PRAYING HANDS

There are hands that help and comfort,
Hands that plan and teach,
Hands that rest and hands that strive
For a goal just out of reach,
Hands that grasp and hands that give,
Hands that work and play,
Friendly hands and loving hands
That soothes life's cares away.
But praying hands are dearest
In the sight of God above
For in their sweet and earnest clasp
Are reverence and love.
No hands can do an unkind act
Nor cause another care
Nor sin against Our Father's love
When they are clasped in prayer.
Author Unknown

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus."
Luke 1:30-31

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
Colossians 3:23

A mother is the one through whom God whispers love to His little children.
Author Unknown

Do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9

To the women on my journey:
Who showed me the ways to go and ways not to go
Whose strength and compassion held up a torch of light and beckoned me to follow,
Whose weakness and ignorance darkened the path and encouraged me to turn another way.
To the women on my journey:
Who showed me how to live and how not to live,
Whose grace, success and gratitude lifted me into the fullness of surrender to God,
Whose bitterness, envy and wasted gifts warned me away from the emptiness of self-will.
To the women on my journey:
Who showed me what I am and what I am not.
Whose love, encouragement and confidence held me tenderly and nudged me gently,
Whose judgment, disappointment and lack of faith called me to deeper levels of commitment and resolve.
To the women on my journey:
Who taught me love by means of both darkness and light.
To these women I say bless you and thank you from the depths of my heart, for I have been
Healed and set free through your joy and through your sacrifice.
Author Unknown

A mother's gift is always the best because it's wrapped in love and tied up with heartstrings.
Author Unknown

Legacy of an Adopted Child
Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.
Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star. The other became your sun.
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality; the other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim.
One gave you emotions; the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile; the other dried your tears.
One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.
And now you ask me through your tears
The age-old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment. Which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of love.
Author Unknown

Mothers hold their children's hands for only a little while ...Their hearts forever.
Author Unknown

Help me, dear Lord, to be a good mother . . .
To guide those depending on me.
Help me to show them a mother whose love
And purpose is centered on Thee.

Let them see kindness and wisdom enough
To teach them the worthier things . . .
Patience enough to encourage their hearts
To love life, whatever it brings.

Let me inspire them to look for - and find -
The best in themselves and each other . . .
How grateful I'd be if they lived well for Thee
In faith that they learned from their mother.
D. A. Marcum

The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community, and occupies, if she only would realize it, a more honorable as well as a more important position than any man in it. The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman or businessman or artist or scientist.
Theodore Roosevelt

Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life.
Maureen Hawkins

Mothers of Disabled Children
Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit.
This year, nearly one hundred thousand women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how these mothers of handicapped children are chosen?
Somehow visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth: son, patron saint, Matthew."
"Forest, Marjorie: daughter, patron saint, Cecelia."
"Rudledge, Carrie: twins, patron saint . . . give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a blind child."
The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a child with a handicap to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel"
"But has she patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it."
"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."
The angel gasps. "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.
"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see - ignorance, cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my word as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised in midair.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."
Erma Bombeck

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the compute off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.
It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing,
except one more day.............
Author Unknown

She gets up while it is still dark . . .
And her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 31:15, 18

Hannah said to him: "I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.
1 Samuel 1:26-28

There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings.
Hodding Carter

Lord, make me your own this day. Strengthen my faith so that others will see you in me. Help me to reach as far as I can toward you and in showing others how to find you. Grant that I may have the love of you in me and live it in all my actions. Amen
I made her....she is different. she's unique.
with love I formed her in her mother's womb.
I fashioned her with great joy. I remember, with great pleasure, the day I
created her.
Psalm 139:13-16

I made her pretty and not beautiful,
because I knew her heart
and knew she would be vain...
I wanted her to search out her heart
and to learn that it would be Me in her
that would make her beautiful...
and it would be Me in her
that would draw friends to her.
Peter 3:3-5

I made her in such a way, that she would need Me.
I made her a little more lonesome than
she would like to be...
only because I want her to turn to Me
in her loneliness....
only because I need for her to learn and
depend on Me....
I know her heart, I know if I had not made
her like this
she would go her chosen way
and forget Me.....her creator.
Psalm 62:5-8

I have given her many good and happy things....
because I love her.
Psalm 84:11 and Romans 8:32

Because I love her,
I have seen her broken heart....
and the tears she's cried alone
I have cried with her
and had a broken heart, too.
Psalm 56:8

Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone
only because she would not hold My hand.
so many lessons she's learned the hard way
because she would not listen
to My voice.....
Isaiah 53:5

So many times I have set back
and sadly watched her go her merry way alone,
only to watch her return to My arms,
sad and broken.
Isaiah 66:2

And now she is Mine again...
I made her, and then I bought her...
because I love her.
Romans 5:8

I have to reshape and remold her...
to renew her to what I had planned for her to be.
it has not been easy for her or for Me.
Jeremiah 29:11

I want her to be conformed to My image...
this high goal i have set for her....
because I love her.
2 Corinthians 2:14

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
Washington Irving

I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

Even He that died for us upon the cross, in the last hour, in the unutterable agony of death, was mindful of His mother, as if to teach us that this holy love should be our last worldly thought - the last point of earth from which the soul should take its flight for heaven.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:10

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape -
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything -
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her -
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future -
but a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's
blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footedly -
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face -
but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey -
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she
will become strong.
Author Unknown

Her children arise and called her blessed.
Proverbs 31:28

Throughout the ages no nation has ever had a better friend than the mother who taught her children to pray.
Author Unknown

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom.
Henry Ward Beecher

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5

A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
Tenneva Jordan

Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see.
Pope Paul VI

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
Luke 1:57-58

Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children, they carry hardships, they carry burdens...but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous... women wait by the phone for a "safe at home call" from a friend or child after a snowy drive home. Woman friends keep secrets you told them years ago and never bring it up again...Women have special qualities about them.

They volunteer for good causes. They are pink ladies in hospitals; they bring food to shut ins. They are childcare workers, executives, attorneys, stay at home moms, biker babes and your neighbors. They wear suits, they wear jeans, and they wear uniforms. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up for injustice. They are in the front row at PTA meetings. They vote for the person that will do the best job for family issues. They walk and talk the extra mile to get their children in the right schools and for getting their family the right health care.

They write to the editor, their congressmen and to "the powers that be" for things that make for a better life. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution...
They can wipe a tear, cover a cut and pat you on the back at the same time. They eat a little so their family can have more. They rush to school to pick up a sick child. They stick a love note in their husband's lunch box. They do without new shoes so that their children can have them. They go to meetings and are chaperones on class trips. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They don't make excuses for defending their family or friends. They give a friend some money in times of trouble. They love unconditionally...They are loyal, honest, and forgiving. They are smart; knowing that knowledge IS power. But they still know how to use their softer side to make a point...
Their world consists of goodness, love and caring. Women want to be the best for their family, their friends and themselves. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They get teary eyed when others do great things. They save their anger for the unjust and the insincere. They tell people that need to be told to straighten up their act. They lend a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen and a voice to make suggestions...

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have so much sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think that there is not any strength left. They can control situations that seem uncontrollable. They can round up energy when they are tired. They can stay up a little longer to talk to someone that needs a friend. They will rush to be by your side when they are lonely. They will give up their favorite TV show to help with homework or read a bedtime story...

A woman's touch can cure any ailment. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. She can make a romantic evening unforgettable. She can bring out the best in her husband, children and friends. They don't mind standing in the shadows. They are not there to push, but to Gently encourage. They are cheerleaders, teachers, loves and important in many peoples daily lives. They can whisper a kind word, scream a loud cheer and laugh away a fear. They can mend your broken spirit and give you back your self-esteem. They can knit a family back together after a break or a loss...Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes. They live in homes, apartments, cabins and trailers. They drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. They have hearts that forgive and forget an injustice. They have hearts that remember a kindness. They have hearts that beat with loyalty and love. The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin. They can cry and laugh at the same time. They can be sad and hopeful at the same time...Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope. They teach us to dream and make goals. They give compassion and ideals. They climb into a person's life and make everything better again. They give moral support to their family and friends. And all they want back is a hug, a smile and for you to do the same to people you come in contact with. Women are leaders, but don't want followers. They want people to grow into the best person they can be. They want to touch you in a way that will make you share your goodness with others. One touch can turn a bad day into a better one. One extra minute of her time will make a child feel special. One more kiss or hug will make her husband feel loved. Women have a lot to say and a lot to give...After God made Adam, He made Eve.
Author Unknown

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.
1 Peter 5:6-11

Dear Father, I know You love me just as I am. Help me to be accepting of my loved ones just as they are. Help me to remember to tell people when I appreciate them and when I am grateful for their service. O Lord, You have brought me to this new day and further opportunity. Help me to work with You so that it may be a good day with good things done. Fill me with Your boundless love, so that I may pass it on to those who come across my path. Today let me make someone's day happier by doing a kindness they do not expect nor ask for. Amen

A Mother's Prayer
Lord, I need your help today.
I want to care for those you've sent into my life,
To help them grow in body, mind, and spirit,
To help them develop the special gifts you've given them.
But I also want to free them
To follow their own paths
And bring their loving wisdom
To the world.
Help me to embrace them without clutching,
To support them without suffocating,
To correct them without crushing.
And help me to live joyfully and playfully
Myself so they can see your life in me
And find their way to you.
Author Unknown

The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it in turn will look sourly at you; laugh at it, and with it, and it is a folly, kind companion.
William Makepeace Thackeray

Before U were thought of, or time had begun,
God even stuck U, in the name of His Son.

And each time U pray, you'll see that it's true.
You can't spell out JesUs, and not include U.

You're a pretty big part, of His wonderful name,
For U He was born, and that's why He came
.
His great love for U, is the reason He died.
It even takes U, to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling, and splendidly grand,
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan.

The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
And this word resUrrection, is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth, at His upward ascension.
He felt there was one thing, he just had to mention.

"Go into the world, and tell them it's true,
That I love everyone, just the way I love you."

So many great people, are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right, to know JesUs too?

It really depends, on what U will do,
He'd like them to know, but it all starts with U.
Author: Unknown

Dear Lord, Breathe Your love deeply into my being. Live in me and energize me that I may not only touch life, but be touched by it. Remind me Lord, that your gifts to me are meant to be shared in love, with others. Cleanse my heart by the Holy Spirit. Renew my spirit, so I will hear your whispers and You can be seen in my every action and heard in my every word. Amen

You go no where by accident.
Wherever you go, God is sending you.
Wherever you are, God has put you there.
He has a purpose in your being there.
Christ who dwells in you has something
He wants to do through you where you are.
Believe this and go in His grace and love and power.
Richard C. Halverson, Chaplain of the United States Senate

O God, help me to touch someone today with my eyes, my words,
my smile, my voice, my laughter, Your word.
Change my life, so I can make a difference.
Let my actions bring someone closer to you.
Help me to make Christmas last all year.
Help me to use my gifts for Jesus.

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