You Are Appreciated, Mother of the Bride!

January 22, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, do you have moments when you feel unappreciated for all your wedding-planning efforts? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Every mother of the bride feels that way at one time or another. After all, feeling unappreciated happens in most stages of mothering. Why should we expect anything different during the wedding-planning stage?

Take heart, though. The bride and groom will be forever thankful for everything you’re doing to give them a joyful wedding day. As their dream-come-true day unfolds—or at some point following the festivities when they have time to reflect back on their day—they’ll realize how much effort you expended on their behalf. And they’ll be truly grateful.

In addition, MOB, you yourself will feel such gratitude and personal satisfaction on the big day for the blessing of being able to give your daughter and new son-in-law a beautiful start to their lives together. Just being able to bless them in such an important way will be blessing enough for you for a very long time.

So take my word for it, MOB—you are appreciated. When the crazy days and pressures of wedding planning in the midst of the demands of regular life are behind you all, you’ll find the bride and groom looking at you through eyes of love and gratitude. And that will make it worth it all!

*You might also like to read “Mother of the Bride – Needed and Loved”, Spirit and Soul Refreshment for the Mother of the Bride, and Wisdom and Encouragement for the Mother of the Bride.

*Hope this slightly revised post from April 2014 blessed you today, MOB!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Photo by Chris Humphrey

Filed Under: bride, encouragement, groom, Mother of the Bride, thanks, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Gratitude

November 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Do you desire to live a life ever-flowing with gratitude? This month’s installment of my blog series featuring sentence prayers that invite God’s power into important aspects of our lives will help you achieve that very desire.

Since we celebrate Thanksgiving in November and many of us focus on thanks all month long, I hope these sentence prayers for living a life of gratitude will help our hearts grow even deeper in the life-transforming practice of thankfulness. May you be blessed, friends, as you voice these prayers in your own lives!

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Gratitude

  1. Father, help me to be ever aware of your presence, remembering that you’re my past, my present, and my future. (Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5)
  2. Lord, help me always proclaim, “Father, thank you for sending; Jesus, thank you for coming; Spirit, thank you for staying!” (John 3:17, Luke 2:11, John 14:16-17)
  3. Father, I trust that you are causing everything that happens in my life to work together for good. (Romans 8:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
  4. Lord, when life is hard, remind me to notice all the good things in my life, including the blessings I usually take for granted. (Psalm 112:4, James 1:17)
  5. Father, draw my attention daily to the beauty of your world and cause me to ever rejoice in its wonders. (Psalm 65:5-13, Psalm 104)
  6. Father, may I always be grateful for the work you’ve given me to do, for the way it meets needs, and for the opportunity to glorify you through it. (Ecclesiastes 5:19, Colossians 3:23)
  7. Lord, I embrace your sovereign plan for my life and rest in the peace that comes from trusting you completely. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:12)

As we live our lives with gratitude, may they shine with the grace and peace of God and be used to draw others to him!

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NIV

*Which of the above prayers do you most need to pray right now?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by maltzevans, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blogs, faith, holidays, life, prayer, thanks, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Let’s Give Ourselves a Time Out—For Gratitude!

June 20, 2017 by 4 Comments

Too often we wait until November, the month of thanks—or even the very end of the year—to focus on things we’re grateful for, but let’s take a time out to do it today.

After all, we should have thankful hearts all year long, right? Sometimes we let life blaze past us, forgetting to truly appreciate and express gratitude for the blessings in our lives. So let’s do our best from now on to continually cultivate thankful hearts—and we can start by being intentional about it today.

Since we’ve almost reached the midpoint of 2017, let’s each give some thought to the top ten things we’re most grateful for so far this year. Limiting it to this year will help us focus our thoughts on the most recent events in our lives rather than thinking of the general things that always come to mind when giving thanks.

Here’s my Top Ten Gratitude List thus far for 2017:

  1. I’m thankful for being able to trust God for the outcome of a big personal prayer concern as well as some work-related concerns. So grateful for the peace and rest I find in trusting him.
  2. I’m thankful for the times we’ve spent with our daughters, sons-in-law, and two sets of twin grandsons. So thankful for sweet baby smiles and little boy laughter, for snuggly cuddles and precious hugs. Thankful for trips to the zoo and for seeing baby milestones achieved.
  3. I’m thankful my dad, my sister Carolyn, and I got to go meet the newest member of our extended family—Jaxon, my niece Joanna’s baby and my sister Janice’s first grandbaby.
  4. I’m thankful for God’s Word and how he has used it to guide me and to strengthen and encourage me and how he’s allowed me to share it with others through my writing.
  5. I’m thankful to have reached one of my main author marketing goals for the year—participating in bridal fairs.  This has been a challenge because of high vendor fees, but God has led me to two so far on the lower end of the expense spectrum.
  6. I’m thankful for safe travel in all my trips to see our grandkids and also travel associated with my writing. For example, on one trip to Little Rock, I had three close calls on the interstate. I don’t take safe travel for granted.
  7. I’m thankful for the beautiful job Stephanie Wheatley of Wheatley Design did on the Wedding Inspiration cards I developed. Also very thankful for God’s leading in this project as well as my daughter Kristin’s help with various aspects of it.
  8. I’m thankful for good health for Don and me through cold and flu season. Also very thankful that God kept our grandbabies protected from the flu.
  9. I’m thankful for a quick getaway to Branson with Don in May. It had been over five years since we had been there. It was so good to enjoy Silver Dollar City once again—a place where my entire family has many great memories together.
  10. And finally, I’m thankful Don is carrying a lighter teaching load in summer school this summer. Since his Microbiology class is filled beyond capacity, he could never have kept up with all the extra work that causes plus teach Anatomy & Physiology the way he normally does as well.

So there’s my top ten—how about yours? I think you’ll find that when you get started, it will be hard to stop at ten!

“Come and see what God has done, the amazing things he has done for people.” Psalm 66:5 NCV

*What are you grateful for so far in 2017?

*Flickr photo by RnD.de.Portraits, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: action, blessing, life, memories, praise, thanks Tagged With: , ,

A Mother of the Bride’s Thanksgiving Prayer

November 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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May this Mother of the Bride’s Prayer of Thanksgiving help you express to God what’s in your heart this year, dear MOB!

Dear Lord,

My heart is filled with thanksgiving this year as I help my precious daughter prepare for her wedding. These are once-in-a-lifetime days, and I’m so grateful to be sharing such an exciting journey with her. Thank you, Lord, for granting us this amazing time together.

Father, as I see my sweet girl take on this new role of bride-to-be and soon-to-be wife, my heart swells afresh with love for her. Not only has she grown into a beautiful woman, she has become a funny, smart, kind, and loving person. I am so very proud of her and I thank you, Lord, for allowing me the great privilege of being her mom.

And how can I ever thank you for bringing such a fine young man into her life to be the love of her life and share the rest of her days with her? I pray that you’ll draw them even closer to one another in these months preceding their wedding. Help them form a bond that nothing will ever break, and help them to always look to you and desire to honor you in their marriage and in all that they do.

Lord, help me to be a mother of the bride who is truly helpful and encouraging in every way. Help me to be the support that my daughter needs now and help me to develop a sweet and loving relationship with my soon-to-be son-in-law. I pray I will be a mother they can always count on and a friend who will walk with them through whatever the future may hold. Help me to be a blessing to them, Lord!

Yes, Lord, my heart is filled with thanksgiving this year. How I thank and praise you!

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3

*You might also like to read Spirit and Soul Refreshment for the Mother of the Bride. And from my home page, you might like A Prayer for Couples You Know.

*Since the readership of this blog is ever-changing, I hope this encore post from November 2014 is a real blessing to you today, MOB!

*Also note I won’t be posting next week during the holiday week but will see you back here on the 29th. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

*It’s not too late to receive the current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter. I offer a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue so don’t miss out. Sign-up is free on the right sidebar!

*Flickr photo by JFXie, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blessing, bride, faith, family, holidays, life, love, Mother of the Bride, prayer, thanks Tagged With: , , , ,

Guest Jeneal Rogers: From My Front Porch

October 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Today I’m happy to share a beautiful piece written by my dear friend Jeneal Rogers. Sit back, relax with Jeneal on her front porch, and let her words usher in peace and beauty. Let them transport you to the thin edge of dawn.

From My Front Porch

It’s the thin edge of dawn. I sit in the rocking chair, on my front porch. Crickets and tree frogs still harmonize. A squirrel scolds emphatically. I wonder. Is it her children she so passionately lectures? Or has her mate somehow unwittingly incurred her wrath?

I watch a spider scurry up the post in front of me. Hurried. Intent. Eager, perhaps, to begin her morning weaving.

Birds start to tune up for today’s concert.
Coos, chirps, and twitters.
Tweets, whistles, and caws.
The rapid percussion of a woodpecker, searching for his breakfast.
An arrogant cardinal warms his voice, “pretty, pretty, pretty bird.”
I listen for the satiny call of the owl, asking his perpetual question. “Who? Who? Who cooks for you?”

Leaves, twigs, and acorns fall from the huge oak.
Plunk
Pop
Tap
Announcing Autumn’s arrival as surely as the air of chilled fog.

How blessed I am. My weekend filled with warm love and laughter.
Friends sharing
Meals
Stories
Hopes
Dreams
Pieces of their lives, graciously offered
Gratefully received.

A beautiful gift, wrapped up and adorned with this sweet symphony of nature, received on my front porch, this early morning, at the thin edge of dawn.

Writer and visual artist Jeneal Rogers of southeast Missouri enjoys writing essays, short stories, and poetry along with creating visual arts of all kinds. An illustrator for Armonia Publishing, Jeneal is currently working on creating an illustrated book, New Wings For An Old Bird, which will combine her love of written and visual media. Jeneal invites you to keep your eye out for the book.

*Photo above by Jeneal Rogers

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One current or new subscriber will win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble so don’t miss out. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: autumn, blessing, fellowship, Friend, Gift, home, joy, life, light, memories, music, nature, poem, thanks Tagged With: , , ,
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