TJIFA TAKES A LONG LOOK THROUGH THE LIVES OF MANY MOTHERS IN THE BIBLE. WE CAN LEARN SO MUCH WHEN WE LOOK AT AND STUDY THE RESULTS OF DIFFICULT TIMES AND SITUATIONS. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS.

Someone very special is being recognized this week. She was the first one to know that you were a new human being. She felt the flutter in her belly, and it's possible that when she did, she ran to her Mother, and between the two of them, your fluttering movements were recognized as…LIFE.

If the question was asked, ‘Who is the greatest mother?' There would be no doubt, that YOUR MOTHER would win the prize, hands down. Congratulations! You're right. Your Mother is the greatest, and we want you to know that we are quite content to give her recognition.

Eve was the first mother. Her first born child was a murderer; her second born child was murdered by her first born.

This horrible history points directly at ‘Eve' because of her fall in the Garden. But she didn't quit nor did she give up on the rigors of LIFE. She went on having children and populated the world. So, we'll call her "The Mother of all human Beings."

Sarah, Abraham's wife, lived until she was quite old before she had her promised child Isaac. She also, made a grand mistake when she suggested that Hagar have Abraham's child. She believed GOD, that Abraham would have a son, but, she didn't know how it was possible. So she decided to help GOD out.

When the Angels of the Lord came with the message that she would have a child, Sarah, being well passed child bearing age (90's) laughed.

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, hid her child during a time when the ruler was killing male Hebrew babies. Then, when the time was right she put him in a little ark and floated him down the river where the Pharaoh's daughter raised him as her own.

Moses eventually led God's people out of Egypt by the power of Almighty GOD.
So, let's call Jochebed, "The Mother of HOPE."

Rahab was a pagan harlot in the city of Jericho. She hid the Hebrew spies who came from the camp across the river Jordan. When asked by the Hebrew spies, why she had helped them, she told them of all the things that she had heard about their GOD. She told them that there was no god like their GOD. Rahab, also, told them that she wanted to serve and follow their GOD.

The spies agreed that when Israel invaded Jericho, she would hang a crimson chord in her window; they would make sure that she and her family were saved. And it was so. When Joshua marched around Jericho, and the walls fell, Rahab and her family were saved.

According to James 2:25, Rahab was justified or transformed by the power of GOD. Her works stood to verify her faith.

Rahab, also, is mentioned in the lineage of Jesus Christ. So, we'll call her, "The Mother of Justification or change."

Ruth was the daughter in law of Naomi. Naomi had lost her husband and both of her sons. She was a Jew in a foreign land. When she decided to go back to her home land, she also decided to leave both of her daughters-in-law in this foreign land, because it was their native home.

Ruth was a Moabite who clung to Naomi and made this famous statement: "Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people and your GOD will be my GOD." Ruth's dedication to Naomi rewarded her with a permanent position in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Hannah was barren. She was mocked and ridiculed. She took her emptiness to GOD. Her prayer was so fervent they assumed she was drunk. Hannah promised GOD that her first born would be given to the service of the Lord.

Hannah became a mother. Her first born child was a son, and he was given to the service of the Lord as soon as he was weaned.

Hannah's first born son was Samuel. This is the prophet who anointed the first King of Israel – Saul; and he also anointed King David three times.

Bathsheba was the wife or Uriah, whom King David had murdered. Bathsheba was beautiful. Her beauty became the object of King David's attention. He eventually committed adultery with her and then manipulated circumstances so that she became his wife.

Bathsheba lost her first child. But, she eventually had King Solomon…The wisest man who ever lived.

The New Testament gives us Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who was barren for many years. Her husband, Zachariah, was stricken dumb, while serving the Lord in His Holy Place, when he doubted the messenger of GOD.

Elizabeth didn't feel LIFE in her belly, until Mary, pregnant mother with Jesus, greeted her. Then Elizabeth felt the baby leap in her womb.

After the baby was born, Zachariah's tongue was loosed and he confirmed the baby's name…John.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was a virgin when she conceived and bore The Son of GOD. There were many virgins during that time, but Mary BELIEVED that GOD would deliver His nation. She believed in the GOD of the impossible.

Mothers are resilient. Their strength seems to be in the ability to be resolved about a matter, until the end is evident.

Eve made a big mistake, but she went on in her life, and did what GOD commanded …"Be fruitful and multiply." Genesis 1:28. Eve knew how fragile life is. Can you imagine that she looked deep into the eyes of her young Seth and anticipated his future? Do you think that deep in those eyes she saw Noah, his wife, their three sons, and the ark which would save humanity? No one knows. Only a MOTHER.

Sarah had faith, but, no patience. Faith is often interrupted by time. Many of you mother's reading this Newsletter need to be encouraged to continue in what GOD has said to you in your heart. It's so easy to look at the tangible while waiting for the intangible.

GOD wants us to use the stumbling of these ‘great mothers' to keep our footing as we travel the road of LIFE.

All mothers have ‘hope' in the future of their children. Moses' mother wouldn't allow her son to be murdered, but, trusted GOD for a better plan. Our mothers may have told us their aspirations for our future, or maybe they didn't. One thing for sure, your mother treasured the ‘hope' in her breast for each one of her children.

Many mothers started as Rahab, trying to provide for her family using fleshly means. But, when the GOD of LIFE is introduced to her, she is intent on not only saving herself, but ALL of her family. Rahab had a good ‘mother's' heart. She took her whole family into safety.

As we look back in time at the characteristics and living stones of these ancient mothers, we are forced to recognize many of the same in mothers today. I.e. Mothers of patience and humility; mothers who fervently pray; mothers of loyalty; mothers who believe and have an abundance of faith to bring forth God's plans; mothers who had been justified and now take their forgiveness into the lives of their children.

A Mother is a wonderful, beautiful entity whom only GOD could have imagined and then brought forth.
Maybe your mother is no longer with you; but, she will always linger in your memory, as the sweet fragrance of a rain swept morning, sparkling with the crispness of the early song bird. Her beauty is that of Bathsheba., daring the sunlight to illuminate it. Lingering in your heart are lessons learned and licensed from your youth. Thank you GOD, for giving us MOTHERS.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry child.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.
By Marie Garrett for her son Matthew from "We Praise Him Ministries"
Submitted by BMCC

FRIDAY'S WORD: Mother- as given to us in UNGER'S BIBLE DICTIONARY- In the ‘Figurative' section Unger writes; "The sentiment, at once so mild and tender which is felt by a true mother by her child, is used to illustrate the love of GOD for His people(Isa.44:1-8; 66:6-14; 1Cor.3:1,2; 1Thess.2:7; 2Cor.11:2.)

In 1865 William Ross Wallace penned the immortal words "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." Years later in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation officially recognizing Mother's Day for the first time. Since then, every American President has done likewise, underscoring how important Mothers are. Such honor is appropriate because a mother's love and influence are priceless.
Shared from: "In Touch Magazine." May 2004.

"A mother's love is an important channel of GOD's grace in our lives, and a mother whose example leads her child to faith in Christ has taken part in a wonderful, never ending accomplishment."
Shared from: "Today In The Word." May 2004.

"The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children." Elaine Heffner, Psychotherapist and Writer.
Taken from, "Bits And Pieces." May 2004.

I'm convinced there are many wonderful and beautiful things that catch our attention at this special time of honoring those ‘Jewels' responsible for our being here. One _expression about Mothers that's unsurpassed in my heart is, "God couldn't be everywhere, so he created Mothers." That pretty much describes how I feel about my Mother, and what she's given me in my life will last forever.

Mothers are what I refer to as a, ‘permanent fixture' whereas they are here forever whether bodily present, or they've gone on to be with the Lord, they can never be removed from our hearts; nor can we fail to see the interplay between mother and child carries the same similarities as between God and mankind.

Proper diet and care are vital, and so essential when we come into this life, and when we come into our "Born Again" being, what we ‘feed' on and what we believe are invaluable to everything else our lives will become.

It's my prayer that not only this day, but everyday of our life we'll make some new discovery in every direction in which God point and appoints, but don't be surprised when after looking around His prized exhibition will still be, MOTHERS. WOW WHAT A LOVE!!!!!!
S.L.C.

10 LARGE STRAWBERRIES (WASHED CORED AND SLICED.)
1 CUP WASHED BLUEBERRIES
2 BANANAS SLICED
1 PEAR THINLY SLICED
˝ LEMON
Ľ CUP POWDERED SUGAR
COOL WHIP OR REDDI WHIP (YOUR CHOICE.)

IN 4 INDIVIDUAL FRUIT BOWLS EVENLY DISTRIBUTE IN LAYERS THE FOLLOWING:
SLICED STRAWBERRIES THEN SQUEEZE A LITTLE OF THE LEMON JUICE AND SPRINKLE THE POWDERED SUGAR.
REPEAT WITH LAYERS OF BLUEBERRIES, PEARS (SLICED) AND BANANAS.
COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP AND PLACE IN REFRIGERATOR UNTIL READY TO EAT.
WHEN READY TO SERVE, REMOVE THE PLASTIC WRAP, TOP WITH EITHER COOL WHIP OR REDDI WHIP.
ENJOY AN EASY FAT FREE DESSERT THAT CAN BE PREPARED BY THE FAMILY FOR MOM ON HER DAY.

NOTE: TO ADD A LITTLE MORE FLAIR YOU MAY WANT TO SPRINKLE CHOPPED NUTS TO SPRINKLE OVER THE TOP.