Some Mother's Day Thoughts and Some Huge Answers to Prayer

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  I have a lot of different kinds of thoughts going around in my mind.  Mostly good. Some a little sad...some quite glad...and most very, very thankful.

I've already written a lot (or shared some re-runs) of posts about my own mother for Mother's Day.  I've  mentioned my mother-in-law quite often as well.  If you click on any of the links above that are highlighted, you can re-read some of those posts/thoughts from times past.

Tonight I think I will just list some of the wonderful ways God has blessed this Mother's Day...for me, and for others.

Today we surprised my sweet mother in law with the whole family showing up at the nursing home to wish her a Happy Mother's Day! She was totally surprised and thrilled.

Here we are all together:

This is "Nanny" with her grand-children who were present...

And here she is with her two sons:

And also with some good friends who came along to help us celebrate with her...

As you can see, she was a happy Mama!  We had such a good time...and I know she hated to see us go, but yet she is so content there that she wouldn't want to go with us for anything!
This is a huge answer to many prayers, and we are very grateful to the Lord.

This was just as much a Mother's Day gift for me as it was for her. It was wonderful to have our family together and to enjoy this time of joy and laughter. After our visit in the nursing home, the family enjoyed a great lunch together at a local fun restaurant...and we had such a good time no one wanted to leave there either!  Plus, the good news was...it was finally raining outside! Such another huge answer to many prayers!! So it was great to sit inside the restaurant and visit and not rush outside. The waitstaff didn't even seem to mind that all 12 of us were taking up so much space for so long!

I have another special reason to be joyful...but nothing is official and I can't tell anyone yet.  I'll have to wait for permission from others before I can spill the beans.  But it's exciting to this mother's heart, and another HUGE answer to many long years of prayer...so stay tuned.

These lovely flowers are from one of my sweet sons and a friend...









Another happy, but kind of bittersweet thing happened for my mother's day celebration.  I went to the "Memorial Garden" this morning...the place we have set aside as a memorial to our son Matthew, who went to be with the Lord three years ago...and I was so thrilled to see these special flowers blooming there for me for Mother's Day...I believe a special bouquet from Matthew:

This beautiful Rose of Sharon flower is the first bloom of the year!  This bush was planted in memory of Matthew, selected especially by his wife when she was here for his memorial service.  I hope she will see this post and know that it was blooming for us for Mother's Day.  (She lives in Maine, so isn't here very often...but I will be sure to share this with her)

  This is another picture of the same blossom, but it was just so pretty with the early morning soft raindrops on it...another blessing of the day...and there is another bud waiting to open maybe tomorrow?  On the real day for Mother's Day?  We'll have to check and see in the morning...

And these Easter Lilies have become "Mother's Day Lilies"....blooming about a month too late for Easter, but perfect timing for Mother's Day here in the Memorial Garden.  Another special blessing.

I was so thrilled to see them finally blooming after waiting all month since Easter wondering when they would ever appear!  God's perfect timing!  And there are several more waiting to open...maybe tomorrow as well!!!

While I was sitting there in the Memorial Garden (this evening), this little Hummingbird flew up to the feeder for a drink, and I happened to see her just in time to get a picture...

I was also enjoying the chiming of the beautiful copper windchimes that were created especially for Matthew's Memorial Garden by a dear friend of ours...The Dove of peace is at the top, followed by a moose, a fish, and at the bottom a sunburst, (but I don't think you can see that in this picture)  These are all things that remind us of Matthew...he was an avid outdoorsman from Maine.

Just another side view of the garden...getting very full of shade and more beautiful every day...especially now that we've had a little rain!

I read this Psalm this morning in our devotions:

Psalm 98

1.  "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

2.  The Lord has made known His salvation;

His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.

3.  He has remembered His mercy 

and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4.  Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth in song, rejoice,

and sing praises.

5.  Sing to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of a psalm,

6.  With trumpets and the sound of a horn;

Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

7.  Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell in it;

8.  Let the rivers clap their hands;

Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord,

9.  For He is coming to judge the earth.

With righteousness He shall judge the world,

and the peoples with equity."

I would like to repeat the first part of the first verse...

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things!"

Yes, He has done marvelous things, and this mother is very glad.  Yes, He has given us some "huge answers" to prayer in so many ways...and has caused us to rejoice in the marvelous things He has done.  Oh, yes, there have been some very sad times and heartbreaks...but our God is a loving and merciful God...and

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God,

I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

Amen.

I pray that each and every one of you sweet mothers reading this will be blessed on Mother's Day and beyond...and that you will be able to say of the Lord:

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things!"

Happy Mother's Day!