National Heads-Up Week 4: The Family That Plays

It's Mother's Day in the U.S. -- so how timely of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship to feature a comment about mothers from Michael Mizrachi. All four Mizrachi brothers finished in the money last year at the World Series of Poker Main Event. But "The Grinder" declared his mother plays poker more than anyone else, by doing so online.

It's good for a family to do things together. But poker?! We can imagine some hard-line ministers scolding mothers, by turning to verses such as....

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. - I Timothy 5:6

But hold on. We have nice memories of family game nights from our youth (although it was Rack-O and Chinese Checkers instead of poker). That same section of Scripture speaks well of such things, when it comes to mothers who have lost their mates:

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. - I Timothy 5:4

In other words: your ancestors cared for you, so pass it on.

Care for the family should take many forms. See the last half of Proverbs 31 for some examples of how women can do this. But it doesn't have to be 100-percent drudgery and chores. Sometimes lessons learned in fun and games can stick with a young person for life. It can be a "time to build," as Ecclesiastes 3:4 puts it -- building strong moral values and character.

So if you're a "poker-playin' Mama," have a Happy Mother's Day. Be sure you take time to care well for your children. The queen of the house might even find ways to care while holding a pair of Kings.