Super Moms

Rev Jasmine Ooi

Happy mothers day to all mothers, spiritual mums and everyone who honours mothers.

• This is a day set aside to appreciate mothers for all their love and sacrifices. Motherhood is a high calling from God but we often forget due to the stress of caring for our household.  From dawn to setting sun, a mother’s work is never done.
• A busy mother’s psalm goes like this ..the lord is my shepherd. He invites me to lie down but I cant because my laundry basket is running over. My daughter made this mothers day for me which humorously describes the things mothers do

Super Mum has:

• A stomach to eat leftovers (to save money for family)
• Brains to resolve family conflicts, to think what to cook
• Ears to listen to children’s problems and needs
• Shoulder to cry on, carry the weight of the family
• Knees to kneel to pray for family

My daughter Joy sent me this

• It takes so many different people to replace the roles mothers play
• Its easy to see why mothers can get stressed and forget their high calling from God.

Because Motherhood is a high calling from God:

• He calls us to Honor your Father & Mother, which is the first commandment with a promise: that it will go well with you and you will live long (Eph. 6:2)

How to honour mothers?

• to pay attention to her words
• to speak to her kindly
• and respectfully,

What it means to Honour?

• to speak positively about her to others
• tell her whenever you see in her a virtue/quality that speaks of God’s love
• Let me give you an example of what I mean in a mothers day card I received from my son, Joshua

A Mother’s day card from Josh, my son

• I likened you to be a mirror of God’s love
• showing me the true heart of a servant who took what her master invested in her…and unselfishly gave and invested back into His eternal kingdom by serving me and those who need Him…
• “Of all the things I could thank you for, it would be for giving me a  glimpse of how much Jesus loves and cares so sacrificially for me…

If not for your “Jesus loves you”, there won’t be this love I have for the world and for you.

• now that I am physically pulled apart from that spiritual umbilical cord, I have learnt to kneel on my own knees and worship Him…
• My daughter in law recently posted on her Facebook how grateful she was to God for such a loving husband who took care of the kids even while he was busy writing his research paper which was recently published in a top Science journal in the world. I told her how proud I was. And she replied I should be prouder that I have raised a good man, a great husband and father.

Joshua’s PhD Graduation - A Story of a Mother’s Prayer & God’s Provision

• When Josh wanted to pursue his bio medical studies in Australia, he said that he had faith God will provide the finances because he has seen how we had prayed as a family and how has provided for us since he was very young. Thank God for giving Josh a full scholarship to complete his PhD in medicine.
• Whenever josh gets discouraged in his experiments, he would call home to talk to me and ask me to pray for him. I was the one encouraged when he said he knows that God is building his character.

1. A Mother’s Purpose

1. To be fruitful and multiply what? (Gen. 1:27,28)

• To multiply Godly seeds/offspring – (Mal. 2:15).
• How does she do that?
• By being a role model of God’s love
2. A loving Mother Reflects God
• “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66: 13)
• God gives us children so we can understand the capacity of His heart to love, to give, to sacrifice, to teach, to discipline us, …to reproduce all His goodness and love in us, His godly seed

2. A Mother’s Priorities

• Example: Mothers of Moses and Samuel
• Only a few years with them but they were smart to make use of the opportunity to train them to know and love God
• Crucial foundation
• Character-training years
• “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6)

Importance of Spiritual Training in the Early Years

• Researcher George Barna:
• Children age 5 -13 have a 32% probability of accepting Christ as their Savior.
• The rate drops dramatically to 4%, for kids age 14 -18.
• Timothy’s grandmother and mother passed down their sincere faith to Timothy…
  (2 Tim. 1: 5)
• Grandmothers too have a vital role to play. I love to share my testimonies to my grandchildren. “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done..so the next generation would remember His deeds, put their trust in God, keep his commandments… and they in turn would tell their children.(Psalm 78:4-7)

Chloe praising God

• What are some things we can teach our children and grandchildren
• I love to see my children lift their hands when I say “Praise the Lord”
• Chloe sharing her food
• Chloe thanking God for her food

3. A Mother’s Problem

• Meet Eve…the mother of all living (Gen. 3:20)
• And Satan..the father of lies (John 8: 42-47)
• What was she thinking when she bought the devil’s lies? Gen.3:1-7
• Mothers beware cos Satan is still seducing us today that
• “I or my children must know everything”
• “My life/my children must be perfect”
• “I’m my own god-I call the shots”
• “If it looks good, get it”
• Woman (2 Cor. 11: 3; 1 Tim. 2: 14)
• Prone to fall prey to his lies
• Influence the men around us to sin
• Set a pattern for subsequent generations

As a result of Believing Satan’s Lie

• Adam and Eve – loss of esteem, disconnection with their Source 

Meet Mrs. Zebedee

• Matthew 19: 28,29; 20: 20
• What did she do? She tried to pull strings with Jesus to put her sons next to him in position/prestige
• How did she feel? Insecure cos of competition
• What was she thinking? Of her own security, self-esteem, significance
• Matt. 20: 22 “You don’t know what you are asking”?
• What do you want for your children?
• What is being great to you?
• Jesus said if u want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all

“Supermom” Today

• Raising children has become an aggressive competition.
• The compulsive woman-have to mentality
• Caught in a performance trap. How many As did u get?

Leah was unloved  (Gen. 29: 16 – 30)
She longed to be esteemed

1. A Mother’s Focus

• Leah named her first son “Rueben”
• It is because the Lord has seen my misery (Gen. 29: 32)
• Leah focused on God

2. A Mother’s Peace

• Leah named her second son “Simeon”
• “The Lord hears” (Gen. 29:33)
• The Lord is near…
• Do not be anxious (Phil.4: 5-6)

A Peaceful & Powerful Mum

• The Lord is near…I do not fret or worry about anything, but in everything and in every circumstance, by prayer with thanksgiving, I let God know my wants. And God’s peace shall guard my minds in Christ (Phil. 4: 5-7)
• I Fix my mind on whatever is true, lovely and worthy of praise…
• I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me = I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me.
• Think= what is true according to God, e.g my children must have straight As to have a secure future? (Phil. 4:8)
•  Feel =Peaceful (God of peace will be with you v.9)
• Do =I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength (v. 13). I am not depressed/anxious

3. A Mother’s Security

• Leah called her third son, Levi=attached, priestly line
• Needs for attachment and security
• To be met in God first 

4. A Mother’s Choice

• 4th son- Judah- this time I will praise the Lord
• Turn your pain to praise, worry to worship
• Judah = kingly line of
• David and Jesus
• Leah became the matriarch of the tribes of Israel.
• She was finally honoured by being buried next to Abraham and Sarah. Jacob asked to be buried next to Leah.

5. A Mother’s Reward & Honour

• 5th son = Issachar = Reward
• 6th son = Zebulun = Honour
• God has presented me with a precious gift (Gen. 30:20)
• An honour to raise child up to please God. We obtain our honour and reward from God.

A Mother’s Reward

• Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. (Prov. 31:28)
• Arise = help to lift up, strengthen

6. A Mother’s Strength & Beauty (Prov. 31)

• She has strength and dignity because of her desire to please God
• Free of worry
• Speaks wisely
• Faithfully instructs

Thank God that all my children are serving God in their church. Ps. 116: 16 “ O Lord I am your servant, I will serve you as my mother served you”

Conclusion: What does God want you to know?

• Motherhood = high calling
• You as a mom reflect God’s character to your kids. Love them unconditionally, not based on their performance but let them know they are loved, accepted and secure in God.

A Mother’s Prayer

Our loving heavenly Father,

We sometimes get so bogged down in the daily battles that we lose sight of where we’re going.

Help & empower us to make the most of opportunities today to love and teach our children.

Yet we feel so inadequate. It’s frightening to realize how much our own example will influence our children in what they do, and what they believe about you.

But we take comfort in knowing that you only expect us to do the best we can with the Spirit’s help..

Thank you for the positive examples you have given us and for the eternal guiding wisdom from your Word.

We pray most of all that our family circle will remain unbroken when we gather to celebrate and praise your name in heaven.

Thank you for the children You have given us.

In Jesus’ Name we pray.

Amen

Arise & Bless your Wife and Mother

• Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. (Prov. 31:28)
• Arise = help to lift up, stir up, strengthen

Please note that these notes are extracted from the PowerPoint presentation used.

Mother's Love

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

When pastor Gideon asked me to speak on Mother's Day I asked if he was sure? Maybe he was confused as I have done Father's Day before. I believe pastor Gideon heard from the Lord when he asked me to speak on Mother's Day because he may not know it, but I know I am blessed to be here.

 I would like to start with something like this. A man love his mother and the man love his wife. And one day they are both drowning. Who do you save first? I don't want to answer this question because I don't want to go where angels dare not tread. The answer would probably be, let me think about this. It's a philosophical question.

The mother may not say it but in her heart she would say save your wife. The mother's heart is always sacrificial. It will always be - the child comes first. And she would say save your wife.

Mothers are not perfect. But mother's have a special love for her child. If your mother scolded you yesterday don't think that your mother is not like that. But the seed of sacrifice and the bond to her child will always be there.

The Bible records that David lay with Bathsheba and Solomon come from that. This was after the first child had died after birth. When a lady conceive, and the mom loses the child, it is a terrible thing. Something that we cannot understand. And healing takes a long time. And when another child came along, there is a special bond that this child is God's gift back to me.

Proverbs 10:1

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Have you ever wondered why Solomon didn't write it the other way? That a wise son brings joy to the mother and a foolish son brings grief to his father? I think Solomon knows that a father's love and mother's love is different. A mother's love of a wayward child is different. If a son takes drugs both will be grieved but the first one who will say enough is enough is the father. When he has to draw the line, it'll be the father. But have you heard? Mothers will still secretly give to their son, like money. This is something that we see happening. When it comes to bonding with the child, the mother has a nine month head start.

That attachment with a child the father will not be able to really grasp. A mother's love has a certain empathising touch. The mother weeps in the heart when a child goes through a difficult time. It is this that expresses itself as a mother's love in a softness of heart for the child. And it is very direct. A mother will naturally want to embrace the child. That is a mother's love.

That love is drawn from two aspect, a sacrificial aspect and an unconditional aspect. That's why the mother will say save your wife.

This is where we want to look at where is the source of a mother's love. The agape love of God is expressed as sacrificial and unconditional.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we are yet sinners described God's unconditional love and Christ died for us described his sacrificial love.

That is why man will say only when a man becomes good does he deserve our love. God showed his love when we are still a sinner. And God is not all talk, he demonstrated his love by dying for us.

In the mother that sacrificial and unconditional love is expressed through her empathising for her child, that softness of heart and in the mother lies the capacity to love like that. On Mother's Day I want to say you are special because you have that capacity to lay your life down for your child and it's a gift of God. And when we say you have that seed, we have to nurture it. And we don't know how far you can go as you draw near to the Lord. That seed of sacrifice and unconditional love will grow in your life. It is a gift, nurture it and you will be blessed.

It is no accident that Solomon when God chose him was a pretty smart fellow. He was to ask one thing from God and he chose wisdom. And God said he has chosen a good thing. He asked for wisdom and God gave him everything.

1 Kings 3:27-28

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

And here you see how Solomon used his wisdom from God in dealing with mothers. If you read the passage before these verses and you'll see how wise Solomon was in dealing with this case. Solomon knew there was a strong bond between a mother and the child.

1 Kings 3:23-26

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

Here you see an aspect of how a mother feel when a son's life is at stake.

In my school I have all ladies young and old. In a hall of 600 I can be the only man. When I told them I have a difficult assignment from my pastor to speak on Mother's Day and one person in particular told me, have you heard of a son's face where only a mother can love? You see, others see that child with their eyes but only a mother sees her child through her eyes.

I  am a reader of books but now I learn how to Google. So I read this story.

There was a child in school who is always asking questions in class. And the teacher got irritated with him because of his many questions. The teacher called the mother to complain that this child of hers is problematic.

The mother said my child is not backward and I'm taking her back to school him at home. This boy is Thomas Edison who has more than 1,000 patents.  That is why he was always asking questions. The school cannot accommodate him because he was a genius. But the mother saw him as special. The mum sees more, my son has potential.

But if the mum had listened to what the teachers said what would have become of Thomas Edison? That's a mother's love.

You also saw cases in earthquakes where they found a mother cradling her baby from the debris. That is a mother's love.

Today you've heard this, so what's your response. You may say I'll buy her a special gift, or take her to a special place but have you thought of what your mother actually wants? Mothers want obedient children.

I told my teachers at school that my mum seldom cane me and when she does, she canes me softly. But my brother will always kena. When my mum says come, he will stay at the corner and when my mum goes to him he runs around the room. He said not fair, mum canes him 10 times but only 2 times on me when we both did the same thing. I told my brother don't run. When mum says come you go and say sorry. But he never learns, so kena. Mothers want obedient children.

Ephesians 6:2-3

2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

I believe a man who dishonours his father or mother cannot honour God. Don't be a Pharisee. If he don't honour his parents, he is in no position to honour God.

Some time back I had a talk to my mother. I told my mum it's not how much money a son has in taking care of the mother but how much love he has. A son who has money may not give her mum the care that she needs in failing health. While a son who loves his mom will find a way to find the money for her mother's treatment.

My mom is not well and I spend time with my mom. Back from school and I'll sit in the wheelchair by her. My mom used to iron clothes until late at night so I whenever saw her and decided to stay with her. She can iron with her eyes closed and I told myself I'll stay with her until she sleeps. So after a while I'll tell her to go to sleep. She thinks I must care for her but because she don't sleep I cannot sleep.

I just want to say this to all of you. If your mum is not well, honour and care for your mum. Mums will always care for their child but it is sad that children sometimes don’t care about their mum. I want to take this opportunity to also thank my wife because as a son I also have my limitations.

Now coming back to the question of whether to save your mum or your wife, you may have the problem but your mum will not. She will say save your wife. For mothers, the child will always be in her heart. A mother will always grief when her child is not doing well.

So finally remember this, always care for your mum when she's not doing well.

Mothers, is it well with you?

Rev Gideon Lee

Sunday School children singing for all mothers at TOP

Today is Mother's Day and I want to appreciate a few people here. I asked my wife how to appreciate mothers but my wife said in the past it has been boring, like the oldest mother, mothers with the most children etc. But this Mother's Day I want to appreciate Sis Joo Kim. I know today is for mothers but it is also brother Chew's birthday so I give him flowers la (laughs). Yesterday was also my son's birthday 

Josiah. Last but not least I want to appreciate the newest grandmother in church. First time grandmother? Anybody? Sis Melinda, last year? God bless you. Of course I want to appreciate my wife too. (Special bouquet of flowers from pastor Gideon).

Let's turn to our bibles 2 Kings. 

2 Kings 4:8-26

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well- to- do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army? ’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.”

15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord,” she objected. “Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!”

17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 “My head! My head!” he said to his father.

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”

“It’s all right,” she said.

24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right? ’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

I am going to read a quote to you – “A small child waits with impatience the arrival home of a parent. She wishes to relate some sandbox experience. She is excited to share the thrill that she has known that day. The time comes; the parent arrives. Beaten down by the stresses of the workplace the parent often replies: “Not now, honey, I’m busy, go watch television.” The most often spoken words in the American household today are the words: go watch television. If not now, when? Later. But later never comes for many and the parent fails to communicate at the very earliest of ages. We give her designer clothes and computer toys, but we do not give her what she wants the most, which is our time. Now, she is fifteen and has a glassy look in her eyes. Honey, do we need to sit down and talk? Too late. Love has passed by.


There are many ways to lose children. We can lose them by a tragic death. We can lose them by ignoring them. We can lose them due to broken relationships. And, we can lose them by failing to develop the strength of character in them that they will need to resist evil. In our Scripture reading, Elisha did not know what had happened but he guessed something was not right; otherwise, this mother, this Shunammite woman would not be traveling to find him. Elisha sent his servant out to greet this well-to-do-woman with three questions: Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?


On this Mother's Day 2013, these three questions are as relevant today as they were when they were first spoken almost 3000 years ago. Let us take a look at this story and the three questions it raises.



Elisha was a fearless prophet of the Lord. He spent much of his time wondering the land and proclaiming the Word of God. One place he visited repeatedly was Shunem. Since this small village was located in the center of the country it afforded him a kind of hub from which to conduct his ministry. He was by there so often that one of the couples in the village came to know him and would invite him to dinner. She grew so fond of him, in fact, that she entreated her husband to make a small room for him up on the roof. She even furnished it with a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp. Now listen, this is extravagant. She was really trying to make him feel welcome.



Now, I don’t know about you but if my wife was pushing me to build an extra room for some wondering evangelist so he could pop in unannounced I think I might have her head examined. This was no casual exercise in hospitality. This was going the second mile for a man, who obviously was a prophet of God, but for all intents and purposes was a stranger to them. So lavish was there hospitality that Elisha, moved with gratitude, calls her into his room. And, as she stands in the doorway Elisha says what every barren woman longs to hear: You will hold a son in your arms. You can almost detect the pain of her heart as she responds: Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!



One year passes, the bible says, and just as Elisha had said a boy is born and everyone lives happily ever after. Right? No. Life, unfortunately, is not that way. One day as the young boy is out in the fields with his father he suffers a heat stroke, is taken home to his mother, and there in her lap he dies. You can almost anticipate her words to Elisha: I told you so! I told you not to mislead me!



1. Is It Well With You?



Mothers. Let me ask you. Is it well with you? Considering the enormous task that is placed upon you and the expectations, is it well with you? I have said it often and let me say it here: So go the mothers in a society so goes the society. If the women of a land give in to temptation and let their morals and character slip then it will not be long after that the rest of the land goes with her. William Ross Wallace echoed this truth when he said, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”



In other words kingdoms are not built by the man upon the throne but by the mother from the crib. Children will live out the life they see reflected in their mother’s eyes; they will live out the life they feel given in the touch of their mother’s hand; they will live out the life they hear described in the words of their mother’s lips.



Look at this woman in 2 Kings. She is a well-to-do woman. She obviously has a nurturing disposition. You can see it in the way she treated Elisha. She respected her husband and sought his advice and help on projects around the home. She was faithful to her husband despite their lack of children. She obviously would make a good mother but she had no children. Now I ask you. What is required of a woman to make her a good mother?


A panel of experts was asked to complete some sentences about their moms. What made them experts was the one thing they all had in common. They were all kindergarteners. Even though these are the words of 6 year olds I think the qualities they recognized in their moms are they qualities needed in all mom. Here are the sentences and the answers:



My mom is best at: "feeding the dog," "making my bed," "driving," "cleaning," "running," "riding a two-wheeler," "watering the garden."



If I had enough money, I'd buy her: "flowers," "a car," "a necklace," "a brand-new fan," "a kitten," "a diamond ring," "a big pack of bubble gum."



It makes me feel good inside when Mom says: "I love you," "good job," "dinnertime!" "You look handsome," "I'll buy you something."



My mom is as pretty as a "butterfly," "ballerina," "mouse," "princess," "my brothers," "goose," "gold ring," "a clean horse."



By the way, one of the most memorable comments from the children on Father's Day was: Daddy gets tired out from: "chasing mommy."

There is one word in that list that stands out to me as one of the glaring issues of our time. The child who said it makes me feel good inside when mom says, “Dinnertime!” This child was on to something. I recently saw statistics that showed that a family that eats together at least three times a week, and that can include McDonalds and other fast food places, it doesn’t always have to be at home, but a family that does that has a 45% greater chance that their children will not use drugs. Now don’t miss the point. It is not that there is something mystical that occurs while we eat; it simply suggest that as we eat together we participate in a basic support group. Here is the key. We need to feel secure, a part of a family where there is acceptance.



Moms, you well know, there are no manuals that come with parenting, but it does seem to make common sense that we need to get back to some basics like listening and being there for one another. I don’t care what experience all our 4 children goes through, whether it is a tennis game, spelling B, or church play, they will grow up remembering that Mom and Dad were there and that will make all the difference.



Mother’s is it well with you? I ran across a job description for a mother this week. It was written by Erma Bombeck. Here it is: "Wanted: Woman to raise, educate and entertain child for minimum of 20 years. Be prepared to eat egg if the yolk breaks, receive anything in hand child spits out, and take knots out of wet shoestrings with teeth. Must be expert in making costume for 'bad tooth' in the dental play and picking bathroom locks with shish kebab skewer. Hours: Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays. Comprehensive dental plan, vacation, medical benefits and company car negotiable.”



Moms, the hours are endless, the talents you must have are many, the patience endless, and the financial pay is awful. Is it well with you?



2. Is It Well With Your Husband?



Let me ask you also. Is it well with your husbands? Is your husband living up to his family responsibilities. I make no bones that the Father is the head of the family and must answer one day for his attentiveness to that responsibility but often times it is the mother which must prod the man to take his title seriously.



Did you notice what the father did in this story. Let me read it again. Look at verse 18: The child grew and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. “My head! My head!” The boy said to his father. The father said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”



The father said to a servant? A servant!? Why is he telling a servant to do what obviously is his job? It looks as though the boy had fainted. Verse 20 says the servant had to lift him up. The boy wasn’t simply complaining the boy was seriously ill. Probably a heat stroke and the father keeps right on working harvesting the field while the servant carries the limp body of his son back to his mother. What in God’s name is this man doing?


I can hear so many boys crying out and so many girls calling out for their dads. “Dad, my head! my head! Father, my heart! my heart! Dad, my soul! my soul! And what do the father’s do? They keep right on working. There is a true story about a young man who was to be sentenced to the penitentiary. The judge had known him from childhood. He was well acquainted with his father a famous legal scholar and the author of an exhaustive study entitled, "The Law of Trusts." The judge asked the young man, "Do you remember your father?""I remember him well, your honor," came the reply.

Then trying to probe the offender's conscience, the judge said, "As you are about to be sentenced and as you think of your wonderful dad, what do you remember most clearly about him?" There was a pause. Then the judge received an answer he had not expected. "I remember when I went to him for advice. He looked up at me from the book he was writing and said, 'Run along, boy; I'm busy!' When I went to him for companionship, he turned me away, saying "Run along, son; this book must be finished!' Your honor, you remember him as a great lawyer. I remember him as a lost friend." The magistrate muttered to himself, "Alas! Finished the book, but lost the boy!" I ask you Mom. Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? And lastly I ask you is it well with your child?



3. Is It Well With Your Child?



Notice the devotion of this mother. She was not about to let this little boy of hers die without a fight. He had died in her arms and she refused to let him go. I know that some moms can be pretty shrewd when it comes to their children. Children need to be protected and this becomes so engrained in us that we tend to keep protecting them even when they are grown men and women. But at some point we need to let them fend for themselves.



Former president Jimmy Carter spoke at Southern Methodist University and related an incident that occurred after he left the Whitehouse. A woman reporter came to Plains, Georgia, to interview his mother in relation to an article about Mr. Carter and his family. His mother really didn't want to be interviewed, but was being gracious. So when the reporter knocked at her door, Mrs. Carter invited her in. The reporter asked some hard questions and actually was rather aggressive and rude.
"I want to ask you a question," she said. "Your son ran for the presidency on the premise that he would always tell the truth. Has he ever lied?"



Mrs. Carter said, "I think he's truthful; I think you can depend on his word."



The reporter again asked if he had ever lied in his entire life.

His mother said, "Well, I guess maybe he's told a little white lie."



"Ah, see there!" the reporter exclaimed. "He's lied! If he told a white lie, he has lied."



The reporter was still not satisfied and asked, "What is a white lie?" And then Lillian Carter said, "It's like a moment ago when you knocked on the door and I went to the door and said I was glad to see you."



I love that! Mrs. Carter still trying to protect her boy and he was the former president of the United States. Now Mrs. Carter should have said what do you mean has he ever told a lie? He was a boy wasn’t he? Of course, he has told a lie. Mom’s you’ve got to let your children go and let them learn on their own. On the other hand, we all know they never outgrow their need for a mother. It’s an art isn’t it? Deciding when to let them go. How far to let them venture away from you and when to draw them in, hold them, and protect them from danger.



Notice that this mother let her young son go out in the field with his dad. She let him be a big boy. There is risk in that. But there is also risk in coddling them. 



Now, contrast the devotion of this mother with the devotion of this father. In the end I don’t think there was very little devotion on the part of this father. The child is near death and the dad doesn’t even pick the boy up. The servant is told to do it. It’s as if the task is beneath him. And here it is. This is the evil of our age—father’s who believe fatherhood is beneath them. That they have more important thing to do with their lives.

Listen to how the story ends (Read verses 26b-37). I thank God that these two mothers were devoted to their two sons. But more than this, they were both devoted to God. Mothers! There are so many things in this life that cause stress and I know that the demands are great. But remember— Children will live out the life they see reflected in their mother’s eyes; they will live out the life they feel given in the touch of their mother’s hand; they will live out the life they hear described in the words of their mother’s lips.



It’s a pretty tall order isn’t it? Teaching children their heritage. Teaching them the love of God in Christ and helping them grow in that knowledge. It’s, as Erma Bombeck said, a 20 year job and sometimes longer than that but keep telling them about the love of God in Christ. That’s your number one devotion. Mom, is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?

TOP mothers and wives gathers after service

Pastor Gideon praying for all mothers

Youth and Young Adults getting ready to give out Mother's Day gifts

A token of appreciation to all mothers and wives. Getting their gifts from the youths inTOP.

Many thanks to Rev Gideon for passing me his notes so only the beginning was transcribed.