This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  What a great thing for people around our nation to pause and consider the blessings in their lives because of the positive influence of Godly women.

Can you imagine our church family without the blessings that our sisters in Christ provide?  Without the work they do, and the workers they are?  Without the service they do, and the servants they are?

Me neither.

But of course the women in our church family and in our lives, especially the young mothers, at times find the going a little tough at times.  I imagine most all of our ladies can identify with this story of two well meaning children.

A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant.  They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled.  The older of them said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.”  [A. Todd Coget from sermoncentral.com]

So to our South Fork moms, and to all our wonderful, Godly women, let me say a heartfelt thank you for all you do for our church family and for so many others.  And may I give you a blessing and send up a prayer in your behalf for a little bit of, um, peace and rest in the days and weeks ahead…

I want to commend our elders for the update this past Sunday regarding the preacher search process.  Though this process has hardly even begun, they announced that they have started discussions of what that process will look like and that they will be forming a search committee in the weeks ahead.

Our elders also announced that they will be using a Church of Christ minister search resource from Tennessee to help the South Fork family along in this process.  What a great blessing to be led by shepherds who are not ashamed to ask for help and counsel in such an important task!

I appreciate their early efforts as they seek God’s will during this critical time in South Fork’s history, and I especially appreciate their willingness to share this update with the church family.  It is obviously their intention to keep the congregation appropriately informed and in the loop about this process.  Confidentiality will be non-negotiable for them and for the committee that will be formed.  But it is also important that the church be aware of what’s going on and how the process is proceeding, even if everyone is not aware of all the details.

Joyce and I certainly appreciate the continued kindness and encouragement that we receive every day from our shepherds and from all our South Fork family.  I know you will honor their call to pray for God’s guidance and blessing throughout the important weeks and months ahead.