The following message was delivered by Sis. Kay Leid, wife of Senior Pastor Harry L. Leid, on Mothers Day 2008.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law."

INTRODUCTION: Steve Goodier, Dr. Joyce Brothers, dedicated to marriage and family issues, and Family expert Nick Stinnett of USA Today have these things to say about family togetherness.

I. Goodier talks about the "Three Messages of a Strong Family" and begins with this illustration, a picture of our society today.

1. The Flyer for a Kids Camp must have actually read "Money can really buy happiness--send the kids to summer camp!" One family actually subscribed to the notion that money really can buy happiness so the family sent their son Joey away to Kids camp for the duration of his school break. The boy was apparently as blissful about the arrangement as his parents, for after about three weeks, his parents finally received a postcard from their son. Both parents huddled together to read it. After a moment, Joey's mother looked up her husband’s face and commented, "Well it certainly is Joey!" Joey's post card read:

Dear Mom and Dad,

They are making everyone write home.

Love, Joey

Steve Goodier goes on to say, "Yes, at times, each family member does need some space. But more importantly, they need togetherness--and lots of it these days. Those who live in families all realize that there is no "Perfect Family," even on the best of days. But perfection is not required for a strong family life.

The THREE BASICS TO A STRONG FAMILY are:

YOU ARE LOVED -- YOU ARE CARED FOR -- YOU ARE IMPORTANT

Steve Goodier goes on to say, "When you have a strong family life, 1) you receive the message that you are loved, 2) that you are cared for, 3) that you are important. It is the positive intake of love and affection and respect that gives you inner resources to deal with life more successfully." Having Jesus' living presence in the lives of family members is what is necessary to accomplish this trio!

Jesus' love, affection and respect is a dynamic trio in making any family a strong family. Goodier says, "Where there is love there is a place of safety and security. Where there is affection there is a place of warmth. And where there is respect there is a place where the mind and spirit can flourish. Not all live in families, but we came from some kind of a family situation regardless of how we grew up.

3. Dr. Joyce Brothers, who has dedicated her life to marriage and family issues, says - "When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." That can be true in any "family situation" were you are loved, cared for, and were you are made to feel important. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all Christian families worked this trio and found true happiness--you are loved, you are cared for with affection, you are important.

LOVE + CARING AFFECTION + RESPECT = HAPPINESS

Include a good dose of Proverbs by reading Chapters 4, 6, 13, & 22.

II. Historical Mothers of the Faith

Elesha Coffman, was a doctoral student at Duke University and senior editor of Christian History & Biography Magazine, Winter 2007, when she wrote this article, "Faith of Our Mothers".

Coffman says:

The history of the church would have looked very different without these famous moms because they are PEOPLE WORTH KNOWING:

Mothers have been central figures in the Christian tradition ever since Mary told Gabriel, "May it be to me as you have said." I'd like to mention a few of the most notable Christian mothers that I believe have demonstrated this trio of Love, Caring Affection, and Respect by praying fervently for their children, modeling their faith, and training their children up in the way they should go.

1. Perpetua (182-203), the young wife of a wealthy Carthage man, also Modeled A Christian Mother's Faith during a severe time of Christian persecution. Shortly after she gave birth to her first child her father pleaded with her to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ, for the sake of her own life and that of her child, but she refused. Eventually she was brought into the arena to be mauled to death by wild beasts. Just before her martyrdom, she stood and admonished the believers in the crowd to, "Stand fast in the faith," inspiring countless other suffering Christians.

2. Macrina the Elder (died c. 340) She and her husband were 2 early converts to Christianity in Asia Minor, now modern Turkey. During the last great campaign against Christians in the Roman Empire, Macrina and her husband nearly starved when they fled to a forest where they lived 7 years. When allowed to return home, the empire confiscated their possessions. Nonetheless, Macrina's Christian commitment persisted, and flourished, and she lived to see three of her grandchildren became the most celebrated Christians of their era. - Basil the Great founded an important monastic order, and Basil & Gregory of Nyssa greatly advanced Christian theology. Her granddaughter, Macrina the Younger, inspired her brothers and led a community of devout Christian women.

3. Helena (250-330), converted to the Christian faith following her son, Emperor Constantine's Christian conversion, and exhibited tremendous zeal. The royal biographer Eusebius recorded glowing accounts of Helena's prayers and pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Her special concerns were finding key sites in early church history, where she directed the stripping of pagan encrustations, restoring them and consecrating them to God's service. She dressed plainly, mingling with humbler believers, donating money to the building and repairing of churches and facilities throughout the empire where Christianity had been persecuted a few years earlier.

4. Anthusa (c. 347-407) is considered one of our Early Childhood Educators and was a resident of Antioch, the hub of Paul's missionary journey. Her son John was born just before her husband died. Fearing society's corrupting influence on John she taught him the classics and Christian faith at home until his character was formed. Then, as a result of his training by an experienced orator who honed John's innate gifts of communication, John became one of the early church's most renowned preachers. His contemporaries named him "golden-mouthed."

5. Katie Luther (1499-1552), wife of the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, schooled a large and ever-changing group in her house. She bore six children and raised four orphans, and helped teach students Martin brought home from his university classes. As many as 30 people crowded under their roof, seeking to learn all they could from both Martin and his formidable wife. Luther, only half-joking, frequently referred to her as "my lord Katie."

6. Susanna Wesley (1669-1742), mother of John and Charles, is sometimes called the "Mother of Methodism." Only 9 of her 17 children survived. She ran a very efficient household because on top of all of her household duties, she conducted day school for her youngsters, instructing them in godliness alongside academics. Each child had chores to perform, learned Scriptures and had character issues to address, besides a personal one-on-one audience with their mother every week, for attention and encouragement.

When John Wesley established the Methodist system, he patterned it after his childhood experiences, which emphasized organized small groups in which every member was accountable for Bible Study, mutual correction, and for edification and Christian service. This was a contrast to the Church of England's hierarchy in which religious duties generally fell to clerics and spiritual oversight which was sometimes lax. His brother, Charles Wesley, is the poet and writer of some 5,000 published hymns and is also ascribed to have written the words to 2,000 more.

Conclusion: This reminds us that God's calling always involves blessing and suffering; joy and sadness; success and disappointments.

I'd like to give Tribute to my Mother & Grandmother for showing me God and helping me catch their faith from my infancy!