1 - A Story About My Mom And My Spiritual Heritage

Well.   Here I am sitting at the keyboard once again.   I have a compulsion to write.   I already write devotional BLOG posts nearly every weekday.   And, I have been told I should  write a book on a number of occasions.   I actually have a number of "reasonable" reasons why I have not, but in actuality I have started the book no less than 4 times.  Then life always seems to get in the way.  

Recently Martie, my wife, and I returned home from the mission field to visit with our children over the 4^th of July holiday.   Some dear friends of ours asked if we would like to spend a few days in the beach house before we returned to our disaster relief work in Texas.   Since it was on our way back to Texas we said yes.   Before we left the house I pulled a couple books from the shelf to read during our retreat amongst the pine trees on Dauphin Island, Alabama.   One was a Bible that I have had since about 1989.   The other .. a copy of The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren.   That book proved to be pivotal in my life .. just before we fully committed to serving on the mission field in 2004.

When I opened the book, I noticed that it was, in fact, the copy I had given my mom on Jan 29, 2003 for her birthday.   I received it back after her passing in November 2010.   As I thumbed through the book, I noticed text she had highlighted and underlined.   There are also a number of reflective comments.   I suddenly had an overwhelming sense of missed opportunity.   There were 7 years between the giving of the book to her to the giving back to me … that I missed. I wish today that I could sit with her and ask her about the highlights, the underlines and the comments.   She was one of the godliest women that I have known .. married to one of the godliest men I have ever known.  I count it a privilege to be called her son. So let's get on with it shall we?  The story begins …. 

Next: The Beginning … My Mom Before Jesus