As you know, this coming Sunday is Mothers' Day and I am sure it will bring back memories of the wives and mothers who have given so much to make our lives meaningful and enjoyable. My mother raised 12 children during rather challenging times, but I never heard her complain. She set marvelous examples of the importance of kindness, understanding, forgiveness, and LIVING those wisdom-filled words, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

I will always be thankful that the Lord let her live long enough for me to recognize how really precious she was and to give her at least a fraction of the positive recognition she deserved, such as writing this verse on a Mother's Day card to her: "M is for the million things she gave me, 0 means only that she's growing old, T is for the tears she shed to save me, H is for her heart of purest gold, E is for the eyes with lovelight shining, R means right and right she'll always be, put them all together they spell MOTHER, a word that means the world to me." And as if being blessed by one of the most wonderful mothers in the world weren't enough, the blessings kept coming.

My precious Emma was the most wonderful wife to me and the most wonderful mother to our children that any man could ever hope to have. Let me share again the story of how God led ne to her many years ago. I was a young man who had gone to New York to pursue an acting career. After several months of this effort, I came to the conclusion that it would be best for me to head back home. This was on a Friday morning, and as I drove down Broadway toward the Lincoln Tunnel, I spotted a coffee shop on the corner. I parked my car and went into the shop and picked up a newspaper that "just happened" to be displaying its Want Ad Section. The ad that caught my eye was for an office manager at the National Protestant Episcopal Church, a huge facility in Manhattan. I went for an interview, not really expecting to be hired, but after a very pleasant conversation with the Human Resources manager, I was asked to return that afternoon.

To my surprise I was hired and was taken to the third floor Operations Department. The manager on that floor began taking me around to the various offices and that's when THE MAGIC MOMENT occurred! Mr. Rabbage, a name I will always remember, said, "Come over here and meet my secretary." It was then that I saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life, and it was truly "Love at first sight." Four months later we were married, and shortly after that I brought her back with me to Kinston, and my "reason for being" began. My Emma is now in Heaven, but she will always be in my heart, and we'll be together again some sweet day God has now blessed me with three additional mothers in our family - Daughter Jessica and Daughters-in law Lisa and Christie, and with a fourth soon-to-be, Granddaughter Shea. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. God bless MOTHERS everywhere. Now for a humorous close:

One Saturday morning the pastor noticed little Johnny staring at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. It was covered with names and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The 7-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Johnny." "Good morning, Pastor Ron," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "What is this?", Johnny asked. The pastor replied, "Well, Son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the Service." Solemnly they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Johnny's voice was barely audible when he asked, "Which one, the Wednesday night or Sunday morning service?"

HAVE A GREAT DAY!