Happy Mother's Day

Every year around this time people in various countries remember Mom. It's a time to celebrate and honor the woman that not only gave birth to us, but for many of us it's a time to say thank you. But words and even expensive gifts don't seem to "give back" like we would want! When I look around I realize I truly did get a way better mom than I deserve. I see so many others who struggle with a mom who plays favorites among the kids or guilt trips their children into doing things. Even those who have held their kids back because of their own personal needs. Maybe this is too "blunt" for a mother's day article, but my point is my mother is guilty of nothing, but being perfect for me! My mother's faithfulness to her God and her husband and family has helped me along the journey we call life. My ministry has much of it's beginnings in the love of my mother. Many things I do are because my mother expressed Christ's love to me from even before birth!

Mom taught me a lot of things, but most importantly she taught me that NOTHING comes before God. I remember her coming to pick me up early from football practice on Wednesday. I would eat mac and cheese on the way to church. I would walk in all dirty and stinky to class, but even if I had extra laps to run on Thursday...I wasn't going to miss Bible class.

I remember when I left for AIM. She put on a face for me, but when I left dad said she cried! I told her I was going to Mexico and not only was she willing to "let me go", she helped get most, if not all of my support. Years later, Barb and I asked mom and dad to come visit. While they were visiting us in McAlester we told them we were returning to Mexico to do mission work. She smiled and "held it together" until they got to the car. Dad said she cried all the way home (3 hours), but she told us she was proud and to this day she has supported us through all of it!

What I'm trying to say is that sure my mom has loved me, fed me and clothed me, but most importantly she has laid a spiritual foundation of Christ in my life since before I was born! She has made it her goal to present me to Jesus on That Day as having done all she can to "lead me to His feet"! She is a mother who has been an example of faithfulness when it was NOT easy! She has made it clear that God is her first true love and that is all she wants for her family. Thanks mom! God has used you to make all the difference!!!