Happy mothers day to all of you.
  I have the honor of being raised by an exceptional mother, and marrying a man that was also raised by an exceptional woman….Happy mothers day to my Mommy, my Mom-in-law and all my dear friends that I admire so much….Emily, Nicole, Linda, Rebecca, Patti, Jenny, Tammy, Susan, Tonya, Kara, Laura, Erin…..you are all extraordinary and amazing….you make the world a better place with your love, compassionand strength….

(My sister Laura with her "baby" Gabrielle!)

L
iving here in Swaziland has given me a new appreciation for women and a deeper awareness of just how important being a mother really is…

We all hear the statistics of women that abandon their children, or turn a blind eye while they suffer abuse at the hand of a male that they are dependant on for food and shelter.
  We are disgusted, and appalled by such acts…as we should be.
  Maternal instinct is innate; it is the most powerful of all emotions.
  There is no stronger human connection than that of mother and child.
  To abandon that is nothing short of demonic.
 This, I have to believe is the rare exception, not the rule.
   In all the places I have traveled in the world, I have found one thing women all have in common, for the most part, all mothers are the same.
  We all long to protect and nurture our little ones, regardless of the cost, regardless of our circumstances.
  I have watched these women carrying their babies on their backs, while carrying a one hundred pound sack on their heads.
  I have watched them take their little ones with them while they work.
 A few weeks ago I watched a young mother scoot her belongings across the border, one baby swaddled close, while a three year old little boy struggled to drag a suitcase twice his size.
  This young woman was all alone; no man any where to be found.
  She carried her bags, put them down, walked back, and helped her little boy make it about 3 more feet, only to start the process all over again.
  I watched her for a while, almost frozen at my own amazement at the scene before me.
  Tyler did not hesitate; he carried her bags as I started to dig through my purse for change to get her a bus ticket.
  I was awed by her countenance.
  She was calm, peaceful, patient and pleasant…I knew I would not have been any of those things, in that heat, and under those circumstances.
  She was an extraordinary woman, an exceptional mother.
  I am sure this mother's day she did not receive any scented lotions for her skin, or brunch at a fancy restaurant.
  In my mind, SHE is what mother's Day is all about. Her children may not remember one detail of the day she crossed the border with them, all by herself, against all odds.
  They will however remember the whole of their childhood filled with, if nothing else, the love of a mother.
  I pray encouragement over all of you
  women as you mother all that God has entrusted you with…You hold great power in your hand when you hold a little one close to your heart...