This week, I thought I would repost this #SundayMessage from August 20, 2017. I found it appropriate since Steve and I are watching our son Stephen’s four children while he and his incredible wife are on a little getaway trip together; that’s why this post is late.😂
Family is everything to me… and I believe the most essential key to its success begins with two loving people who put God first in their lives and show their children it’s the true way to eternal happiness. Our Stephen and Claire are definitely one of those great couples!
My post from 2017 talks about my parents and why we, as their children, loved them so much as they showed us the way!🥰 Have a wonderful day, and always remember you are loved!!! 💖
It is said that the L️️❤️VE of a Mother cannot be measured. It is a brilliant gem that is to be treasured.
My Mom was a light due to her strong faith, devotion, and love for God. She was immensely grateful for her Savior, Jesus Christ, and wanted to follow Him and His example throughout her life. The spirit of service poured out in everything she did, especially towards us, her family.
Being the only girl, I was close to my mother, but our unique bond deepened when I played her in a TV movie called Side by Side. I came to understand her personality as a young girl and learned about the woman she grew up to become. The deep love she had for my father, George, was so sweetly expressed to me by her, and to have this opportunity to understand how my parents fell in love and what was the glue to their successful marriage was life-changing. They were and continue to be a light and example for me to follow in what an eternal relationship looks like.
I was so blessed to have a good Mother. She’d say, “Remember, we love our men into being great; you don’t shame them into it.” One of the great lessons she taught me was the power we have as women and the importance of properly using it. She’d say, “We need to show gratitude to the good men in our lives because as we love them into being great, it makes our lives even better, too! 😉🤭 There is no wisdom in shaming or belittling anyone.” And it must’ve been true because I don’t know anyone who didn’t adore her! She also said being kind doesn’t mean you tolerate any form of belittlement or abuse. This behavior was unacceptable to her, and she always stepped away. That was great advice then and now, especially since I’ve been surrounded mostly by men my whole life!!! 😂
When I was around ten years old, I told my mom that I loved my Daddy, but sometimes it was hard for me to talk to him like I could talk to her. She wisely said, “Go sit next to him and tell him you love him... then watch him melt! 😂 He loves you so much; you’re his princess, and he would do anything for you!” It was a powerful lesson in loving communication, and after that, my Dad and I never stopped talking. We became best friends, and he showed me his example of how a good man should treat me. 🥰
How many disagreements would end if couples said, “I’m sorry, I love you, and we will work this out lovingly”? 🤔
As women of faith, let's pray to our Father in Heaven that He will help us know how to comfort and build up the great men in our lives to fulfill their potential. To give them all they need, they feel loved, so they, in turn, love us and seek God's love in our lives together. And, like my Dad would tell my brothers, “When good men love God and are humble enough to take their problems to Heavenly Father for answers, He will always give them the wisdom they need to guide their family.” Our Father in Heaven wants every parent to succeed and will always be there to help because family is the cornerstone of all success.
Don’t forget, of all the titles, respect, and worldly honor we can obtain in this life… we take nothing with us when we die. What we do take is the relationships we make and the knowledge and learning God blesses us with. This is why we’re here on this earth: to learn and love, to build up others and serve them, taking on the characteristics of our Savior Jesus Christ so we can return to our loving God, our Father in Heaven.
He has asked us to address him as Father. That distinction shows how very much God wants a close relationship with us because He IS literally our Father. I consider it one of my greatest blessings to know I have a Father in Heaven who loves me. I also have my earthly Dad to thank for teaching me that I am a daughter of God!
A sweet fan created this video to honor my Dad, but you can’t praise my father without including my mother. They were side-by-side, like the movie said. My parents were equal in all things they did. In a world where women want empowerment, let us never forget the importance and necessity of good men in our and our children’s lives! 🥰👍💕
#HappySunday
