Prayer Call

As we build this community prayer platform, with help from the #PrayerWarriors team, we ask the Lord to listen to our petitions with full confidence they not only are heard but acted upon by God according to His holy will. These requests are on my prayer list and I hope you consider putting them on yours as you place your petitions before the Lord Sunday.

As we approach the throne room, let’s remember to respond with faith and not fear, knowing the promises of God and His mighty hand will hold us through any situation! Sometimes, all it takes is just one prayer to change everything …

Lord, we come to you asking for Your will on Your people. DeBorah lost her wallet last week. Please pray it will be returned since she needs $250 for transportation, utilities and her cell phone bill. She needs her cellphone to stay in contact with her brother Stephen, who has autism and in a group home.

Dave’s brain cancer has returned. He was released to rehab, but 12 hours later was back in the hospital with more seizures.

Gaz is asking for prayers for his dad. He had a massive heart attack and in a serious but stable condition.

Kayla asks for prayers for her dad, who started vomiting while under anesthesia during a colonoscopy. His oxygen levels dropped super low and they have discovered he has pneumonia.

Dan’s heart surgery is going well. They did not have to stop his heart for this procedure, which included four grafts using a vein from his leg. He has started the recovery process.

Ernie requests prayers for a friend who has a rare gastro disease. She can’t keep anything down. She’s had multiple surgeries and devices installed, but it seems to be getting worse.

Pete remains in the hospital fighting cancer. He will be moved to cancer ward Tuesday so they can look after him properly. He said he is too weak to walk or stand on his own, and having lots of tests.

Michelle is asking for prayers. We have to be out of their apartment by next week. I’m trying so hard not to panic, she said. We still have packing and nowhere to live. But, she added, it’s in God’s hands and she trusts Him.

Leah would appreciate prayers. She said she made a very big mistake and it’s affecting more people than just her. It was an honest mistake but I feel terrible and really stupid and there isn’t anything I can do to amend the situation.

Kate said her throat doesn’t hurt but she is losing her voice. It’s been 10 days with a headache. She is on antibiotics and just praying for relief soon.

Kevin reported his dad is back in the hospital. They couldn’t wake him up the other night and had very low BP and tremors. He seems a little more stable today. Kevin received a nerve block that made things worse and is in terrible pain. His brother started treatment this week for cancer. Please keep us all in your prayers …

Joseph is starting a new treatment regimen for leukemia compounded by pancreatic  cancer.

Andrew continues to battle pancreatic cancer.

Jim is slowly recuperating and has had to turn over his active ride for addiction awareness to biker Darren Hawkins. Prayers requested for Jim and the ministry.

Jennifer is asking prayers for an unspoken miracle.

Kerry is beginning testing for end stage liver failure. An EGD is scheduled June 7.

We come to You, Lord, because prayer is the least yet the greatest thing we can do for each other. When two or more are gathered in Your name, we confidently know You are with us. What better company can we have? You reign and we trust You! We may be broken and battered but know You heal and quiet the soul. You are the source for all that happens in our lives. We thank You for the progress being made. We thank You for the many blessings we have received this week — some we unfortunately didn’t notice. Nonetheless, those blessings are ever-present in our lives. We thank You for healing. We thank You for slowing us down. We thank You for providing us our daily needs — no more and no less. We thank You for being with us, listening to us, walking with us on this journey. We thank You for the support of our family and friends … for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary — sunrises, sunsets, flowers, kids laughing, adventures, good news amid the bad news. We also know we can come to You with our concerns and they will be heard. Through Christ all things are possible. We lift up those family members and friends who are battling various physical, emotional, financial, career or spiritual issues and ask not for Your guidance and healing (although that would be welcomed) but to keep reminding us we are not alone in our battles. Specifically we lift up DeBorah, Dave, Gaz’ and Kayla’s dads, Dan, Ernie’s friend, Pete, Michelle, Leah, Kate, Kevin, Kevin’s father and brother, Joseph, Andrew, Jim and Darren. We pray for the families of all those You have called home. We grieve … You celebrate. We pray for obedience to Your Will so Your “Son” Light shines through us through the power of the Spirit. And we come to You through the confidence of the words taught by Your Son Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Keep your joys and concerns coming. They have been and will be included during my prayer time and I trust they will be on your lips as well as you approach the altar. All it takes is a couple of keystrokes under the “Contact Me” button on the top bar {or to the right if you’re not a follower yet}. I hope it becomes your best friend as you navigate around the site so we can all be viable prayer warriors. You can also comment or reach me at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Posted in Prayer-Care-Share | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Five Minute Friday — Culture

On a drab, dismal Friday, it was refreshing to plug into Kate’s Five Minute Friday home page and discover the word for the week was CULTURE! This is going to be interesting.

You know the drill. It’s Friday, we have a prompt, we write, we post, we share. And it all comes down  at Kate’s place in the Community section at www.fiveminutefriday.com. I’ve told you before … you should check it out. Better yet, you should join in.

For another take, Gayl contributes from Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat, “My very first blog post was for FMF. It really helped me move forward with my blog. It was fun, inspiring and a challenge to write for five minutes on a topic.”

There you have it. Listen to Gayl.

I guess it’s time to get started. The timer has been set so we’ll cultivate our way through the next five minutes. GO…

Hmm. Which was to go.

Initially, I thought of culture as a noun — you know, the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.

But as I let my mind wander, I shifted to culture as a verb. More specifically, it’s more widely used synonyms — cultivate, grow, promote, raise, rear, tend. And I’ll try to connect those actions with the noun and how it ties together. Let’s see how we do.

Our actions in these areas help us  form our personal culture (noun). It’s up to us to cultivate and help others  grow. It’s up to us to promote each other and raise the group up. It’s up to us to help rear those in our group and tend to their individual and corporate needs. That’s how we culture (verb) the culture (noun).

We’re interconnected. This group, Five Minute Friday, is a group of individual writers

… STOP

who come together as a Christian-based writing community linked by our interest in faith-filled writing. That’s the noun. That’s our linking belief. That’s our group. That’s our culture.

We can’t live in a vacuum, though. We have to help each other. We have to culture each other.

By definition, culture the verb is transitive. As such it has two characteristics: it is an action verb it must have a direct object. So, friends, let’s culture each other — in this group and in life.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Encouragement is the fuel on which hope runs. – Zig Ziglar

 

Shop Now

 

Posted in Five Minute Friday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lesson from Babe Ruth

My morning message to family and friends was a Babe Ruth quote, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

While I was directing followers to the message, I focused on the speaker … The Bambino.

Babe Ruth was a little before my time, more like a legend. Being raised in Yankee territory, the Babe’s exploits were readily available. In fact, it had been rumored he even hunted in the hills of Sussex County, NJ, where Karen and I purchased our first home.

For those of you who don’t know about Babe Ruth, it is said he was as much a hard drinking, stogie smoking womanizer who happened to have quite a bit of power on the baseball diamond. He’s one of the main attractions in Cooperstown, NY, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He held the major league record for home runs for many years, and even when Roger Maris topped his one year total of 60 and Hank Aaron eclipsed his total 714 homers, contemporaries always wanted to temper the accomplishments with asterisks. The Babe was baseball.

He wasn’t alone in freestyling his way to athletic greatness. You can look back just a few years to Brett Favre’s rise to football fame in Green Bay. It has been frequently reported Favre loved the grain spirits and wasn’t particularly a fan of team meetings.

And along the way, there have been countless other athletes whose sheer talent overshadowed their lifestyles.

What prompted this rant is we, as fans, are continually playing the “what if” game. Could Ruth play today’s baseball schedule with the same abandon and be just as successful? Could Favre succeed with less individual drive and more scheme discipline? Could my baseball heroes — Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Juan Marichal — perform at the same level in a different time and place? Would the football linemen in the trenches in the 50s and 60s be as effective with today’s game?

I don’t know. I doubt it. The games continually evolve. Players get bigger, faster, stronger … schedules and travel have been expanded … seasons have virtually become year round.

The same is true for us. I don’t think I would have made the same decisions had I been born in the 20s or 30s or 70s and 80s. I can only imagine what my educational experiences would have been had I had the technological advances today’s youth possess.

I guess the point of this ramble is I was designed, created, placed in the time and place I was. It wasn’t my choice; it was His. There have been countless other artists, evangelists, factory workers, politicians, housewives, etc. whose God-given talent overshadowed their shortcomings and lifestyles. They were placed in their respective time and place.

We all have a purpose. Those before us had a purpose. Those who will follow will have a purpose. Some live/lived that purpose; others don’t/didn’t. Often our fears get in the way. “What if” becomes our favorite board game.

Babe Ruth didn’t let his flaws overshadow his natural athletic ability. We shouldn’t let our flaws overshadow our purpose.

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Every day you need to remind yourself, I’m ready for and equal to anything that comes my way. — Joel Osteen

 

 

 

 

Posted in life & love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Midweek Mirth

One of the misconceptions about being a Christian is non-Christians think we don’t know how to have fun or have a sense of humor. Trust me, if the Big Guy can have a sense of humor when it comes to dealing with us mere mortals, so can we.

The difference for Christians is we don’t have to debase ourselves or others to generate a smile. Laughter at life or ourselves is a gift from God.

So, let’s smile a little!

Attractive

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question intended as a followup on the previous day’s lesson: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I am strong and attractive. I pick up things. What am I?”

When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find almost 50% of the students answered the question with the word “Mother.”

And now for the bonus …

Self-Conscious

A woman was self-conscious about going to the gym because she thought the pounds she had put on would make her stand out among the spandex-clad regulars. She chose a treadmill in the corner so she’d be inconspicuous.

However, as she exercised, her worst fears came true. At least a dozen people turned to stare at her periodically. She thought it might be her imagination, but then one woman even squinted to get a better look.

Mortified, she stepped off the machine to leave. When she turned around, she realized the gym’s only wall clock had been hanging just inches above her head.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: You don’t need to be excellent to start something. You need to start something to be excellent.

Posted in midweek mirth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Something Told

I started reading Salted with Fire by Nancy LaRonda Johnson. I stopped quickly … not because Johnson didn’t have a lyrical, descriptive style but because it was a combination of poetry and prose. I just can’t get into poetry. I don’t understand it. Thus I can’t appreciate it.

But I was impressive at Johnson’s wordplay. Even in the few segments I read — it was a mix of poetry and short stories — I recognized a depth in her writing. And I did find it interesting the way she wrapped up each individual piece with an open ended, Christian based discussion point. That approach paved the way to delve into your thoughts on the section you just read.

Salted with Fire led me to another of Johnson’s works — Something Told: Spoken Stories. I needed to read more from her in my wheelhouse — short stories. I needed to see if the rich descriptions that were the hallmark of Salted with Fire could be continued in a story format. I did read the 13 tales broken down into the categories of Something Funny, Something Sad, Something Dark, Something Otherworldly and Something Noble, with a little something extra at the end.

I am pleased to report, Johnson does have a deep, rich voice that brings readers not only into the stories on a visual level, but in a suggestive mental level as well. As a reader, you can envision the nuances and details of the encounter. I didn’t particularly see the humor in “Funny”, but I certainly did feel the sentiment in “Sad”, “Dark” and “Noble”. “Sad” played on my emotions. “Dark” was dark — teasingly sensuous but dark nonetheless. “Noble” made you stop and think.

I give Something Told: Spoken Stories four stars. I thought there was a flirty sensuousness, especially in Mealtime Rendezvous. I always appreciate descriptive writing and I applaud the depth of detail. I’ll leave Salted with Fire up to you.

Nancy LaRonda Johnson is a passionate — you can sense her passion in her writing — writer of Christian and other fiction, and has written short stories, poetry and personal journals most of her life. She has a BA in Sociology from University of California-Santa Cruz and a law degree from University of San Francisco School of Law. She works as a deputy probation officer.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: You can choose what kind of day you are going to have. No matter your circumstances, choose thankfulness, peace, joy and kindness. Above all else, choose love.

 

Posted in Readin', Ritin' & Rithmetic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Reeling in the Line

In his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren emphasizes the importance of offering listeners an opportunity to respond to the gospel. He says, “I believe we should always offer unbelievers an opportunity to respond to Christ in a seeker-service. They may choose to not respond, and you must respect that without pressuring them, but I feel the opportunity must always be offered. Too many pastors go fishing without ever reeling in the line or drawing in the net.”

Warren’s advice to pastors can be applied to the rest of us as well. When we offer our opinions or thoughts, we have to recognize there will be those who disagree. They may choose to not respond and we should always respect their decision. That doesn’t mean the thought isn’t disseminated.

I, for one, will offer my opinions — without pressure to agree. I will do that over and over and over. I will also be open to start a constructive dialogue. That’s “reeling in the line or drawing in the net.”

When it comes to faith, I would be honored to walk any or all of you through the discovery process. I may not have all the answers but I know where they are found. And if you’re not comfortable with me, I know others who would be more than willing to walk you through. And if you’re not comfortable with them, find a good Christian friend to walk with you.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. — Amish Proverb

Posted in words for the week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

No Compassion

Our reflection today is from our Christadelphian friends.

Four times, the first three being in the reading of Isaiah 9, the prophet’s message is, For all this His anger is not turned away and His hand is stretched out still” (verses 12, 17, 21; 10:4). It is a condemnation against those who speak in pride and in arrogance of heart (verse 9) of all they will do in their own strength to recover from their disasters and restore the things that have gone wrong in Israel. They say, they will rebuild the bricks that have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamore have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place (verse 10).

The nation refused to see it was the Lord who had caused these disasters, but their thoughts were on rebuilding and even making things better than they were previously; they did not see God’s anger was still there, His hand was stretched out for further punishment because the people did not turn to Him who struck them, nor inquire of the Lord of Hosts (verse 13).

We note the extreme result of their attitude — the Lord will have no compassion [even] on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly (footnote: “disgraceful things”) (verse 17). Our Lord is not endlessly compassionate; Israel had taken His blessings for granted! Their hearts were filled with pride and arrogance.

There is a solemn lesson in this today. Four years ago near where we live the people experienced dreadful forest fires covering large areas with great loss of property. Nearly 200 died. In the three summers since then there has been great concern in case extra hot weather could cause a repeat, yet we have not seen any inclination to pray to God about these concerns. Other massive disasters have occurred in the world since then — God’s anger is not turned away!

Presently the world is nervous about the “health” of the “God of Mammon” as financial uncertainties make the world anxious: in a later chapters in Isaiah there are implications about the ultimate failure of money.

But for those who look for light in the darkness, what marvelous light is to be found in today’s chapter! For unto us a Child is born … and the government shall be on His shoulder … of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end … to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this (verses 7, 8).

Let us all see the light in the darkness. Let us all realize how much we need the light that only God can provide!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: It’s all about perspective!

Posted in Sunday sermonette | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Praying For You

As we build this community prayer platform, with help from the #PrayerWarriors team, we ask the Lord to listen to our petitions with full confidence they not only are heard but acted upon by God according to His holy will. These requests are on my prayer list and I hope you consider putting them on yours as you place your petitions before the Lord Sunday.

As we approach the throne room, let’s remember to respond with faith and not fear, knowing the promises of God and His mighty hand will hold us through any situation! Sometimes, all it takes is just one prayer to change everything …

Lord, we come to you asking for Your will on Your people. Dave’s brain cancer has returned and he is now hospitalized with seizures. They are trying to figure out if its from the cancer or chemo.

After two months of hospital stays and questions, John Francis was diagnosed with a Grade 3 Glioma tumor on his brain stem. It’s the aggressive and fast-growing kind.

Will also needs your prayers to save his life from his brain tumor.

Tabitha, 36, had a stroke, has a blood infection, and is in need of heart surgery. Doctors are giving her a slim chance.

Brian asks for prayers. Things aren’t going well. Please continue to keep his immediate family in your thoughts.

Matt is also asking for prayers for his family. God knows their needs.

Texan reaches out with a cry for help.He’s going stir-crazy. He wants to clean, mow, laundry, sweep, clean bathroom,shower, but permanent pain from head to toe has made him very volatile and angry.

Ruth fell the other day and my neck and back are fighting over which hurts the worst. She is  considering going back to the hospital.

Deborah shared her husband of 18 years committed suicide, leaving her financially broke and spirituality drained. She has lost her home and had a nervous breakdown.She is pleading for prayers.

Andrea is asking for prayers as she prepares for Polycystic Kidney Disease testing.

Jordan is asking for prayers for his dad who hasn’t slept for five nights. His grandmother (mom’s mom) keeps losing tons of weight and hasn’t been able to eat or sleep. Both are devastated from losing my mom.

Jasmen fell up the stairs and messed up her alignment. She’s in crazy pain.

We need prayers for Joe, a digital minister who has been sent horrific, graphic threats while someone tries to hack into his account.

Andrew continues with his pancreatic cancer battle, and countless others are struggling financially and medically.

We come to You, Lord, because prayer is the least yet the greatest thing we can do for each other. When two or more are gathered in Your name, we confidently know You are with us. What better company can we have? You reign and we trust You! We may be broken and battered but know You heal and quiet the soul. You are the source for all that happens in our lives. We thank You for the progress being made. We thank You for the many blessings we have received this week — some we unfortunately didn’t notice. Nonetheless, those blessings are ever-present in our lives. We thank You for healing. We thank You for slowing us down. We thank You for providing us our daily needs — no more and no less. We thank You for being with us, listening to us, walking with us on this journey. We thank You for the support of our family and friends … for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary — sunrises, sunsets, flowers, kids laughing, adventures, good news amid the bad news. We also know we can come to You with our concerns and they will be heard. Through Christ all things are possible. We lift up those family members and friends who are battling various physical, emotional, financial, career or spiritual issues and ask not for Your guidance and healing (although that would be welcomed) but to keep reminding us we are not alone in our battles. Specifically we lift up Dave, John Francis, Will, Tabitha, Brian, Matt, Texan, Ruth, Deborah, Andrea, Jordan, Jasmen, Joe and Andrew. We pray for the families of all those You have called home. We grieve … You celebrate. We pray for obedience to Your Will so Your “Son” Light shines through us through the power of the Spirit. And we come to You through the confidence of the words taught by Your Son Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Keep your joys and concerns coming. They have been and will be included during my prayer time and I trust they will be on your lips as well as you approach the altar. All it takes is a couple of keystrokes under the “Contact Me” button on the top bar {or to the right if you’re not a follower yet}. I hope it becomes your best friend as you navigate around the site so we can all be viable prayer warriors. You can also comment or reach me at wisdomfromafather@gmail.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Some people create their own storms and then get mad when it begins to rain!

 

Posted in Prayer-Care-Share | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Five Minute Friday — Promise

Friday. A day of reflection … and a day to put those reflections down on paper {or in today’s environment, in a post}.

We’ll follow the typical Five Minute Friday format. We’ll let the neurons loose, record the results, and link up at Kate’s place in the Community section at www.fiveminutefriday.com to share and visit with out link neighbors.

I’ve encouraged you to join in and have been including comments from fellow writers in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. Maybe these words might make the difference to get you involved.

“I am an alumni of Five Minute Friday but have always been a huge fan! I saw the post by Lisa Jo today and wanted to send in one of my favorites. I stumbled on Five Minute Friday, I don’t even know how, about three years ago. I had literally only written a handful of blog posts and was brand new to the blogging world. Five Minute Friday gave me the courage to pick up the pen and write when I felt so insignificant in the whole wide world. Now three years later I am writing compilations with other authors and working on my first book! But the friends I met in FMF … those are priceless and words can’t do the value of their encouragement any justice. I am one writer who’s been forever impacted by this community! (and hope to jump back in as I tackle a few other projects.)”

So there’s the pitch. It’s up to you now whether you wish to join this very special writing group. And it’s time for me to tackle this week’s prompt, PROMISE. the timer is set, so, let’s GO …

Promises. Promises. We all make them. Unfortunately, we all often break them too.

Most of the time, because of our human nature, promises fall short because we can’t see the big picture. We’re mired in the now {Can we get a dog? I promise I’ll take care of it!} We have good intentions, but life gets in the  way {I’m busy right now, but I promise we’ll go to the park over the weekend.} Circumstances change.

We often are guilty when we make promises to God as well. {I’ll spend more time in the Word, beginning tomorrow.} It’s the same principle. We don’t have tomorrow’s vision today.

But, God’s promises to us are inviolate. Throughout the ages He has made  promises … to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to His disciples (and by extension to us). The  difference, God does have the big picture. He  knows not only now, but tomorrow and our hearts. We … STOP

can trust when God says He will be with you always He means it — even in those days when we try to ignore Him.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: You don’t need to attend every argument you are invited to. — Zig Ziglar

Posted in Five Minute Friday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Wedding Witness

I was truly blessed last weekend, watching my grandson Ryan and his now wife Maddi share their vows. A new journey began and I was fortunate to watch it unfold.

As I’ve gotten older, I appreciate those milestone moments — graduations, weddings, births — even more. When it comes to my family’s milestones … wow, the words are indescribable.

The weekend was perfect. I got to visit with my middle son and family on the bookends of the trip. I “roomed”with my oldest son, sharing our lives and plans face-to-face. I spent time with my two daughters and six of my grandchildren and two of my great-granddaughters. Sunday’s breakfast was a non-stop plate of pancakes, bacon and sausage with a houseful of samplers from one to 72 years old and included 11 adults, a half dozen kids and two dogs.

It was a weekend of laughter and joy!

The wedding itself was picture perfect. Maddi looked beautiful in her flowing white gown. Ryan looked handsome in his tuxedo. It’s hard to believe how fast 24 years have flown by. The weather cooperated, despite rain Friday and Sunday. The ceremony was moving with a great Christian wedding message and meaningful music. The reception hall was creatively decorated; the food was tasty; the band was engaging. What a joy it was watching my granddaughter, great-granddaughter and adopted granddaughter taking center stage with their dancing outlasting the millenials. What energy! There was plenty of time for visiting with the newlyweds and others from Ohio I have come to know.

The only tinge of sadness for me is my late wife wasn’t with me to share the weekend. But I know she was there in spirit and with be with the couple throughout their lives since her wedding ring diamond was incorporated into Maddi’s wedding ring.

I’m turning the rest of this post over to my daughter Deanna, mother of the groom. She looked  gorgeous, by the way, and displayed so much of her mother’s grace. Here are some of her thoughts.

“I’ve been asked so many questions about the weekend’s festivities. First, everything was perfect. Seriously. Maddi knows how to throw a party. Every detail was thoughtfully carried out and if you have an event you need help with, you should totally hire her. ⁣

A few people asked me what my favorite part was. It’s hard to answer that because it was all so great. The music was original. The service was unique. Maddi’s dress was elegant. Her girls were stunning. Ryan and the guys were handsome. The reception was beautiful. The cake was scrumptious. The band was unusually good. I could go on and on. When I say it was the perfect day, I am not underscoring that statement. ⁣

I will admit it’s hard being a boy mom — for a plethora of reasons, but it is refreshing to welcome their brides into the family. I really desire to be a mother-in-love and someone the girls don’t roll their eyes at and simply tolerate. My vows to them go something like this:⁣

I vow not to be pushy or nosy. I will trust your judgment and know that you’ll share everything you want to share.⁣

I vow not to show up on your doorstep unannounced. I know how annoying that can be and I will not intrude and will respect your space. ⁣

I vow to support you and to stay out of the middle. I’ll always be here as a listening ear and will offer advice when you want it. I will be your biggest cheerleader along the way, and if I need to have words with the boys, just give me the sign… ⁣

I vow not to tell you how you should do things. My way isn’t the only way. We can learn from each other.⁣

But most importantly, I vow to pray for you every day. I prayed for you before you even met my son. Why would I stop now? ⁣

I’m so blessed God chose two wonderful women to marry my guys and I am excited to see how He moves in their lives.⁣”

All I can add is — Amen!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

 

Posted in life & love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments