I’d like to begin my message for you today on this Mother’s Day by asking us together to create a very strong image in our hearts and minds as we celebrate this special day honoring our mothers, grandmothers, step-mothers, and motherly helpers in our lives. Are you ready?

First, I invite you to get as comfortable as possible and then close your eyes for a few moments. Imagine in your mind the TREE OF LIFE—with a strong trunk rooted firmly in the ground. Its branches are fully outstretched reaching upward, richly dressed with green leaves and lots of fruit in its season. Bright sunbeams shine brilliantly through its branches. The birds of the air perch here, for rest and shade. And you are warmed, nurtured, and fed by this tree….this God-given, “Tree of Life.”