Philippians 2:3,4 Put to Action

I know I have children just like yours. I know this because you are just like me.


"I don't like that." 

"I don't want this."

Yup! You know what I'm talking about. 

So today this is what we are working on. I am convinced we must make the needs of the world tangible to our children. We must not just preach about how much stuff they have and how grateful they need to be. They need to see with their eyes and hear with their ears how little others have. 

And my heart needs to see and hear it too. I tend to not only complain, but to also fret and worry about unknown things or what the future holds. 

NOTICE: I did not say "worry about my next meal."

So look around today and see how you can invest in a very small way in other people's lives in other parts of the world. It may not seem like a lot, but every person counts.

Then when you are in a place of worry about your life, remember the same promise God gives to the starving child, He gives to you.

Matthew 6:25 and 26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

The Little Lost Birdie

Yesterday we arrived home from church, and as soon as we opened the car doors, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford, (the affectionate names given to cardinals by "Inger") flew away from our front window. Normally they are not that close to the house. Soon after we discovered there was a baby cardinal "lost" outside our front door. The momma and dada kept flying down, seemingly trying to coax their baby to follow them. It was fruitless and the little one ended up in our garage, with his frantic parents flying veraciously in and out of this confined space.


"Mr. Cartwright" was able to get the baby on a twig and remove him from the garage. He placed him on the front lawn and we backed up hoping to see him cooperate. To no avail. 

He finally flew to our neighbor's tree across the street. Up and down. Up and down his loving parents flew beckoning him to follow. He was able to attach himself to the bottom of the tree, but could get no further. Pretty soon a bird of prey started circling up above. Like the great guy he is, "Mr. Cartwright" went over, picked up the bird and placed him in the lowest branch of the tree. We kept trying to reassure his parents we were not going to hurt him. Finally he followed them up higher and we went inside. 


But my mind kept thinking about how similar this little birdie is to me in regards to my heavenly Father. I want to trust Him. He beckons I follow and yet, so many times fear creeps in unaware and I think I know what is best. He lovingly swoons around me trying to coach me to trust. Without even knowing it, I face the enemy. When I don't trust, I allow Satan to have a foothold and he wants nothing more than to tear me away from my Heavenly Father. I open myself up to all sorts of trouble when I don't follow. Boy am I thankful for the gently prodding of the Lord.


Romans 2:4 "Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"

Pet For the Hour

"Inger" loves animals. Her daddy knows that and brought home a wild bird that he found at work. It appeared to have a hurt wing. We attempted to nurse it, but, as you can see in the photos, "Cochise" didn't like it too well.

Below, he proves he may be part Pointer/Retriever!

Here is the precious little bird. We ended up having to let him go free. "Cochise" would not let the subject drop. My precious little "Inger" had herself a good cry.

Anyone know what kind of bird this is????

Thankful for More Time!

Our beautiful, baby wrens have been in their little nest for 20 days. They have grown plump and soft, full of feathers that resemble their parents.

Yesterday we found the nest empty, the cute little offspring hopping around the plant where their house was made. They are getting ready to fly the coop.

Their parents are ready too. In fact, as I write this, my littlest one came into the house to inform me they have hopped out of the nest and are meandering around trying to figure out this thing called freedom.


Compared to the human race, those precious birds are born, grow up, and take wing in the blink of an eye.

Most times it seems at this same speed in which I find my own little nestlings growing up. Days, months and years pass so quickly.

Like our beautiful Mommy wren, I must feed my little ones on the Word that satisfies, until they are ready to find food themselves.

I must protect them from the predators, especially those nasty snakes.

However painful this is, I must also prepare them to take wing, even allowing them to fall on their heads as they attempt to leave the nest that I have spent so much time and energy on. As their wings come in, they stretch and yearn to fly. But, much like our inexperienced little wren babies, they seem so lost at times; very scared of the humans around; scurrying to find safety.

But as I attempted to capture their freedom on my camera, they found comfort in each other and eventually took to the air and flew.

I struggle at times to let my own babies learn to fly. I must do this, though; for they must grow their wings and take off. This is part of life.

The Beautiful life God has given.

Sharing a Special Birthday

I find it so interesting, but not coincidental that our Mother wren became a mommy today. Five little baby birds hatched from their eggs this morning.

This same morning that my dear Mother would have celebrated hers.

This is just like our wonderful Maker. He again has reminded me through these precious little, yet scrawny creatures that He takes care of His Own.

I am this...His child, His Daughter. I have a Wonderful Maker and Protector. I find myself motherless, but I belong to the One who adopted me and made me His Own.

One more thing....normally a wren egg takes 14 days to hatch. Unbelievably, it took these eggs 21 days....just a little hug from my Heavenly Father.

There is a time to live and a time to die....

These words are taken from the book of Ecclesiastes.

They speak volumes into my life right now. Since the home-going of mom, I have been focused on the second half of this verse.

But I do find myself living in spring and new life is all around us. The irony is that as mom went to her eternal home, her REAL life started. Although, her life ended here, the life she so looked forward to is just beginning.

There were so many beautiful flowers budding in Tennessee as I took care of mom.

When we arrived home from Tennessee we had a pleasant surprise from a mother wren. She made a nest in a plant near our front door. We have had the privilege of watching her flitter and fly to and from the nest as she laid 5 eggs in her little home. She is the perfect picture of motherhood...again bringing my mind back to my gentle mother.

Spring is definitely the season of new birth, not just the physical birth here on earth. This spring became the season of new birth for my precious mother. Because of her coming to a second birth here on earth, she is now experiencing the incomparible joy of new life.