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Monday, May 15, 2006

"Calling Mother Blessed"

"Her children arise and call her blessed" (Proverbs 31:28). "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12).

Photo of Mom
One of the last photos with Mom, on the Strasburg railroad.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

It was "Mother's Day" here in the United States yesterday, a day to especially practice the daily verses. I am not aware if other countries have such a day or not.  I hope each mother reading this was honored by the expression of the daily verses; her children rising up and calling their mother "blessed." 

It was the first Mother's Day I had without a living Mom so it had special sentiment for me. My Mom went home to be with the Lord last November and had her first Mother's Day in heaven.

Blessing lives

We four children indeed rise up and call her blessed and we consider our blessing. With both our parents now gone and buried together we are getting a suitable grave marker for them. In doing so I am examining various tombstones to find expressions that fit. One that I really like states, "You blessed the lives of so many people" and that is a fitting tribute to my folks as well!

The command to honor our father and mother is a timeless one. I believe it was applicable after I reached adulthood and still pertains even though both my parents are now with the Lord.

Today I urge each reader to rise up and call your mother blessed and to honor her.  I know some of you have great pain in your upbringing and your experience is far less than God's ideal.  But God's command to honor our father and mother has no exclusionary clause.

If your parents are living be sure to express your love and appreciation to them. That is something I really miss doing but am so glad I did so while they were alive.


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

Brooksyne's prayer: Jesus, the greatest way we can honor our Christian mother is by accepting Your provision of salvation.  As we live by faith we sow to please the spirit so that from the spirit we will reap eternal life.  I'm so grateful that we also reap blessings right now.  Thank You for our mothers who brought us into this world and nurtured us physically, spiritually and emotionally. 

Lord, we also consider mothers who did not have proper nurturing from their own family and were at a loss in how to raise their children.  Would You enable the children in these difficult situations to have the grace, endurance, and forbearance necessary to have a loving relationship with their mother.  Help them not to compare their mothers unfavorably with others and to avoid raising their expectations, only to be disappointed.  In some instances You reverse the role and ask the child to be the one who nurtures.   Jesus, help all of us to love our mothers just the way they are and to honor them as the fifth commandment tells us to do so.

Brooksyne's note: I thoroughly enjoy reading the background stories related to the writing of our hymns. "Tell Mother I'll Be There" is a hymn written in 1898 and is inspired by the relationship President McKinley had with his mother.  I think you'll enjoy reading the story.



A personal challenge: Several years before my dad died I wrote a tribute to both of my parents and matted and framed it. It meant so much to them and Mom had the written tribute on the wall till the day she died. For many years I have encouraged others to also write a tribute to their loved ones and I do so again today! 
Tips on preparing a tribute
Tribute to my parents
Tribute to a friend

A long-time friend wrote me several years ago, "Just this past weekend we were doing some housecleaning of our paperwork. I came across my written tribute to my folks, written as a result of your encouragement in January 1996.  My Dad died Jan 1, 1997. Man, am I ever so glad I wrote and sent that tribute so that my Dad and Mom could both read it.  I think it really blessed them. Thank you for encouraging us to do that."



Yesterday Brooksyne observed the baby praying mantises hatching out of the nest.

Photo of baby praying mantises.
 

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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