May 8, 2011

 Mary As A Mom....You Are Not Alone 

Matthew 1: 23

Matthew

And a virgin will conceive a child.

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Thoughts.....

Mary, as a Mom to Jesus, experienced the following and more:

She gave birth to her first child.  Luke 2:7a

She had no home to birth him.  Luke 2:7c

She had to entertain within hours of his birth.  Luke 2:15-16 

She beheld memories close to her heart, of prophecies spoken and things said about her son, and thought about them often.  Luke 2:19 

She had to endure knowing her son had to have surgery at 8 days old.  Luke 2:21

She had to travel right away.  Luke 2:22b

She sacrified for religious doctrine.  Luke 2:24

All within 8 days of his birth!

She traveled to her new home.  Luke 2:39

She parented for growth and health and strength.  Luke 2:39-40

Her son went missing for 3 days when he was 12, but was found.  Luke 2:41-46

She learned of the depth of her son's understanding about God and God's ways.  Luke 2:47

She spoke to him with a firm strength about his irresponsibility.  Luke 2:48

She taught obedience.  Luke 2:51

All before he reached 13 years old!

In later years....

She visited her son. Luke 8:19-20

She believed in and guided her son as an adult....still.  John 2:3-5

She vacationed with her children and his friends.  John 2:12

She watched her son be persecuted, be nailed to a cross, and die.  Matthew 27:55-56

She found the tomb empty where he had been buried.  Matthew 28:1-7

And then she saw him alive after his death and burial.  Matthew 29:8-9

Consider motherhood seriously. 

Embrace motherhood with the joy, tenacity, conviction, dedication, devotion and love that Mary did.

Prepare to be surpised, amazed, upset, happy, thrilled, devastated, sorrowful, but still filled with love...and show it...always.

You 'must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength, and all your mind.  And, love your neighbor as yourself.'  Luke 10:27  Who is your closest neighbor?  Perhaps the one beheld in your womb or your heart. Although Mary gave birth from her womb, she adopted Jesus into her heart first by saying yes to God. 

Whether you have birthed from your womb or God has birthed from his heart through another for you...love with all you have within you...and then love more.

Ask first, then consider, then decide, when situations arise.  This should be the next commandment:  Never assume or prejudge.

Mothers, may you be blessed with a kindness that ascends beyond all thoughts.

My Mother knew this love and the love of God.  And I, to this day, despite her ascension into heaven in 1973, feel the anointing of her love...the gift of herself, the embrace of her heart, the touch of her tears from the depth of love, the wisdom of her years.  And I love her still.  And I believe she is forever loving me.

Mothers, may you be this kind of Mom.

Thank you, Mommy.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Don't have any children?  Remember this.....all the world are your children.  Love them fully and completely.  Give with all you have to give.  Be wise.  Be embraced, as you embrace.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's in the world!  May you be blessed for all the love you give.

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank you for giving me a heart like Mary's so that I may love fully and completely while a Mom.  Thank you for giving me my Mom, who emulated Mary's love, as she she loved me and taught me to do the same.  It is in this area of my life that I feel most complete....my ability to love....fully.  I pray for all others in the world if they were not loved as I was.  May they be consoled.  And please, will you put others in their life to make up for any love or affection lost?  I know you can and you will, for you have done this for me, since my Mother died.  Thank you so very much.  Although no one can fully replace the love of a mother, in being mothered by others, I have learned more.  I know you have led these mothering souls to me and please know that I am grateful beyond words.  Help me to be the best Mom ever to my kids....the ones you have given to my heart....I am grateful beyond measure.  My gratitude knows no bounds.  Thank you.  Help me to teach others what it means to love in your name, to sacrifice, to bend and grow.  To know you and the depth of love you've shared in giving me and others your son, thank you, God.  Jesus, in dying for me and all in the world, I thank you.  Holy Spirit, thank you for dedicating your life to teach me and everyone, so that I and they may live fully and most right, by learning all about you, God and Jesus.  And why you are all important, life saving.  I cannot save, but I can love, and I can show that love to others.....for you.  May you receive all glory and honor.  Thank you.  And Mary, thank you so much for being an example of how to be a Mom.  I am very grateful my Mom...and I....learned from your heart and experiences woman to woman, as well as from God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit....thank you again.  Amen.

May all Mothers have a blessed Mother's Day and all children honor their Mom's with love!               

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More love.... 

  Benediction...Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!   

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regularly to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

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As we grow, you will have options for allocating your gifts.

In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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**I want to apologize for the appearance of the archived scriptures page.  The server has changed the formatting, and, I was unaware of the import of those changes.  I was not paying attention to detail and I placed the information in the summary section rather than the body, which would allow for choice of topic rather than the whole presentation.  It's a mess, and, I will attempt to correct it without loss later today.  Please forgive my errors.  

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided. 

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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