She Opens Her Mouth with Wisdom

I'm still in Austin -- was planning only a few days, but when I was needed for a project, I stayed a few days longer. Then, I was leaving on Thursday, but my precious son, in a stance that reminded me of him as a little boy, said, "Mommy, would you please stay for Mother's Day? I want to take care of my girls!" Like he was as a little boy, I couldn't resist those eyes or plea. But, then, to my utter surprise last night, in walks my crew from Frisco. Oh, the tears that came. My sweet Ryan and Shawntel surprised me by asking them to join us for Mother's Day weekend! So here I am all wrapped up in love this morning the day before Mother's Day.

One of my greatest joys in life has been to be a mother....to my own children AND to those God put into my life "to mother". Nothing is so dear as the results of a hug or a word of wisdom I shared with someone who needed that hug or word. It is so unique and special how God designed a woman’s heart to love and nurture tenderly and teach wisely.

Leaving home at 17 to marry, I sure needed my mom's wisdom. Besides washing clothes and cooking tips, I needed her wisdom about sharing life with a man. I remember when I wanted to run "back home" to her because of what seemed to be the biggest "spat" EVER. I'm so glad she wouldn't let me. She reminded me that I HAD left "home", and my new home was with the man I loved and "this little spat would pass". And, it did.

Then, one year later, our son was born and I needed her even more. The times he was sick (and, the times I got sick), the times when, as a couple, we hit a rough patch and life seemed so out of control, the times when I needed her voice to comfort me. In God’s sovereign plan for motherhood, He gave me a mother that was my mentor, my best friend and my confidant. And, not only did He give me my mother, but He gave me the dearest mother-in-law EVER. God also gave me other older women in age and in faith (and continues to do so) that have come alongside and loved me “like a mother.”

After these many seasons of my life, watching and learning from my resilient, strong, and determined Mom during the time of my daddy's long illness, and then as a single mom after he graduated to heaven, to my own learning to be Mom to my children and to other young women, I can assure you that God has special plans for women. He gave us life to give life to others. God's plans for us ensure that we are "mothered" and that we "mother".

Do you still have your Mom with you today? Treasure her. If not, treasure her because she gave us YOU! Tomorrow will be a day of celebrating moms, but perhaps we might consider being “like a mother” to those who need a mentor. Just maybe we are the answer to someone's prayers.

I honor all the beautiful and selfless ladies that "mother" those around them with God's love and with His wisdom that encourages and blesses them.

Proverbs 31:26 "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."

Thanks, Lois and Eunice!

(Warning -- longer than my usual long blogs -- but, I promise you -- so worth the read!)
My mother’s parents, my grandfather and grandmother, John and Mary, were two of the most loving and faith-filled couple I have ever known. At any given time of the day, you’d find them praying for their children, grandchildren and even for future generations. I am one of those grandchildren. Before I was born, they were praying for me. That still comforts me because I’ve seen the fruit of those prayers in my life and in the lives of my children and grandchildren.

The thoughts of my grandparents and parents, the sacrifices they made for me in prayer, particularly, came to me with gratitude when I read St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, his protégé. This is what Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:5: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” The faithfulness of Timothy’s mother and grandmother was noticed by Paul because he was seeing the fruit of their prayers in Timothy. And, that is the faith I was taught and passed on to my children and grandchildren. We live this way! Unwavering faith in our God of the impossible.

A couple of weeks ago I saw that faith manifested by two dear family friends, the grandmother, Jillian Chambers and her daughter, Sydni Simons. We knew Sydni would give birth any day. We were so excited for the young couple's firstborn's arrival. But, while I was taking care of my boys in Austin, grandmother Jillian (Honey) sent out prayer alerts to only those who would also be undaunted in faith. Sydni's dad wrote: "Sydni experienced over 24 hours of highly stressful labor, and then a C-section with even more challenges. There were moments the doctors didn't know if baby Charlotte would make it. Baby was taken from Mom and rushed to NICU in another hospital. They were separated for several days, but through faith, a plethora of prayers, around the clock medical care, lots of tears and unstoppable prayers, baby Charlotte was off of all life supporting tubes, held by mom and dad, loved by everybody, and was able to go home 48 hours later." Sydni is the product of the strong faith of her mother and dad. She wrote this in great faith:

"Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness! Man, what a week. I will tell you this. God is good. There is nothing that can change my mind about His eternal goodness. That is an absolute. God is good, absolutely. Next, the Body of Christ is unreal. My faith has never felt more shaken or tested than the way it has been this week. I hit that point of “Lord, I want to say that I believe but I don’t know. I’m scared and I’m exhausted and I don’t know how to stand.” Yet in those moments, I felt my family and my best friends surround us and help raise Colby and I’s arms up just like Aaron & Hur did with Moses and just like the Israelites, WE ARE EXPERIENCING VICTORY! We have watched the power of prayer this week. We have seen with our eyes that the prayers of the righteous avail much. MUCH MUCH MUCH!!!! My God is faithful. FAITHFUL. I cannot express how vital and important it is to be part of a community of believers who know the Word of God and declare it with authority!

Finally....our baby girl is here and she’s so so so beautiful. I can’t stop crying when I look at pictures of her. She arrived a little differently than we had planned and it’s created quite the opportunity to trust the Lord right out of the gate. But I mean, how perfect right? She belongs to Him first and she belongs to Him always. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Colby and I and our sweet little PERFECT ANGEL BABY! This is not a time for, “I’m sorry for what you are going through.” Please, don’t be sorry for us. We are experiencing the glory of God in these hospital rooms. We are taking ground for His kingdom in faith, in prayer and in worship. We are watching the same God who called Lazarus to rise out of his slumber move on behalf of our daughter. HIS daughter!! Because of His great love for her! Stand with us, pray with us and watch with us as we see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!! That is the God we serve and that is the God who promises good to us; to never leave us or forsake us. ❤️ Romans 8:31"

This was written by a young woman who had been taught relentless faith in the time of trouble. And, look at Jillian's, the grandmother's words: "It’s one thing to face your giants; it’s another to stand beside your children as they face their own. This last week has been overwhelming. Not because of the pain, uncertainty or fear of great loss. I’m overwhelmed at the fierce faith I witnessed overwhelm my daughter at each “negative report”. I am overwhelmed at the fight deep inside her rising up time after time, fiercely denying fear access to alter her faith. Her unwavering trust in God that pierced through the cloud of doubt that tried to linger. Joining her in prayers of faith and songs of worship while FaceTiming her husband who was at a different hospital with angel baby. Overwhelmed with gratitude that we did not quit, give up or take our faith for granted over the years in her raising. Overwhelmed with great joy in stepping aside and watching her begin a lifetime journey called “motherhood“ and now training her daughter how to fight the good fight of faith."

I am stirred up more than ever to be a faith-first, praying mother and grandmother for my children’s and seven grandchildren’s lives. When we pray according to God’s Word, like those prayers prayed for Sydni and baby Charlotte, we are in line with God’s will, enabling us to pray with power and wisdom. The praying changes not only the lives of our grandchildren, but us as well.

As crazy as this world is and as topsy-turvy our own little worlds might be, instead of wringing our hands in distress, we can pray—regularly, intentionally, specifically—trusting our children and grandchildren into God’s faithful care. God’s way is perfect…. “He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.” (Psalm 18:30). We can stand in the gap, praying for the spiritual, emotional, and physical protection of our precious children and grandchildren. We are not hopeless; we have a God who is “our refuge and strength, our stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

So mothers and grandmothers (and dads and granddads), let's unite, pray and believe because God is faithful, we can breathe in His peace while we wait for the answers to our prayers.

Tell Mama I’ll Be There

That’s the title of an old (1898) country song that I remember hearing my mama sing about her mama. And, that’s the song I sing about my mama. I'll be there, Mama!

“Tell mother I’ll be there, in answer to her prayer;
This message, blessed Savior, to her bear!
Tell mother I’ll be there, Heaven’s joys with her to share;
Yes, tell my darling mother I’ll be there."

I’m thinking about my darling mother today on her birthday (she’d be 108). Oh, what a precious mama she was to me. Everything I am, and hope to be, I owe to her example, her love, her abiding faith in God during some of life’s toughest times. She had unwavering love for my dad, my siblings and me. Mostly, it was the peace she exuded regardless of the pressures of life. If God were giving a motherhood test, she would have passed it with flying colors.

Honestly, the best of me came from her. If ever there was an angel on earth, it was her. She was my mentor, role model and everything a mother should be. She selflessly gave -- "Just give me the fried chicken neck -- that's good enough for me." She always forgave -- "It's okay. God forgives me all the time. I sure can forgive you." She unconditionally loved -- "It's okay that I don't hear much from your siblings (they lived in other states). I love and pray for them anyway." Her integrity and honesty were of the utmost importance to her. I'll never forget the day as a tiny tot that I saw a package of gum on the floor in the store and put it in my pocket. I reasoned that "if it's on the floor, it's okay to have it". When she found it in my pocket, she took me back to the store and I had to admit my wrong-doing. That incident and lesson stuck with me like glue. She gave me boundaries that worked -- "Let your conscience be your guide." And those words always rang in my ears when I was choosing right or wrong. She never missed a church service -- Wednesday night, Friday prayer meeting, women's meetings, Sunday School AND church -- twice each Sunday. She sacrificed her own personal needs for my needs. She showed me undaunted faith and determination in the toughest of times when my Daddy was so sick and when our finances were so meager. I heard her praying for me and my siblings from her bedroom. She was unquestionably the most tender, kind-hearted, loving, gentle, caring and pure woman I have ever known. She was my hero, and to this day, she remains my hero. Her example made me a better me.

The reason why I'm emphasizing her today to impress upon us to realize -- it's not the places we go or the things or treasures or inheritance or life insurance or jewelry -- the tangible things that make us. What makes us, and the legacy we leave to our children, are the things that money could never buy. Her influence on me caused me to be honest, to love and care passionately, to put my faith in God during the best and worst of times, to give and to suck it up when I've been hurt or offended, to trust in God's plans for my life and to leave my family with something so much more than the things that can be bought. I intend to leave them the very best of me......and the very best of me is my precious mother's example. What are those things that you'll leave to your children and grandchildren?
"Her children rise up, and call her blessed...." Proverbs 31:28
Happy Birthday, Mama! You can count on it! I’ll meet you over there!

Moms! Let it Go and Let it Grow!

I'm sitting at my desk in Radiology at Children's Hospital and hear playing "Let it Go" on the tv monitors in the waiting room. How many times have I heard that song from "Frozen" and from messages I've heard about letting unnecessary stuff go?

But, this day, I'm thinking about Mother's Day and from what I've learned, "What would I tell my 18-year-old self when I first became a young mom?" I would tell her: "You may be new at this but practice makes perfect so LET IT GROW!"

I wasn't athletically inclined. No sports for me. Though I wanted to be "that" girl who stood out and won awards for her team, I didn't even try to go there. But, athleticism kicked in for me many years later when I started running. I learned that God made our bodies in a way that we can't expect to be an athlete with only an "I wish I could" mentality. Years ago, a group of us walked the 5K in honor of my husband who couldn't walk at all. After that, my son's marathon trainer said: "Your son's long, athletic legs came from you! It's time for you to start running!" At first, I thought she was kidding or crazy, but before long I started training. It started with building endurance. Then I was ready to run a mile. The first day I walked and ran, the next day I walked a little faster, and eventually, I could run a mile. Before long, I was ready to run my first 13.5-mile half-marathon.

I wish someone would have told me about endurance in motherhood! It takes endurance, practice, work, consistency, and exhaustion to grow into mothering with wisdom and maturity and grace and gentleness. I found the more I practiced, the stronger I became, step by step, slow and steady, learning, doing, listening to older moms, staying closely knit with the Lord and relying on His Holy Spirit, the better I got.

There is a reason Scripture talks about older women teaching younger women (Titus 2:4-5) to keep on and that's what this older woman is saying to you today, precious moms! You are NOT failing! It takes time and work and sweat and tears. When I say, it gets better, I don’t just mean it gets easier because your kids sleep and are more self-sufficient (although sleep is awesome). It gets better because you get better. You mature. You grow in grace. You are acting out of what you have been given by God. You have been molded and tested, and if you keep on, you will make it. So get your running shoes, pace yourself (oh my goodness, pace yourself), and keep on. You are NOT failing! I'm not saying "Let it go". I am saying "Let it grow!" You're not alone. God is cheering you on and so am I!

James 1:2-4 confirms what God is telling us: "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So LET IT GROW for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

It's Mother's Day Weekend -- Time to Reminisce!

Of course I'm reminiscing. I get to celebrate motherhood. Of all the joys that this life has afforded me, being a mother is right at the top of the list. Did I make mistakes? Whew! The fact that my kids survived being raised by two inexperienced, novice "kid" parents, is remarkable! But, by God's grace, they survived. It's really quite a miracle:
• that they survived a mother that drank coffee and tea while she was pregnant;
• that I put them to sleep on their tummy in a baby crib that was covered with white lead-based paint;
• that they made it without having childproof medicine bottles, lids, doors and cabinets
• that they rode their bicycles, with no helmets; not to mention that they stood up by me in the car with no seat belt on;
• that I let them drink water from the garden hose.
• that I let them eat cupcakes, white bread, and drink Kool-Aid made with sugar, and they weren't overweight because they played outside all the time;
• that we couldn't send them to ivy-league universities, but we taught them "hard work, a never quit attitude and tenacity" and that seems to have worked out just fine for them.
• that they didn't have a Playstation or X-Box or 150 channels on TV to watch or an I-pod or a computer or internet.

In retrospect, I guess I shouldn't apologize, because their dad and I must have done something right. We watched them, over the years, become great risk-takers and problem solvers. Oh, they had some setbacks.....but they never failed to have tremendous comebacks. It must have been a "God" thing.....that He used us, with all of our inexperience to be a part of this successful, motivated, optimistic, incredible man and woman who possess such creativity and bulldog tenacity in everything they do today.

My nephew, a Baptist pastor in Vernon, Texas, sent me a private Facebook message a few days ago asking me "Besides teaching your children faith, what would you consider being the most important task of a mother? Bonus: What do you want your children to remember you by?"

And my response was: " The 'I can' attitude! "I CAN do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Every thing, every dream, every hope, every prayer is possible because "NOTHING is impossible with our God." Basically, the Zig Ziglar mentality of being the best, being a WWJD kind of devoted follower of Christ. Never giving up -- like the little engine that could....ALWAYS, "I think I can. I think I can!" Negative thinking NOT ALLOWED in this house. Wimpy attitudes NOT ALLOWED in this house. I Can't NOT ALLOWED in this house. We create the atmosphere around us. Either we're the light that comes in or the dark that comes in! Whew! You didn't ask for all that, but it's sincerely the basis for the success of our family and it's God's Word, so, yes, faith is the crux of it all, but faith is boosted when we live in an attitude of gratitude and optimism." Whew -- my words are never FEW!

If I had further words of wisdom to offer to young moms and dads today, I'd say "Cherish the moments...every one of them!" I read this not too long ago, and I pass it along to encourage each and everyone to "take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride. Your kids will make it, too, but, take it from me.....treasure the moments!"

If I Had My Child To Raise All Over Again
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point my finger less.
I would do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, (my add, "I'd take my eyes off my phone") and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I'd see the Oak Tree in the acorn more often.
I'd be firm less often, and affirm much more.
If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd model less about the love of power, and more about the power of love!

I'm so grateful these two made me such a proud, happy blessed Mom and Nana!

Happy Mother's Day to all my sweet mothers, sisters and friends out there. After all, God gave us all the opportunity to "mother". Some of us, naturally, and all of us the ability to share God's love by mothering through hugs, encouragement and prayers to all those who need that mother's love all around us!