Happy Mother’s Day
Today is a very special day, it is a wonderful day. It is not only “The day that Lord has made”. But it is the day that we pause to honor mothers. The Bible tells us in Exodus 20:12 , "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee". We salute all mothers today. Mothers, grandmothers , foster mothers, deceased mothers, mothers to be and those who are not biological mothers but have acted as a mother to a child. Mothers, you are a special gift from God. You carried your child for nine months and through travails and labour pain you brought them into this world. You have been the nourishers , providers , protectors, counselors, teachers, and role models for your children. One of our greatest president’s , Abraham Lincoln, once said “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother.” As it has been said that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree”. A mother’s influence is so profound, that anonymous person once said, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Mother’s , you have played an intrical part in the development of your children. Mothers, you have prayed for, taught, laughed, cried, corrected, guided and loved your children unconditionally. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown. Mothers, you have set the example and pattern for Godly living. You have set the tone for faithful Chrisitian lifestyle. Mothers , For all you do this day is for you!
I honor my own dear mother, Rev. Rosetta C. Lillard, she has gone home to be with the Lord. She was a virteous woman of God. She was a mother, a grandmother and great grandmother. She was a spirtual mother to many. She was a loving wife to my father and a loving mother to four sons. She did a wonderful job rearing us . She made tremendous sacrificies to insure that we had whatever we needed. She left a great legacy of faith, and she will always be loved.
I also want to honor my own precious wife, Mrs. Helen Lillard, the mother of our three lovely daughters and the grandmother of our four grandsons and our one grandaughter. She too is a loving wife and wonderful mother and grandmother as well as a mentor and role model for our children and granchildren. She is a great woman of God and we all love her dearly.
I wanted to know the origin of Mother’s Day , in my research, thru Wickepedia, I discovered that the modern American holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world". Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother's Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. In has been noted that Mother's day is the third most popular Holiday, following Christmas and Easter
To Mothers all over the world. For all you have done and for all you do, this Mother’s Day is for you. I dedicate this Mother’s Day poem and this Mother’s Day prayer to all mothers.
May God Bless You and May heaven smile upon you !
Until Next Time! Be Blessed and Stay Blessed!
Rev. Dr. Calvin A. Lillard
M - O - T - H - E - R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
Author: Howard Johnson
Mothers Day Prayer
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank You for our mothers to whom You have entrusted the care of every precious human life from its very beginning in the womb.
You have given to woman the capacity of participating with You in the creation of new life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing, which gives her an unlimited capacity for selfless love for every child she may be privileged to bear, and for all Your children.
Watch over every mother who is with child, strengthen her faith in Your fatherly care and love for her and for her unborn baby. Give her courage in times of fear or pain, understanding in times of uncertainty and doubt, and hope in times of trouble. Grant her joy in the birth of her child.
To mothers You have given the great privilege and responsibility of being a child's first teacher and spiritual guide. Grant that all mothers may worthily foster the faith of their children, following the example of Mary, Elizabeth, and other holy women who follow Christ. Help mothers to grow daily in knowledge and understanding of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and grant them the wisdom to impart this knowledge faithfully to their children, and to all who depend upon them.
Assist all "spiritual mothers", those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others -- of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.
We beseech You to send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all mothers who sorrow for children that have died, are ill or estranged from their families, or who are in trouble or danger of any kind. Help grieving mothers to rely on Your tender mercy and fatherly love for all your children.
We ask your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted motherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire and strengthen them. May they ever follow the example of Mary, mother of Our Lord, and imitate her fidelity, her humility, and her self-giving love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in the life to come.
We ask this through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
AMEN.
Selected
Today is a very special day, it is a wonderful day. It is not only “The day that Lord has made”. But it is the day that we pause to honor mothers. The Bible tells us in Exodus 20:12 , "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee". We salute all mothers today. Mothers, grandmothers , foster mothers, deceased mothers, mothers to be and those who are not biological mothers but have acted as a mother to a child. Mothers, you are a special gift from God. You carried your child for nine months and through travails and labour pain you brought them into this world. You have been the nourishers , providers , protectors, counselors, teachers, and role models for your children. One of our greatest president’s , Abraham Lincoln, once said “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother.” As it has been said that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree”. A mother’s influence is so profound, that anonymous person once said, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Mother’s , you have played an intrical part in the development of your children. Mothers, you have prayed for, taught, laughed, cried, corrected, guided and loved your children unconditionally. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown. Mothers, you have set the example and pattern for Godly living. You have set the tone for faithful Chrisitian lifestyle. Mothers , For all you do this day is for you!
I honor my own dear mother, Rev. Rosetta C. Lillard, she has gone home to be with the Lord. She was a virteous woman of God. She was a mother, a grandmother and great grandmother. She was a spirtual mother to many. She was a loving wife to my father and a loving mother to four sons. She did a wonderful job rearing us . She made tremendous sacrificies to insure that we had whatever we needed. She left a great legacy of faith, and she will always be loved.
I also want to honor my own precious wife, Mrs. Helen Lillard, the mother of our three lovely daughters and the grandmother of our four grandsons and our one grandaughter. She too is a loving wife and wonderful mother and grandmother as well as a mentor and role model for our children and granchildren. She is a great woman of God and we all love her dearly.
I wanted to know the origin of Mother’s Day , in my research, thru Wickepedia, I discovered that the modern American holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world". Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother's Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. In has been noted that Mother's day is the third most popular Holiday, following Christmas and Easter
To Mothers all over the world. For all you have done and for all you do, this Mother’s Day is for you. I dedicate this Mother’s Day poem and this Mother’s Day prayer to all mothers.
May God Bless You and May heaven smile upon you !
Until Next Time! Be Blessed and Stay Blessed!
Rev. Dr. Calvin A. Lillard
M - O - T - H - E - R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
Author: Howard Johnson
Mothers Day Prayer
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank You for our mothers to whom You have entrusted the care of every precious human life from its very beginning in the womb.
You have given to woman the capacity of participating with You in the creation of new life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing, which gives her an unlimited capacity for selfless love for every child she may be privileged to bear, and for all Your children.
Watch over every mother who is with child, strengthen her faith in Your fatherly care and love for her and for her unborn baby. Give her courage in times of fear or pain, understanding in times of uncertainty and doubt, and hope in times of trouble. Grant her joy in the birth of her child.
To mothers You have given the great privilege and responsibility of being a child's first teacher and spiritual guide. Grant that all mothers may worthily foster the faith of their children, following the example of Mary, Elizabeth, and other holy women who follow Christ. Help mothers to grow daily in knowledge and understanding of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and grant them the wisdom to impart this knowledge faithfully to their children, and to all who depend upon them.
Assist all "spiritual mothers", those who, though they may have no children of their own, nevertheless selflessly care for the children of others -- of every age and state in life. Grant that they may know the joy of fulfilling this motherly calling of women, whether in teaching, nursing, religious life, or in other work which recognizes and fosters the true dignity of every human being created in Your image and likeness.
We beseech You to send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all mothers who sorrow for children that have died, are ill or estranged from their families, or who are in trouble or danger of any kind. Help grieving mothers to rely on Your tender mercy and fatherly love for all your children.
We ask your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted motherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire and strengthen them. May they ever follow the example of Mary, mother of Our Lord, and imitate her fidelity, her humility, and her self-giving love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in the life to come.
We ask this through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
AMEN.
Selected