A Visit with the Joneses

Guest (Male): Hello, hello there. Come right in to enjoy a special time of family devotions here at home sweet home. This time it is a very special time of family devotions because we are going to be honoring all the mothers that are visiting in the living room. They have been our special guests during this particular time of devotions together. Come right in, we do have room for everyone and at the close of our visit, we even have some beautiful flowers that we're going to pass around to the mothers that are here.

Some of you may know this, but just for the others who need to be reminded, Anna Jarvis was the name of the lady who actually got Mother's Day underway. She was from Grafton, West Virginia and she worked very hard to see that there was a day that would honor mothers. Actually, it was in 1914 that Congress set aside the second Sunday of May to honor mothers.

There's an interesting quotation that says an ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. Now, did you get that? An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. In other words, the influence of a mother is tremendous. Then someone else has also said most things come in twos or threes or in dozens or even millions like the stars, but there is only one mother. You only have one mother. Like many of you, my mother happens to be with the Lord. She was called home to be with the Lord in 1972 and is known as the author of In Times Like These. Come right in and as we join the visit, we're going to be singing one of your favorites, Precious Memories.

Yes, Mother's Day is a day of memory. It's good to have memories because God uses memory to preach us sermons. Maybe on this Mother's Day someone will, because of memory, learn a sermon, remember a message, remember a Bible verse mother used to give years ago, and will turn back to the God who meant so much to mother and the Christ who did so much for mother. Memories.

She always leaned to watch for us, anxious if we were late. In winter by the window, in summer she watched by the gate. And though we mocked her tenderly who had such foolish care, the long way home seemed more safe because mother always waited there. Her thoughts were all so full of us, she never could forget. And so I think that where she is right now, she must be watching yet, waiting till we come home to her, anxious if we are late, waiting from heaven's window and leaning from heaven's gate. Oh, beautiful, beautiful, precious memories. And that's a precious memory, I'm sure, for many.

Of course, there are lots of old, old songs about mother, but here is one that's much newer. Carol comes to sing it for you now. The words are beautiful words, and when our mother lived, she loved it when Carol would sing this song.

Carol Jones Saint: No summer cloud is white enough to match the color of her hair. No span of time is long enough to ever end her tender care. And since I'm speaking of my mother's love, please let me tell you so: nowhere on earth is deep enough to drown the love I hold for her.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Carol. That was just beautiful. We should dedicate that to all the mothers visiting with us in this radio visit and also in loving memory of your mother and of ours, if that mother has gone on to be with the Lord.

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the famed Presbyterian minister, had four sons and they all became ministers too. So at a family reunion one day, a friend asked one of the sons, "Which Morgan is the greatest preacher of all?" Which Morgan is the greatest preacher of all? That's quite a question. The son looked at his father and looked at his brothers and then he promptly replied, "My mother, the greatest preacher of all."

That sort of goes with that Spanish proverb that Ruth gave at the beginning of the radio visit. An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. And now on this day of memory, we want to have some precious memories and we invite you to share them with us. We go back to an old radio transcription from Mother's Day of 1967. That's a good while ago.

We hear some words by our own dear mother who went to be with the Lord in August of 1972. And then we hear a song that Brother Ray sang to his mother and to our mother and to all mothers, your wonderful mother. Ray went home to be with the Lord in November of 1989. So it's a special precious memory time for all of us.

Mother Jones: I would like to read you a little poem. But before I do that, I want to ask, have you remembered your mother? Have you remembered to write her a little note and tell her how much you love her? Maybe she's far away from you today and will be tomorrow and the next day and the next day. But what she would love to receive at this time of the year more than anything else would be just a little note from you.

You wouldn't have to say much, but just tell her how much you love her. Just tell her you love her more than ever and I think she would surely appreciate that. This poem says, "If you have a dear sweet mother in the old home far away, sit you down and write the letter you put off from day to day. Don't wait until her weary steps reach heaven's pearly gate, but show her that you think of her before it is too late."

"If you have a tender message or a loving word to say, don't wait till you forget it, but whisper it today. Who knows what bitter memories may haunt you if you wait to make your loved one happy? So make your loved one happy before it is too late." Yes, friend, be sure to tell your mother how much you love her.

And maybe it's a long time since you told your mother's God or your mother's savior, Jesus Christ, that you love Him. Wouldn't you like to tell Him that today? Do you love Him even as your mother did, even as she taught you to love Him? Well, if you do, kneel down and pray to Him and tell Him the same words as I want you to write to your mother: I love you.

Reverend Ray Jones: You are a wonderful mother, dear sweet mother of mine. You hold a spot down deep in my heart till the stars no longer shine. Your soul will live on forever on through the years of time, for there'll never be another to me like that wonderful mother of mine. You are a wonderful mother, dear sweet mother of mine. You hold a spot down deep in my heart till the stars no longer shine. Your soul will live on forever on through the years of time, for there'll never be another to me like that wonderful mother of mine. Like that wonderful mother of mine.

Guest (Male): Ah, thank you Carol, that was just beautiful. We should dedicate that to all the mothers visiting with us in this radio visit and also in loving memory of your mother and of ours if that mother has gone on to be with the Lord. Nice to hear mother's voice, nice to hear Brother Ray's voice. Well, now they're singing in the Lord's choir and we miss them here on earth, but the memories are so sweet and so beautiful. And did you notice Ray used his beautiful, beautiful falsetto voice there in that song? It's very unusual for a baritone singer, bass-baritone, to have a falsetto like that, but he went soaring right up there very beautifully.

Carol Jones Saint: And we do hope that this special memory time on this Mother's Day has been a blessing to you as we have heard the voice of Mother Jones, the voice of Reverend Bert Jones, and the beautiful singing voice of Reverend Ray Jones, who are all with the Lord. What precious, precious memories. And perhaps it caused you to remember your loved ones also that are gone on.

That's right, we hope so, Ruth. Ben, why don't you come right now and share with us the favorite scripture verses found in Proverbs 31 about a good godly woman?

Ben Saint: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Her children arise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Carol Jones Saint: What a very special joy it has been to have you visiting here at home sweet home for this special time of family devotions when we have been honoring the mothers here in the living room. They have been our special guests during this particular time of devotions together. This ministry was founded back in 1948 by my mother and father and also Brother Bert.

From the very beginning, it has been one family ministering to other families. In the Jones family, there were five of the younger Joneses plus mother and dad, so that made seven members of our family. In my husband's family, that would be the family of Reverend Ben Saint, there were eight children in his family and then his mother and dad, so that was a family of ten. So Ben was from a very large family.

We have found it a joy to tell others that Jesus Christ is the answer to the problems in any home and in any marriage. A beautiful quotation which we have used many, many times is the quotation which says, "Home is home sweet home when each lives for the other and then all live for Jesus Christ." Did you get that? Home is home sweet home when each lives for the other and then all live for Jesus Christ.

Don't forget that it would be a special joy to hear from you, knowing that this particular visit honoring the mothers has been a blessing to you. As you're writing, the mailing address is Post Office Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, and the zip code 16512. If you would like to email, the email address is visitjoneses@aol.com.

Remember that gifts to the ministry are tax-deductible and checks should be written to the legal name A Visit with the Joneses. It's always a joy to go to Box 575 and find letters from you letting us know the help that the ministry has been to you through the years.

As we come to the close of this time of family devotions, I think we would all like to join in together in singing. Bill Penn has picked up his trombone, Nila Penn has moved over to the organ, and let's sing a favorite, 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. You sing right along. Goodbye.