When I get to take a walk in the mountains, I like to take my time and look at things. Some of my favorite photos are in places where people often walk by, but don’t see because they are in a hurry to see how far they can go on a hike.

Likewise, we can also miss some great moments in our daily lives by always being in a hurry to get things done. It’s all about our pace. Take a little time to live in the moments of your day to enjoy it and do more than just endure it.

I am so glad that God does not leave us by ourselves to face things just in our strength and insight. He is always there if we will trust in Him. He is our guide right by our side each step of the way. He helps us grow in our relationship with Him, teaching us new things about His character, love, and faithfulness as we grow from our new experiences each day.

Do you miss your mom on Mother’s Day? I miss my mom. She passed away several years ago. This is one my favorite photos of my Mom and Dad as newlyweds. My brother and I were fortunate to be her children. I usually gave her flowers on Mother’s Day, some years I planted an azalea bush at her home. She always loved them and appreciated them. Although I cannot give my mom flowers on Mother’s Day anymore, I can continue to do other things to honor her. I like to take time to reflect on her life and legacy.

My mom was such an encouraging person, she had a way of cheering others up and making them feel better about their situation. She smiled and laughed a lot, mainly at herself (for those who know me, that probably sounds familiar).

I do not have enough words to adequately describe her positive impact on my life. As the years have gone by, I have rediscovered layers of her influence in my life in big ways and small ways that have been interwoven into my soul and my attitude towards life.

I have also discovered some other ways to honor our moms who are no longer with us…Here are a few to consider:

-Honor her life by living your life each day the best you can each day.

-Be grateful for the good times, those pleasant memories are a gold mine to remember her and share with other family members and close friends.

-Learn to endure the tough times with faith, hope and love.

– Do not take good relationships for granted. Stay connected to those who believe in you and bring out the best in you.

-Treat others with kindness and grace.

-Think of special and specific things about her that will encourage you in the days ahead. Maybe make a list of these for you and your family.

It is healthy for us to focus on what we still have in our memories and life lessons from our mom rather than just dwelling on the fact that they aren’t physically with us now.

This will help us to continue to appreciate and honor our moms in a special way and to keep their love strong in our hearts on a regular basis… and not just one day each year.

Even though I have been told that I am educated beyond my intelligence (lol)…I am still always learning about a lot of things, especially about things that really matter in our lives. One of these, is the realization that we will never get to the place where we outgrow our need for trusting God. Just as we trust Him for our Salvation, Eternal Life, and Heaven; we are designed by Almighty God to trust Him in the here and now on a daily basis. No matter what we are going through, we can and should trust in Him by faith. We should do that when things are going great. That is a time to give Him thanks for His blessings in our lives.

When we encounter difficulties, we should trust Him by seeking His guidance, strength and wisdom, and thanking Him for His presence and being with us. Our emotions can fluctuate, one minute we feel like shouting Amen! Then in the next moment we can find ourselves squirming with fear, thinking …Oh me, what am I going to do to get through this mess! Faith is more than just a feeling, it is a consistent concentration upon the fact that God loves us and He is with us, as we follow Him. We can take these opportunities to grow closer in our relationship with Him.

We do not need to limit God to our personal preferences or timetable as we are trusting in Him. We should be careful to not just focus on comparing our situations and challenges to other people’s experiences. This can lead to being bogged down with unhealthy emotions; such as jealousy, guilt, and isolation etc… This can be harmful to us and those around us.

Instead, we can learn something new about God’s faithfulness and character in each new situation we may encounter in life. The Bible also teaches us, that we can grow in our faith when we study God’s Word and apply it to our lives. That is so important.

This should thrill us; to think that the God who created us, knows what we really need more than anyone else. In addition to that, He wants to be closer to us, even more than our very best friends. We can trust Him. That is what Faith is really about, trusting in Him.

I am still learning and loving this journey of Faith…and I hope you are too.