Not My Son Not ON Mothers' Day

A Bitter Sweet Journey: Ms. Dove was a single mother raising two sons, and unbeknown to her, like most teens, her youngest son, Jeffrey, began experimenting with alcohol and marijuana at a young age. With every word she wrote, you could almost feel the pain she felt seeing her son experience the side effects of experimenting with various substances. No mother would ever wish to see their children lose themselves in such a psychologically destructive manner. Along the way, she began to doubt her value as a mother. You can't have a rainbow without rain and wouldn't know what sweetness tasted like without tasting bitter. "When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow." – Shauna Niequist. There is always that bittersweet feeling of what could have been—a mixture of happiness and Sadness.

We cannot predict the future, and frequently we have difficulty controlling the end. Theresa Dove-Waters' story, "Not My Son, Not on Mother's Day," demonstrates that whoever you are, no matter how long it takes or how much you deny it, you will be where God planned you to be. "Not My Son, Not on Mother's Day" is a true story of a mother-son's life-changing personal struggle after being introduced to various illegal substances. Ms. Dove was a single mother raising two sons, and unbeknown to her, like most teens, her youngest son, Jeffrey, began experimenting with alcohol and marijuana at a young age. With every word she wrote, you could almost feel the pain she felt seeing her son experience and side effects of experimenting with various substances. No mother would ever wish to see their children lose themselves in such a psychologically destructive manner. Along the way, she began to doubt her value as a mother. Many questions went unanswered for a long time, and her hopes for Jeff were shaken. After leaving the rehab facility, he returned to his experimental journey of experiencing illegal drugs, and they both appeared to be in a hopeless situation. Ms. Dove was also dealing with another unbeliever situation. She had never expected to be called to become an ordained clergy. Indeed God's calling the wrong person! However, she learned that "God chooses whoever He wants to employ." She became Rev. And who would have known after Mother and Son's battles that both would graduate from seminary and become ordained clergy? Theresa DoveWaters is an Ordained United Methodist Minister, and Jeff is an African Methodist Episcopal Church pastor. "Not My Son, Not on Mother's Day" is more than just a family story; it's also an educational and moral journey through God's divine

Theresa Dove-Waters brings to her service a wealth of experience gleaned through two careers: one as an Ordained United Methodist Church Pastor and the other as a collegiate-level educator. Waters worked at several colleges in Florida and Georgia as an Administrator and College Professor. She taught a range of subjects during that time, from religion to other subjects in the social sciences. Also, during her time in higher education, she served in several supervisory positions, including being the director of minority affairs. Waters received her Bachelor's and Masters of Education degrees from the University of North Florida before earning a Master of Divinity, with a concentration in religious education, from Emory University's prestigious Candler School of Theology. She is a past board member of the Southeastern Institute on Chemical Dependency and has held numerous lectures and workshops on substance abuse and addiction. Additionally, she started a support group for young women: Saving Ourselves: Black Women of Today Helping Black Women of Tomorrow in Jacksonville, Florida. Other community services include serving on several boards of directors listed in Who's Who in the South and Southwest, American Education, and American Women.