Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is a day that our country sets aside to honor all the wonderful mothers that brought us into this world.  We wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for mothers.  When we’re little they feed us, clothe us, teach us things, and try to keep us out of trouble.  When we’re older they’re there to love us, support us, and be the friend that we can always talk to.  And to spoil their grandchildren of course.

Today I wanted to take some time and tell you a little about my beautiful mom.

Pam Pentland was born as Pamela Joan (pronounced “Joann”) Ness in Sycamore, Illinois on November 9, 1956.  She was the 3rd of 4 children born to Phyllis and Sigurd Ness, and spent most of her childhood growing up on a farm.  She and her sisters made the farm their own playground where they would play games that normal children wouldn’t play.  One such game was to go into their mean bull’s pen, taunt it, and then run away back under the fence when he started charging at them.  One time during such a game, the 3 sisters were taunting the bull, and when he started charging at them, they started running full speed toward the electric fence.  My mom and her sister Diane slid under the fence, but when my mom’s other sister Sally ran away, she didn’t see the fence for some reason, and ran right into it, with the fence hitting her in the neck.  She fell to the ground, and my mom and Diane had to quickly drag her under the fence before the bull reached her.

When my mom was 10 years old, her mother remarried Beryl Lawrence and since then she gained 4 step brothers and sisters, and 2 half siblings, which made her one of ten children.  Mom was a very obedient child, and never wanted to do anything to displease her parents.   When she was 5 years old, she waited at the end of her family’s mile long drive way in a blizzard for the school bus.  Little did she know that because of the blizzard, school had been canceled that day, but being the obedient child that she was, she waited for over an hour before reluctantly walking back to the house.  She still remembers the excruciating pain of her mother slowly thawing out her frost-bitten hands.

She accepted Christ as her Savior as a teenager (I can’t remember if she was 14 or 16) at a church camp (I think?), and attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC from 1974-1978.  She graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Minor in English.  She served as the Pres. and V.P. of her sorority, Zeta Tau Omega, and thoroughly enjoyed singing in the University’s Radio Choir.  After graduating at the age of 21, she moved to Canoga Park, California to teach 3rd grade at Faith Baptist Schools, where she would continue to teach for 28 years (and continues to occasionally substitute teach 5 years later).

On December 20, 1989 she married the love of her life, my dad, Martin Pentland, and has enjoyed 21 wonderful years of marriage.  In addition to me, my mom has 4 step children (Erik, Erica, John, and Jenny), and 7 grandchildren.  (None from me yet, obviously).

Here she is with one of her grandsons, Max.  It’s one of my favorite pictures of her.

One of my mom’s favorite hobbies is gardening, and her house is surrounded by beautiful flowers to show for it.  She also loves to shop, but never buys anything at full price.  She has a talent for getting great deals on quality items. 🙂   She loves the Lord with all her heart, and is daily in the Word.  She is selfless and generous to those in need and always goes out of her way to make people happy.

I’m so glad that she and my dad are coming out to Nashville for my wedding in a couple months.  In this picture we are shopping for wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses.

I love you so much, Mom!  I’m so glad that Faith Baptist recognized you as Woman of the Year today.  You definitely deserve it!  And I hope you had a very Happy Mother’s Day!