Mother’s Powerful Influence
Today, as we celebrate Mother's Day, I honor the greatest mother I’ve ever known—my wife, Betty. She’s the loving mother of four, proud grandmother of twenty, and joyful great-grandmother of two.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Proverbs 31:26–28
Happy Mother’s Day to the Women Who Bless Our Family
Today, I wish a heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day to the finest mom, wife, lady, and Christian I have ever known—Betty Gardner. She raised four wonderful children with love, discipline, and unwavering faith. Today, each of them is a remarkable adult and a devoted parent in their own right. Betty has been a faithful mother, an extraordinary wife, and my very best friend. Words fall short when I try to express my deep love and admiration for her. Betty, I love you deeply. Happy Mother’s Day!
I also want to honor the incredible women, two daughters, and four who have married into our family and are now shaping the next generation.
Andria Gardner – Happy Mother’s Day! Andria is the devoted mother of four beautiful children. Her days are full, her heart is big, and her faith is strong. I know God is working in her children’s lives, and I believe He will do something great through each of them. She has been everything our son, Chris Gardner, needed in a wife. What a blessing she is!
Stephanie Young – Happy Mother’s Day to a true warrior of a mom! Stephanie has nine children and now two grandchildren. Her hands are full, yet she continues to pour her life and love into each one. I see God’s hand on their lives and am confident they’ll do great things for His glory.
Rebecca Joy Soncco—Happy Mother’s Day! Joy is a wonderful mother of four, two of whom have now married. Her home is full of energy and joy. I know God has big plans for each of them. I’m grateful for the light Rebecca brings to our family.
Katie Gardner—Happy Mother’s Day to Katie, who is raising three precious children! She has been exactly the wife David Gardner needed. Katie is a blessing to us all. I know her children will one day rise up and call her blessed.
And now, I must include my granddaughters-in-law:
Jennifer Young is the mother of sweet Alayna, 18 months old.
Julianna Young is expecting a baby in just a few short weeks.
These young women are walking into motherhood with faith and love, and watching their journey brings joy to my heart.
To these precious women, you are gifts from God to our family. I am so thankful for you, proud of you, and praying for you. You are shaping lives, building legacies, and honoring the Lord with your love.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you. May God richly bless your day and your calling.
Motherhood Is a Calling
To be a mother is to step into sacred ground. It's not just about what she does but who she becomes in the eyes of her children. A mother's faith, words, and daily choices shape identity, build legacy, and echo for generations.
Faith Is Lived Before It Is Learned
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
II Timothy 1:5
Timothy's faith wasn't an accident. It was planted in him—watered and nurtured by two faithful women who didn't just teach Scripture; they lived it. They prayed with him, sang truth over him, and showed him what it looked like to trust God when life wasn't easy.
How to influence like Eunice and Lois:
Start early with Bible stories and prayer.
Sing hymns and songs that speak Scripture to the heart.
Let your children see your faith when money is tight or days are long.
Talk with them—and listen.
Let your walk with God be seen, not just heard.
The opposite is also true.
Ahaziah "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly." II Chronicles 22:3
Rebekah didn't wait on God—she taught Jacob to deceive Genesis 27.
Every day, you shape the voice that will speak inside your children's hearts for years. What you model—faith or fear, grace or manipulation—becomes part of their inner world.
Teach Purpose Beyond Pleasure
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hebrews 11:24–25
Moses had everything—wealth, status, comfort. But something greater had been sown in his heart. During those early years in Jochebed's arms, she gave him more than milk—she gave him meaning.
Ways to teach eternal purpose:
Speak often of God's call on their life.
Celebrate character and obedience, not just accomplishments.
Say things like:
"You were created for eternity."
"Pain with purpose is better than pleasure without it."
"You are not what the world says—you are who God says you are."
Help them recognize the short-term traps of comfort and compromise.
Surround them with people who live for Christ.
And most importantly—live it yourself. Let your children see you make hard choices for the right reasons. Let them see you honor God when it costs you something.
Joseph is a powerful example. Betrayed, sold, falsely accused, imprisoned—yet he never lost sight of God's hand. Why? Because someone early on taught him to trust God's purpose more than the world's promises.
Give Time, Not Just Things
Her children arise up, and call her blessed… Proverbs 31:28
Gifts are remembered. But it's your time that shapes who they become. Presence is powerful. It builds security, faith, and identity far more than anything you can buy.
Paul said again in II Timothy 1:5
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith…
It was visible. Remembered and passed down.
Ways to give intentional time:
Make bedtime prayers a peaceful routine.
Carve out one-on-one time: walks, breakfasts, quiet chats.
Keep family devotions short, simple, and consistent.
Learn their world—what they love, fear, and dream about.
Let them see your walk with God:
Read your Bible where they can see.
Let them hear your prayers, especially in hard seasons.
Show them what it looks like to trust God when the way isn't clear.
A hurried schedule won't produce unhurried love. Leave space. Love grows in presence.
Final Thoughts
Jochebed didn't have safety, but she had faith. She raised Moses in the shadows, but her influence helped shape a man who would lead millions.
Lois and Eunice didn't have power, but they had presence. And that was enough to raise a young man who became a pillar of the early church.
You don't need a platform.
You don't need perfection.
You need faithfulness. Time. And trust in God.
Let your faith be your child's first teacher.
Let your love be steady and real.
Let your life reflect the God you follow.
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed…"
Not because she had all the answers.
But because she pointed them to the One who does.
Your motherhood matters.
Your faith shapes generations.
Your influence reaches into eternity.
Happy Mother's Day.
She Openeth Her Mouth With Wisdom
She opens her mouth—not to boast or to scold,
But to speak quiet truths more precious than gold.
With kindness she teaches, with patience she guides,
Her words are a shelter where wisdom abides.
She watches the ways of her house day and night,
With hands that bring order, with heart full of light.
She labors in love, not seeking acclaim,
Yet all who are near her are touched by her name.
Her children remember the prayers that she prayed,
The songs in the kitchen, the love she displayed.
They rise up and bless her, they know what she gave—
A life lived for Jesus, both joyful and brave.
Her husband gives praise—not for wealth or fine things,
But for peace in her presence and strength that she brings.
For faith lived out loud, not just words that she said—
But choices that echoed when hope hung by thread.
She shaped more than moments, she shaped hearts and minds,
With Scripture and stories and grace intertwined.
In struggle or stillness, in plenty or lack,
Her trust in the Lord never turned back.
No title, no platform, no worldly acclaim—
Yet heaven and history remember her name.
For faith was her banner, and love was her call—
The quiet foundation that carried it all.