Happy Mother's Day

Charles F. Stanley
God tells us to honor our mother. And He does not set any limits to His command. Because she's our mom, we are to treat her with respect and love.Mothers don't always live up to our expectations. Sometimes, they experience hardships and challenges that affect their ability to offer what we need or want. Or, they might have a personal weakness that negatively impacts us or our families. But we're to follow the example of our heavenly Father, who loved us even though we didn't have any qualities that deserved His favor. Romans 5:10 says He chose us to belong to Him through His Son Jesus, even while we were still His enemies.God loved us when we were unlovable. We can express our gratitude to Him by giving unconditional love to our mother. With the Holy Spirit's help, we can choose to do so genuinely and consistently.To love the significant women in our lives without any strings attached is an important part of showing them honor. No mother or wife should have to wonder if she's living up to what loved ones hope and expect from her. After a while, she'll feel trapped by the burden of unmet expectations, rather than accepted by those closest to her.Mothers have the same needs as all women: to be loved, listened to, and cared about. Take time to show the important women in your life how much you care for them. Be a willing, attentive listener, and demonstrate your love to them in meaningful ways.

All Mothers are Loved

This is for all the mothers who probably won't win Mother of the Year. All the runners-up and all the wannabes. The mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care. This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see my goal?" they could say, "Of course, wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's OK, honey, Mommy's here." This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who fled in the night and can't find their children.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and made them homes. For all the mothers of the victims of the Colorado shooting, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely. For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?

So this is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't. This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year...And then reading it again, "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who mess up. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner. This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. For all the mothers who bite their lips - sometimes until they bleed - when their 14 year olds dye their hair green. Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves. This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them. This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse and hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for all of you. Hang in there, and know that you are loved and needed.

Your Personal Best

Someone will always be prettier. They will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school. And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances. Think about it. The prettiest woman in the world can have hate in her heart. And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children. And the richest woman you know-she's got the car, the house, the clothes-might be lonely. And the Word says if I have not Love, I am nothing.
So, again, love you. Love who you are right now and let God be your barometer. Mirror Him. Look in the mirror in the morning and see how much of God you see. He's the only standard and even when you come up short; He will not leave you or forsake you. Smile and may God continue to bless you."I am too blessed to be stressed or depressed, and too anointed to be disappointed!"
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.
"The one who kneels to God can stand up to anything." "Winners make things happen. Losers let things happen." "To the world, you might be only one person, but to one person, you just might be the world.""God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the 'ONE' I can change, and the wisdom to know that it's ME"Have a great day and remember... "Kindness is contagious...pass it on."