4 Jan

Tips for a Powerful New Year

Posted by Randy Carder in Challenges, Daily Living, Encouragement, Life Lessons.

We’re going to spend a little time over the next few days and learn some tips on how to have a powerful new year….not a successful new year; not a good new year; not a happy new year, but a powerful new year!   I’ve had this list on my computer for 5 years and never shared it with anyone.  I don’t know who wrote this list, where I got it or who sent it to me, but the comments under each point are mine.  It’s my hope and prayer that something you read here will encourage you to work toward a powerful 2011.  So here we go with the first 5 of 40 Tips for a Powerful New Year.

Be encouraged today friends,

Randy

40.  Enjoy the ride.  You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride. When is the last time you stepped away from the day to day grind and sat and just pondered your life?  For many of you it’s been way too long or maybe never.  You must find the time to relax, unwind, and learn to enjoy this wonderful life we’ve been given.  Remember, yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not guaranteed.

39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. Stress is a KILLER!  Your body is not designed to thrive under continued stress.  Everyone has it but you must find ways to relieve that stress.  Here are a few suggestions: Exercise, sleep, sing, dance, swim, walk, read, and the very best stress reliever for you married folks…..make love to your spouse!  Kiss deeper, love longer, laugh uncontrollably, and dance with abandon!

38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:   “I am thankful for (you fill in the blank.)” In 1897, the hymn writer Johnson Oatman, Jr. penned these words:  When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. 114 years later the message rings true friend….COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

37. Call your mom and dad. Need I say more?  I know, some of you can’t call your parents because they have passed away. The lesson here is to pick up the phone and make the call!  The reason is not important.  What’s important is that you make the contact!  Remember, tomorrow is NOT guaranteed.  Do this before it is too late!

36. Do the right thing! Peter F. Drucker wrote, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right thing!” Do you want to be efficient or effective?  I choose effective but I also think you can do both.  Effectiveness comes first; do the right thing every time!

MORE TO FOLLOW………..



1 Jan

The Great Truths of Life

Posted by Randy Carder in Encouragement, Humor.

Friends,

   In my 55 years of life I have uncovered some very important truths about life.  I thought sharing these truths would be a good way to start the new year.  Obviously, all these great truths are not original with me but I have added a few of my own.  It is my prayer that you find these great truths of life to be a source of blessing, encouragement and maybe a smile or two.

Be Encouraged Today Friends! 

Blessings, Randy

THE GREAT TRUTHS OF LIFE

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1. No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.
2.  When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
3.  If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4.  Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5.  You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
6.  Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7.  Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8.  You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9.  Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10.  The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1. Raising teenagers is as easy as nailing jelly to a tree.
2.  Wrinkles don’t hurt.
3.  Families are like fudge…mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4.  Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.
5.  Laughing is good exercise, it’s like jogging on the inside.
6.  Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:
1.   Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2.   Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3.   When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.
4.   You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5.   It’s frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6.  Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.
7.  Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

 THE GREAT TRUTH ABOUT SANTA CLAUS:
STAGE 1: You believe in Santa Claus.
STAGE 2: You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
STAGE 3: You are Santa Claus.
STAGE 4: You look like Santa Claus. 

THE GREAT TRUTH ABOUT SUCCESS:
At age 4, success is not peeing in your pants.
At age 12, success is having friends.
At age 17, success is having a driver’s license.                                                            

At age 35, success is having money.
At age 50, success is having money.
At age 70, success is having a driver’s license.
At age 75, success is having friends.
At age 80, success is not peeing in your pants.

Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.

7 Oct

The Purpose Driven Life – Day Five

Posted by Randy Carder in Daily Walk, Encouragement, Life Lessons.

Seeing Life from God’s View

The way you SEE your life SHAPES your life!

Pastor Rick asks the question, “How do you see your life?”  This is a great question and for me, not one that is easily answered.  Depending on your stage of life your metaphor might be something like….My life is a circus!….My life is a game!……My life is a whirlwind!….My life is a battle!  What is your life metaphor?  How you see your life often will determine what you value most. 

The Bible says, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.  Then you will be able to know the will of God.”  Romans 12:2 (TEV)  The Bible offers us three types of metaphors that teach us God’s view of life:  Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment. 

There are several kinds of tests. There is the I am so busy test.  How many times have you just blown through your day, meeting deadlines, putting out fires, and taking care of your schedule while important situations and people all around you get unnoticed?  Sometimes those unnoticed people are the ones closest to you.  In our desire to complete our tasks, we fail the test God puts before us.  I have never known a man who comes to the end of his life and says, “I sure wish I had spent more time at the office.”  No, what I’ve heard over and over is, “I sure wish I had spent more time with my wife and kids.” 

There is the everyday situation test.  We are given the everyday test when we are standing in line at the convenience store ready to pay for our purchase and the person in front of us has a dozen or so lottery tickets to check on.  When patience is called for, how do you respond? 

There is the endurance test.  We’ve all been tested but some in ways more severely and for longer periods of time. My friend Bill endured his test for many, many years; you see, his wife had become disabled and needed 24 hour nursing care.  His test was not whether or not he loved his wife because he was totally committed to her.  He was going to love her through this illness because he had made a vow….in sickness and in health.  His was not a love test, but rather an endurance test.  Those years she spent in a nursing home, were not lonely years for her because you see, Bill saw her everyday.  He endured years of watching his mate slowly slip away but his love and commitment never waivered.  Bill definitely passed the endurance test.

You will be tested by major changes, undeserved criticism, delayed promises, unanswered prayers, unresolved problems, and senseless tragedies. Pastor Rick reminds us that our character is both revealed and developed by these tests, and all of life is a test.

The bottom line is that your faith, hope and love will all be tested.  How will you respond?

A point to ponder:  Life is a test and a trust.

A verse to remember:  “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you will not be faithful in large one.” Luke 16:10a (NLT)

A question to consider:  What has happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from God?  What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

Be encouraged today friends!  Randy

18 Aug

The Purpose Driven Life – Day Four

Posted by Randy Carder in Challenges, Daily Walk, Encouragement.

Made to Last Forever

Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day!  No, no, man was made for immortality.  Abraham Lincoln

This life is not all there is.  I for one am really glad!  If this life is all there is, then what’s the point?   Think of all the hurt and pain all around us.  We are reminded daily that man is cruel and destructive.  We see images of what mankind is capable.  Yes friends, without the promise of eternity, this world would be a very depressing place.  But it’s not the end! 

This world is full of choices but when your earthly life is over, there are only two choices: heaven or hell.  Where you spend eternity depends solely on your relationship with the creator of eternity.  Pastor Rick puts it best when he writes, “if you learn to love and trust God’s Son, Jesus, you will be invited to spend the rest of eternity with him.  On the other hand, if you reject his love, forgiveness, and salvation, you will spend eternity apart from God forever.”  The creator makes it so simple, yet we try to mess it up.  We say it’s your good works that gets you to heaven.  We say it’s your faith plus baptism or your faith plus church membership that will get you to heaven.  I don’t know why we insist on changing God’s way but we sure have done a major mess up job of it.  God makes it so simple.  Trust Jesus and He will share His eternity with you!

God’s plan includes eternity but that certainly is not the only part of the plan!  God has great plans for your life.  He stands ready to reveal that plan and purpose for you when you are ready to embrace it!  When you live with eternity with God in your future, everything here starts to make sense.  Our purpose here is to bring as many people along with us to God’s eternity.  The problems, difficulties, pain and suffering we bear here makes us able to relate to those around us bearing the same.  Our testimony of God’s provision and protection in the storms of life can and will lead others to a saving faith.  There is purpose in the pain and God never wastes a hurt!

Compared to eternity, our time here is short.  The songwriter said is best, “this world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”  But in your passing through, make the best of the days God gives you to bring others along with you to your eternal home.

A point to ponder:  There more to life that just here and now.

A verse to remember:  “This world is fading away, along with everything it craves.  But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” 1 John 2:17 (NLT)

A question to consider:  Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?  For me, the one thing I should stop doing is looking at my situation with a negative eye.  I am extremely blessed but at times this life sure seems difficult.  Compared to 95% of the world, I am extremely rich and have a blessed life!  The one thing I should start doing is to act like this could be my last day.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow, only today, and we should take care of business like it is our last.

My questions to you are:  Is there a relationship you need to repair?  Is there a person you need to forgive?  Is there a hurt you need to heal?  Today is the day.  Pick up the phone or make a visit for tomorrow may be too late.  Get it done today!

Be encouraged today friends!  Randy

17 Aug

The Purpose Driven Life – Day Three, Part 2

Posted by Randy Carder in Daily Walk, Encouragement, Life Lessons.

What Drives Your Life?

The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder – a waif, a nothing, a no man. Thomas Carlyle

The Benefits of a Purpose Driven Life.  Pastor Rick tells us there are 5 benefits of living a purpose-driven life.

Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.  How many times have you heard or said, “My life has no meaning.”   We are made to have meaning!  I can personalize this by telling a quick story.  Last week I got an email from a friend of mine who reminded me of a time that I did something for her that I thought was very simple, but for her had tremendous meaning and impact.   You’ll never guess what I did for her…..I bought her a cup of coffee!  Simple, huh?   But for her, at that point in her life, it had great meaning and purpose.  She needed to know that someone cared enough about her to simply buy her a cup of coffee.  Didn’t the Savior say something about a cup of cold water given in His name?   This event happened probably 4 years ago and she took the time to remind me of that day and told me what it meant to her.  This showed me that many of the things we do for people that seem so simple and insignificant to us, can have great and lasting meaning to those to whom we direct our actions.  This simple truth proves that we all have meaning and purpose.  This side of eternity, we’ll never know the impact we’ve had on those with whom we come in contact, but when all is revealed, we’ll realize that everything done in the name of Jesus impacted someone in a huge way.

 Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.  One of the things on which I need to work is my obsessive need to do something about everything that comes across my radar.  I see the need to rescue a family from a hurricane in New Orleans, I’m there; re-build homes in New Orleans, I’m there!  How about clean up a lakefront at a nearby Christian camp after a flood, I’m there.  See what I mean?  My life got so complicated because I wanted to help everyone, all the time!  I was living outside my purpose.  Had I simply used the things I learned in my first reading of The Purpose Driven Life, I could have simplified my life to a great extent.  So my friend, are you yearning for a simpler lifestyle and a saner schedule?  Then live with your purpose in mind.  “A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.”  Proverbs 13:7 (Msg). 

Knowing your purpose focuses your life.  When you understand your purpose, you then can begin the process of focusing your time, talents and energies in order to realize your true purpose.  The people who seem to get the most out of life, are those who are truly focused.  Do you want your life to have meaning and impact, focus it!  Pastor Rick tells us to prune away all those activities that are not associated with a purpose-driven life.  He tells us that even the good activities, when not associated with your purpose, should be dropped.  The saying, “keep your eyes on the prize,” is applicable here.

Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.  What is your legacy?  Is it houses and land?  Is your legacy a large bank account?  Maybe your legacy is a large family.  I wrote about this in my blog at https://beencouragedtoday.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/people-who-make-a-difference/ .  What really matters is a legacy of faith!  You leave a lasting legacy by living with your purpose in mind.

A point to ponder: Living on purpose is the path to peace.

A verse to remember: “You, Lord, give perfect peace to those how keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (TEV)

A question to consider:  What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life?  What do I want it to be?  Tough questions for sure, but a great victory is on the way if you can honestly ask the questions then as you answer, make those necessary life adjustments to put yourself on the purpose driven path.

Be encouraged today friends!  Randy

16 Aug

The Purpose Driven Life – Day Three, Part One

Posted by Randy Carder in Uncategorized.

What Drives Your Life?

The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder – a waif, a nothing, a no man. Thomas Carlyle

Here we go again; the first line.  Everyone’s life is driven by something. I began to ponder….what drives me?  For many years I was driven by “the need to be needed.”  I bet some of you are driven by the very same thing.  You find your greatest purpose when others need to have you a round; a spouse, a job, a city, a club, a congregation.  Yep, even a congregation.  Ministers are in a unique position to have the “need to be needed,” met. 

Some of you are driven by guilt.  All of us have a past we want and need to forget.  Your memories drive your present and future because you are constantly trying to make up for past mistakes. 

Does resentment and anger drive you?  Unfair treatment by those whom we trust can produce a tremendous amount of anger and resentment.   Pastor Rick says “resentment always hurts you more that it does the person you resent.  How true that is!  Friend, its time to get rid of the guilt, resentment and anger.  Those who have hurt you can only continue to hurt you if you give them permission by hanging on to the anger and resentment.  Let it go!!

Are you driven by materialism and the need for approval?  This one hits home for many of us.  The need for approval is a very powerful motivator and will rule your life is you let it.  Here’s the problem, no matter how good, how talented, how pretty or handsome, how sweet and kind you may be, you cannot please everybody!  Trying to please everyone is a surefire way to failure!  My brothers and sisters in the ministry, especially those in the worship ministry should take this one to heart.  Materialism is also a cruel taskmaster.  The myth is that having more will make you more important and secure.  I have an acquaintance that makes a lot of money.  He told me he was happier when he and his wife had very little money or possessions.  Now, he says, he has to spend way too much time thinking about how to keep his money. When you die, you are going to leave every dollar and every possession here.  There is no way around it.  Your eternal security can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the benefits of living the purpose driven life.  In the meantime friend, spend some time thinking about what drives you.  If  you are driven  by anything other than your true purpose, it’s times to set those things aside and start living the purpose driven life.

Be encouraged today friends!  Randy

15 Aug

Purpose Driven Life – Day Two

Posted by Randy Carder in Daily Walk, Encouragement, Purpose.

You Are Not an Accident

 I am your Creator.  You were in my care even before you were born.  Isaiah 44:2a (CEV)

The first line of Day 2 of PDL; “You are not an accident.”  How many times have I heard from a parent regarding their child, “my last one was just an accident!”  I know what they mean and more times than not, they are just trying to make a funny line out of the situation.  But the reality is that for millions of people, they have been given the message from their parent that they were not planned or wanted.  What about the millions upon millions of children who have been aborted in the last 34 years since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down by our Supreme Court?  These babies were not planned but at the same time, they were not an accident.  Right now, those precious babies are in the presence of our Heavenly Father.  God has a different take on EVERY conception!  Yes, maybe you were not planned, but God was thinking about you before you were born!  There are unplanned pregnancies, but there are NO accidental children!

That being said, what does that mean for me?  God created this world to be inhabited by His ENTIRE creation; that includes you and me!  There is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning!  We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.  Pastor Rick is telling us that no matter what negative messages you have received from your parents, your spouse, friends, children, co-workers, or the world; you are the most important creation of God and your life has tremendous meaning. 

Here’s an example.  Why in the world would God allow a child to be born into a loving family then allow that child to die either by disease or accident or by the hands of another human being?  This is a question for the ages.  I think that God allows us as parents to go through that kind of pain so that we can in turn be a source of comfort and support to another parent going through the same thing.  It’s part of your purpose for which you were created!  Read the poem by Russell Kelfer on pp 25-26 of PDL and this point will make more sense to you.

A point to ponder:  I am not an accident. Regardless of all the negative messages given to me from the world, I am precious to God because He was thinking about me when He created this world!

A verse to remember: “I am your Creator.  You were in my care even before you were born.”  Isaiah 44:2a (CEV)  What an amazing comfort to know that the Creator of the universe was thinking about me before I was born.  That one fact gives my life ultimate meaning.

 A question to consider: I know that God uniquely created me.  What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?  I don’t know about you, but this is a very tough question.  The one part of my personality that gives me the most problem is my tendency to be obsessive.  When I take on a project or a job, I obsess about it.  I will work many hours way beyond what are sometimes necessary to do a good job because I want everything to be perfect.  When perfection is not achieved, I take it personally.  This is one that I’m working on.  How about you?

Be encouraged today friends!  Randy

14 Aug

Purpose Driven Life – Day One

Posted by Randy Carder in Uncategorized.

It All Starts with God

 For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.  Colossians 1:16 (Msg)

I love that scripture verse.  When I first read The Purpose-Driven Life (PDL) I can remember reading that opening scripture reference and thinking that I was going to like this book; and then I read the first line…..It’s not about you.  Wow, that just blew me away.  When PDL came out in 2002, I was about 2 years into a full-time ministry position as the Worship Leader at the First Baptist Church in Salado, TX.  We had a very successful ministry, Pam and I lived in really cool older house in a historical neighborhood, had an in-ground pool, with lots of pecan trees.  I drove a nice car and had lots and lots of friends.  Looking back on those years, I realize that I didn’t believe the first line of the book.  I didn’t really want to hear that it wasn’t about me.  Don’t get me wrong, I did NOT believe that the universe revolved about me but I did have a pride problem.   My pride problem was a secret sin and at the time, I didn’t realize how bad it was.

The PDL hit me like a ton of bricks.  I really thought my purpose in life was to be a worship leader; and here is a pastor telling me that my purpose is to please God, not be a really cool musician.  What a revelation!  First and foremost, it all starts with God, not with what I want.  It doesn’t start with my talent, my personality, my energy or anything I bring.  It starts with Him; He is the source, not just a starting place.  You were made by God and for God…and until you understand the, life will never make sense.  In trying to answer the question, “Why am I here?” we usually start with what we bring to the question.  Pastor Rick says that we should simply look to God, through a relationship with His son, Jesus Christ.  The answer is not a speculation, it is a revelation!

God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about Him.  This was an amazing statement by Pastor Rick.  Could it really be that God planned on me before I was even conceived?  We bring lots to the question of, “What is my purpose?”  We bring our talents, energies, careers, hobbies, money, time and lots of other things.  But, we don’t get to choose our purpose!  I LOVE it!  Boiled down to a simple statement, our purpose is to please God and follow His will!

A point to ponder:  It’s not about me. Pride will NOT be an issue if we remember this simple statement.

A verse to remember:”Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16b (Msg) If God started it and our purpose is found in Him, why look anywhere else?

A question to consider: In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?  For me, be content with what I have.  I’m greatly blessed and I don’t need any more!

Be encouraged my friends!  Randy

29 Jul

The Regret Game

Posted by Randy Carder in Challenges, Daily Walk, Encouragement.

Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness; rivers in the desert.                                                           Isaiah 43:18-19 (NAS)

What is your favorite game?  Here are my four favorites; Monopoly, spades, football and baseball.  I’m 54 years old now, guess which two I can still play and not get hurt too badly?  You guessed right!  I love to play baseball and football but if I do, I stand a pretty good chance of coming home with some serious aches and pains. 

If you are like me, there is another game we play that can also give us some serious aches and pains; it’s called “The Regret Game.”  This is not a game at which you want to become a master; if you do, it will eventually become your master!

How often do you play and what are your favorite Regret Game cards?  Here’s a few…..Why did I say that?…..If only I had married,                    …..If I had not taken that first drink…..If only I had listened to               …..and my personal favorite, “If only I had kept that 1965 Mustang!”

The thing to remember is that no one is perfect.  We all have regrets; we’ve all made bad choices, said foolish things and hurt ourselves and others.

A few years ago, Pastor Rick Warren wrote about getting over the regrets in our lives.  The following points are his but I’ve added my own thoughts.

How do you release your regrets?  Here are several strategies we tend to use that simply do not work:

You try to bury your past. It’s a common tactic, but burying the past will never help you get past your regrets. We minimize, compromise and rationalize but you will not get past the regrets by just acting like you haven’t made any mistakes!  What’s done is done and no amount of forgetting about or burying your past will change things. We have to face our past then not make the same mistake again.  This is the core of the gospel; confession, repentance, and restoration.  You do not have to regret your mistakes!  Through confession and repentance, embrace your past mistakes and be restored to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father!

We blame others.  Here is a favorite of many…..blame someone else!  I can’t tell you how many students have been in front of me for a discipline conference and when asked what happened, they immediately come down with a major case of the “It’s Not My Fault Syndrome!”  Most adults are no different!  Our world is full of men and women who blame someone else.  You’ve heard it too…”My wife didn’t love me like she should”…..”I didn’t have a daddy to show me the way”….”My momma didn’t love me like she should have!”  Every one of us has something in our past that will facilitate current and future decision-making;  but at the same time, we DECIDE to make wrong decisions.  Blaming others will not make the regrets go away!   

We beat up on ourselves.  Depression, doubt, self-hate are all a result of spending our time beating up on ourselves for wrong decisions and actions.  In an ill-conceived effort to relieve the pain, we keep giving ourselves a good beating for making stupid decisions.  Here is the problem with beating up on ourselves; we don’t know when to stop!  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 8:1 (NAS)

What does God want you to do with your regrets?

Admit your guilt.  Own up to your mistakes and quit making excuses. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.  But if he confesses them, he gets another chance.”  Proverbs 28:13 (LB).

Accept Christ’s forgiveness.  Do you really want to be free of all the regrets?  Then accept His forgiveness and live in the light of His righteousness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NAS)

Forgive yourself and focus on the future.  Regarding our past deeds, I have this philosophy, “It is what it is, just deal with it!”  If God has forgiven us, who are we to continue to live with condemnation and self-doubt?    “Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness; rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (NAS)

Friends, let’s live in the light of Christ’s love and forgiveness and free ourselves of this demon we call regret!

Be encouraged my friends,

Randy

9 May

Lessons from Mom

Posted by Randy Carder in Inspirational, Life Lessons, Mother's Day.

In 1956, Mother’s Day fell on May 13th. This was a special day for my mom, Beth Carder and her dad, Gerald Cook; and of course me! It was Gerald’s birthday and it was also the day I was born. Something about being born on a Sunday, on Mother’s Day and my grandfather’s birthday that has always had special meaning for me. My grandfather, we called him Pop, died when I was 12 years old. He was an entrepreneur, a man of faith and a really good husband to my grandmother. I have lots of great memories of him but mostly I remember him through my mother, Beth Carder. Here are a few lessons my mother learned from her mom and dad and in turn, I’ve learned from her.

I learned about unconditional love. My mother reminds me so much of her mother and dad. My Pop and Grandma Cook were both very strong in the Christian faith. They loved their kids with an unconditional love. My mother loved our family just as she was loved by her mother and daddy. I’ve always thought that more is caught that taught. Mom didn’t do so much talking to us but rather showed us that a parent always loves her children in spite of their messes. I’ve made a few messes in my life and Mom has always been there to support and love me. Of course there was always a price to pay for those messes, but her love never waivered!

I learned the value of an orderly home. I had the most idyllic childhood. Growing up in Dumas, Texas during the 60’s and 70’s, life was very good. One of these days, I’ll blog about those years. My mom always made sure we had everything we needed. Our home was always clean and neat; she made sure our clothes were clean and that we had plenty of good food. Getting our school lessons was critical, church attendance was mandatory and eating at least one meal a day around the table with plenty of conversation was the order of the day!

I learned how to grow old with grace and humor. My mom has always had a wonderful sense of humor. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and is a source of great joy and laughter to us. Whenever we are together, she keeps us laughing with the stories she tells. Just now I got off the phone with her and was laughing so hard I couldn’t talk!

So, yes I’m the product of absolutely the very best mother and father! We are blessed with excellent generational parenting in our family. I look and see how my brother and sister are awesome parents and am amazed at how the blessings from our Heavenly Father are being carried forward to the next generation. On this Mother’s Day, 2010, I say thanks to the most awesome mother. Love you Mom!

Fast forward to October 25, 2015. We prayed mom into heaven at midnight. We read scripture, prayed, laughed, reminisced, and most of all loved her right up to her last breath on this earth. She was not conscious but I know her spirit heard everything we said to her over these past couple of days. As she took her last breath, I know she began breathing heavenly air and is in the presence of our Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus, and the many friends and family who have gone before.

Be encouraged friends, for the Lord is near!

Randy

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