Happy Memorial Day

On Monday, May 27, we once again honor the memory of those servicemembers who died in war.  They sacrificed all for their country, for their fellow men, for their families.

The unofficial first day of summer, It is a festive day for parades, picnics, and fireworks. It is also a day to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. All gave some but some gave all. It is a time to   remember the courageous acts of men and women who laid it all down for us.

We put flags on the graves of these heroes and thank God for them.

 

It is a time to pray for the families they left behind, the men and women who served by staying and keeping the home fires bright.

It is also a good time to pray for the victims of wars everywhere, the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Pray for the victims of senseless violence. 

Remember in prayer the families that lost loved ones to tornadoes, floods, fires, earthquakes and other disasters around the world.

Remember also that Jesus paid a price for us, in that while perfect and without sin, He sacrificed his life that we might spend eternity with Him.

Wishing a happy Memorial Day to all my readers. Even if your country does not celebrate this, take a little time to remember the heroes who gave all for you. And for the savior who died for all men and women everywhere.

Public-Domain-Image.com enhanced with verse

BibleGateway.com

Power in Praise

Yesterday, I asked God what he wanted my readers to hear this week. Immediately I thought of a book that I read many years ago, “The Power in Praise”  by Merlin Carothers.  Though I have forgotten many details, I remember the shining premise of the book, that there is power in praising God in all situations.

It is not always easy to praise God no matter what happens. The world with its problems can be exceedingly cruel. Life certainly is not fair. It is too easy to give up and surrender to despair.

 We can read in Acts about what Paul endured from preaching the gospel of Christ.  Soldiers bound him with two chains. People followed after him with threats to kill him.  Even when thrown in prison, he never stopped praising God.

Acts 21: 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

Job praised God even when his whole life collapsed and he lost everything. Job lost all that was dear to him, his buildings, herds, his children, and his health.

 He continued praising God even when he was covered with terrible oozing sores and his wife demanded he curse God and die.  Job's faith held strong. He did not sin and God restored all that he had lost, and more. He had more children, bigger herds, and more property.

We sing a song in church that goes, “We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord,” written by Kirk Dearman. It is hard to sing that

when your life is spinning out of control.  When we sacrifice our hurt feelings and raw emotions to praise, power follows. God gives us strength, courage, and the ability to carry on.  He restores us. Praise Him in all things and let Him give you power to overcome. Praise Him because He is worthy to be praised.

www.BibleGateway.com 

Image in public domain

Happy Mother's Day

A Godly Mother

Being a mom is one of the highest callings of womanhood. She protects, cares for, and loves her children more than any other person in the world could.

She nurtures and protects. If you want to get her mad, just mess with her children. She is always there morning and night. A godly mother teaches them fear of and reverence for the Lord.  She helps her children become strong and to learn all the skills they need when they become adults.

In Proverbs 22:6 we find that she trains up a child the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Her job never ends. It only moves into different phases of life. When they are infants, they rely on her for the basic necessities of life.  She makes sure they have food to eat, a bed for rest, and a safe place to grow.

When they reach school age, she must let go a little.  They feed themselves and take care of their needs. They still need guidance and assurance of her love as they run off to explore their little section of the universe. This is when the discussions on values become more important.  A godly mother reads the Bible and helps her children hide the words in their hearts.

As teens, they become more independent and make decisions about careers, jobs and relationships. They need her guidance more than ever before.

 

It is never too late to become a godly mother.  Just start where you are and go from there. God accepts us the way we are and can use us at any time.

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all of you women around the world. Whether you have children of your own, or are caring for a grandchild or someone else’s child, you deserve recognition and praise.

Image-Mother and Baby-

public-domain-images.com

Flowers-public domain
BibleGateway.com
paraphrase of Proverbs 22:6

We Need Each Other

¹¹ And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

¹² But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Exodus 17:11-12 KJV.

The Israelis were in battle with the Amaleks, enemies who attacked them whenever they got a chance. God told Moses to hold his hands up. When he held his arms up, the Israelis prevailed. When he grew tired and lowered them, the Amaleks started winning.

Try holding your hands and arms up in the air How long does it take to get tired and put them down? Think of Moses doing this for a whole day.

They put down a stone that Moses could sit on to save his strength. When he still had trouble holding up his hands, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him and held his hands up so the Israelis kept winning.

Moses needed Aaron and Hur to help him.  Aaron and Hur needed Moses to help the Israelis to prevail over the Amaleks. People need each other. Cooperation is necessary to achieve a goal, a win over the enemy.

We need to hold each other up. When one falls the rest need to pick him up and restore him.  When faith wavers, others must remind him of God’s greatness and the eternal reward. When anyone is sick or discouraged, he needs others to pray for him. When tragedy strikes, we need each other as Christians and as people. 

Every person is a child of God whether he/she likes or acknowledges it, or not.  Each Christian  is part of the body of Christ and each serves in an unique way. We need each other. 

BibleGateway.com

Image- Friends Public-Domain-Images.com  via Wikimedia Commons