Stand!

School begins and I'm left standing in the driveway wondering where time goes!

My prayer for these, my precious sons and for everyone I know, call friend and love...is that today and always you will stand in God's love and power!

In Christ alone, my hope is found


He is my light, my strength, my song


This cornerstone, this solid ground


Firm through the fiercest drought and storm


What heights of love, what depths of peace


When fears are stilled, when strivings cease


My comforter, my all-in-all


Here in the love of Christ I stand

There in the ground His body lay


Light of the world by darkness slain


Then bursting forth in glorious day


Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory


Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine


Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me


From life's first cry to final breath


Jesus commands my destiny


No power of hell, no scheme of man


Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home


Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Till He returns or calls me home


Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

(Owl City singing In Christ Alone)

        Be sure to listen and have a wonderful joy filled first day of school or whatever your Monday holds!!
                                                STANDING in his love...thank goodness, b

Protected nest!

Ask any Texan, and you will no doubt learn that the mockingbird has the prettiest song of any bird native to North America, making it the chief reason the "mocker" was adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927. The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or ME for venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.

I have spent the last month intrigued by a mockingbird couple who took up residence in a basket on my front door. One day their nest just appeared and sometime later I discovered beautiful blue speckled eggs. Then of course I anxiously snooped each morning until the eggs hatched! Baby birds…how adorably ugly!!! Little did I know the down side of having a nest at the front door, but a quick trip to the mailbox and back, taught me a lesson about a watchful mother and the lengths one will go to protect their young! My head still hurts a little!! Good thing she can sing!!!

Sweetly, St. Philip reminded me that I would do the same thing if I thought someone was going to hurt my babies….

just use the back door!!!

He was right, I would do the same thing…I pride myself in being a good mother, a loving mother, a protective mother…but sometimes these attributes don’t always work well together for the greater good! As a mother of a teenager in “love”, I realize that to be protective is not always seen as loving or good in their eyes. I also have to say that I must have missed this lesson with my oldest son…or maybe I was just too busy chasing toddlers to be protective of their handsome, “glad I was busy” 16 year old brother. I am learning, slowly, that my being protective can put me in the “enemy category”. The mockingbird swoop isn’t working! Instead of making things better, I’m making things worse. My attempts at making things clearer, just muddy the waters. Apparently, things are different now than they were in the “olden’ days! If only I could sing….someone might adopt me as the "State Mother". Maybe I should just busy myself with the grandkids…I’m better with toddlers ~ Or maybe I should just use the back door, it’s safer!

MY backdoor ~ Prayer… prayer that 17 year olds will open their eyes and see that God has a wonderful plan for them, that may or may not include each other, prayer that my loving concern and protectiveness will one day be accepted, and prayer that a few years from now we will all look back on this, understand and smile!

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father who is in heaven

give good things to those who ask Him
Matthew 7:11

Joyfully swooping from the backdoor, b