Honor Your Mother

In our younger years we think of the words ‘respect’ and ‘obedience’ when it comes to honoring our parents, but what about in the later years when we are adults and our parents are aging? With age comes failing health and limitations that may change our roles.  Here are just a few ways we can honor our mothers in their later years.

H - Help her remain independent as long as possible in her living situation, activities and self-care, respecting and maintaining her dignity. Keep in mind that for many years she made an incredible contribution to society with her talents, skills and abilities. Appreciate how difficult it is to lose mobility and the ability to remain active in a society that does not respect aging.

O - Offer assistance in whatever ways she will accept, such as providing transportation, navigating the mountains of paperwork that get more complicated each year, picking up groceries or running errands, making and keeping track of appointments. Be available.

N - Need her. Value her input into your life to the degree that she is able and desires to give it.  Ask her advice. Talk to her. Spend time with her. Listen to her stories, as many times as she wants to tell them! And if she doesn’t tell them, ask!

O - Overcome obstacles with her and for her. Find resources to help make her life easier. Overlook irritations and forget past hurts. Treat her with the love, compassion and respect you want from your children in your later vulnerable years.

R - Remember where she came from and what she lived through. If she grew up in the depression, of course she saves everything, doesn’t like wasting food, lives frugally and looks forward to getting mail in her mailbox! Understand this and don’t get frustrated by it. Remember how hard she worked and the personal sacrifices she made for the family. Remember that she gave you life and she let you live! Be thankful!  And if you were blessed (as I was) to have a mother who knew the Lord, she prayed for you and taught you about Him. Be grateful! Remember that humor goes a long way in keeping things good between you. Find things to laugh about. It’s good medicine.  

Do the best you can and when she is no longer with you you’ll have no regrets.

Not just on “Mothers’ Day” but every day, let’s honor our mothers.

So, Mom, I honor you today and thank God for giving me you. I miss you but I know that one day I will see you again in Glory! Absent from the body, present with the Lord.

Travel Plans?

I was thinking about my daughter and her plans to travel home this summer. It reminded me of our many trips across the ocean over the years. When we want to get somewhere we jump through all the necessary hoops to make arrangements.

Researching transportation options,

Making (and paying for) reservations,

Getting required paperwork in order (tickets, visas, passports, photo id, shots, etc….)

Following the rules - Of our country, the transportation company, and the host country…

Packing only permissible quantities of non-restricted items, within allotted weight limit,

Arriving at the departure point hours prior to departure,
Waiting in lines,
Dealing with delays and schedule changes (more waiting),
Going through security checks – pat downs and scanners,
Sitting in cramped, uncomfortable quarters for long periods of time with restricted movement and no fresh air, unable to change our mind or our course once onboard, then totally committed to someone else (strangers, even) to get us safely where we want to go.
Over and over, year after year, we do whatever is necessary so that we can arrive at the destinations we long for. 

Yet for many, when it comes to the destination called “Heaven” suddenly the Way becomes burdensome.
We want to go, but on our own terms, in our own time, by our own means.
We think it unfair that there is a required route to get to the Father’s House. 
We think there are many ways to get to God – just pick which way you like.
We think that whatever we decide, whenever we decide it, however we want to get there should be acceptable enough. 
We think the road should be easy and comfortable.
We think the Bible way is too restrictive and too narrow.
We try to make our own rules.
We refuse to commit to THE ONE who can safely get us to the destination, THE ONE who is the Way.

Funny how we take such pains in the physical realm but live in denial when it comes to spiritual matters.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14: 6) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

Paul writes, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6) “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

There will be lots of traveling this summer.

And as you pack for vacation, think about that final destination.

Happy Travels.

Much love,

Ruth

Here’s a song to bless your day. It’s called “Goin’ Home”  https://youtu.be/oC17gMFnw7s

Go Tell

It’s Taylor’s 14^th birthday today!

I well remember the day she was born.

I became a grandmother that day, 

and the news from PA came while I was in a KS WalMart parking lot.

I was SO excited that I could not wait to tell somebody. I rushed into the store and looked around to find someone that I knew! A lady from our church was in the checkout line, and I rushed to tell her! I felt such joy I thought I might burst if I didn’t tell someone right away. 

Since that day, six more grandchildren joined our family-

Each one bringing incredible joy into our lives.

As believers in Jesus Christ we also experience new life.

  Best

  News

  Ever!

He fills us with joy – so much joy that we might just burst if we don’t tell somebody.

As Jesus was leaving His disciples He commissioned them with the message –

Go, preach the Gospel. (see Mark 16:15)

The Gospel –

Christ died for our sins…He was buried and He was raised to life. (see 1 Corinthians 15:3,4)

If you have joy today who will you tell?