THEIR MOTHER'S KNEW

Wow, we are only 5 months into this momentous New Year of 2015, and we have started out with a bang, and no whimpering is allowed. I live in the Nation's Capital and the one thing you can be sure of, the Morning News can sometimes play out live in your front yard. A couple of weeks ago, there was a riot in our neighboring city of Baltimore,Md. I am sure you have all read the papers, twitter feeds, instagrams and you-tubes. It was stunning act of violence of neighbor against neighbor, friends and enemies alike fighting against each other. I know that the core or their protest was their sense of injustice, but it was still pretty scary to look at. Whenever the camera's would sweep over the crowds of people marching and chanting, and also the video of people burning down their neighborhood business, even a senior citizen home with no regard to anyones life or livelihood; this verse from scripture came to my mind: 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil (he) walks about, seeking whom he may devour. 

I like that word "walks about", it reminds me of the movie Crocodile Dundee. I know, it is such an old movie, but the main character Mick Dundee, is on a "walk about" in the US from Australia. He tries to explain  that the concept of "walk about" is not just a short stroll through the neighborhood, but a purposeful "walking" journey, that includes meeting and mingling with the people who live in those cities and towns. Think about how the adversary comes into your neighborhood. And remember. that your very own neighborhood is more than the street we live on. It is the life we live, it is the words we speak to one another and teach our children. It is what we watch on television, what we listen to in our ear buds. Our neighborhood is our life, our soul. Satan takes a "walk about" in our lives and mingles our current conversation with his, and soon we may all speak the same language. Jesus commanded his disciples at his last meal with them, he said a new commandment I give unto you, Love the Lord, your God with all of your heart, might and mind. And a second, like the first, Love thy neighbor, as thyself."  Let all our conversation be seasoned with salt.

One of the more "positive" things that came out of this whole bad scene was a story about a mother saving her child from possible arrest or worse being  beat up, or killed. She single handed wrestled her one and only son from the jaws of that roaring lion. Her name is Toya Graham, and she is a single mother of 6 from Baltimore, Md. The video of her confronting her son at the riots, who was apparently holding a rock and preparing to hurl it at the wall of policeman nearby, is priceless. Here is a mother who knew, and she acted on that "knowledge" to find her son and bring him home by whatever means necessary. I am sure that raising children can have some "ugly" days, but we promised to work through all of those good, bad and ugly days with love and perseverance. There were so many opinions about this mothers behavior, but as hard as it was to watch, it was also so good to see a loving parent in action. Hater's gonna hate, but don't judge, what would you have done, even after all you had already done?  




"There is eternal influence and power in motherhood." Sister Julie B. Beck

So happy Mother's Day to all of my favorite Soul Sister Moms and you know who you are. One of my favorite Soul Sisters is Julie Beck, former General Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. She gave many inspiring and challenging talks during her tenure. My favorites have concerned Motherhood. I am not a Mom with children, but I learned from one her talks that "All Women are Mothers". But my favorite talk is "Mothers who Know"  


Mothers Who Know

In the Book of Mormon we read about 2,000 exemplary young men who were exceedingly valiant, courageous, and strong. “Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:21). These faithful young men paid tribute to their mothers. They said, “Our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48). I would suspect that the mothers of Captain Moroni, Mosiah, Mormon, and other great leaders also knew.
The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).¹ However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children." Sister Julie B Beck

Alma 56: 47-48
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying We do not doubt, our mothers knew it.

My new favorite artist, folk singer Carrie Newcomer........If Not Now