"Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching..."-Proverbs 1:8

I was fortunate to be raised in a household where God and Gospel were a normal  part of family life and conversation. My parents made sure we were all in Bible study and  worship and  Wednesday night activities and Sunday night worship.  The flow of family life was shaped profoundly by Christ. I was blessed to have a godly father. I was blessed to have a mother who loved (and still does) the Lord.

I recently found, stashed away in a box, a 'Certficate of New Birth' that our church made in house and gave the day and date that the  Lord saved me. There was a line where the pastor signed and a line for parents. I remember that day well, even though it was a long time ago.

I asked a lot of questions as a child. I guess I still do.  I had been asking my parents about sin. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that I too was a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus was my only Hope.  While the  church reinforced what was taught and discussed at home, my parents made sure that those conversations took  place in the home,  and with my mom being a stay at home mom-a lot of those  conversations took  place with her during the day.

Both parents profoundly impacted my life as a Christian. My father showed me much of loving others. What an incredible man he was. My mother showed me much of faith and prayer. She had to. There were times as a child through my teenage years and into college that my father's heart problems stretched her faith (and ours) profoundly.  There was and  is this incredible stillness in her, one that can only  come from many, many hours of prayer over many years. I am so thankful that she modeled that for me and impacted me in that way. She was always quick to point me to God and to His Word throughout my life, in good times and bad.

I think now of my wife. Our son is grown and on his own, and our daughter is not too far from that-a junior in college. Over the years, I watched my wife love and invest in our children, talking with them about God and Gospel, listening to them, praying with them, working with them in church as teacher, in their school-on campus with them, not to hover or control, but a part of her motherly shepherding role. We both prayed with our children and did  our best to make Christ known in our home:God, Gospel, modeling. Sometimes we certainly failed and sometimes it was certainly challenging (parenting  is not easy!), but God always gave grace. This continual 'on the job' learning can be daunting. In my wife, I saw a teachable spirit and a persevering spirit-someone who trusted the Lord for and in all things, in good or bad, and she was often the one  exhorting me on as well as our children. That is who she is.

All of this to say, over the years, two generations now, it is a blessing to see how godly mothers impacted children who passed what was learned to their children who in turn passsed along to theirs...and one day, they will do the same.

Mothers-we are thankful for you! We know your job is not easy. It can be quite wearying and there are profound times of discouragement and great tests of faith, but as you continue to keep your eyes  on Christ and follow Him, continually being that woman of prayer, that person who brings God and Gospel into conversation, who demonstrates Christ's love and cheers others on to persevere and trust in Christ at all times, know this: it is not in vain. God is always working in and through you and doing so very much that cannot be seen, but will bear fruit in due season.

Thank you. Don't give up. Keep praying. Keep asking Him for grace for the day.

We look forward to celebrating you this upcoming Sunday in worship!

A woman who fears the Lord...she is to be praised!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor