ON THIS MOTHER’S DAY (2013)

2013-5-12


Grace and beauty can fool you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. Give her the reward she deserves. Praise her in public for what she has done. [Proverbs 31: 30-31 (ERV)]

Lord, we offer thanks today, not just for our mothers, but for all the women who have been positive influences in our lives: grandmothers and mothers-in-law; daughters and daughters-in-law; sisters, cousins, aunts and nieces; teachers, doctors and nurses; business associates and mentors; friends and neighbors. Thank you for these women who loved us when we were unlovable, believed in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves, gave us confidence when we doubted, encouraged us to learn and grow, respected us enough to let us walk our own paths, showed us how to conduct ourselves by their example, kept us accountable for our behavior, and never gave up praying for us and our happiness. Thank you.

SOMETHING WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON

Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners [Mark 2:17 (NLT)]

Thank you, Jesus, for providing us with a church family. We can gather together, hear your word, offer prayers and praise, and even come together at your table. We are such a diverse group: young and old, wealthy and poor, coming from all walks of life. Some people are secure in their faith while others are filled with doubt. Yet we all share one thing in common: we all are sinners! Thank you for welcoming sinners into your family, and thank you for your healing hand of forgiveness so that we can begin each day anew.