Happy Mothers Day, Mom!

Exodus 20:12
"Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Tomorrow is the day that we give honour to a person that has been the most instrumental in helping us become the person we are. I want to make sure that my mother knows that I love her and appreciate all she has done on my behalf.

My first recollections of my mother were things like: her standing me up on the kitchen cabinet to point out morning glories to me, standing me on the table to teach me the song "A Sunbeam", cooking me sugar toast with that hard glaze over it that was so good and us eating it in front of the gas stove on my little table. These things took place before I was 5 years old.

I remember our move to Springfield, after mom and dad had committed their lives to Jesus Christ and dad had surrendered to the ministry. Things were much harder financially than I ever dreamed, I am sure. My mother was very good at keeping us fed. I had no clue that we were poor. I remember the yeast rolls she made occasionally.

I remember her prayer for a piano so that she could teach herself how to do church music since she was going to be a preachers wife. She did that quite well and still to this day plays the piano in church, I believe.

I remember her studying for her Sunday School class when she taught at High Street Baptist. She was still a baby christian herself. One time she taught her lesson to us. It was flannelgraph and we loved it.

I remember when we were in Springfield that she sat up nights for a while and sewed doll clothes for a Betsey Wetsey doll for me for Christmas.

I remmember a rubber band fight the whole family had on Sunday afternoon.

I remember when Mom would set down with us and watch "The Real McCoys". That was the only TV program that I ever knew her to watch.

I remember many mornings getting up to find her studying her Bible. I remember the "Springs In The Desert" devotion book she read when she first got saved.

I remember that she really never had a lot of clothes. She made most of them herself, including our clothes.

My mother was a very concientious person. I have never known her to waste anything.

I have seen her open her home to people who needed it, including one friend of my brother's who lived with them for over a year.

My mother never felt talented in the hospitality area and yet over and over she prepared meals for visiting preachers and missionaries and submitted to the stress it always caused her because of her feelings of inadequacy, to care for their needs.

My mother was the most consistent person I know in the discipline area. She taught me to never make excuses, to work diligently, and to put Christ first.

Mom, I am so sorry I won't be able to be at the reunion but I will be thinking and praying for you. Thank you for all you have done to make me who I am. I love you!!!! Hope you have a very Happy Mothers Day!