Happy Mother's Day - 2008

Today I salute 3 special women in my life...

First, I salute my mother. There are times when I think she is possibly even more OCD than I am, but she does have her good qualities. She always read the Bible to us and took us to church whenever she could. Many years ago when my parents divorced she held our family together. She never stopped loving my dad despite some of the things he had done. It set an example of forgiveness for me. She drove us to all our school events and even chaperoned a few of the band trips. She was always there for us when we needed her.

Second, I salute my own wife, Jamie. Not only did she marry one of the goofiest guys on the planet, she even found time to love him as well. She is a great mother to our children. She has instilled the love of Jesus in them by constantly talking about how great our Savior is. She is patient with them, most of the time, and does her best to protect them from my OCD tendencies when necessary. She has an understanding heart that allows her to listen to their craziest stories and find what they are truly trying to say. She reads to them at night and gives them plenty of hugs and kisses. I think she even had our son sign a "contract" that says he will still allow her to hug him when he is 16. I am so glad she is the mother of our children.

Finally, to my daughter. Even though she is not a mother yet, I still would like to bless her. Hey, if the patriarchs of the Bible can hand down blessings to their offspring, then I can to. Rachel, I pray to your Creator, that you are blessed with a spirit of peace. Many times in your young life you have been scared. I pray that God allows you to be bold in your parenting and in your love for your children. I pray that you love your kids as much as your mother loves you. Be kind to your kids and do not follow the example of sarcasm used by you goofy father. Most of all love Jesus and let his Spirit guide you in all your ways.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers of the world. Keep up the good work.