Devos

The boy is on a mission trip to Honduras and I miss him very much. He is doing something really important though and I know that he will learn, grow and change.

He is a typical boy in so many ways, but I can say his spiritual growth is amazing, especially in the last year. I wish I had such maturity when I was fifteen years old, I may have been spared the mistakes born of ignorance and lack of moral guidance. I don’t want to live in the past though, we just want to do the best we can to give him direction and then God will do the rest.

I really believe that.

We’re not naive enough to think he won’t make any mistakes of his own – he will. After all, there’s that free will that we are all born with. Unlike myself though, we hope he will make more measured decisions … it is our hope and wish.

Of course, every fifteen year old thinks they know it all, I tend to think it’s a necessary part of growing up. If not, young ‘uns really wouldn’t have the confidence or the courage to try many of life’s experiences for the first time.

I think there will probably be a time when he’ll fall away from us and from God – flex his legs and run away to find his independence. I expect it. And I have the perfect illustration of it that I will tell you about this week.

But I also know that God is working in him, he’s already showed it in so many ways. And it makes me so happy.

The husband and I went on an early morning boat ride one day while on vacation. When we came back to the house, we were greeted by this sight…

The boy and one of his friends doing their “devos.”

These are daily Bible devotionals that were given to them by their small group leader. I couldn’t believe it…it was a wonderful, albeit surprising sight. I had to squint and rub my eyes before I could really comprehend what I was looking at.

We got out of the boat and walked by and gave them a short and non-chalant greeting in order to not make them feel uncomfortable.

They went back to bed…but it fills my heart so…

Can’t wait until he gets home…

May 9, For Mom

When I was a 17 years old, I borrowed my step-father’s car, a car that I normally don’t drive but because I had just crashed the family car and that car was getting pieced back together in at the shop. My parents must have thought, why not? Could there really be two car incidences in a week?

At that time we lived on a very steep hill and turning into our driveway was tricky, and especially so for a novice driver. In attempting to make the bad turn into the driveway, I ran into a sign that was across the street from my house. I guess I felt like I needed to swing wider for some reason.

The sign snapped and the car got stuck over the protruding lower part…I started to panic and I drove back and forth, back and forth, in order to try to extricate the car from the sign therefore grinding whatever was underneath the car into a pulp.

The noise woke up my parents who came outside to see what all the ruckus was about. This was a sleepy town, a safe neighborhood. Could there be a gang fight right outside the house?

My mother asked me the obvious question. “Why didn’t you come and get us?”

That very question has stuck with me all these years. There’s many answers for that but right now, almost 30 years later, I just want to say I’m sorry for not trusting you enough to ask for your help mom.

Happy Mother’s Day.

” What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs.” Ezekial 19: 1-3

Next year I’ll tell you about the time I ran the car into a chain fence before my parents’ Florida vacation.

Posted on Spiritual Sunday and SOOC Saturday.

October 25, Proverbs 3:34

This fall has been one of the prettiest in Maryland since we’ve moved here. Perhaps it is THE prettiest. In any case, I cannot stop taking photos of leaf covered lanes…it’s addicting.

For some reason, my mind has turned to grace this month or so. Perhaps God knows I’ll be needing a lot of it. And I have lately.

“He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.” Proberbs 3:34.

I really try not to be proud because the fall is pretty hard.

My homework assignment from Mrs. E is to write what I am most grateful for. I know this is late, I may have missed the cut-off to hand in the assignment. It’s a pattern left over from my school days that’s hard to break. Of course I’ve had extenuating circumstances…hope the teacher will excuse me.

Here goes…

…beautiful fall afternoons…health for my little girl…peace of mind in all things big and small…hope for peace of mind through life’s challenges…character and strength of my boy…good walking shoes…in season produce…a loving husband…a satisfying hobby…the grace of God…non-stick bakeware…baby goats…Christmas presents in October…the cross…fresh lemonade…seeing eye dogs…low gas prices…the support of a good computer team…pretty plates…jumping horses…sugar canes…pickled mangoes…roses that bloom in October…a great God, sovereign over all things…

I don’t know if that’s 150 words, I can’t find the word count in MS Word 2007. And so my computer woes continue.

I would encouage you to do your own homework assignment from Mrs. E, but it’s due tonight. If you’re anything like me, you’ll just be starting it now.

Posted on Spiritual Sundays.