Grace Flows Down

As a mother for almost 29 years now, I have celebrated many Mother’s Days.  But today I think about this day and how hard it might be for those who wish motherhood would happen for them and to be called a mother, they would desire it dearly, but for them it has not yet happened.   To add to this how about the ones who no longer have their mother here with them on Mother’s Day or the ones who have lost a child and are doing Mother’s Day without out their precious gifts. Or even for the ones who have not had any contact from their son or daughters for some time now.  For some, it’s a day of great joy and for others it is a day of great sadness. 

This day is about LOVE and HONORING those who we love!  I am blessed by having my Mother and two twenty something sons here on Earth to celebrate this DAY.  I might not always do or say the right things as a Mother, but I hope my boys know they are very special to me.  I feel like mothering is a tough thing to get right at any age, but I deeply feel parenting twenty somethings is really hard.  They are not children anymore, now they are adults and making their own choices.  I need to remind myself to keep taking 3 steps back and let them make their choices even if these choices are ones I am not sure about.   I want to love them unconditionally and let me tell you I pray for them like continually!  They are good men. (did I really just say that~MEN)  Yes, they are men and are loved always and forever!  They are a very special gift!

For me, I have one son, who every year is not with me.  He is in Heaven and I miss him so, but I am so glad to know that one day because of salvation I will see Him soon again.  (I love the HOPE that my faith brings.)  He is always in my heart, holding a very special place in this Momma’s heart!  

To all of you out there with hurts and longings today, I am praying the Lord will meet you in the place where you need Him most! I know it is not a Happy Mother’s Day for everyone!

Praying you feel the LOVE of CHRIST today and everyday!

It’s been party time around here!  I celebrated my “50th” Birthday with about 76 guests Saturday night.  My husband and friends were really busy these last 2 months planning this party and pulling it off.  They surprised me “big time.”

Saturday night I thought we were going to watch my husband win an award for “Service work” he did for Rotary.  He even had an invitation on Rotary letter head sent in the mail to our house.   So, I was convinced we were going to a Rotary dinner.  Then as I rounded the corner and walked into the large room I see family and friends and they yell “Surprise” and sing Happy Birthday!  What a treat!  A huge blessing!  The love of all my friends and family sharing and celebrating with me was a very special night!  Memories to last a lifetime!

As I reflect back to how God has blessed me so much, by giving me incredible friends who love me so well,  I see how far he has brought me.  As I give more and all of myself to Him, He has been so faithful back to me. Life is not always surprise birthday parties and there are challenges and disappointments but I hang on during those times realizing God is good and He is forever faithful to me.  There are ups and downs as any Christian experiences in life, but having a personal relationship with Him has been an incredible thing for me.  Leaning on Him each day and not living for the things this world tells us are important, has been such a life changing event for me.   The most important thing is accepting His MIGHTY LOVE because without HIM my life would not be so FULL and I would be spiraling down in bitterness and sorrow.

Friends, I rebelled for years thinking I did not need Him.  I wanted to be “cool” and be into what the world thought was “cool.”  I believed in Him but did not seek Him for my everyday living.  When I started to let HIM LOVE ME only like HE CAN LOVE, then the walls started to come down and I was able to actively seek HIM.  I started out reading and trying to understand the Bible, then I got connected into a church with a Sunday School class where I was being taught the Word.  The more my faith grew the more I understood.  The Holy Spirit guides us along this path of growing us and helping us to learn.  I started Beth Moore bible studies which were a powerful gift for me.  She has taught me so much through using TRUTH of the Word to show us “His way” is better than “our way.”  Let me tell you, I do not get life right and I still make mistakes but through His LOVE , GRACE, TRUTH and WORD, He is blossoming me into a new creature.  I am letting my old self die and continuing to live the good life of Christ!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Galatians 2:20

IF the stones of this pathway represented your life from beginning to end,

 what would they say?

 She lived with grace, love, hope, faith, or mercy?

How would you want to be remembered? 

If you are like me, you might have the same desire at the moment when the end of our path/life comes, to want to leave a legacy of our time spent on this earth being defined by more than just someone saying, “she was a mother and a wife or she had an important career.” No, I hope what most of us want is the ultimate reward of God telling us “well done good and faithful servant” and desiring our children and grandchildren to treasure the moments of who we were and how we lived our life. 

If we desire this, then I believe we need our children and loved ones to see us abiding in truth and living to love the way God intended us to love.  Our loved ones need to see our love for Jesus rooted in the truth of God’s Word and in prayer and not just by loving Him with the experiences of life.  WE need to bring about what we believe from our hearts and minds to make it to our hands and feet.  To walk out this love every day.

This reminds me of a story of a dear friend who posted a bumper sticker on her car that reads “Walk in Love.”  She often shares how she is now held accountable by her driving and interactions to others as to show love and kindness to everyone.  She is “walking in love.” Not that she needed much help in this department because she is one of the most loving people I know.  And let me add this girl knows grace very well!

In order, for us to live out love every day we need to live a life of faith, mercy, grace, hope and love. Serving and living every day to be more like Christ, accepting His love and knowing how He loves us, so we can carry this love trait through life living it out to others.  First, I firmly believe that until we know and soak in His love, then can we love others with grace, hope, and love the way He loves us.

Where are you today with this desire of leaving a legacy of God’s love? 

Are you seeking God to help you meet this desire?

Are you seeking His love and walking in love?  

Do you truly know HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU? (If you don’t, why not ask Him to show you how much he loves you and keep on asking Him to show you everyday until you feel it.) 

My prayer is that God himself has been sowing the seed of His powerful word in our hearts and minds. Also I am praying we are seeking Him with every ounce of our being, so we can leave a well lived legacy behind to our future families and have the ultimate heavenly reward.  

As Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7,8

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

I encourage you to soak in His LOVE today, get yourself deep in the Word and be in constant communication with Him.

What will the stones of your pathway read?

May God’s grace be with you all!

 Sorry for the different font~I cannot figure out how to fix the problem.  It’s funny how it did not show up this way until I posted this post.  Anyway Holley is setting up a Dream God-Sized Dreams today over at her blog.  Go over to her blog spot and be a part of all the encouragement today.