[dwmoeller]

Mother’s Day is May 14th! Pentecost is on May 28th!

Mother’s Day is celebrated once a year on the second Sunday in May. Today, Americans will spend a total of $31.7 billion: $2.6 billion on flowers, $1.53 billion on pampering gifts—such as spa, another $68 million on greeting cards, it amounts to almost 10% of the US jewelry business, and we will spend $3.51 billion on dining out alone. Don’t get me wrong, mothers are worth every cent, but should we not extend the holiday to every single day of the year? Not the commercial aspect of it, we would go broke. But by living the way our mothers desire. In other words, the honoring aspect of the day and living our lives every day in a way that makes our mother proud.

Pentecost Sunday may be one of the most neglected of the church calendar. Pentecost means 50th day—the 50th day following Easter. It is a day to celebrate hope. Hope that someday, because of the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit and through the work of Christ Jesus, we may live the way God desires. Forgiving all debts, returning what is owed, forgiving all sins, and giving our “first fruits” in thanksgiving. In other words, living our lives every day in a way that will make our heavenly Father proud.

Mother’s Day and Pentecost are special days in which both our mothers and the Holy Spirit of God are honored one day out of the year. My plea to you today is to celebrate both of these gifts each and every single day of the year and start to live our lives the way that makes our earthly mother and our heavenly Father proud.