Today my mother would have been 69. I dont think I could see her as 69. She has a youthful soul. Always up for a good time. Ready to take on the world. (Or at least attempt to.) Every day I see reminders of her all around me. Even in the spice rack. When I was in high school I came home from school one day to the smell of pumpkin pie. When we looked in the oven it wasnt a pie we saw but a pork roast! She had mistakenly used pumpkin pie spice instead of the intended poultry seasoning. (Poultry seasoning works on pork.) We had a good laugh and a great supper. Pumpkin pie spice in moderation goes great with pork! And it has provided a lifetime of laughs for me and Amber Ivey. I do miss my mother. Mostly when I look at my family. My wife, three boys and grandson. She would have loved them and they her. Her stories of her younger days (like stealing the ExxonMobil tiger from the gas station down the street) would have made my kids see where papa gets his quirky sense of humor. But most of all her love for everyone would have influenced them as it did me. Her greatest advice to me when I told I was called to preach was this: dont forget people dont want you spending the whole sermon saying you remember that we are all sinners. So include yourself while preaching. Momma made mistakes in life, but through her mistakes she learned to allow others to make mistakes and not hold their faults against them. I have taken that to heart. So on her 69th birthday I wish momma a happy birthday. She is with daddy and her savior. What better way to celebrate?
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:51:52 +0000