Honoring All Mothers

There is no one in the world like my mother. Now that I have a baby son of my own, I’m just scratching the surface of the sacrificial love my mom gave to my sister and I growing up. My mom was able to stay home- the best gift she could ever give.

She always had a snack ready for me at the end of our school day. Our house was always inviting and clean. She prepared homemade meals for our family every evening.

She drove me to and from school, then to swim or soccer practice every day. She gave me gifts out of the blue and left encouraging notes in my lunch bag. She prayed with me before bed and told me several times throughout the years that I was a “masterpiece.”

Even though my mom and dad were unbelievers when they first married, after my mom received Christ, she prayed for my dad. The ultimate gift she gave me was prayer and patience in my dad’s salvation—even when it got hard. My dad ended up turning to Christ 20 or so years later. She was truly a 1 Peter 3:1-6 kind of woman and still is today.

What special memories and thoughts come to your mind about your mother? How can you express those to her this Mother's Day?

Since Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and we know you want to show your mother or wife how much you love her (but you’re tired of flowers), we wanted to give you some out-of-the-box gift ideas:

• Prepare her favorite dinner. Arrange the table extra special with rose petals and a few wrapped gifts.

• Take her on a scavenger hunt to a few of her favorite places- give her clues to the next place inside a gift box.

• Buy all the necessities for a pedicure/foot wash and spoil her with a spa night at home (or schedule a professional spa out)

• If you have kids, make a homemade card with them. (Write a poem or the “Top 10 reasons why I love you”). Buy poster-board for $.79 and fold in half to make a big impression as a card.

• Write a favorite “memories of mom” book or create a video. (for print books: blurb.com, lulu.com, snapfish.com)

• Print out a few digital photos and create a scrapbook, put them in a frame, or photo calendar

• Monogram her initials onto something: jewelry, purse, stationary, etc.

• Buy a gift-certificate to her favorite clothing store

• Visit a museum or concert together

• (Spouse) Clean the house while she is out or hire a maid to do it all.

• (Spouse) Give her a coupon to keep the kids one evening.

• (Spouse) Make your wife sleep in one morning and get the kids ready- take them to school.

• Give her a magazine subscription

• Give her an I-tunes Gift card

• Put together an emergency box (fill with things like lotion, relaxing CD’s, movie tickets, chocolate, etc.)

• Buy favorite specialty items: favorite candle, perfume, boutique cosmetics, shampoos, magazine, special chocolate, etc.

• Frame a family portrait (blow it up to an 8x10)

• Frame a really nice picture of Mom

• Buy Customized Stamps (use stamps.com) to create a special stamp (a photo of you together, children, wedding, baby, etc)

• Plan a surprise picnic to local park with good scenery

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The Weight of the Cross

Last week, a gunman in the small town of Binghamton, New York took the lives of 13 people, including his own. The ugly darkness of evil and sin were yet again exposed to our world. And in the midst of such tragedy (around Easter), I’m compelled to look inwardly at the evil and sin in my own heart.

I often relate Easter-time to the blue-colored peeps and big chocolate bunnies hidden in grass that I found in my basket on Sunday mornings growing up. But I’m learning that Easter is everything but that. Easter is about dealing and grappling with the sin in my heart in light of the cross.

Motivated by love, Christ took on his shoulders the weight of my sin. Ever since the fall, I’ve had a major sin problem—or you could say a thought problem. So God, in human flesh, descended from the heavens to enter my messy world and eventually die a criminal’s death on a cross to rescue me from that sin and bondage.

Mark 7:21 says, “For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery.” There it is. That sin problem disclosed again. I guess I was wrong and I’m not as perfect after all.

Christ came to heal every person’s brokenness and to restore his image within them. His wounds have healed us. Because of his resurrection, Jesus proved he wasn’t a liar or a lunatic. But that he was God. Because of his life, we now have life. And that is something worth celebrating this Easter.

Here are ten things I’m really thankful that God has saved me from (is saving me from).

1.) dead religion
2.) pride
3.) a life of complacency
4.) anger
5.) unbridled tongue
6.) skewed view of love
7.) people-pleasing
8.) identity in things/money
9.) lust
10.) selfishness

What's your list?

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