"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."
-- George Washington (1732-1799)

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."
-- Henry Ward Beecher

"Education commences at the mother's knee, and every word spoken within hearsay of little children tends toward the formation of character."
-- Hosea Ballou

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life."
-- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

 I had the amazing privilege of being raised in a home with a mother who loved the Lord and who lived out her love for Him in every area of her life.  She loved, she sacrificed, she instilled, she instructed, she challenged, and she prayed.  As children we felt loved, appreciated and protected.  We laughed with her, cried to her, leaned on her, and learned from her.  I owe her a debt of gratitude for her commitment to the Lord and acknowledge that EVERYTHING I am today is because of her.

So today on my mother's 71st birthday, I celebrate her life by honoring the influence that she has had in my life.

"Thanks, Mom.  I love you!"