My Journey - 5/9/2010

God's insight for me:

As I was reading this devotional for Mother's Day I reflected back to my mother who passed on to a better life with Jesus in 1991. As I minister to "God's wounded" in nursing homes I tell them if you would walk into my mother's house you would find her normally sitting at the kitchen table. In front of her was her bible, a crossword book, and a cup of black coffee. She enjoyed all three but "loved" her bible.

In the devotional below the woman writes about being a mother and what she wants for her children. Going back sixty years ago, my mom really wanted her three boys to have basically the same thing, "to reach their full potential in good values and with strong character". In her next sentence she explained how.

I now have been in the Lord's active ministry for 7 1/2 years. If my mother did not love the Lord, do you think I would have come to know Him? Well, the chances are greater that you will if you do love Him and show this in your daily life. My mother was a part of my life for 48 years. I never knew her to change or compromise her walk with Christ. She didn't push Jesus on you, she lived Him.

The author below makes a good point about noise in today's world. Distractions for children for sure. And parents are fighting that daily. These are worldly distractions. Have you noticed that every form of media is loaded with advertisement? Less and less viewing programs. Also the content of the viewing programs has changed drastically. Just think what would happen if all the channels would have scripture on them. For sure we would know a lot more of the Bible then we do now. But the one most important part of all this is "choice". See, my mother made her choice by reading her Bible daily. She prayed daily. She asked for the Lords guidance for raising her kids and being a good wife for her husband. My friends, the Lord answered her prayers. Because of her love for Him, I now love Him.

God Created “A Mom”

God gave her loving hands,
to grab and hold us tight.
God gave her a gentle heart,
to guide and make things right.

God gave her understanding,
for He knew with children she would need.
God gave her endurance and patience,
all needed to raise a family!

God gave her eyes to watch,
and ears to hear our cries.
God gave her many answers,
to all our many questions and why’s???

But what was most important,
was His love for each and everyone,
see God created “a mom”,
to see the job got done!

E. P. Shagott
5/10/2010

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

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May 9, 2010 A devotional from Daily Disciples Ministries

Today's Reading: 2 Kings 7-9; John 1:1-28

Today's Thoughts: Mother's Day

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

"Mom how was it in the olden days when you used to have to call the home phone to talk to your friend?" asked my teenage son. The world has definitely changed since the time my parents raised me. I would guess that the desires of a mother's heart have not changed as much.

So, what does the mother really want for Mother's Day? For me, I want my children to reach their full potential in good values and with strong character. I truly believe they can only achieve my goals for them if they walk with the Lord. Because my prayers do not have the power to force them into the desires of my heart, I pray that I might have the wisdom to lead them to the Lord.

Being a mother to children today is not easy. I continually need to remind myself that "I am the mother" as I am challenged to the core by children who have suddenly become taller, stronger and smarter than I. Repeating, "I am the mother!" aloud helps me stand my ground on many issues, as that answer is sufficient for any of their "whys?" Fortunately, I have noticed that these power struggles do not last long as their attention span changes with the next text message or Facebook update. One of the biggest challenges facing anyone to walk with the Lord today is all the stimuli competing for our concentration to pray and to listen to the Lord, as clearly displayed in the life of a teenager.

Teenagers love stimuli. Everything associated with them is loud, bright and fast. They text on their cell phone, email on Facebook, change their iPod tunes, sort through a homework schedule and then act as if they are listening to me. Children today prepare for a much different world since the days of roll down windows and rotary dial phones. Change has a new meaning in today's world.

Changes in the "things" are not my real concern for the next generation. I am concerned about the many things that compete for our children's attention. The world is loud in our ears and bright in our eyes. This way of life will only increase with advancing technology. I am NOT against change or technology; I am against constant, continual noise. If we are not proactive in protecting our minds from the noise, we are going to miss the things that matter most: a personal, walking talking relationship with the Lord.

As a new teenage believer, I heard God's voice the first time I read the Bible. I learned quickly that in seeking the Lord, my mind must be quiet, like developing a sixth sense. When we tone down our other senses, our awareness of God becomes more evident. A blind person depends more on their sense of hearing and a deaf person depends more on their sense of sight. When everything is shaking and moving, it is difficult to be in tune with your sixth sense of spirituality. If we do not develop ears to hear the Lord and eyes to see His perspective, we will diminish the greatest relationship we could ever have. Regardless of age or stage of life, spirituality is not a "sense" but a lifestyle.

Think about Jesus' lifestyle. He walked for miles without cell phones or iPods. He rose early to pray. He meditated and contemplated. As parents today, we need to foster an environment that provides the same opportunities, as we model the same behaviors in our lifestyle. Do we take the time to read the Bible or wake up early to pray? Do we know how to meditate and quiet our minds to sense the leading of the Lord?

A lifestyle with the Lord starts by praying to have an eternal perspective. Moses prayed it best in Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Moses understood that we live maybe 70 to 80 years on this earth (Psalm 90:10) but eternity is forever. Are we spending our time and giving our attention to what matters for eternity? Are we making a difference here that counts someday up there? Mothers are to teach, train and lead their children to have an understanding of that eternal perspective. We must cultivate it in our daily lives so that our children learn from our example.

A great Mother's Day gift? My child playing worship songs on their iPod.