I’m thinking that, after reading an article about an abortionist who was gripped with the reality of what abortion really is, maybe some will make a decision, on this Sweetest Day, to decide/admit/repent once and for all that abortion is murder of a precious little baby — and to, from henceforth, recognize and proclaim the truth of abortion and [...]]]> It is the third Saturday of October — Sweetest Day. For many people, for many reasons, today is [the] Sweetest Day.

I’m thinking that, after reading an article about an abortionist who was gripped with the reality of what abortion really is, maybe some will make a decision, on this Sweetest Day, to decide/admit/repent once and for all that abortion is murder of a precious little baby — and to, from henceforth, recognize and proclaim the truth of abortion and admit the heinous atrocity of destroying human life and the lucrative abortion industry and its insidious, pernicious lies.

My husband and I spent the day at Seattle Children’s Hospital with our dear friends.  What an incredible place Children’s is: from staff -  information, innovative care, to surgeries, research and practices for thousands of conditions / special needs.  At different locations throughout the hospital we’d see images of children and credits to foundations, donors and supporters of the massive hospital.

Each time we visit that hospital I’m thankful for the care we’ve received there but am more moved by the thousands of images of precious children and families previously helped by the specialized and technologically advanced care they received there.   I’m moved by the intense work to preserve health and life to children — the intense drive to discover and cure ills — to find solutions to debilitating birth defects, disease and disabilities.

In the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) waiting room we had sort of a surreal time — as we received updates through the day we had many hours to pray, to praise, and to talk over what the Lord has done — His mercy and goodness. God is only faithful… and great is His faithfulness.

Through the day we were recounting some of the many times we sat with one of the families in that same place as their little son had numerous and very serious medical conditions over many years.  And so…  now we’ll add this event’s waiting room visits to our cache of shared memories with all these friends — these brothers & sisters in the Lord.   I’d like to ask you to pray for our friends and their dear boy… you can follow their blog here.

So, why did I write about abortion in this particular post?  The aberrant reasoning of those who defend the killing of children… the dichotomy of abortion and life… the careless disregard and disposal of precious, intricate, fearfully and wonderfully created by God… human life.

Mothers of boys… you understand why this is cute and funny.  You’ve heard these sorts of stories in your kitchen.

I’m in awe…with more than I could ever have asked or imagined. my mother, mother-in-love and me

Happy Mother’s Day

Thank you, Mama, for the gift of my life, for the years of sacrifice and love you have given on my behalf. Thank you for you. 

I celebrate *you* today, Mother…  I thank the Lord for the blessing you are and have been to me.  I pray He will bless you with faith, with love, with peace, with health, with hope and with joy today. Thank you for the blessing you are to me, to my husband [...]]]>  

Happy Mother’s Day

Thank you, Mama, for the gift of my life,
for the years of sacrifice
and love you have given on my behalf.
Thank you for you. 

I celebrate *you* today, Mother…  I thank the Lord for the blessing you are and have been to me.  I pray He will bless you with faith, with love, with peace, with health, with hope and with joy today. Thank you for the blessing you are to me, to my husband and our children. 

with love, pamela

No matter who you are, where you live, what your age… the very mention of the word “mother” likely conjures up many emotions. Even when we mothers look at ourselves in the mirror, we undoubtedly have mixed emotions as to who we are, what we do, what we hoped we’d be and what we are becoming. We may think back on memories of our mothers with bittersweet emotion… loving them for who [...]]]> A Mother Worthy of Remembrance
by pamela spurling

No matter who you are, where you live, what your age… the very mention of the word “mother” likely conjures up many emotions. Even when we mothers look at ourselves in the mirror, we undoubtedly have mixed emotions as to who we are, what we do, what we hoped we’d be and what we are becoming. We may think back on memories of our mothers with bittersweet emotion… loving them for who they were or tried to be, cringing with regret for taking them for granted, regretting things they did that hurt us or things we did that hurt them, we may feel a sense of loss over the mother we never really knew, we may have ambivalent feelings toward them who have or had lives so different than our own… Whatever the case, Mother’s Day surely is a time when emotions run high, when remorse or guilt grips us, or when joyful memories flood our hearts and minds.

This Mother’s Day, I am especially mindful of who I am as a mother to my children, of how I am viewed by them and how they’ll remember these days of their childhood and early adulthood—thus the title of my message today: A mother worthy of remembrance.

In addition to considering how I will be remembered by them, I am now also considering another phase and that is how the LORD will use me in the lives of my grandchildren… and I am continually sobered by the thought that the grandchildren, like my own children need loving encouragement and they need a faithful mother/grandmother who will daily be remembering them at the feet of the LORD, that someone loves them and cares so much for them that they are a frequent topic of conversation before the LORD. I know that one of the saddest thoughts I had at the passing of my husband’s grandmother was the fact that we would no longer have her daily prayers of intercession on our behalf. I knew that day by day we were carried to the throne of God in her prayers. It was knowing this that taught me to daily pray for our children… it was her example of steadfast prayer that taught me to pray and to wait on the LORD for His timing and His answers, in the same way, she taught me to pray for their future spouses, for their lives and for the work the LORD had planned for them. Her dedication to prayer and of daily waiting on the LORD was a discipline she learned from her mother—of whom, as I understand it, was also widely known as a woman of prayer.

It amazes me how the LORD works, in that some of her prayers were not answered until long after her death, and yet, seemingly unanswered prayer was not a discouragement to her while she lived. It is knowing this and trusting in the LORD’s timing that has inspired me to pray for our children in a whole new way. I pray for many things for them and I pray that they, too, will learn the discipline of prayer—the obedience of prayer. I pray for their daily walk, their decisions, their future work, for their future spouses, and so on. Recorded prayers and recorded answers to prayers have surely been an encouragement to me as I look back on petitions before the LORD and His directions and answers to them. More and more I hunger for the times of the day when I can go aside and pray. The LORD has demonstrated His loving and listening ear over and over as He directs through His Word and in answers to prayers. He has confirmed His listening ear time and time again and I trust Him for His past deeds and future promises—for what He has said, that will He do. The prayers of His saints are wafting up as incense about His throne. What a blessing this is to know. And so, prayer is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

These Grand and great-grandmothers were models to emulate; they are mothers worthy of remembrance … and their disciplines are worthy of remembrance today, as I know that my mother in law credits her own disciplined life to the examples she saw in her mother and grandmother. Faithful women. We may not personally have living examples of faithfulness, but the LORD has given us models of women who trusted in Him, whose faith was a credit to them. We have past lives and living examples and accounts of women in the Word who stand as models for us today. Sarah is an example of a woman whom the LORD found faithful. We are told in 1 Peter that we are her daughters if we do well and are not afraid with any amazement… or as the American Standard says: “…if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.” We are to trust and not fear. We see once again that fear and faith cannot be carried in the same bucket. And so, faithfulness is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

It is the desire of our hearts to be found faithful… just as we read in the Word: “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” —Matthew 25.23

I so wish that I had had the wisdom in the early years to carefully weigh the decisions I was making and the lasting impact those decisions would have. I didn’t grow up as a disciplined person, nor did I learn to carefully plan decisions. Oh, how I thank and praise the LORD today for His watchcare over me even when I did not know Him. Motherhood sort of just “happened” to me as a young married and I would apply what I was reading or what was suggested to me at the time. I must thank the LORD continually that He specifically placed me in “strategic” places where I would learn or hear ideas and try and do them. I didn’t know early on that decisions needed to be made with wisdom. I didn’t carefully weigh out all my decisions in light of the future or in light of eternity. The tyranny of the urgent and the expedient ways of doing things dictated how I made decisions. As I look back now, very seldom was wisdom employed in the making of decisions. I was easily swayed by emotion and worldly reasoning. I didn’t weigh out the consequences of my actions… though I was hemmed in by the LORD, I took much liberty to exercise what I would later come to see as poor judgment.

I continually grow in this area of decision making as I still on occasion tend to be impulsive and have to keep this in mind when buying things for our home, for our children, etc.

I see such great need for wisdom and understanding when teaching the children, when talking with others, in making lists for the day, in planning schedules or whatever other decisions might need to be made. I often pray for wisdom and understanding as I seek the LORD as the mother in our home. I sometimes think that there is nothing I need more than this with the passing of each day. The Word teaches us that wisdom is more to be desired than gold. Proverbs 31.26 says: “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” And so this tells me that seeking wisdom is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

Psalms 49.3 “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.”

Psalms 51.6 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

Psalms 90.12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Another one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance is the discipline of virtue. We learn of this in the Word that the Proverbs 31 woman was a woman of virtue. She was a woman of excellence. What a loving and Marvelous God to give us this insight into His design for us each one. O, that it might be said of us: “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” (Proverbs 31.29) We learn of this quality in the New Testament as well. 2Peter 1.3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” This quality is both passive—and what I mean by this is that it is a quality of the mind or the way we think on things—and it is active, it is what governs what we do and how we behave, and it is given to us by the Lord Himself.

Philippians 4.8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

2Peter 1:5 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;”

Desiring and becoming a virtuous woman means deciding to leave off with worldly thinking and worldly ideals. A virtuous woman cannot be measured by the standards of the world—she is measured by the standards of the Word. And just as I shared with you earlier as well as last week, faith and fear cannot be carried in the same bucket, so also the Word and the world cannot be carried in the same bucket—one will displace the other. In order to follow the Word, you must leave off following the world. The road of either one is going in an opposite direction. A virtuous woman does not travel both roads… she has chosen the better part, she has chosen to be a woman of the Word. And so, at any cost, seeking to be virtuous is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

Proverbs 31.10 “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

And finally, though this subject is far from being covered, a mother worthy of remembrance is a mother who is loving. O, how I desire to be a mother who, through love, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I feel quite certain that this aspect of love is the desire of your heart as well. No matter how much I pray, no matter how disciplined I am, no matter how I seek wisdom and virtue, if I don’t have or demonstrate love, I am nothing… and that’s not how I want to be remembered.

A truly loving mother… that’s a mother worthy of remembrance.

pamela spurling ~ TheWelcomeHome ~ 2001 ~

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  Mama, I’m so glad you had more children.  I’m so happy I can play with my brothers and sisters — I would be so sad if you didn’t have any more children and I was all alone.  [...]]]> Today was an outside most all day long.  The first mowing of the year, the first trimming of the year (besides the pruning of the fruit trees and roses done last month), and first real sunny-warm-play in the water sort of day. 

  Mama, I’m so glad you had more children.  I’m so happy I can play with my brothers and sisters — I would be so sad if you didn’t have any more children and I was all alone.  [Hug, hug, hug...] I’m so happy…”

I smiled and said, “me, too.”

And I’ve been smiling about that over and over again… and I’m thinking, I’m sure thankful the last baby is glad I had more children. 

To have [...]]]> There has been quite a variety of experiences or special things in this collection of “30 favourite things” — life changing or life-impacting things during my fiftieth year.  When I first began writing these entries, I obviously didn’t have a specific plan or order of importance in the posting of these things.  They’ve just sort of unfolded — not necessarily even in order of thought… I’ve just written about what’s come to mind on any given day.  

To have our boy, Timothy, be called to be a missionary was not a surprise to me.  I’ve known all his life that God had a work and a purpose for this boy’s life and therefore, it’s been a bittersweet thing to always know that he would be serving in places I’ll likely never see, experiencing things I never have nor will ever experience — and humbly I say, receiving a sort of blessing and joy I will never know.  But I do know this — to be his mother is my great honour and to pray for him is my joy.  And so, during this, still my fiftieth year, my sweet joy has been to think of, pray for and hear from our Timothy.

One of the greatest gifts the Lord has given this mother is to have a son
willing to, as Jim Elliot said, “give up what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.”  Praise the Lord.

So Send I You

So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing,
So send I you to toil for Me alone.So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,
O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,
To bear the burdens of a world aweary-
So send I you to suffer for My sake.

So send I you – to loneliness and longing,
With heart a-hungering for the loved and known;
Forsaking home and kindred, friend and dear one,
So send I you – to know My love alone.

So send I you – to leave your life’s ambitions,
To die to dear desire, self-will resign,
To labor long and love where men revile you,
So send I you – to lose your life in Mine.

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, tho’ it be blood, to spend and spare not-
So send I you to taste of Calvary.

*After many years, Miss Clarkson added to the hymn, writing verses that reflected the trials, and the joys, of God’s call on the lives of his children. As she matured she recognized that she was sent out to minister to others, not in isolation, but in triumph.

So send I you – by grace made strong to triumph
O’er hosts of Hell, o’er darkness, death, and sin,
My name to bear, and in that name to conquer-
So send I you, My victory to win.

So send I you – to take to souls in bondage
The word or truth that sets the captive free,
To break the bonds of sin, to loose death’s fetters-
So send I you, to bring the lost to Me.

So send I you – My strength to know in weakness,
My joy in grief, My perfect peace in pain,
To prove My pow’r, My grace, My promised presence -
So send I you, eternal fruit to gain.

So send I you – to bear My Cross with patience
And then one day with joy to lay it down,
To hear My Voice, “Well done, My faithful servant -
Come share My throne, my kingdom and My crown.

“As the Father hath sent Me….. so send I you.”

E. Margaret Clarkson – words
John W. Peterson – music