A Repeated Song of Thanks and Love, from mom

A giver of gifts, not my specialty.

Empty wallet, distant feet, words that struggle to leave my heart to speak.

For each of my children, if you could take an imaginary ride through my veins, you would witness my mind reciting thankful strains,

a heart bulging with inexpressible love,

and through each vessel, your name resounding in your mama’s blood.

My child, you are knit to me.

With lack, and loss, and struggles, and pains, I seek to think on an abundant theme:

God the Father, Jesus, His Son, and the Holy Spirit—God is love.

He’s the Beginning, He’s the End. He saved me, remade me, fills me new, time and time again.

He’s my “same old” song on my one-stringed guitar. He’s my note that hammers and slides, with added harmonics.

The bread, His body, broken for me, the blood that was shed on Calvary, He bid me to come to His Table one day, that I might leave with Him every guilt and every stain.

The Table is where I gave Him my all.

He faithfully re-created me. He told me, “I will not let you fall.”

Following His grace notes, He’s added more strings.

God is blessed with family. The struggle for unity, harmony,  and joy each one knows.

I give you Jesus. He’s the wine never ending, the Bread, the beauty a Rose.

The invitation comes from the King of all Kings. His word is true, He’s hope. He’s life. He’s deliverance. He’s rest.

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–” (1)

Jesus is the name above every name. He never changes, never leaves, He forgives, He believes, . . .

in you.

Always.

He is faithful. Of Him only, this is true.

He’s your keeper, your healer. He breaks down every wall. He’s present. He’s patient.  He’s  power, and  peace.

He was spat on, beat, abused. He was hated.  He knows your every thought, good, bad, and weighted. He accepts you. He’s perfect,

so the best gift I could ever give to you my daughters and sons, (apart from the first birth, many years ago), I can offer you Jesus, for a new birth, right now, right here,

that daily we can share His world together with new eyes and new ears, and we grow in His grace and His knowledge for all eternity’s years.

Talk to Him now, read His word daily. Love floods in like a symphony’s song . . .

I love you forever, my sons and daughters, oh, but He loves you most, more than any other,

for now and forever,

I am a thankful mom.

(1) John 1:12

 

 

September 10th, for us, a gift. A Happy Birthday letter to my first-born son

No words.
Just awe and wonder.

Dear Chris, on your birthday. I remember the moment when you, as a brand new, new-born were handed to me for the very first time.

I will tell you, I had no medication what-so-ever, so when you were handed to me, you were alert and awake, and guess what you did?

You looked right up at me.

Your two little eyes, that could see, but couldn’t in the womb, had now the chance to see, and not just hear, your mama’s voice.

Chris, you looked right at me. I was so surprised.

Surprised isn’t the word.

Awestruck perhaps. I don’t know, but it was that very moment that I realized, you were your own little person. I knew that in my head, but the reality of your amazing-ness caught me off-guard.

You were so miraculous.

And I will tell you today, on your birthday, the first words I said, “Hi, little baby.”

That was it. I was so amazed at you, at God, at the miracle of life.

I love you more than words can say. So much more than that very first day. I love you more and more as the years go on.

Chris, I believe in you.

Your dad and each of your siblings do too. And all the people who spend time with you are touched by your genuine, tender heart. You are a gift to all of us.

We love you so much. Happy Birthday from afar. Hugs and love I pray you can feel, and trust and know that you are a gift. Chris, you’re a gift to us all.

This is the first day of the rest of your life. Sometimes in life, I believe we all feel we are Charlie Brown.

Remember at Halloween, when Charlie Brown came to a house, he moaned, “I got a rock.”

Well, I love this picture of Charlie Brown the best, because maybe he received some “rocks’ in his life, but here, he’s the one with the answer to life.

I give you a gift today of my heart filled to overflowing with love and hope and belief of all things—for you.

I pray you feel loved so abundantly today, and everyday.

And even more than me, Jesus loves you most of all,

I love you,
mom