The Best Mother's Day Gift...That You Can Give Your Family!

Photo Credit: Laurennicolelove

Maybe you’re thinking, “Hey this is about me. It’s my day. Why should I be giving them a gift?”

We honor Moms.

I was reflecting on the fact that after years of pastoring, Emerson realized that on Mother’s Day he used to affirm the mothers while on Father’s Day he exhorted the men.

So I decided to reverse it.

I know there will be much honor given to women this Mother’s Day, but what if we as Moms took this special day and asked what we could give to the fam?

Maybe you’re saying, “What? I give and give and give! Why can’t I just receive for one day?”

And I hope you do receive lots of love this Mother’s Day! I hope many of you will get cards, flowers, and maybe even a nice brunch out. And I hope that these gifts are given out of a true desire of your loved ones to celebrate you.

I didn’t like Emerson and I didn’t like my kids.

But maybe some of you are like I was as a busy Mom. One day Emerson said, “Sarah I know you love me, but I don’t think you like me.” It felt like a knife in the gut.

But he was right. I didn’t like him and I didn’t like the three kids God had given us.

Upon reflection, I was reminded that we didn’t get married because I said, “I hate you and you hate me so let’s get married.” Who gets married saying that? Not anyone!!

I was unfriendly in my home.

We decided to marry because we were first friends. But I had become unfriendly in our home. I was complaining about every shoe from the front to the back door, every candy wrapper, every crumb, every wet towel left wherever. I was trying to change everyone to be like me. Because I thought if they did it my way we would all be happy!

No one was happy.

But no one was happy - not even me! This became a challenge to me to regroup; to re-frame my thinking, to be the friend that Emerson had married, and to be friendly in my home like I am outside of my home.

I know how easy it is to let fatigue and the burdens inside and outside the family weigh us down. But why is it we can control our friendliness when with our friends or complete strangers, but become downright unfriendly in our home?

Moms are called to be friendly.

Titus 2:4 says that we are to love our husbands and children. This word love is phileo which is a friendship love. Perhaps we as women are commanded to “phileo” our husbands and children because we become unfriendly in the home.

This week in preparation for Mother’s Day, why not give your family the gift of friendliness? Make a conscious effort to be the friendly person your husband married and let it spill over to your children. This can be as simple as smiling more often, greeting them with a more pleasant tone instead of a list of instructions, or just softening those facial expressions. 

Give them the best Mother’s Day gift and a reason to celebrate…a friendlier YOU!

From my heart,

Sarah

A Post for the Men: Mother's Day Affirmations

Photo Credit

It has been said that one of the best ways to love a wife is to love her children.  One mom shared with us that each night when her husband tucks their 2 girls in bed, he says to them:

"I'll always love you no matter what.  I'll always be proud of you no matter what.  And you can talk to me about anything." 

Recently this couple went through a rough patch in their marriage that resulted in them hearing about the Love & Respect principles.  This husband made a decision to adapt what he was saying to his daughters each night, to his wife:

"I love you.  I'm proud of you.  And I'll never leave you."

With these few words, this husband is showing his wife 3 key principles from COUPLE daily:  Closeness, Loyalty, and Esteem.  She shared how she feels comforted each night by his words.  And as a Dad, he is giving his 2 little girls the powerful gifts of unconditional love, esteem, understanding and loyalty.  Priceless gifts!

Men, will you take this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to affirm the women you love? There are many simple ways you can communicate your love and appreciation for the women who serve and love others tirelessly. Whether it’s your Mom or Mother-in-law, your wife or your daughter, your simple words of affirmation ensure comfort and a lasting legacy.  This is the gift that keeps on giving through the generations!

~Emerson and Sarah

The Power of a Mother

As a child I remember my mother wanting only one thing from us on Mother's Day - that we would obey and try to get along with one another. She said that would mean more to her than any gift. I found myself through the years asking the same of my children. Recently our adult son David, not knowing what to give me, asked if that's still all I wanted. We laughed about that.

As Mother’s Day approaches, we Moms look forward to being celebrated. Read how my friend Lisa learned that by listening to God, He blessed her family in ways she never dreamed were possible. This is the greatest gift a Mother can receive!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sarah Eggerichs

*********

I vividly remember where I was standing in my kitchen when I felt God speak to my heart. I knew it had to be Him because it moved me to the deepest core of my being and was the complete opposite of what I was feeling in my flesh. “Lisa how will you teach your children to have faith in Me, when you can’t trust Me with your marriage? How will you look them in the eyes in years to come when they ask you, ‘Mommy why didn’t you try one more time?’ How will you tell them you couldn’t?”

My marriage was a disaster. We were heading towards divorce and I had three very young children. It was so bad, a Christian counselor told me to throw my husband out to get his attention. I loved God and I had seen Him rescue me from some pretty tough things. But could He fix THIS? Would He?

Dr. Emerson and Sarah’s book Motivating Your Man God’s Way was mailed to me by a friend. I read it. Respect unconditionally?? Are you kidding me? Forget it - that seems ridiculous. Yet, it was the ONLY thing I hadn’t tried. Twenty self-help and marriage books, counselors, threats of leaving, yelling, tears, stone cold silence, none of that worked.

I decided to bite the bullet. I was determined to show respect even when I did not feel like it. Then when that didn’t work I could still look God and my children in the eyes and say “I did all I could.” At the time my husband did not join in and do his part of Ephesians 5:33. So when times got really tough and I wanted to quit this obedience thing due to a lack of “results,” God dropped the “how will you teach your children…” bomb.

As wives and mothers we have a powerful appointment by God. He has entrusted us with children who are his blessings. We are told to “train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6).

If we don’t honor God in our marriages, where our children have a front row seat (regardless of their age), how will we show them the blessings and protection God desires to give us? How will we show them that God can move on our behalf if we just get out of His way?

I am grateful that God gave me His instruction for marriage in Ephesians 5:33 and the tools from Love & Respect Ministries. As I obeyed this very challenging scripture, God moved and radically transformed my marriage and my family! I give Him all the glory.

I honor all mothers as Mother’s Day approaches. You have a very high calling. You also serve a very powerful loving God. I want to encourage you that by being obedient to God’s word on marriage you will not be a doormat! You will become a welcome mat to His power. See what God can do in you and through you so that Proverbs 31:28 will become a reality in your family for generations to come: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her…”

Lisa Shea

Watch Lisa’s video testimony on our website here.