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In the evening, reflect on your day. What you did well, thank God – what you did wrong, ask His forgiveness. Refuse to carry over today’s frustrations into your brand new tomorrow. We all fail sweet mom and don’t get it right every time… that is why we need a Saviour – He came to save us. Allow me to encourage you to say the Lord’s Prayer often, found in Matthew 6:9-13. It helps tremendously.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, NKJV)
God is the potter; you are the clay. He does the moulding; you hold the wheel. He pokes and prods and squeezes, then when you think He is finished, He adds the oven. Sweet mom do not resist your refining process. By staying flexible in God’s hands, and your life will hum a rhythm. He is with you today. You can trust Him with everything.
Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. (Jeremiah 18:6, NIV)
Dear Mom, I listened to the story of a young married couple, who, in spite of her fiancé’s paralyzing accident their love endured. This beautiful young lady could have walked away and no one would have faulted her really – however, her decision to carry on regardless of their dire circumstances, was inspiring. Is […]
JOY TO THE WORLD – THE LORD HAS COME! As Christmas week draws to a close – I trust you have slowed the pace and had a few moments to savour the Christmas story. It’s full of wonder. I wonder why would God choose to come to earth as a baby? Why not a grown […]
Dear Mom, Perhaps you have just received some disappointing news. Disappointments are so hard, especially at Christmastime. Be assured sweet mom, nothing takes God by surprise. He often corrects situations in roundabout ways, so be patient and see how everything turns out. One thing for sure, God will never leave you; He is on your […]
Awe Christmas. Snow falling gently, Christmas music playing, baking cooling – isn’t it a shame that everyday doesn’t feel like Christmas? Perhaps your day looks nothing like this idyllic image. Sure Christmas is right around the corner but as a mom, you’re stressed to the max. To you, December means more pressure, more money, more […]
Dear Mom, If you don’t know what to do, the Bible says to “inquire” of the Lord. The implication here is to ask for God’s direction. Just the other day I needed clarity as to what to do about a situation. I asked for direction and waited. Within a few days, I knew which way […]
Dear Mom, We all have the same enemy, the evil one. The Bible says he roars around like a lion seeking to destroy. Remember, he is only roaring and making noise; trying to paralyze you with fear, for one reason or another. I heard a quote once, “When the devil knocks on your door – […]
Dear Mom, “I will trust and not be afraid.” I have voiced this truth thousands of times under my breath in all kinds of situations. If anxiety is overriding your peace and fretting is replacing your sleep; if worry is draining your life away, then you too need to whisper, “I will trust and not […]
Dear Mom, We just don’t like it when our kids complain about making beds, or emptying garbage or some other chore; and did you know the Bible says to do everything without complaining? God’s word is so practical; even down to doing things without grumbling. What a great principle for ourselves and to teach to […]
Dear Mom, God is looking for mothers who are looking for Him. With your solitary life, God can do abundantly, more than you can imagine. The Bible says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) What an invitation! Just draw near. When I was a young mom with a […]
Dear Mom, As hard as it is, don’t be discouraged with your child’s maturity progress. Each child develops at a different rate; ask any farmer and they will tell you: seeds – generally – grow – slow. As you patiently wait and water, (often with tears) you can expect a good harvest. Proverbs 31, is […]
Dear Mom, God wanted your children on planet earth, and gave them to you. They need you to believe in them sweet mom, and sometimes you will be the only one that does. Allow me to encourage you, always defend your offspring, fight for them, and if they are struggling in the process of […]
Dear Mom, Whenever you are not focused on your immediate task “pray”; which in simple terms means “commune with God”. Develop the habit of conversing, mulling over situations and asking God’s opinion on all matters. You will find your personal relationship with God maturing, your faith strengthened and a trust developing in your Creator which […]
Dear Mom, Chances are you have experienced a virus lurking in your computer. At the most inconvenient time, the whole system crashes. The deceiver, our enemy, does the same to us. He creeps around trying to con us, hoping our lives will, “crash.” He is against you, against me, and everyone we love. Thankfully though, […]
NOT PROMISED TOMORROW I will never forget one day in Grade 10. We were sitting at our desks, half asleep, usual for a Monday morning, listening to the hum of the announcements. Really no one was paying attention until … The principle came over the loud speaker and with his voice cracking, relayed to […]
Happy New Year! As we chatted over breakfast, a friend smiled and said “I love a New Year. I kind of messed up a bit last year, it’s so great to start fresh again!” How we all need to “start fresh again”. Today, we have that chance. As you are aware, New Year’s Resolutions have […]
Are you are discouraged today? Perhaps a dream has been shattered? Maybe your future looked bright, but all of a sudden uncertainty loomed like an angry sea. Being ‘discouraged’ simply means you have lost your ‘courage’. From time to time we all lose courage, because… from time to time life is hard. Talk to the […]
I have many favourite verses, and this is one of them: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”. Can you imagine all the things Mary had to ponder? All the things she had to think about and mull over and couldn’t tell anyone? From the moment of this […]
It’s Christmas – Say Yes! What if the individuals in the Christmas story didn’t say “yes?” What if they said “that’s too much to ask, I can’t do it”. Or, “what will people think, what you are saying is impossible”. I’m so glad there was a: “Yes” from God to send His only Son. A […]
We Are Not Home Yet I remember my first mission venture. After 17 hours flying time, not to mention layovers – I arrived at the airport … not at my destination which was 2 hours up country; just at the airport. I looked around. Nothing looked familiar. No one looked familiar. I didn’t know […]
It had been a busy day and I kept moving from morning to night, actually, with a new baby in the house, I was moving in the middle of the night as well. It was bedtime for my other two and I had just tucked them in. Completely exhausted with my third child now asleep […]
Dear Mom, While shopping one day I noticed a lady and counted her kids – six! Two brown, two black and two white all calling her Mom. Curiously, I watched her go to her van and buckle in the little ones while the older ones buckled themselves. Marvelling I thought, “She’s touched the life of […]
Dear Mom, Miriam was a very courageous mother of the Bible. Completely hiding her baby boy from tyrants, she devised a plan to save her son. It worked. Her little boy was rescued by a queen and grew up in a palace. In fact, he changed the course of history – his name was […]
God Redeems Broken Women Have you ever felt like a broken woman? Thought your life was ruined? Let me tell you the story of Rahab. She was a broken woman. Her profession … well, unprofessional. Though Rahab’s lifestyle was shameful, God saw her and knew what she could become. He knew her heart. God’s eternal […]
Need a little hope today? A couple of years ago in the month of October, 33 Chilean miners were rescued after spending 69 days locked beneath the earth’s surface. Months earlier a shaft had caved in where the miners were working trapping them deep within the mine. It took 17 days for rescuers to even […]
DRESSED FOR BATTLE If you watch the news for more than 1 minute, you know there are many battles being fought in the world today. We have all seen the eyes of a soldier in combat, dressed for battle. Their resolve is fixed; they have done their preparation and will fight the enemy. Whatever that […]
Start Fresh One day we had a herd of cows delivered to the farm. It was suppertime and I expected my husband home any minute, however, the delivery truck arrived a few minutes early and I shuttered, “Oh noooooooo, I need the delivery guy to wait for my husband before letting the cows out!!!” I […]
I love watching the Winter and Summer Olympics. Listening to athletes share their journey to excellence and watching them perform; is just plain wonderful. They have such perseverance and grit – all of them reaching the top of their game. You can be sure this summer I’ll be watching! Incredibly, even now as you read […]
In Despair – Waves Too High My son decided to enter a triathlon and once he signed up, he knew the swimming component would challenge him. To better prepare for this part of the race and living far from a pool, he trained in a nearby pond for many months. Some days it was cold. […]
Sarah Needed Patience Perhaps you have heard the story of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible. God promises them a child and when that child does not come – Sarah takes matters into her own hands. She doesn’t wait on God’s timing. We certainly find Sarah’s solution to her problem appalling. To believe another woman’s […]
So Great A Price I watched with fascination a documentary on lions. In particular, a pride of starving lions. They had encircled quite a group of elephants and were staring down their supper – their babies … baby elephants. The grown elephants growled, roared and kicked up clouds of dust. In an attempt to ward […]
PRAY, READ AND BE FAIR Important truths when raising a family. Have you ever tried to get everything right and somehow everything seems to go wrong? When troubles, demands and day-to-day life leave you feeling overwhelmed and in despair, what do you do? How do you make it through difficulty? How do you make it […]
Corrie ten Boom on Forgiveness Not forgiving someone is like having an open wound and never going for stitches. It is breaking your leg and not setting the bones or “having your appendices burst” and hoping the poison will not kill you. To forgive isn’t easy. However, not forgiving will prove to be much […]
Wisdom – Let’s Be Wise Where does one get wisdom? What is wisdom? How can I make better decisions? Good choices? The book of Proverbs is your answer. “Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance”. Proverbs 1:5 This book is full of instruction on how […]
Keep Life Simple So many of us are wanting a simpler life style … and so many of us don’t know how to achieve simplicity. While talking with an older friend one day, she said, “If I had my life to live again, I would have kept life simple”. Curious as to what she […]
A “VALENTINE” A VALENTINE KIND OF LOVE Valentine’s Day is all about love. However, perhaps you are reading this and your love has not come into view … or your love is gone … as a result you don’t want to read about Valentine’s Day. I decided not to write about a romantic kind […]
Pearls and Pigs There is a parable in the Bible referring to pearls and pigs. Its simple meaning is this, watch what you say. Your words are “your pearl”. We have all done this. You offer “your pearl” to someone, only to have your words misunderstood, misconstrued and the whole situation turns from bad to […]
Christmas Suddenlies! “And “suddenly” there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”. Luke 2: 13,14 “SUDDENLY”! I love the suddenlies. My uncle affirms, “He’s the “God of the suddenlies”. “Suddenly” on that first Christmas night […]
I was reading this morning about character, and concluded, you can never rise above your character. Your behaviour and disposition is who you really are. Often we think, “I acted so poorly, that just wasn’t like me,” when in actually fact, it was. Hard to face the truth at times, however, there is help! To […]
The destroyer is like a roaring lion, prowling around, circling your wagon, as it were. His ultimate hope is to steal your faith in God. He wants you to think that God doesn’t care about you and you’ve made too many mistakes in life, to go forward in victory. He’s actually quite vicious in his […]
The Highlighting Miracle When my daughter was in grade 12, she visited a home for orphans in Kenya. She was chatting with them about school in North America and when she took out her books to keep caught up with her schooling, they were fascinated with her Highlighters. “What an idea” they thought. “Sure must […]
Sweet Mom, Avoid the pitfall of comparing for no two journeys are the same. If you have been thinking that someone’s life looks easier than yours, do not be deceived; there are always things you know nothing about. Settle into God’s will for your life and be content. Comparing how we look, our family, our […]
Forgetting the Past and Looking Ahead “Forgetting things behind you” Philippians 3:13 The writer of this truth was the apostle Paul. He sure needed to forget what was behind him. Perhaps you know his story from reading the New Testament. Paul was a dreadful persecutor of those who believed in Jesus. He hauled believers off to […]
The other day I heard someone say, “This is just God’s intermission.” Made me stop and ponder. God’s intermission? There has never been a time in history were the whole world has shut down. Think about it? From the tiniest island to the biggest land mass – we are all in the same boat, as […]
As a young child, whenever my parents were hit with a calamity, they went to God’s word and asked Him, “Lord, what are You saying about this situation? because, they knew, the Bible had an answer for everything. This practice was so successful in their lives, that I have carried this custom over into my […]
It had been a busy day and I kept moving from morning to night, actually, with a new baby in the house, I was moving in the middle of the night as well. It was bedtime for my other two and I had just tucked them in. Completely exhausted with my third child now asleep […]
Dear Mom, This year is almost in the history books and what’s done is done. The good news is: you can start fresh tomorrow and to ensure change, commit to forgetting the past – both good and bad. The good has a tenacity to make us proud, and the bad, well, that can keep us […]
The Night Everything Changed As darkness fell, nothing was out-of-the-ordinary. The shepherds were in the fields with their sheep, possibly reclining with their back against a rock (uncomfortable!) – watching, like every other night. Can you imagine their surprise, when right before their slumbering eyes an angel appeared? And I wonder why to them? During […]
Doing Good There are needy people all around us. You don’t have to look far to find someone to encourage. While on his way to work one day, my son saw a man sleeping on a park bench. A quick thought entered his mind, “I should leave him my lunch”. Now when you’re in your […]
This day shouts, “start over” the old is gone and the new has come. The apostle Paul in the Bible certainly understood the concept of “the old is gone and the new has begun”. He needed a “do-over”. Read his story and you are quickly aware of his early beginnings. He was full of anger, […]
Dear Mom, Is anxiety knocking at your door today? It happens sweet mom. God says, “Give me your cares and I’ll give you my peace.” To be honest, waiting for some answers to prayer can be agonizingly painful and to remain at rest in the process, is contrary to our natural way of thinking. Nonetheless, […]
Dear Mom, After a very tiring day of meeting everyone’s needs, Jesus and His disciples escaped to the “peace of the sea”. At some point during the night, a storm arose and with Jesus so exhausted, He didn’t hear a thing. Sweet mom, can you identify? I’m sure you can. Once Jesus went to sleep, […]
Dear Mom, Children often ‘act out’ as their only means of expressing “something is not right in my world.” As mothers, our reactions must be more mature than their outbursts. I heard a quote once that carried me through many troubles, “Blessed are the children whose parents have already grown up.” We need God […]
Dear Mom, A teenager’s cry: Who will love me just for me? Does anyone care? Can I ever be forgiven for being so dumb? Will I make it? Do I have what it takes to succeed in life? Dear sweet mom, you and I have both been there … be compassionate with your child. We […]
Dear Mom, I encourage you sweet Mom, refuse to be weighed down with past sins, failures and wrong choices; and don’t waste another minute feeling guilty. We beat ourselves up for things we should have done the, “woulda, coulda, shoulda” mentality. To move ahead – if it’s possible – ask forgiveness of others, embrace the […]
This World Is Not Our Home In the last few years’ peace around the globe has vanished. You don’t have to look far to realize, this world is not our home. It seems every week there is another attack somewhere on our planet. Where does one go that is safe anymore? I have a husband […]
Dear Mom, Life is full of delays of one sort or another. Be it a late start, crying babies, a red light or the dreaded irritation, the slowest line at the grocery store – something is always forcing us to slow down. Jesus says to us – rest awhile. As a busy mom, it’s almost […]
Dear Mom, While it is excellent to have a wise mentor or friend, God extends a friendship to you that is beyond compare. He listens intently, cares completely and knows what you should do in every circumstance. He has all wisdom, keeps your secrets and gives full support to your successes. There is no one […]
Dear Mom, This summer, take a little time out to recharge. All too soon schedules and the oh-so-daily-routine will begin again, so take time to slow down. It would be nice to just float around on a catamaran, however, chances are that’s not possible 🙂 so … take the kids to a park or have […]
Dear Mom, As I trekked along a dusty path in a needy nation, my heart was steadily breaking. I could not help but think that Jesus came to set every captive free, bring relief to the afflicted and love to the downtrodden. In your world today sweet mom, there are women all around you that […]
The Shepherd’s Psalm – Psalm 23 This Psalm has been a favourite to millions. I memorized this Psalm as a child and have never forgotten it. Sheep and shepherds are referred to over and over in the Bible. In Genesis 4, Abel was a keeper of flocks. In Matthew’s gospel, Christ’s birth was announced by […]
Dear Mom, There is a story in the Bible concerning a leader facing an impossible situation. Baffled as to how to conquer his battles, he prayed and God showed him what to do. Perhaps today sweet mom, you too are bewildered about the best way to handle your child or what to do about […]
We had hoped this day would never come, however, when we heard the sound of the horn, we knew it was time to go. King Nebuchadnezzar had constructed a statue of himself and everyone, unbelievably, was to bow to his image. There was no way we were going to bend, or bow as was the […]
Dear Mom, Life is similar to a relay race; along the way you will “tag” a range of people. Some mom friends stay with you briefly, while others keep in step for a while. And then there will be a few who will stay long term, but only one friend has been with you […]
Dear sweet mom, Every married couple stood at an altar and made a covenant before God and people. They vowed to stick with their sweetheart, “Until death do us part.” Marriage is a commitment like none other, and even if we receive the worst or were interrupted with sickness or are just plain poor, we […]
Dear Mom, Dirt and diapers. Some days that is the extent of a mother’s day – changing diapers and sweeping up dirt. Sweet mom, allow me to remind you – things do not always appear as they seem! The eternal little soul you care for is not just ordinary and neither are you. You were […]
When God Delays His Answer What do you do when you pray and do not receive the answer you were hoping for? How do you cope when your prayers go unanswered? When your world goes dark, how do you keep trusting in an unseen God? Where is the “song in the night” when life isn’t […]
Dear sweet mom, May the Lord bless you today, on this Mother’s Day. Speaking of mom’s, can you imagine the young mom Mary, being chosen as a teenager to participate in such a remarkable story. She was chosen, and we are too. We too, have a specific assignment to fulfil. Your children need YOU! Your […]
Dear Mom, Wisdom comes from following God’s pattern for living, having plenty of common sense and doing what is right. Your actions and reactions have an affect on your home’s thermometer. When I was in my intense mothering years, and perhaps feeling a bit discouraged, I would ask myself, “Am I doing better than this […]
Dear Mom, God’s mercies are new every day. He does not reprimand you for yesterday; never writes you off for wrong deeds, does not give you the silent treatment nor does He make sure you pay for messing up. Sweet Mom, every morning God simply waits for you to come to Him and talk. As […]
Dear Mom, I listened to a young couple talk about their first-born child who had Downs Syndrome, and the shock they had the day of his birth. Listen to the dad’s thoughts a few years later: “My young son’s birth was the worse day of my life and also the best. I have leaned more […]
Dear Mom, As I listened to a young soldier recall the ‘explosion,’ and how he has had to come to terms with the amputation of his leg, my heart was so saddened. I concluded, there is what you call outer strength and then there is another kind, a gripping inner tenacity. This young warrior, undoubtably, […]
Dear Mom, Do not lose control of the only person that you can control – yourself. To give into anger or resort to resolving a conflict in an uproar will only cause more loss of control. To stay in control when everything is out of control takes divine control. God is with you sweet mom, […]
Dear Mom, The psalmist David had been discouraged; in fact, he describes himself as having perplexity of mind and in despair. Mothers can relate; some days you feel like you are loosing your mind – everyone wants a piece of you! From your job, to running the kids here and there, the doctors, the […]
Dear Mom, Hope is unwavering faith. It is seeing in your mind’s eye a promise, something not yet a reality. It’s visualizing your children staying on the right course; it’s seeing a dream come to pass. Hope is a steadfast confidence of expectation, and staying hopeful pleases God. It conveys to Him the exclusive […]
Dear Mom, Philippians could be named the, “Mental health book of the Bible.” I heard it said, “Read Philippians every day for one month and your discouragement will disappear.” Why not try it? Skip scrolling through Instagram and read Philippians! Ponder the truths in this remarkable book and be encouraged. Surprisingly, this book was written […]
Dear Mom, My last child of five is now married. After almost four decades, they all have their own address. My first goal for them: to know Jesus as their Saviour and serve Him – pure and simple. Sweet mom, make every effort to reflect the Christ you love and want them to serve. Continue […]