I’ll be the first to admit it. When I was growing up, I was a momma’s boy. I loved my mother so very much. I didn’t want to do anything without her. She was a source of comfort and was there for me. There’s a picture of she and I on our front porch swing when we lived on Trinity Circle in Lebanon, TN. Its one of my favorites, and I know one of hers.

My mom has always been very protective of me, and she hated it when I made my first real decision out of college to move to Houston. She supported me, though, and is very encouraging.

My mom is the best cook in the entire world. Being a Home Economics major helped. My favorite dish of hers is her pot roast and her mashed potatoes. Also at the top, as many of my friends from college could attest, would be her homemade chili. I can’t tell you how many she fed with that. My mom is also a great seamstress. She was responsible for sewing the giant bomb costume that John Bates wore in “Canadian Catastrophe, eh?”.

My mom chose a long time ago to stop working when we were in school, and made sure she was there for me. When I came home, she was there, up until High School when she was needing to go back to work. I’ll always value that. She is the wife of an elder and minister, and is a wonderful God fearing woman who has always made sure to put God at the front of our family.

My mom in law, Sue Sims, is also a great mom. She has always been very accepting of me into her family. Even if I drive them crazy sometimes, shes always been kind enough to laugh at my jokes, whether or not they were funny, and she has always been very easy to talk to. Its obvious through the lifestyle that Kristen values that her mother gave her a wonderful upbringing. Josie absolutely adores her “Nanna”, or even as she has been saying recently, “Nanny”. I’m honored to have her as part of my family, and honored that she is the grandmother of my child. Recently, when they came to visit our home, and our Sunday School teacher for Josie’s class woke up sick, she volunteered to teach. She is a Godly woman.

I have to end though, with the best mother in my life, and that is mother of my child, my wife, Kristen.

I will not be with her on Mother’s day. I’m out of town for a bit, and sadly will not get to spend mother’s day with her. However, I am confident in saying there is no better mother than Kristen.

Kristen is so wonderful with children of all ages. She has such a joy in her face when she is around children. However, there is a special joy in her eyes when it comes to Josie.

She’s already responsible for teaching Josie her ABCs, her numbers 1-10, all of her shapes, major colors, and many other things. I sit in awe of Kristen as I see her patiently work with our daughter and many other babies in our church. She is so passionate about making art projects for them all to do.

Josie will learn from her mother how to be a God fearing woman. She will learn that there are many ways she can serve her God. She will learn the power of a praying woman.

Kristen is the epitome of what a mother should be, sacrificing when necessary, praising when deserved, and disciplining when needed. If there were more mothers like Kristen in the world, it would be so much better of a place.

To all mothers everywhere, happy Mothers day. May God continue to bless you all!