11 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legacy of saving power, a mother's love is unconditional, a new spiritual family, a shield from every earthly trial, a single mother, a steady anchor, above the world's noise, all one in Christ, always there for her, always there to protect her children, an enthusiastic person, be generous, be responsible, behold thy mother, calm assurance, Christ's love for his mother, created another human, every waking hour, faith, God's tender caring, God-given strengths of a mother, good bad or indifferent, guide me still today, Happy Mother's Day, heartfelt version, her caring ways, her hugs feel like home, her source of inspiration, her words calm our fears, holy spirit, honour thy father and mother, I hear my mother's voice, I reach to feel God's grace, in each challenge, in god's spiritual image, Janice Kapp Perry, Jesus Christ, keep God first place, live in my soul, LOVE, loving hands, mankind can never repay their debt, mercy, mind boggling, misfortunes, moments of despair, my mother's faith, my mother's voice, my reaching soul, painful task, prayers of earnest pleading, sacrifices go unnoticed, salvation, soothed my fevered brow, taught me, the august privilege, the bsasis of everything good in her life, the challenging cycle of giving birth, the disciple Jesus loved, the essence of her being, the Lord thy God giveth thee, the only commandment of promise, the power of her teachings, the safe place we run to, the world feels too big, those united by faith are family, through my darkest days, thy days may be long upon the land, timeless words of wisdom, to Christ and their mothers, to forget all the pain, to turn to God in prayer, trials, truth, turned me to God, wisdom, Woman behold thy son
Exodus 20:12a. Honour thy father and thy mother:
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.
Well, a Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there in God’s great universe, be you good, bad or indifferent! But on this bright, warm, sunshiny Sunday, the important thing is that you’re a mother, and you’ve behaved somewhat like God; created another human being in His spiritual image. Only mothers can do that! And you’ve felt the pain and discomfort that came with that august privilege, (smile) and sincerely promised yourself NEVER to do it again. But after seeing the beautiful creation to which you gave life, you forgot that promise and did it over and over again.
Now that’s one of the God-given strengths of being a Mother; to be able to forget all the pain and discomfort and go through the challenging cycle of giving birth again. Men think that they’re the stronger sex, and in a physical sense they might be, but when it comes to emotions and the things involved in bringing a child into this world, they can never hold a candle to a mother’s power, patience and perseverance. And if only for that, mothers ought to be treated with much more respect and reverence for being able to handle such a mind boggling and painful task without going crazy.
Well, in honour of Mother’s all over the world, today we’re going to sing a wonderful song written by Janice Kapp Perry (born October 1, 1938) an American composer, songwriter, and author, in honour of her mother Ruth. When she was asked to write a new Mother’s Day song, her source of inspiration had to be her own mother, because she was a good mother.
And according to Perry, her mother’s LOVE was the basis of everything good in her life. She was always there for her. A very enthusiastic person, energetic, she LOVED projects played in a dance band with their father, wrote musicals for the community. As far as her children were concerned, she was just a cheerleader. She LOVED everything they did. Made them feel like they could do things.’
Now that’s what a Mother’s LOVE is all about! So, let’s stop talking and sing the song ‘MY MOTHER’S LOVE,’ in a soulful, scintillating, heartfelt version, showing true appreciation for all those good mothers so many of us, like me had, and fortunately some still have.
Singing: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day.‘
In each challenge, each choice, Above the world’s noise, I hear my mother’s voice. My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer. Through my darkest of days I reach to feel His grace. Such was my mother’s faith.
My mother’s hands that lifted and protected, Those loving hands that soothed my fevered brow Were as a shield from every earthly trial, And still, the memory helps me now. And my heart is aware, the strength that I now share Came from my mother’s hands. My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul,
As generations climb the path together to sweet eternities untold. My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.”
What beautiful words in honour of Mothers! And some of them do resonate with me towards my mother Molly. Like the opening words of the song: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day.’ And that’s a veritable fact my brethren, because she was also a strong, enthusiastic self-reliant, woman, despite the many trials and misfortunes she suffered, being a single mother.
But in my formative years, she taught me a few basic lessons about life: to keep God first place, to be responsible and to be generous. She not only taught me them, but also lived them out in her life, although it’s only as I got older, I realized the truth in all those lessons. (smile) Oh friends, we cannot put a price on a Mother’s LOVE, because like God’s LOVE for us, it’s unconditional, no matter what! She will always LOVE her children and shower them with care.
As one commentary describes it: ‘Mom’s LOVE: Often characterized as unconditional, maternal love is typically nurturing, protective, and self-sacrificing. A mother’s LOVE is generally focused on the well-being and development of her child, often prioritizing their needs above her own.’ Yes, that’s what Mothers do.
And why is a mother’s LOVE so powerful? This commentary answers it thus: ‘Because she’s the one who LOVES us before we even take our first breath. She’s the safe place we run to when the world feels too big. Her hugs feel like home, her words calm our fears, and her sacrifices often go unnoticed but never unfelt. Mothers aren’t perfect, but their LOVE is powerful.’
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers. The only LOVE stronger than a mother’s is that of the Lord! That ought to tell you how strong a mother’s LOVE is. You see it even in the animal kingdom, where mothers are ever so protective of their young ones, they will fight a bigger and more powerful animal to protect their children. No wonder, the Lord in issuing His Ten Commandments placed within them this one: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12)
Yes my people, that’s the ONLY commandment with a promise at the end, so it must truly be important in God’s eyes to honour your parents. Please note, He didn’t say like or LOVE them, but simply to honour them, and I guess that means even if they are not what we consider worthwhile parents. And what better way to end today’s Bit on Mother’s Day than with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ showing His LOVE for His mother.
The Bible tells us that while hanging on the cross in the throes of death, ‘Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he LOVED, (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:26-27) Now that was very thoughtful and considerate of Jesus! And what does it signify?
One commentary says: ‘This act is interpreted as Jesus providing for his mother’s care and establishing John as her guardian. It also highlights the concept of a new spiritual family within Christianity, where those united by faith are considered family, even without biological ties.’
More gospel truth my people! As Bruh Paul would say, be we Jew or Gentile, we’re all ONE in Christ! So let’s not only celebrate our mothers today, but try to remember them more all through the year, as we ought to! Much LOVE!
…mankind can never repay the debt they owe…to Christ…and to their mothers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cheerleader, a good mother, a quiet strength, a single mother, a steady anchor, all peaches and cream, anointed by God, Bible, calm assurance, care, caring ways, compassion, complain, each challenge, echo in my mind, encourage children, faith, god, God-like qualities, goodness, grace, guide me still today, Happy Mother's Day, honour thy mother and father, inspiration for your song, Janice Kapp Pery, Jesus, kindness, laid the foundation for my faith, live in my soul, LOVE, love of mothers, moments of despair, my mother's faith, My Mother's Love, my mother's voice, paid the price for disobedience, patience, perseverance, prayer, prayers of earnest pleading, the essence of her being, the greatest treasure, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the power of her teachings, thy days may be long upon the land, timeless words of wisdom, tough times, turned me to God, whine, wisdom, worked her fingers to the bone
Exodus 20:12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
And then it was Sunday once again… but one of those special Sundays in our calendar, namely Mother’s Day! Yes friends, today is the day we celebrate Mothers all over the world! The goodness, grace, care, compassion, kindness and LOVE of those amazing women who bear us in their wombs for nine long months, and keep on running their households, while also being out in the world working to bring home a pay cheque.
Women, in particular mothers, are a special breed of human beings who have been anointed by God to bear the young of the species, and believe me, that takes a lot of patience, perseverance and longsuffering, virtues that are also attributed to God. And they must have God-like qualities and strength to accomplish the monumental tasks they are expected to fulfil. The amazing thing is that many of these mothers bear their tough tasks without complaining, just go about their business, their lot in life without stirring up too much fuss.
But then again, like in every walk if life, there are others who whine and complain about everything. Nonetheless, the Lord said in the Ten major commandments He gave to the Israelites, and to all subsequent believers: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12) So even if your mother or father wasn’t the greatest, it’s still your responsibility to honour them in a godly manner.
And we’re going to do that today for all mothers, by singing a special song, written in their honour by Janice Kapp Perry (born October 1, 1938), an American composer, songwriter, and author, who grew up in a very musical family. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), she has written over 3,000 songs. According to Janice Kapp Perry, she was thrilled when Mack Wilberg asked her to write a new Mother’s Day song.
‘And of course, you can only think of your own mother. If you had a good mother, she’s your inspiration for the song. My mother’s LOVE was the basis of everything good in my life. She was always there for me. My mother Ruth was a very enthusiastic person, energetic, she LOVED projects played in a dance band with their father, wrote musicals for the community. As far as her children were concerned, she was just a cheerleader. She LOVED everything they did. Made them feel like they could do things.’
And that my people is what mothers do; encourage their children, make them feel appreciated and able to fulfill every dream they have. So, having said all of that, let’s finally get around to singing this wonderful song titled ‘My Mother’s LOVE,’ in a slow, and soulful, rich and scintillating version of this hauntingly beautiful music as performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Singing: “My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day. In each challenge, each choice, Above the world’s noise, I hear my mother’s voice. My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer. Through my darkest of days, I reach to feel His grace. Such was my mother’s faith. My mother’s hands that lifted and protected, Those loving hands that soothed my fevered brow Were as a shield from every earthly trial,
And still, the memory helps me now. And my heart is aware, the strength that I now share Came from my mother’s hands. My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul, As generations climb the path together to sweet eternities untold. My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch, she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.”
Ah friends, I know for those of us who had good mothers, that’s the kind of upbringing we had. And I have to chuckle as I read the first lines of the song. ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day.’ And that’s the gospel truth. My mother Molly’s words, and the power of her teachings still echo in my mind everyday as I face this crazy world. And yuh know what, with age and understanding, today I appreciate her teachings and guidance more than I did when she first instilled them in me.
And being a single mother, I saw firsthand how she expended every effort for me to have a fairly decent life. We won’t rich… or even well-to-do, but we never lacked for anything, because she worked her fingers to the bone doing two jobs, or more like three, since after her full-time day job she would go down to the cinema and sell tickets for the afternoon show, come home, then go back and sell tickets for the evening show. And I’m talking about seventy years ago, long before the two jobs thing became a big deal.
But along with that I also had LOVE and a fair amount of freedom and independence, built on a strong foundation of responsibility. I could generally go where I wanted to, once I’d done my chores and left a note stating where I’d gone to. However, please don’t believe it was all peaches and cream, because I paid the price for disobedience. She wasn’t as cruel as some of my friends’ mothers, but I did feel her wrath a time or two. (smile) And her faith, her calm assurance and perseverance through all the tough times we faced, unknowingly laid the foundation for my strong faith today.
Obviously, I was in church every Sunday morning, and Sunday school every Sunday afternoon. I had no say in the matter. And even today I can feel the strength and joy in her living of life. For though it was sometimes rough, she always had a smile, and was kindness personified, she never complained, just encouraged me to always do my best. And no, she wasn’t a saint like we think of them, but simply a mother doing the best she could with what she had. And that’s what good mothers do! And it’s not only today we ought to celebrate them, but each and every day of the year, because that’s what they deserve! Much LOVE!
…a good mother is possibly the greatest treasure in this world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legacy of saving power, a spreader of Christian joy, continuing instant in prayer, deserve to be feted, distributing to the necessity of the saints, given to hospitlaity, Happy Mother's Day, honour your father and mother, Janice Kapp Pery, LOVE, Mary the mother of Jesus, my mother's faith, My Mother's Love, patient in tribulation, rejoicing in hope, the epitome of motherhood, the essence of her being, the power of her teachings, thy days may be long upon the land, timeless words of wisdom, train up a child in how he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it
Romans 12:12. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation (always persevering); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Well, a Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful Mothers out there! Yes, I know that some of you don’t deserve the term beautiful, because your motherly behaviour hasn’t been up to scratch, in fact, some of you have behaved downright unmotherly, but the truth is that you bore the pain and anguish to bring children into this crazy world, and for that alone, you deserve to be feted. So, please take a day to enjoy yourself; don’t think too much about anybody else but you, because this seems to be the one day in the year that we truly show mothers our deep appreciation.
We should really show them our deepest appreciation every day, but the reality is that we don’t. And as we gather in the Lord’s Sanctuary on this beautiful Mother’s Day Sunday, we’re going to open with a wonderful song written especially for Mothers, titled ‘MY MOTHER’S LOVE!’ by Janice Kapp Perry, the accomplished and prolific American Composer. In an interview about the origins of the song, she says that some ten years ago, she was thrilled when Mack Wilberg, the Music Director of the Tabernacle Choir, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, asked her to write a new Mother’s Day song.
She continues: ‘And of course you can only think of your own mother. If you had a good mother, she’s your inspiration for the song. My mother’s LOVE was the basis of everything good in my life. She was always there for me. My mother Ruth was a very enthusiastic person, energetic, she LOVED projects, played in a dance band with our father and wrote musicals for the community. As far as her children were concerned, she was just a cheerleader. She LOVED everything we did. Made us feel like we could do things.’ And that’s the beauty of a mother my people; a cheerleader, an encourager, a spreader of Christian joy and good cheer!
Now let’s sing the slow and soulful song, a hauntingly beautiful melody, ever so rich and scintillating. We might not do as good a job of it like the Tabernacle Choir does, but we surely going to give it a good try. (smile) Singing: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day. In each challenge, each choice, Above the world’s noise, I hear my mother’s voice.
My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer. Through my darkest of days, I reach to feel His grace. Such was my mother’s faith. My mother’s hands that lifted and protected, Those LOVING hands that soothed my fevered brow Were as a shield from every earthly trial, And still, the memory helps me now. And my heart is aware, the strength that I now share Came from my mother’s hands.
My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul, As generations climb the path together to sweet eternities untold. My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.’
Oh friends I doubt we can ascribe to our mothers any better sentiments on this Mother’s Day of 2023! The song says it all! The power of her teachings that still live in our souls and guide us every day. That takes me back to the words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) Now that could be taken two ways; either as if you raise them properly, even when they are old they will follow the Christian guidelines you instilled in them, or as a warning to parents that if they allow their children to have their own way, they will not depart from that foolishness when they are old.
But it shows that however children are raised, that’s how they usually carry on through life. And the fact is that mothers are the basic caregivers of the family; they carry children in their wombs for nine long, trying months, go through hell to birth them, (smile) then they also have the great responsibility to train them up in a proper manner. And it’s usually at the breast or the feet of our mothers that we learn about life. I like these words: ‘My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer.’
They remind me of my own mother, Molly, who never took an easy step in her life, but was always joyful and God-fearing. And I know a lot of what I experienced from living with her through some rough times has made me the person I am today. I saw how she handled lack and never complained; out of a job for a couple of years and still remained hopeful. I learned these words of Romans 12 through the experiences I shared with her. ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation (always persevering); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12)
As a young lad, I often did not understand what she was doing, especially when the times were extremely difficult, and yet she always had a smile and a kind word to offer, always ‘Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality.’ (Rom. 12:13) I remember that whoever was at our table, always got the best of what we had. And I could never understand it, but she always said that’s how it ought to be, and she was doing it for me.
Now I understand it all Molls sugar, because through your goodness and kindness to others, wherever I’ve been in this world, people have always been kind to me. They don’t know me from Adam, (smile) but are always reaching out a helping hand to me. And that’s the same way I try to live. Yes my people, a Mother’s hands and faith are ever so important in a child’s life, to protect and guide them along the right path. As the song says: ‘My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul.’ How true that is for all of us.
It’s so easy to see that a mother is the most important person in a child’s life, for they set the tone and direction that child will take. So please let’s respect and honour our mother’s nuh. The Lord thought it so important for us to respect our parents, that He put it in His Ten Commandments. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20: !2)
And yuh know what friends, the closest thing to God on this earth is a kind and godly mother, for they exhibit much more of God’s goodness and His attributes than we men. That’s another reason right there to LOVE, honour and respect them and not abuse them, or treat them like second class citizens, the way that so many cultures are still doing these days.
And we couldn’t get a better ending for today than these words from the end of the song: ‘My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.’
Now, if we are truthful to ourselves, we will all acknowledge the great debt we owe to our mothers. So, let’s get out there and repay what little of it we can! Much LOVE!
…the epitome of motherhood…Mary…the mother of Jesus…as she quietly bore His terrible suffering…for that’s what mothers do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mother's love, follow their example, forsake not the law (teaching) of thy mother, giving unselfishly of herself, God has a specail affection for mothers, Happy Mother's Day, heaven's gift of love, her children rise up, his mother kept all these sayings in her heart, Honour Christian Mothers, honour thy mother and father, keep thy father's commandment, let your lights so shine, LOVE, one in charity, one in love and faithfulness, raising faithful families, second class citizens, sincere sacrifices of praise, sins men will pay for, strength and dignity are her clothing, teaching us to pray, that thy days may be long, the commandment is a lamp, the first commandment with promise, the foundation of our families, the law (teaching) is light, the teaching of kindness is on her tongue, worshipping the Lord
Proverbs 6:20. My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law (teaching) of thy mother.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY !
And thankfully, another Mother’s Day has come around. It’s one of the best days in the calendar, because on that day many Mothers receive the kind of LOVE, treatment and appreciation that they ought to receive all year long. And it’s rather sad and disgraceful that in these supposed enlightened times, that women are still generally being treated like second class citizens, like servants and slaves.
In many countries of the world, they have no rights whatsoever, they are beholden to the males in the family, who take advantage of their glorified manly positions and abuse the women folk with absolutely no thought to their welfare. But those are sins that men will eventually pay for, because God is like a mother to us, and He has a special affection for mothers.
Anyway, on this Mother’s Day Sunday we are going to open our worship with a hymn specially dedicated to the Mothers of this world, appropriately titled ‘Honour Christian Mothers,’ and it’s sung to the wonderful tune of ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ So, let’s remember the mainstay, the very foundation of our families, as we belt out this tune, offering up sincere sacrifices of praise in their honour.
All together now: ‘Honour Christian Mothers, instruments of God, Raising faithful families, worshipping the Lord, Following His commandments, showing us the way: LOVE and faith and kindness; teaching us to pray. (Chorus: Honour Christian Mothers, instruments of God, Raising faithful families, worshipping the Lord.) “Let it be,” say mothers, trusting to obey, finding strength and courage, grace for every day. Challenges surround us, but we will not fear. God’s LOVE will sustain us, help, our cross, to bear. (Chorus)
God be with our mothers who have gone before, certain of His promise: life forevermore. In His many mansions, LOVE again we’ll share, He will take away all sorrow, wipe away each tear. (Chorus) Honour Christian Mothers—Heaven’s gift of LOVE. Join with them in service to the Lord above. Follow their example, let your lights so shine—All will see your goodness, praise the One Divine. (Chorus) Onward, still, ye mothers, tho’ the time will come; Sons will leave their parents, daughters leave their homes. We’ll remain united, Mother’s legacy; One in LOVE and faithfulness, One in charity. (Chorus: Honour Christian Mothers, instruments of God, Raising faithful families, worshipping the Lord… Raising faithful families, worshipping the Lord.’
Oh friends, mothers are indeed the most important part of our families. They bear us in their own bodies for nine months, then painfully give us birth, ofttimes promising never to repeat the process, (smile) but soon do it again, because they LOVE children and it’s part of their godly heritage, their godly cross to bear. Then they nurture us all through our formative years, doing things for us that only mothers can enjoy doing. They teach us about LOVE, caring, compassion, humility and all the other important things we need to know.
Most of us learn how to successfully live this live through our godly mothers. That reminds me of my own mother Molly, who went to be with the Lord some eleven years ago, because it’s she who taught me all I knew about life and LOVE in my formative years…and was still trying to teach me even in my adulthood. (smile) But that’s how mothers are.
And I like how the ESV version of the Good Book describes mothers in Proverbs. ‘Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with 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 call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” … (Prov. 31:25-29)
And in these turbulent times many women are doing double duty, without complaining too, that’s working both within the home and outside it too, so that their families can make ends meet. And don’t think that we are doing something so great on our own initiative by honouring mothers nuh, because that was one of God’s first directives to the children of Israel in the Ten Commandments. It boldly and purposefully reads: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12)
Yes sir, it’s right there in the Good Book! And if you think that was only in the Old Testament, then look again for Bruh Paul repeats it again in his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and thy mother: which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.’ (Eph. 6:1-3) Oh my brethren, honouring, obeying respecting and giving reverence to our parents is indeed called for by God, and it’s the first rule that God gave His people, that bore an attached promise; long life on the earth.
And in Cousin Sol’s teaching on wisdom in Proverbs, he continually exhorts us to pay serious attention to what our parents teach us. For example: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law (teaching) of thy mother… For the commandment is a lamp; and the law (teaching) is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:20, 23) It is therefore imperative that we listen to our parents if we expect to live a successful life.
And although the father is technically the head of the household, it’s often the mothers in the families who teach us the right way of living. That’s sort of become their duty, their legacy, down through the ages. A duty and legacy they’ve usually borne with honour and compassion, although it often costs them dearly. But that’s what a mother’s LOVE is all about; giving unselfishly of herself to her family.
Jesus knew and appreciated the importance of mothers so much that on the cross, shortly before He gave up this earthly life, He saw His mother standing next to John, the disciple whom He LOVED. ‘He saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:26-27)
Yes friends, Jesus made sure that His mother was looked after when He was gone. And that’s how we ought also to be; make provision for our mothers, for without their LOVE and hard work, we would not even exist, much less have a long and joyful life in the land that the Lord God has given to us. And I’d like to think that Jesus’ provision for her, was another of the many things which Mary treasured in her heart about her remarkable, eye-opening experiences with her wonderful Son, like the Good Book says in Luke 2:51. ‘…but his mother kept all these saying in heart.’
And so she should, because she had been given possibly the toughest role a mother ever had, especially in the emotional department, but one that she executed with grace, strength and faith. And so do most mothers. So please let’s celebrate them not only today, but each and every day of their lives, for that’s the Lord’s command! Much LOVE!
…without mother’s…there’d be no children…and thus…no LOVING families…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an empty grave, because He lives, being made conformable to his death, Happy Mother's Day, I can face tomorrow, insatiable greed, kept the family together, pandemic lockdown, second class citizens, that I may know him, the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him (Jesus), and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
Gather round friends, gather round, it’s Sunday, which means time for song and dance, praise and worship in honour of our wonderful God! This is His special day; the day He rested after a week’s work of creating the universe, then admired it and said: ‘It is good!’ And so it was my brethren, though down through the ages through our abuse and mismanagement, it has begun falling apart, until now we’re suffering from serious environmental issues.
But be that as it may, we still need to gather at least once a week, on God’s special day to honour and glorify Him. And in these times of worldwide pandemic, most of us are doing that through technological means, no personal gatherings in our sanctuaries, and we’ll go on doing so for as long as it is necessary. Giving up on worship is not in the cards at all.
And today is also a special day in the life of mothers, when we celebrate their mammoth contribution to our society, especially the family unit. Without mothers, there would be no offspring since they bear that awesome privilege, although some might beg to differ. (smile) And down through the ages, they are the ones who have literally and figuratively kept the family together, with LOVE and compassion, caring for husbands and children, and working their fingers to the bone with whatever needs doing in the home. Nowadays, they are even going to work outside the home, while still bearing most of the household burdens.
Without them, mankind would be lost, would have gone under long ago. And yet we still insist on treating them like second class citizens, using and abusing them, behaving like they were less than human. In many areas of the world, they still have no rights or privileges, and female babies are even killed at birth in certain cultures because they are not considered important. But one day though, the tables will turn against those societies, when they suddenly discover there are not enough females to satisfy their insatiable greed and lust.
And hopefully, women will also begin standing up for themselves in greater numbers to get the rights and benefits to which they are rightfully entitled. Yes ladies, unless as a body, there is a groundswell of emotion, determination and refusal to accept the status quo any longer, mankind will continue taking serious disadvantage of the fairer sex. To a great extent, your fate is in your own hands. So please rise up and claim your rightful heritage. With all of that in mind, I do wish all mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day! Let’s hope the people in your life will treat you right royally today, as so many of you indeed deserve, although the options for real celebrations might be severely limited by the pandemic lockdown.
And a word to the men; please, please, let’s begin treating the female of our species better nuh, for in the long run, we also suffer from their abuse and disenfranchisement. Now let’s offer up sacrifices of praise through this popular song, created from a woman’s vision, a mother’s concern for her unborn offspring. And are not women the writers of some of the best songs in our society? Certainly! And the mother we’re talking about is Gloria Gaither, and the song of praise is ‘Because He Lives!’
So let’s sing it now in a sweet, harmonious and up-tempo riddim, sincerely showing how grateful we are because Jesus lives. And to show how truly joyful we are, let’s begin with the rousing chorus: ‘(Chorus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds my future And life is worth the living Just because He lives.) (Repeat) God sent His son they called Him, Jesus He came to LOVE, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
(Chorus) How sweet to hold a newborn baby And feel the pride and joy he gives But greater still that calm assurance This child can face uncertain days because He lives And then one day I’ll cross the river I’ll fight life’s final war with pain And then, as death gives way to vict’ry I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds my future And life is worth the living Just because He lives And life is worth the living Just because He lives Yes, life is worth the living Just because He lives.’
Oh my, my! What beautiful words of praise and worship…and sung so sweetly too! (smile) Don’t you just LOVE those words friends, and greatly rejoice that they are true? Because Christ lives…and He does, for on that long ago Easter morn, He arose from the grave, having unceremoniously destroyed all the trappings of hell and death! That means those who believein Him, will also live when our bodies die. But in the meantime, we can live this earthly life without fear, and face this evil world mano-a-mano…why? Because He Lives! Glory be mih bredrin!
What a mighty Being is our friend, our Lord and Saviour Jesus! Now life is worth living, for He holds our future in His omnipotent hands. And what about that wonderful assurance that our children can dwell in peace and LOVE, even in uncertain times like these, just because Jesus lives. And then, the crowning glory, the eternal victory, when we see the lights of glory, and we’ll know without a doubt that He lives, because we’ll see Him face to face! Give our great Lord and Saviour some praise and thanks nuh my people, for He truly deserves more than we can ever lavish on Him!
Now here is a synopsis of how this song reputedly came about. Apparently, in the chaotic times of the 1960’s, this young couple, Bill and Gloria Gaither, had become disenchanted with the way the world was going, becoming more godless, ruthless and lawless. Then, in the winter of 69, when they were having an extremely rough time, with Bill being sick with mononucleosis and Gloria having problems with her church family, she discovered she was pregnant. That apparently lead to thoughts about the wisdom of bringing a baby into that chaotic world.
However, in the early spring of the following year, as they were walking across the paved parking lot in front of their office with Bill’s father George, he drew their attention to a tiny blade of grass that had pushed its way up through the layers of dirt, rock and concrete ‘to reach the sunshine of the world above. It had such a strong will to live; it had overcome all the odds to fulfill its destiny. That blade of grass became a symbol to the Gaithers of how God works in His creation. And it inspired Gloria to write a song expressing the hope that was shaped by the resurrection of Jesus, as well as that blade of grass and the birth of her son.’
Now isn’t that a beautiful, heartwarming story friends, typical of how our great God works in our lives? And though we’re getting on in length (smile) we can’t finish without some refreshing scripture to polish it all off. Hear Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi: ‘That I may know him (Jesus), and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil. 3:10) What a powerful verse of scripture precious people of God! It means getting to know Christ intimately, personally, and experiencing sufferings like He did, and which Jesus said we would all experience in this world. (John 16:33)
Oh friends, it’s all about experiencing the righteousness of God in daily living, meeting needs, solving problems and then being conformed to Him in death, not necessarily martyrdom, but ‘to die to the world of sin and temptation,’ like Christ did. That’s our purpose and destiny my fellow believers, to be transformed into the image of Christ, and like that tiny blade of grass in the Gaither’s story, which overcame all the odds to fulfill its destiny, so we must also rise above mediocrity, pushing forward with Jesus, looking to heaven and thus fulfilling our God-given destiny. Much LOVE!
…you can’t conform to the image of Jesus…without living like He did…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Happy Mother's Day
2 Timothy 1:5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Oh my people, once again God’s marvellous creation we call the earth or the world, has spun seven times on its axis and brought us back to the best day of the week; Sunday! It’s God’s Day; our Sabbath, in which we’re required to rest and also fellowship with other believers in His sanctuary.
And that fellowshipping of believers is such a wonderful, joyful and awesome occasion, that we keep doing it every week to rejuvenate our depleted souls, bodies and minds, refresh them with God’s word, music, singing, dancing, praise and thanksgiving! Wow! What a magnificent combination of uplifting actions my faithful brethren!
And there’s no better way to begin the proceedings than with praise, worship and thanksgiving in the form of song. And today’s song is a powerful, soulful ditty titled ‘Because He Lives!’ A couple weeks ago we sang ‘I know My Redeemer Lives!’ But today it’s simply… ‘Because He Lives!’
So please friends, please let’s lift our hearts, souls, hands and eyes heavenward, and open our mouths in sweet, soulful song, as we offer up heartfelt thanks and praise for all that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has done for us mere mortals, abominable sinners that we were before He rescued us. So as one voice, in harmonious togetherness: (smile)
‘God sent His Son, They called Him Jesus. He came to LOVE, to heal, and to forgive. And He lived and He died, just to buy my pardon. And an empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives! (Chorus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Oh yes it is! Because I know, I know He holds the future, and by His Word, the living…Just because He lives.)
How sweet to hold a new born baby. And feel the pride and joy that he brings. Oh, but greater still is that calm assurance, That this child, he can face uncertain days….Because Christ lives! And then one day, I’m going to cross that river, And I’ll find, I’m going to find life’s final word, its final word. And then, as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the light, and the glory and the power…Because He lives.
(Chorus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Oh yes it is! Because I know, I know He holds the future, and by His word, the living…Just because He lives.)’
What a beautiful rendition my people! Tears of joy were flowing in heaven as we sang…even from the Father’s eyes! And there’s nothing He likes more than to hear us sincerely give His Son the glory! His heart just cries as He hears us sing about His Son’s awful death and He remembers that fateful Good Friday day…
But then it’s filled with joy, when we mention His awesome resurrection on Easter Sunday, and all the good things that victory over the powers of evil did on our behalf! And let’s not forget that this is also a special Sunday, where we celebrate Mothers! Although as I keep saying, Mother’s should be celebrated every day of their lives for the amount of work, care and LOVE they bring to our families.
Father’s might be the bread winners, but Mothers are the ones who first bear the burden of childbirth, then become the growers, the nurturers of the family; who wash and cook and clean, wipe runny noses and sit for hours with us when we’re sick, never asking for much in return! Without them, most families would fall apart in no time.
So Mothers, whoever and wherever you are, today we wish you a very special – ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’ And please enjoy it, because you might not see much of Sonny Boy or Girl Daughter, or get so much special attention for the next year or so. (smile)
And we’re not naïve or blind to believe that all mothers are wonderful, sweet, LOVING people. Some can be real tyrants, or even wicked, evil and ungodly. And yuh know friends, teaching the family about God and showing them good examples by their godly lives is probably a mother’s most important job in the household. I’m sure most of us would say that it’s our mother or grandmother or some such female relative who first brought us to God and then encouraged us to stay and grow with Him.
I can tell you that my mother’s grandmother did that for her, and my mother Molly, God rest her dear departed soul, did it for me. And all I can say is ‘Thank You M! Thank you for putting me on the right path, and even when I faltered, you never failed to remind me that God was just a prayer away.
I remember laughing at how you watched all those religious t.v. shows, only to find myself, don’t ask me how, watching many of them later on. As they say, God does move in mysterious ways, and I suppose that was probably one of His underhanded schemes to have me learn His Word, so that I could better write about it.
And that brings us to a fine example in the Good Book of female parents leading and guiding their male children. Hear how Bruh Paul puts it to Timothy: ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.’
Ah mih people, Timothy got his faith in the Lord through His mother and grandmother, through their teachings about God, as well as the godly examples of their own lives. And that’s one aspect of motherhood that we can never put a real price on, because there’s none! It’s simply God talking to a mother’s heart, having her impart His Word to her offspring.
Just like we can’t put a monetary price on Jesus’ sacrifice, we can’t put one on the value of true motherhood. And if you want to find out why, please read the praise of a virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. It begins thus: ‘Who can find a virtuous woman (wife of valour)? For her price (worth) is far above rubies.’
So children, please honour your mothers today…and everyday… ‘So that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex.20:12) Much LOVE!
…MOTHERS…the undisputed backbone of our families…
13 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fantastic job, a Mother's legacy, a mother's love, adore, always caring, assurance, awesome strength, bearing children, bearing good fruit, been forgiven, birthing them in travail, Bloodline, by reason of many waters, cantankerous families, cause us grief, cavorting in heaven, certain of His promise, challenges, deceitful, earthly sojourn, faith, feminine towers, follow their example, following His commandments, fountains of living water, fruitful, fruitful vines, full of branches, God's LOVE, goodness and mercy, grace for everyday, guilt, Happy Mother's Day, heaven's gift of love, Honour Christian Mothers, honour your mothers, instruments of god, joyful mother, keep house, kindness, let your lights so shine, life forevermore, like a vine, LOVE, Mother's Day, navel string, never ending, nourishing waters, of our society, one in charity, one in love, Onward Christian soldiers, our cross to bear, par excellence, planted by the waters, praise the One Divine, Praise ye the Lord, raising faithful families, reap what we sow, revere, sons, take away all sorrow, teaching us the way, testimony, the backbone, the barren woman, the original sin, thy mother, time, tribute to Mothers, unconditional, wipe away each tear, worshipping the Lord
Ezekiel 19:10. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood (bloodline), planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
And then it was Sunday once again, our favourite day for worship, but it’s also a special Sunday where we celebrate the Mother figures in our lives. Those feminine towers of awesome strength and assurance, the backbone of our society. And in my search, I discovered a real appropriate and praiseworthy hymn dedicated to them. It’s called ‘Honour Christian Mothers’ and is sung to the tune of ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’
So let’s open today’s proceedings paying sincere homage to the matriarchs in our midst nuh. In full voice let’s sing: ‘(Chorus) Honour Christian Mothers, instruments of God; Raising faithful families, worshipping the Lord.) Following His commandments, showing us the way: LOVE and faith and kindness; teaching us to pray. (Chorus)
“Let it be,” say mothers, trusting to obey, Finding strength, grace for every day. Challenges surround us, but we will not fear. God’s LOVE will sustain us, help, our cross, to bear. (Chorus) God be with our mothers who have gone before, certain of His promise: life forevermore. In His many mansions, LOVE again we’ll share, He will take away all sorrow, wipe away each tear. (Chorus)
Honour Christian Mothers – Heaven’s gift of LOVE. Join with them in service to the Lord above. Follow their example, let your lights so shine – All will see your goodness, praise the One Divine. (Chorus) Onward, still, ye mothers, tho’ the time will come; Sons will leave their parents, daughters leave their homes. We’ll remain united, Mother’s legacy; One in LOVE and faithfulness, One in charity. (Chorus).’
Oh friends, I could not find out the author of those lyrics, but they surely are a terrific tribute to the Mothers that raise and LOVE us! And if you’ll remember people, yesterday morning I got up and went downstairs early on to get something to eat. Well here is what the Lord caused me to write about Mother’s Day, before I came back up to bed.
‘Wherefore, O wherefore art thou Mothers? Is it because of the original sin that you have been given the painful and difficult, but ever so necessary task of bearing children in thy womb, birthing them in travail, then raising them in deceitful and cantankerous families?
Well, whatever the reason, I want to acknowledge that you have done a marvellous, a fantastic job down through the ages, and your God and mankind are very proud of you. Therefore, we wish you ALL Mothers, a very happy, blessed and prosperous Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day Mothers!
And you know, as tears well up in my eyes, my one regret is that my mother, Molly, is not here so I can share those fateful words with her. Oh, like all of us, she had her faults, but nonetheless, she was a mother par excellence!
Yeh Mols, although it’s been almost seven years now since you went to be with Lord, the ole fella misses you, and is crying, as he seems to do every Mother’s Day without you. That’s the one time the tears come without any reservation whatsoever. (smile)
And I’m surely sorry if I didn’t treat or appreciate you as well as I should have. But I know in your sweet soul, you’ve already forgiven me for that. So rest in peace, please Mols sugar. And I do hope that you are cavorting in heaven with Jesus and the angels, as is your right as a believer.’
Oh friends, there will always be some resilient guilt in us, as to whether we treated our mothers as best we could. But please don’t let it cause us grief, because we’ve already been forgiven for it, since that’s what good mothers do. That brings us to our Bit. ‘Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood (bloodline), planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.’
And although that scripture was meant to pertain to Israel, there are so few real references to mothers, all of which I have already used. I wanted something new, and this fits the bill perfectly, for that is exactly how mothers are. They are like a fruitful vines planted by nourishing waters, just bearing good fruit regardless of the circumstances. They are like fountains of living waters, always bubbling forth with goodness and mercy.
One psalmist put it this way: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home) and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.113:9) Yeh my brethren, we should absolutely praise the Lord for mothers, since we’d be completely lost without them.
And I’m chuckling here as I come to the end of this Mother’s Day message, because it’s something I also wrote yesterday, though not under my own steam. The Lord played one of His tricks on me. Yesterday morning after I went back up to bed, He got into my head with all sorts of stuff for this message, and finally I had to get up and write it down.
And this is what I wrote. ‘Son’s honour your mothers because they, or rather you are a significant part of them, since they bore you for nine painful, uncomfortable months, and it’s to them that your navel string was attached. And most likely they’ve played a most significant role in your life. So it behooves you to adore and revere them.
Daughters, please endear yourselves to your mothers, because one day you might also be a mother. And since we reap what we sow, your child will probably treat you the way you treat your mother.
And finally, let’s not only celebrate our Mothers on this one day of the year, but everyday of their earthly sojourn, for they have certainly put in their time and testimony to deserve it.’ Much LOVE!
…a Mother’s LOVE…is like the Lord’s…unconditional…always caring…and never ending…
08 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 21st century, 24/7, a blessed day, a bonded unit, a positive outlook on life, abuse, abusive spouses, adulthood, agony, appreciation, bring shame, call to remembrance, cash, complain, disgusting, divorce, door-mats, elbow grease, emotional strain, equal of men, Eunice, family, fearful, feelings, foundation of our families, genuine faith, gift of faith, God's blessings, godless, gripe, guilty, Happy Mother's Day, help, hurts, immature, irresponsible, kind, lazy, Lois, LOVE, make ends meet, male dominant traits, Mother's Day, motherhood, nuclear society, nurturing, Old Boys Network, onerous duties, personal experience, recognition, responibility, rough times, running away, sacrifice, second class citizens, single mother, sons of mothers, stay at home moms, superwoman, take for granted, the glass ceiling, Timothy, truth, two jobs, Western society
2 Timothy 1:5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mother’s out there! Many of you have earned it through much sacrifice and a lot of elbow grease. (smile)
You know it’s strange, but a lot of the time we don’t ever really know what our mothers went through, or are going through to keep our families afloat, because they don’t gripe and complain like many of us. They just put their heads down and do whatever is necessary.
I can talk about that from personal experience with my late mother Molly. As I got older and looked back at some of the rough times we experienced, I now understand how hard she must have had it as a single mother doing two jobs, or having no job at all, and the emotional strain she must have felt. But I never heard her complain one day. She always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook on life, even in those rough times.
And it’s sad that we don’t appreciate our mothers as much as we should. Too many of us just take them for granted and don’t consider that they are human beings just like us with human feelings and hurts just like us. Our mothers are usually the first ones we run to for comfort when we’re hurt, either physically, mentally or emotionally.
But have we ever thought about whom they run to when times are rough and they are hurting? Many of us don’t even consider that, because for some unknown reason we have this idea of Mom as superwoman, who doesn’t need any help. Well friends, that’s the furthest thing from the truth! Some Mothers are pretty strong and can handle a lot of stuff, while others are not and need plenty help.
But they ALL need our LOVE and appreciation. Ofttimes that’s all they want from us. And unfortunately we don’t give them sufficient appreciation, except on days like these.
But mothers are such powerhouses, the basic foundation of our families, who bear us for nine months in the womb, then suffer such agony birthing us, and are then responsible for nurturing and raising us to adulthood – and even after. (smile)They are usually the ones who teach us the basics of life, who keep us tightly knit together as a bonded unit of family. What in the world would we ever do without them eh? I won’t even bother to contemplate it.
Now not all mothers fit the model I’ve painted above, some can be downright disgusting and bring terrible shame to the role of motherhood. But most do a decent job, trying their best to accomplish their God-given roles as nurturers, comforters, guides and the host of other tasks that mothers perform, or are expected to perform.
And in this nuclear society, sadly mothers are having it harder than ever before. At one stage they were mostly stay at home moms, but with the recent boom and bust in our world, mothers are now also going out to work to help make ends meet, with little help from many fathers – those who are around – and are still expected to do their usual motherly chores.
There are even more single moms around than before; either through divorce or men simply impregnating them and moving on without a care as to how the mother and child or children will survive. All of that simply adds to the breakdown and failure of our most important unit in society; that of the family. No wonder our children are irresponsible, godless, lazy and immature, amongst other things.
But if we turn to our Bit, we’ll discover one of the most important things a mother can give to her child or children; the unparalleled gift of faith in Almighty God. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.’
There Bruh Paul is encouraging Timothy to keep the sincere faith which he first learned at the knees of his mother Lois and his grandmother, Eunice. And teaching one’s family about God, and showing by personal example, is another job that usually falls to the mother in our Western Society.
But yet for all these onerous duties, mothers, in fact women, are still not compensated, in cash or kind, not shown proper recognition and appreciation and treated as the equal of men. Ah Lord eh! Women still make less money than men, and relegated to lower class jobs even with better qualifications and more experience than their male counterparts. The Old Boy network is still running the world, and the glass ceiling for the advancement of professional women is still too low.
And to make matters worse, abuse seems to be the order of the day in these supposed modern times. I don’t know if the abuse is actually on the rise or if it is just being highlighted more these days. But mothers shouldn’t have to be as fearful as they are and running away from abusive spouses in such great numbers. There are nowhere near enough shelters or programs to assist the abused mother today.
Ah friends, mothers are the most important people in our society, and need to be appreciated and recognized as such. We men, who are all sons of mothers, ought to stop our selfish, male dominant traits and give God’s blessings and appreciation to the women in our lives, because they truly deserve better than what we’re currently handing out.
You women too, you ought to try and stand up stronger to the abusive, feel-they-are-entitled men of today, and don’t let them push you around and treat you as doormats, as so many are wont to do. You also have a responsibility to yourself and womanhood in general.
It’s the 21st century, and time to stop treating mothers, and women in general like second class citizens. So for all of you who have mothers, good, bad or indifferent, I urge you to show them LOVE and appreciation today, as they so rightfully deserve. And not only today, but each and every day of the year, because many of them are on the job 24/7, 365 days and need our appreciation and help.
Trust me friends, if you still have your mother around, please enjoy her, just LOVE on her, for you will be real sorry and feel guilty when she goes over to the other side. I don’t have my mother here in person with me again, but Molls sugar, you know you are always on my mind and in my heart.
And though I didn’t do too badly in our relationship, I still feel I could have done better than I did, knowing what I know now. But you know what; if you ask her, she’ll tell you that I was a most wonderful son! Hn! That’s another thing that mothers do. Have a blessed day, all you Mothers! Much LOVE!
…mothers are the closest thing to God on earth…they give life…offer comfort and succour, provide food and shelter…and teach us about God…
P.S. Oh friends, in the beginning my mind was blank, didn’t know what to write. But as usual, with God’s help, look at how much I’ve written nuh! (smile) Hope it does make sense and encourages us to be better sons and daughter. Much LOVE!
10 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sin against God, a soft spot in my heart, admiration, adore, advice, appreciate, be grateful, Bruh Paul, bubble-buster, bundle of joy, by the wayside, charles stanley, cherish, compassionately, dire straits, disappoints me, distinction, dote, esteem, exhausting, faith, fallible, favour, forgive, friends, God's saving grace, godless, godly attitudes, godly guidance, good and acceptable before God, Happy Mother's Day, honour, honour thy father and mother, honour widows, in the land God gives you, In Touch Devotional, kudos, labour, left to languish, longevity, LOVE, love uncoditionally, loving kindness, magnanimity, make a big fuss, mercy, Mother's Day, Mothers, my six mothers, no charge, on god's earth, open to mistakes, orphan, overwhelming, painful, piety, pitiful, powerful things, privilege, put on a pedestal, recognition, requite, respect, responsibilities, revere, shirley Caesar, sin, smile, that thy days may be long, the best, the BIBLE, the Holy Spirit, the lifeblood of our society, the Lord has never let me down, the Lord thy God giveth, Timothy, undisciplined, unruly, what a letdowm, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, widows, wisdom, wombs
Exodus 20:12. Honour thy father and thy MOTHER: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful and not so wonderful Mothers out there! That special day of the year, where we specially celebrate Mothers is upon us once again. And you know I’ve been wondering what to write for the last half an hour or so, while researching stuff in the Bible.
And I did come up with a few things. But then, the Lord in His wisdom guided me to read last year’s Mother’s Day Bit. And was I ever surprised, and somewhat disappointed, that last year I had already written about all the things I was now considering. Chuh! What a letdown! What bubble-buster!
Now I have to think about other stuff to say, because I can’t give exactly the same message as I did last year. And even if I do say so myself, I was rather taken with last year’s Mother’s Day Bit, for it covered a lot of ground, some of which is worth repeating.
But this is a different year, and I’m depending on the Holy Spirit to guide me in a somewhat different direction. Have faith Friends, for it will happen eventually. (smile) The Lord has never let me down yet, so why would He choose a day like today to do it eh?
You know it disappoints me some, that today we’ll make a big fuss over our mothers, but what happens to the rest of the year eh? Many of them are forgotten, left to languish as it were by the wayside. That’s certainly not right my people, because mothers are the lifeblood of our society.
They physically bear us in their wombs for nine months, then have a hard time getting us to come out. And even though the labour required for that can be quite painful and exhausting, as soon as we’re out, they forget about the pain and just dote on us, the beautiful bundle of joy they’ve just produced. (smile)
And then they spend the rest of their lives raising and nurturing us with LOVE and all the other good things that mothers do. All of it, for ‘NO CHARGE’ as the Shirley Caesar song I heard on the radio yesterday evening so truthfully declares. So why then don’t we pay more and better attention to our mothers eh?
Look at our Bit: ‘Honour thy father and thy MOTHER: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’
Our God taught it of such importance that He placed that directive in one of His ten most important rules to His people. Now if the Lord, in His great wisdom could make such a declaration, who are we to dispute it and not follow through with it eh? And please notice the last part of the commandment: ‘that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’
Yes Friends, our longevity depends to a certain extent on the way we treat our parents. So you godless, unruly, undisciplined children out there, who treat their parents terribly, especially their mothers, I’d very strongly suggest that you smarten up right now and follow that directive of God, otherwise your days may just be short and pitiful on the earth.
And what exactly does our Bit mean by ‘HONOUR’ eh? I’ve found a whole lot of synonyms for that word, so let’s hear some of them. ‘HONOUR’ means to cherish, show respect, put on a pedestal, give kudos to, show esteem, favour, recognition, admiration and privilege, to look up to, to appreciate, to adore, revere, and show distinction.
Oh my people, there are so many ways to show ‘HONOUR’ to our parents, that we truly have NO excuse whatsoever for not doing so. And that’s one of the reasons why our world is such a mess; ignoring our parents, treating them terribly, especially our mothers, is a sin against Almighty God.
And from the In Touch Devotional message from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) for today, I picked up these wonderful guidelines for honouring our Mothers. First off, we should LOVE them unconditionally, just the way God LOVES us. Now that surely makes a lot of sense, because we can’t be truly godly folks if we’re not practicing godly attitudes and actions.
And then Uncle Charles says to forgive our mothers compassionately. We seem to forget that mothers are humans too and thus fallible and open to mistakes, and will have some baggage from their earlier days that made them a certain way. We’re no angels ourselves, so we should not judge them too harshly.
Then we’re to remember our mothers gratefully, consider all the things she’s done for us over the years; from bearing and raising us to oftimes burying us. And for all she’s done, there’s usually ‘NO CHARGE!’
And finally, we ought to treat our mothers kindly, make them feel LOVED and appreciated, even though in the natural many of them don’t seem to deserve it. But remember we didn’t, and still don’t deserve God’s saving grace, but because of His great LOVE and magnanimity, He bestowed it on us. Thus the least we can do is to also bestow it on others.
Ah Friends, when it comes to mothers, I have a very soft spot in my heart for them, beginning with my biological mother Molly who throughout my whole life showed me what a true mother ought to be like. Aye Molls baby, can you imagine that it’s now four years since you left me an orphan? (smile) But don’t worry sugar, you’ll always have a place of great esteem and respect in my heart and my memory banks. And so too will the five other mothers I’ve had during my lifetime.
And I know that some of you are laughing at that, but believe me people, there were several times when I was in dire straits and the Lord, in His mercy and LOVING-kindness, sent those women into my life to assist, to lead and guide me on the right path. How could I ever forget you eh my six mothers? No way! For without you all I definitely would not be writing these words today. Thank you all so much for showing and showering me with your LOVE and godly guidance.
And we’ll end today’s message with a word of advice, instructions concerning widows, from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews (grandchildren), let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite (repay) their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.’ (1 Tim.5:3-4)
Yes Friends, supporting our parents, especially our mothers, is indeed acceptable and wonderful in God’s sight. So please let’s get a move on and do it nuh, for it’s the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…a mother’s responsibilities are so overwhelming…that very few men can carry them out successfully…and her LOVE…ohhh…it is one of the most powerful things on God’s earth…
P.S. Yuh see mih people, the Lord didn’t disapoint me. (smile) He did guide me to write something somewhat different. That’s why I keep saying, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! He is definitely the BEST! Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 