This book is a fascinating collection of spiritually driven, biblically based letters, written by a loving mother for her adult children, all signed Mom’s Keepsake! The letters have been transcribed from their original copies to share with the world! Initially written with no intent to be published, the Keepsakes were personal, Godly words of wisdom from the mother to her adult children.
As you read each Keepsake it is evident they were composed from a spiritual disposition. The Holy Spirit spoke through the mother. She never wavered from Christ being the center, foundation, and influence of every script – carefully composing each Keepsake to draw her children ever closer to Him.
Mom’s children agreed to publish their precious Keepsakes in this book – a show of commitment to spreading the “Good News” of Christ worldwide – as Mom encouraged them to do all their lives!
KEEPSAKE BEGINNINGS – “Mom” began sending customized handwritten Keepsakes to her children at one of their most challenging times – as young adults fresh out of the nest, and continued to send them periodically for over thirty years! In later years many were sent to the children through group emails. These emails often included the children’s spouses, for whom Mom also has a deep affection. Remarkably, many of the handwritten Keepsakes have been retrieved by the children, gathered, and now published in this book! Some of the emailed Keepsakes are also included.
ALTERATIONS – Two alterations were made to the Keepsakes for the purpose of this book. First, references to the children’s names have been removed. Removing the names preserves the privacy of the children, and also, it personalizes the Keepsakes for the reader. The second alteration is the full inclusion of certain verses that were only referenced by Mom in the original Keepsakes, and not written out, primarily due to their lengths. In this book, these verses are written out, in condensed margins, and are italicized.
LAYOUT – The Keepsakes have been organized under eight chapters in this book (see Contents). Bible verses and a spiritual symbol have also been added to each chapter. These chapter titles, Bible verses, and symbols were all added during production of this book – long after the Keepsakes were written, and created only to help organize the contents of this book.
Each Keepsake in this book uses the original title given by the mother (see Contents). You will recognize a pattern in the titles, with most posing a question to the children, such as “Do You Know…,” “Are You…,” “Is There…”
Finally, the body of each original Keepsake has been transcribed fully word-for-word!
IN CLOSING – “Training up a child in the way they should go…” Proverbs 22:6, cannot stop at adulthood!
This verse does not guarantee perfect adult children, or children who will remain grounded in the faith all their lives. The enemy is busy seeking whom he can devour, and likely his most prized targets are Christians without good support. So, as Believers, we must be vigilant – endlessly strengthening our faith – personally, and in fellowship. It is a lifetime investment. An investment that we know pays out for eternity!
Mom never ceased at molding her children in the likeness and power of Christ. In fact she only grew more fervent over the decades. As Mom’s walk with God strengthened – imparting Faith onto her children, community, and everyone she touched in the world, also strengthened endlessly!
As you read these Keepsake letters you will feel the Holy Spirit speaking through a loving mother – gently guiding her children on their walk of Faith. Embrace these Keepsakes as faith-building tools for yourself, your own adult children, or any adult believer at any stage in life.
Enjoy!
His Banner Over Me Is Love
I give God all the praise, glory, honor and adoration just for who He is! HE IS GOD! His faithfulness, grace, and mercy is new every morning. His banner over me is love.
These keepsakes were written during the greatest challenges in my life. I was spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically broken. I was a master of wearing masks, not even my children or my closest family members knew what I was going through.
Two verses became my anchor: The first, Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”; and the second, Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” As a believer in Jesus Christ, I held on to His sustaining grace so I could continue to do His work. God in His faithfulness sent spiritual giants into my life.
The Importance of Spiritually Wise Mentorship (Proverbs 24:6)
Pastor Dave Lewis and his lovely wife Doris Lewis, of Balboa Baptist Church, San Francisco, both gone home to glory, became my pastor, spiritual mentor and friends. Their lives were full of love, joy, peace, music, and full of laughter. I was blessed to be a witness of how they emulated Christ in their lives; something I desperately wanted for myself.
They took me under their wings, poured the love of Christ into me and nurtured the gift God placed in my heart: the passion for lost souls. With their encouragement, I was trained and consecrated as an evangelist. It was a privilege to share the goodness and faithfulness of God, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to various parts of the world.
During the early years of proclaiming the gospel of salvation, God placed His healing hands on me spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Hallelujah!
The Power of Prayer Ushers in The Miracle of Healing (James 5:16)
Fervent prayers from family, sisters in Christ, prayer warriors and lifelong friends ushered in the miracle of healing. For several years while writing these Keepsakes, I had a cough that debilitated my system. After multiple doctor visits and treatments they could not diagnosis the cause of the cough.
On my birthday I told my family I was going on a women’s retreat, which renewed my strength, hope and faith. Weeks later, I went to sleep and woke up with not a single cough. And decades later I am still free from the debilitating cough. Because of God’s immense faithfulness I was totally healed – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Praise the Lord!
Vessels of Honor
I felt it was an awesome privilege that God would entrust children in our care, so at a young age I nurtured them in the Word of God.
As young adults fresh out of the nest, and as believers in Jesus Christ and Vessels of Honor molded by God, it was my responsibility and a privilege to be a co-worker in the vineyard of the Lord – molding these precious vessels in the likeness of Christ.
It was imperative for me to know of their understanding of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Because I had someone to guide me on my spiritual walk of faith, I wanted to leave my spiritual footprint to guide my children (and their children) in their walks of faith. I felt one of the ways I could reach my children was through these Keepsakes. As I penned each individual Keepsake, the Holy Spirit was my inspiration.
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
Do I have challenges in my life? Oh yes. The difference is that I learned to place them in God’s hands. I also learned that God uses the battlefields of challenges and adversities to mold us into the character of Jesus Christ and to birth His purpose and will in our lives.
And when the birth pain becomes more intense, our deliverance is just a breath away.
Pastor, are you nurturing the gift God has placed in the heart of your members? Mom, Dad, Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle we are the gatekeeper of our homes. We must instruct our children in the truth, which is the Word of God. We must pray with them and for them, and above all pray for their salvation.
We all have a story to tell, of the goodness and faithfulness of God, and we are commissioned to share it with our children and others. What would be your spiritual legacy?
Jesus gave his disciples and us the “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:18-20. We must go and proclaim the Good News of Salvation, that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.
Melida Mercedes Nelson, Composer of Mom’s Keepsake letters
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John14:6).