for His undying mercy on my family!!

God’s grace showed up next even more then I could have imagined. My son began to talk and said “Mommy I’m scawed” “What are you scared of baby” I responded. “There’s a mommy ghost right over there and I’m scawed!” As he pointed to the corner of our emergency room my mind again raced. God are you here? I thought! My husband began to pray and as we finished more miracles! Kate’s husband entered the room with Bible in hand. Surprised, we thanked him for coming so fast! Mind you it was now 10:30pm! I felt cherished and unworthy of such attention! But then my mom too walked in and I was told by the nurse that Fran and Franci were waiting outside. I felt bad for causing a stir but what an amazing feeling of love that overcame me! These people all have families! It’s late, they drove all the way here just for us?! I felt an amazing love, a Jesus love, as if He Himself were reaching down from heaven to hug me. I talked with my selfless friends and they cried for me and held my trembling hands.  I thanked God for His mercy, for these angels of friends, for showing Himself, for loving me with through His people, for their willingness to respond, for my husband who knew how to calm me, for the rescue workers, for the dispatch lady who kept me on the phone knowing I would go crazy with all my thoughts, for my neighbors, for my family! Amazing Grace!!  I will never forget what happened that night but I will also never forget how God’s loves us through any circumstance! Philippians 1:3  I thank my God every time I think of you!!

^{Ephesians 3:17-18   17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Push Pause and PRAY

  Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.
 Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 
                      -James 5:13

Many times in my life the Lord has shown up big because of a few simple words lifted up in faith. Some will laugh as I share that... I have even prayed for a good parking space and HE has provided. I have prayed for a meal and HE has provided.  I have prayed for wisdom (James 1:5) and HE has provided. I have prayed for friends and HE has provided. Prayer is a small act of obedience which requires faith in a God unseen who is very much alive and active, even if we don't get the results we want right away. Patience...HE is working :)

So with that said,  I shouldn't be surprised at what happened at church last night. Each week as we drive to church the three of us, the boys and myself,  pray to be "...good boys & behave and look for ways to serve our teachers." I can't tell you HOW many times I have fervently prayed that prayer with hopes of seeing change in our church experience. My older son has struggled with obedience to authority and I have been humbled and broken through this growing season. But I saw breakthrough tonight and I am excited to share how a small prayer was answered in a big way...



We prayed on our way to church. The boys struggled in the car. James again struggled on the church playground before going to children's ministry.  As he walked to class, crying and upset, my heart was frustrated. We prayed again in the bathroom right outside James' classroom, while internally I was questioning why I had come. I dropped him off and honestly felt bad for his teachers knowing he would probably exhaust them.

I went to church and, while singing worship, felt such conviction over my lack of patience with James. It's crazy how our kids can be an agent the Lord uses to clean out the ugliness within our hearts. When I went back to his class for pick up, I was so excited to just hug him and tell him how much I loved him. To my surprise, his teacher told me that he was great and James enthusiastically shared, "Mommy I asked my teachers how I could serve and they let me pass out the snacks today!" This was such a long-awaited answered prayer. That he would seek to "serve his teachers" and be a "good boy." The Lord hears every prayer we pray...and equally as important ....so do our kids. I watched as God showed up big last night and reminded me of truth.....that my prayer was heard even though it seemed like forever before it was answered. Thank you Jesus for being my friend and comfort. One who listens and at just the right time answers those long awaited prayers :)

How did the Lord speak to you through this blog?
What do you think He wants you to do about it?

Single Parenting - "It is What it is!"

Is she a beautiful Momma or what?  This is my sister in law, Jill.  Before she married my brother May 5, 2010, she was single parenting my new niece and nephew.  Now she has is doing a grand job of blending families and mothering another son.  I have a heart for the single moms and asked Jill to consider another post regarding of what she learned during her years as a single mom.  If you are parenting as a single mom...be blessed by Jill's words.  If not, share these words with someone who is.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Our local radio station (SPIRIT FM!) recently asked an on-air question that got me wondering if perhaps I should call in and respond.  Instead, I chose to be still and listen to a couple of the callers. But the Holy Spirit started working on me and I was reminded that God allowed me to go through what I went through, NOT to keep what I learned to myself, but for me to SHARE what He taught me through it all.  So, I jotted down my thoughts and emailed them to the morning show hosts the following day!  I am now sharing those same thoughts with you on their topic, “Advice for Single Parents” based on what I learned from my experience of single parenting for 5 years as a widowed mom of 2 young children.  Now please note, I'm a rather "tough love" minded person, so I don't do much sugar-coating and get straight to the point!  :) So, here goes:

My personal advice for single parents:

*Accept the reality of it...it is what it is...and God allowed you to be put there. Every trial that we encounter has to go through God first to get to us...and HE obviously trusts us that we will glorify Him through it.  So, learn quickly what it is that He is trying to teach you through it all.  Stop the mentality of being a "victim" of unfairness, or maybe even of your own actions. Take a new, different viewpoint/mentality and choose to step up, take responsibility, and appreciate where you are right now in life and simply let God use it to mold you into who HE wants you to be. 

*If you're a single parent because of divorce -- then more than likely you have time (alternating/various days) without the kids -- take advantage of that time away from them to do something enjoyable & rejuvenate -- and not just “work” it away because you think you are being so responsible in doing so.  Being truly responsible, means taking care of yourself so that you are able to, and CAN take care of others. Use that provided and scheduled breathing room wisely!

*If you're a single parent because of the death of your spouse -- then appreciate the memories that you have together as a family and REJOICE in the fact that your spouse is now in a better place and simply beat you home (to Heaven)!  And find peace in the fact that your kids don't need to live in 2 different places.  There are positives to everything if you change your perspective and search for the silver lining. You won't get that same scheduled "time away" from the kids (as most divorcees do) so you will need to depend on others and/or babysitters to give you a break from that responsibility from time to time. In my personal experience, I would recommend at least once a week in this type of situation!

*In either of the single parenting arrangements -- you have to humble yourself and ACCEPT the offers from friends/family to help you, and in the process, your kids will have the opportunity to learn to trust others and depend on someone other than JUST you!  I completely understand that it's hard to let go of the control of when/where/how things get done, but sometimes you just have to say THANK YOU and allow others the opportunity to SERVE you when they offer, otherwise you rob them of the joy of serving!  I know that from both ends -- Over the five yrs of single parenting my 2 children, I eventually learned to accept the "gift of help" WHENEVER it was offered -- because I knew it was a God-wink :) I recently remarried my God-sent husband (in 2010), and have since offered assistance to others, who have declined the help -- I guess because they felt it would make them look incapable or irresponsible, like I also used to feel.  And that was simply not true. I eventually discovered the HUGE need to be humbled and allowed the hands and feet of God to be of service to me when help was offered :)

*And last but not least...and probably the MOST important:  USE this time as a single parent to grow closer to God. Let HIM be your spouse and allow Him to teach you how to be the parent (and to become the FUTURE spouse) that He wants you to be.  This is YOUR opportunity to solely focus on getting more intimate with God - with no distractions of other relationships. A quote that personally helped me through my challenging single-again years is, “A woman’s heart should be so lost in God, that a man must seek HIM in order to find her!”  So, get lost in God!  Allow Him to be your Help-mate, and depend on HIM to provide EVERYTHING from the basics all the way down to the tiny details of who will take your daughter to the birthday party while you're at the soccer game with your son and can't be in 2 places at once!!!  

Single parenting can really be a beautiful phase in your life when you use that time to grow in Him, learn who God really is, and then realize that you are already complete IN HIM!!  GOD IS GOOD, His grace IS sufficient for every situation we encounter, and He WILL take care of you when you obey Him with your actions AND your attitude!!! 

Back in 2005, I read a quote in John Maxwell’s book, “Today Matters,” that changed me: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.”  Never forget that little eyes in your household ARE watching how you respond to what happens in your life, as well as what you say AND what you do.  Be a good example for them, and as Ray Charles has been quoted saying, “Live every day like it’s your last because one day you’re gonna be right.”

Lord, you are so good to us even when we really deserve nothing! Teach us Lord, to trust in You with all our hearts, and lean NOT on our own understanding. In ALL our ways to acknowledge You, knowing that You WILL make our paths straight. Thank you Lord for your Promises to us in Your word, thank you for providing for our every need, and most of all Lord, thank You for our salvation!! 

The "Stranger" allowed to stay in our house

Years ago I heard this poem read at a seminar and it has always stuck with me.  I hope you enjoy it.

 

The "Stranger" allowed to stay in our house.

by Terri Brady

Long before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family.
As I grew up I never questioned why he was there.
The stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries, and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening.
If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. The pictures he could draw were so lifelike, that I would often laugh or cry as I watched and listened.
He was like a friend to the whole family. He took us to our first Major League ball game.
The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places. She’d go to her room and pray, I suppose.
You see, my Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but this stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house- not from us, our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted.
Even though my dad didn’t approve of alcohol, the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer almost every day.
He made cigarettes look tasty; He talked freely about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.
The stranger began to discuss personal issues and ailments without regard to the tender ears that might be listening or the fact that it was at mealtime- some of the topics caused Mom to leave the table.
As I look back, I believe it was by the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave.
Many years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He is not nearly as intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if you & I were to walk into my parent’s den today, you would see him standing prominently in the center of the main wall, waiting for someone to listen to him talk.
He never told us his name- we always used his initials: T.V.

"Washable" Ink

I was busy about my daily housecleaning duties, dusting the bedroom when I heard, "Oh no! Messy blue!" coming from my daughter Selah's bedroom. Selah is almost 3, and just recently I brought out some of my old teaching supplies, including an extensive collection of rubber stamps and scented ink pads, for her to use under supervision. Well, while I was moving things to get into those cracks and crevices for a deep cleaning, I had left the stamps and ink pads out on the floor where Selah happily dove right in and began sniffing the blueberry ink. Below is the result-

After snapping a few pictures, I reached for the baby wipes and began attempting to clean her up. Much to her and my frustration, the ink just would not wash off. I grabbed the ink pad and once again checked to make sure it said washable, which, of course, it did. But apparently this is a term some companies use loosely (if you have used the new, brightly-colored 'washable' bubble set, you know what I'm talking about!). So, I went ahead and took my little smurf on our errands that morning, blue nose and all. Two baths later, the blue finally wore off.

Aren't we glad that Jesus uses a much more precise method for washing us clean of our sins? His guarantee to make us whiter than snow is a promise we can rest in and rely on. No sin scrubbing required, just confession and repentance. I love that we can use that analogy to teach our children when life's little messes arise. I am also relieved that the blue ink eventually wore off and now take better care to keep those ink pads out of inquisitive hands unless mommy is watching.  Let's pray together!

Father, we thank you so much that your definition of washable is so much more accurate than how the world uses this term. Thank you for so thoroughly and completely cleansing us of our sins when we repent and not making us wait and wonder if forgiveness and redemption will ever come. Please help us to use these little messes that come in a mommy's life to teach our children Your truths and how to look to Your Word for wisdom in daily life. Please wash us whiter than snow, cast our sins to the bottom of the ocean floor and please do not allow us to go fishing, instead may we receive the blessing of true forgiveness. We are yours, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.