Mother's Day - Part 2

In last week’s blog I had moms share about the greatest need in their lives. Here is one more response I wanted to share with you from a mom with grown and growing children. Jan E. shares…


“I feel the greatest need is keeping one’s perspective rooted in God and holding to one’s moral beliefs. There are so many pressures from the outside now - pressures to work so you can meet bills, pressures in the job, pressures to have your kids involved, pressures to give your kids the best, or to have the big home, the right clothing, a cool car. It’s easy enough to fall into traps and lose sight on what is important in our lives.

is a precious commodity, and it's difficult to balance time if you're working and taking care of a home and husband and kids and you've got the carpool going…and then there is still church!

Mom's need to look ahead, to think about what they want to be able to say years from now, to see what are the things they want their children and families to come away with at the end of their time on earth.

God HAS to be foremost in lives! We have family members who do not attend church, who never understood why church took priority for us, however, we also brought BACK family members to church because that was our talk, our focus. God is first, and then the people he has given us follow. That meant keeping our focused on prioritizing time and activities. With our kids, they were involved in sports and other things, but our rule was that if it meant a practice EACH Sunday that would pull the family apart from worship together, it was a no go. There are times Sunday worship cannot happen, but our church also has Saturday night, so we CAN make sure we are there.

We made it a priority to have dinner together each night as close to 100% of the time as possible. We set aside times to go places together - family trips, family vacations, and even parties we'd have or attend usually allowed the kids too because our friends felt the same way.

As we get older, we see family members and friends who have become ill and died. You don’t get time back. You possibly don't get to worship later or to call someone next week or to visit them next year. We don't know, so moms have to focus on who is around them and on who is utmost in their lives. All else will fall into place thereafter.”

Happy Mother's Day

This week I asked a bunch of moms on Facebook to share with us their greatest needs. It was helpful to hear their heart. Here are just a few of their responses.

• “Time… time alone, time to get things done, time to be appreciated, time at the spa... “
• "In no particular order: working household appliances, caramel cone ice cream, friends, some "me time" every so often, hugs, a helpful and supportive husband, DVR/cable, a nearby Target store, guidance, wisdom, peace, JESUS!”
• “Maids, good babysitter, pedicures, coffee, time alone”
• “Encouragement, gratitude, recognition of their hard work, strength, patience”
• "To know they have made a difference in their families lives.”
• “In a word: support. Support from their husbands on a spiritual, emotional & physical level. Support from their families. Support from their friends.”
• “I need my friends to help bring me down when I'm on the brink of insanity and to lift me up when I feel like life is playing a cruel joke on me.”
• “Us moms need to know what we are doing REALLY matters!!! The daily 24/7 busyness and time we take for our children's lives are developing and building the foundation for the rest of their lives. It matters and sometimes moms don't feel like it does. We need to feel supported, appreciated, loved, safe, secure, and encouraged through it all.”

Thanks Moms! You are doing a great job! And remember, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Mission Possible

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20


This week I will be traveling to Florida for the board meeting of Mission Possible, one of the many mission organizations we support as a church. Mission Possible’s motto is, “Strategic projects, in historic times, for God’s glory.” MP (www.mp.org) is active in sharing the Gospel, training leaders, planting churches, and helping the poor on the other side of the world. I am blown away each year when we review what God has done through MP and we at Christian Life are helping them change the world through our support.

But like I said, they are only one of the many missionaries and organizations we support as a church family. I would like to invite you to visit the map in our church lobby and take a look at the various ministries and people we support. Take time to read a letter or two. Say a prayer for the various ministries. Allow God to speak to you about your involvement in world missions. Become a bigger part of building God’s kingdom around the world.

And by the way, Happy Mother’s Day! I would like to honor the mom’s in my life: my fantastic wife, Leslie, my godly mom and grandma, Gerry and Ella, my great sister, Jodi, and my wonderful mother-in-law, Kathy. I am proud of you all! You are the best!