Mothers and Others - Honored (Updated version)

Building on what Katie wrote yesterday, I drew a "coloring page," uncolored to represent all the possibilities we have to add color and beauty to our worlds in small acts of service and devotion and doing of duties, all of which shape the world in huge ways far beyond our lives and lifetimes..

Happy Mothers' Day

To all the mothers reading this, especially to my own, I wish you a lovely day full of beauty and peace and family and blessings. Thank you to all who sent lovely messages to me.

As mothers and having mothers we know what tremendous influence mothers' actions and attitudes have on those in their families and sphere of influence. What we sometimes neglect to recognize is the fierce attack on motherhood that is waged in the name of Woman. The world tells us that a paid job and position is the essence of  fulfillment. God tells us that motherhood is a woman's highest and best calling, the one in which He prefers to distribute His blessings to women and humanity. Those messages cannot both be right. (That is not to say that motherhood is incompatible with other callings or vocations, per se, but merely refers to their rank, so we can keep our priorities straight, noting also that not every woman is given that opportunity to be a mother.)

When the world and popular culture hammer women with insistence that she must be like men in engaging the world, sacrificing her children to achieve recognition in the workforce, putting all kinds of things as more important than marriage, and measuring her contribution to humanity in paychecks, then women are on the track that denigrates their womanhood. Whether a woman has children or not, presently or ever-as-God-wills, her attitude toward motherhood is her attitude toward God's blessing. The whole of the Bible is emphatic that women, in general and as God  provides, are called by God to fill a role as a complement to a husband, to make a happy productive home, and to raise children (as God gives them, neither more nor less - which has huge implications, if one will but think of them).

All around are bright colors and much happening, and in the midst is the invisible hand of  mother.

God divided His attributes between men and women when He created them in His image, and said that neither is complete without the other. Strident feminists not withstanding, women are notably healthier, happier, and more productive in a godly marriage than not.

God equipped women with special qualities to profit from marriage and to bear the rigors of birthing and rearing children. She has happy hormones released in intimacies. She has built-in adjusters for sleepless nights with newborns. She is, ideally, put in a position with a husband to provide and protect her so she can focus on her home and children in a loving closed circle. And so many other things, that show the grace of God in the arrangement He has set out as His will for the whole world's good.

The contrast to this is being taught to our young ladies these days. She is told to "do it all, have it all." Be the big boss, get a big paycheck, compel hubby to do his "fair share" with house and children so she can "achieve her potential," and if children get in the way of those primary objectives, get rid of them or give them to others to raise. And children are sick in day care, un-bonded to Mama, rootless and un-moored when they grow up. And hubby is wondering why he is to do all his job plus half of hers; and if he protests, then he gets booted out, sundered from his children, compelled to pay for a departed wife, and the State becomes her new husband at his expense. But this is called "fair" by the world. God calls it perverse. It doesn't follow the Owner's manual.

There are consequences to this"new and improved womanhood". If Mama spreads herself too thin, she piles on stress, on herself and her family She wears herself down and gets sick. She gets irritable - and when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. She is in rebellion against God's order, and deprives herself and her family of blessings.

Obviously many women can do wondrous amounts of things with their time and talents and we admire them hugely. Proverbs 31 expressly commends the woman who is a sagacious businesswoman for her household (n.b.). But it becomes very obvious when a woman has exceeded her capacities and needs to step back and re-evaluate her priorities. Then it is time to make time to do things God's way - which just might include stress relievers like creating beautiful things at home.


So, we honor our mothers who taught us these priorities.

 Mother's Day Contest

Thus far, we have seen Sarah W.'s beautiful card for her mother, and Maria's early Mother's Day gift for her mother, and today we see these:

Mary is caring for her mother's garden and sent her pictures of her blooms so she could enjoy them while she is away.

Someone sent Mary some lovely thoughts in tangible form.

And Daria made a heartwarming card and message (on the back) for Aunt Sarah today.

Happy day to all. 
Do send your pictures if you want to participate in the contest. Due tomorrow by the end of your day.

Later addendum:

My boys have brought to my attention that my views here might be at variance with others' views, in whole or in part - obviously so. Any one is welcome at any time to write a counter view, or corrections, or to debate a matter.  We have an open forum here.

Please do not be offended if you write something and get counter arguments. That is called discussion. We will all try, I hope, to be Biblical and civil. So go ahead and say what you think.

Do note also that what I wrote is extremely brief on a huge subject, so could have many qualifiers and clarifiers. If further are requested, I will be happy to give them.
The main point is "Yes, Moms!" or a little more Biblical, "Honor her in the gates."

We had  our first grill of the year today - a feast actually, with potato salad and vegetable salad and grill skewers made by Daria (bless her) and plenty more - with this Schwedentorte as dessert. It has a Marzipan covering over two cream fillings and a cake bottom.

This means basically, "Cheers for Mothers Day."