In the Light of Our World: HAVE NO FEAR!

My hubby and I have just started reading Isaiah together in the mornings. To be honest, I was not sure I was looking forward to it. The longest prophetic book! Would I really be able to understand it? Let's just say, "I was humbled," to say the least!

In light of all the bad news in the last week, my heart can quickly turn to fear. A fear that cripples. A fear that invades the mind so much, I find it hard to dig my way out of those thoughts. Terrorism striking WAY too close to home! Animals going crazy! Murders! I can't even get on the internet or look at news sometimes. I know our hope is in Christ, but the evils of the world seem to scream louder sometimes.

As I opened the Scriptures today, Isaiah did have some powerful things to say. (Actually God did.)

Isaiah 2:18-22 (NLT)

"Idols will completely disappear.

When the Lord rises to shake the earth,

his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground.

They will hide in caves in the rocks

from the terror of the Lord

and his majesty.

On that day of judgment,

they will abandon the gold and silver idols

they made for themselves to worship.

They will leave their gods to rodents and bats,

while they crawl away into caverns

and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.

They will try to escape the terror of the Lord

and the glory of his majesty

as he rises to shake the earth.

DON'T PUT YOUR TRUST IN MERE HUMANS.

THEY ARE AS FRAIL AS BREATH.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?"

Isaiah is prophesying future victory by our Lord! He is reminding the Israelites back then and us today, that the things we make and value and even look to for help (dare, I say, idols????) that are apart from our Maker will be destroyed as well.

Our God is coming back for his children and He wins, people! He wins! We need not fear what man can do to us on this earth! This brought me joy today and peace. Peace in a world of turbulence. Peace in a culture of fighting and forsaking.

It reminds me of a song I used to sing to my children when they were young. "My God is so big; so strong and so mighty; there's nothing my God cannot do."

FOR YOU!

Living Out the Talk

Words come so easy. But when the rubber hits the road, so often what we have said is certainly hard to live out.

Job's friend, Eliphaz, reminds him of this truth.

Job 4:3-6

³ “In the past you have encouraged many people;
    you have strengthened those who were weak.
⁴ Your words have supported those who were falling;
    you encouraged those with shaky knees.
⁵ But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart.
    You are terrified when it touches you.
⁶ Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence?
    Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?

Job's friends didn't do such a great job in the area of encouragement amidst his tremendous suffering, yet as I read these verses today, I thought of how these truths in our lives flesh out.

"Everything will be ok."

"Trust God. He knows what He's doing."

"God is sovereign over all. Doesn't that bring you peace?"

"Fight for joy."

These are all things I have said in the past to others in the midst of trials. Yet, I know when I have been in the midst of my own suffering that sometimes I just want  people to sit with me and be still and quiet.

And I have doubted all these truths. I have strayed from trusting. I have asked, "WHY?". I have been terrified. I have lost heart.

But two things I know for sure. My confidence must be in my Savior; even when my feelings are frail. My hope lies in Him and Him alone.

And these truths won't ever change! Even when I doubt. Even when I fear. Even when I feel far from my Savior.

A Prayer for "Hoss"

I find myself at a loss. I know what I should be praying for our son, "Hoss" but my emotions get in the way and I have to fight my way out of selfish prayers.

So today, as I wept and prayed and prayed and wept wailed, I came across these verses. 

So "Hoss", my prayer for you today is that you may truly understand this:

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
"Rejoice, Young Man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes. Yet know God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."

Through this dark, deep valley God has shown up, just like He has always done in the past. 

Bundled Up

"Hoss" finds himself in a deeper pit than he has ever been in so far. But I know those deep pits are where God can radically redeem a soul. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "There is not pit so deep that God is not deeper still." Since this boy/man of mine is part of me, I tend to spiral down as he makes his way deeper.

BUT..... (this word keeps my head and heart knowing and grasping for the truth)

I know the truth of my God. I know that He orchestrates all these things for our good. I know.....

So as I struggle for breath today, I opened my devotional to today's date. I am longing for the milk that refreshes my soul. My mouth is parched with fear. And God again shows Himself in ways that He and He alone knows I need to see and hear.

1 Samuel 25:29 "Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

Abigail uses an amazing word picture as she encourages King David in dealing with her wicked husband. This verse reminds me again of how I must trust in the ONE who already knows the past from the future.God protects His children. What a beautiful picture of the arms of our Creator holding us and keeping us and protecting us. 

Psalm 32:7, "You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." 

Psalm 36:7, "How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

He promises us to bundle us and be our refuge and fortress. 

These thoughts bring peace to a very weary soul.

A Family Letter

Dear Friends,

       Life has taken a few steps back...well, maybe more than a few. "Hoss" is struggling. So am I, for that fact. I don't know what the future holds. I pretend more often than I'd like to admit that I am trusting and remembering God's faithfulness, but I am floundering. Very badly. Many of you know our story and have followed it for almost 4 years now.

Wow! Four years!

But I feel so burdened by the unknown. So I am begging for your prayers. Please pray that I would really trust. That I would not doubt. That I would believe. Please pray that Satan would take his grip off of our son. That God would open his eyes. That Christ would take preeminence in our whole family.

In the last couple of weeks, we have felt spiritually attacked. Satan so desires to sift us. He desires to bring a small tear in our family that can turn into a canyon. But we know God is bigger and stronger. He has used the past to refine us.

But can I just be honest? I'm tired! O.K. I know the truth. I know my strength must come from Him. I am so prone to fear, anxiety and worry. I want to trust. Please pray that I would. Please pray that I would live in joy for my Savior as well as the rest of the Ponderosa.

So I sit back and read this post and ask myself, "Haven't I been here before?" And I answer myself, "Yes, I have."

Thank you in advance for your prayers and lifting our family up to the God who knows all, sees all, and uses all for His glory.

Because Of Jesus,
"Mrs. Cartwright"

Thank you, Jesus, for your patience with me, Your daughter who struggles to trust in You. Remind me of your love and perfect timing, justice and truth.

The Stiff-Necked (Like Me)

"Lord, open my eyes to the wonderful things in Your Law."

This is my prayer so often as I sit down to open God's Word each morning. Today was wonderful, yet not so wonderful. You know, days when deep conviction sets in. Yet, at the same time seeing God's amazing mercy. This God who showers us with new mercies every day.

I started reading the book of Mark last week. The second Gospel of the Life of Jesus. I don't know about about you,  but sometimes self-righteousness rears its ugly head and I think, "I know all these Bible stories. I learned them from the time I was knee high to a grasshopper." (O.K. Now I am sounding a tad like my grandpa.) As I read, I encountered over and over again the amazing unbelief that followed Jesus around in the form of His very disciples. Not the mass of followers. His beloved twelve.

There I found myself. 

Mark 4:35-41 recounts the storm being stilled by its very Creator. Now to be clear, many other healings took place before this, but the response of his close followers was fear. Fear of the waves. Fear of the wind. Fear of perishing. Their Savior stilled it instantly. He questioned them as to why they were afraid. He asked them, "Do you still have no faith?" There response: "they became VERY much afraid and said to one another,"Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?"

Many more healings took place and five thousand (or more) are fed with very little. Another miracle before their very eyes. They leave the mountain side to take a boat to the other side. During this ride, Jesus comes walking on the water to them. Their response: FEAR! Utter Astonishment! And we are told that "they had gained no insight from the feeding of the five thousand, but their hearts were hardened."

More miracles, feedings and healings. The Pharisees enter the picture. Jesus warns His disciples of the "leaven of the Pharisees", and yet, all they can think about is food; real bread. Jesus gently reminds them of all He has done. He asks them several questions to jog their minds about what they have just been a part of. It's useless. They are helpless. At this point, I think to myself, "Can you believe it? Such unbelief!" 

Surely they have to start understanding. No. Not yet, Now enters Peter. Jesus is expressing to them what is about to happen to Him. Mark 8:32 says, "And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him." Peter rebuked Jesus! Can you believe it? If I was Jesus, I'm pretty sure I would have zapped them all.

Then my heart condemns me. I find myself wondering what I would do. What I do now? God is faithful. God is everpresent. I forget. I fear. I distrust. I even....rebuke. "God, You really don't know what You're doing!" Do I say these words? No! But I live them out.

I praise Jesus for His amazing mercy! Thankful He doesn't give up on me and zap me. In awe that He reaches down so often in His gentle, loving way and nudges me to keep going. To keep believing. To keep loving Him.

He is Good

He is good, He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. (Insert music)

I have been dwelling on these thoughts lately. And when I do, I can't help but sing.

My eyes can't be fixed on my circumstances.

My eyes can't be fixed on the temporal.

My eyes can't be fixed on those around me.

My eyes can't be fixed on the jagged rocks that cause me to stumble, nor the cliffs that bring fear close by.

My eyes must be fixed on "the author and perfecter of my faith". I must be "press on to the upward call of Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14)

Remember these posts a couple of years ago? Well, I'm musing over them and grabbing that book out again.

Fear can be so crippling, but when I gaze at my Savior and remember all He is doing and CAN do, I marvel that I can even fear.

I fall to my knees (which are hurting by now, for the falls seem so hard) and cry out for strength to trust. To be obedient. To bask in His grace and mercy.

Beer-lahai-roi

Loneliness. Despair. Hopelessness.

When trials come our way we have choices to make. Choices on how to respond. So often, our responses are these. We fear and are drawn into ourselves. We put on blinders to what God has called us to and promised us.

Genesis 16 is the story of Abram and Sarai's lack of faith, trust and hope in their God who promised them a great name, and as many descendants as the stars in the sky. They are old in years and have never had children, and doubt that God will accomplish this. So Sarai acts on her own and draws her husband in to this doubt. He listens to his wife and has a child with Hagar.

Isn't this so much like us in trusting God's working hand? We act in faithlessness when we try to orchestrate the outcome of our situations. We end up with more failure and eventually have to come back on our knees confessing our control issues and speaking forth trust in the Lord again.

Hagar, Sarai's maid, is drawn into this doubt as well. She becomes with-child, and now, Sarai becomes jealous and hateful. Hagar flees this situation and finds her pregnant self in despair next to a stream in the wilderness, with no where to go. But God sees her. He commands she go back to her mistress and submit to her. Hagar believes.

She believes in this God who spoke to her and gave him the name, You are the God who sees. She had hope. She felt the mercy being poured out on her. All alone, pregnant and outcast, she knows this God cares. As a remembrance, she named the well there, Beer-lahai-roi; well of the Living One who sees me.

He sees us, friends. He knows your every fear. He knows you want to escape the trial He has placed in your life. He sees me. He sees me. Out of all the billions of people in this world, He sees me.

He is Beer-lahai-roi! 

Just a Touch of His Ministering Spirit

I don't know if I have ever experienced the intensity of people's prayers like I did last night and today. God knows how much I can take. After a tough end to the week, I put on my smiling face to meet with brothers and sisters. GOD MET ME!


A sweet friend let me know, 
"Last night (Saturday) your boy was really on my heart. I don't know why but I lifted him before the Lord." 
Thank You, Jesus.


We came home from church and made our phone call to our son that we are able to do every other week. He sounded down. My voice broke at the end of the conversation. I try not to cry with him listening. I couldn't help it, yesterday. We hung up. I broke. My heart actually felt broken in two pieces. My chest hurt. My love held me. I got up to love on my other treasures. As I checked email I found this:
"I just want you to know that I am praying for your whole family today." 
Thank you Jesus!

The rest of the night ended well. Sleep was fitful. I rose early to seek my Savior for strength and help. Another of my sweet friends posted this on my wall:

"Verses from this morning's reading... Psalm 123:1-3 NKJV  Unto You I lift up my eyes, Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! Hope you are encouraged. Love you and am praying for you today." Thank You, Jesus!

School went great. Spelling arrives as well as a call and email from my sister.

"Hey, sis- I meant to tell you last night I had an overwhelming urge to pray for you while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  Of, course, I have "Hoss'" picture on my window sill, but I felt such sorrow while I prayed. I almost felt what you were feeling. I love you and am so thankful we have the Lord to carry us through such times as these. If I was there, I'd give you a big hug. Love you." 

Thank You, Jesus. 

So needless to say, I have cried many more tears. This time out of thankfulness to God. I wonder what He is doing. I also wonder what the enemy has wished to destroy. I know the power of God is incredible. There must have been some spiritual battles waging of which I do not know.

I raise my hands in praise.

(Those of my sweet bloggy friends who have left messages, I thank you as well.)

If He Can Calm the Sea....

then He is capable of calming me.

My boy is hurting. Just when I think all is well and better, knew feelings arise and I get worried. No. Scared.

Choices are made that put my stomach in a knot. I feel sick and want to puke. Anxiety returns and I struggle to breathe. I remember....all those days....

So I stop. Look up. Remember THE day.

*The day my Savior made a way. The special day in a 5 year old's life when His Spirit came to reside.
*The day He brought my beloved into my life.
*The day that I am sprawled on my bed in tears and asking why. My Jesus comes near and touches me.
*The that I learned about my boy. The day I learned he wouldn't be. The  I day held him in my arms.(That was a roller coaster.)
*The day He placed my other three treasures in my arms.
*The day and many more when He is the only hope. He is the only Truth. He is the only Way. He is the only Sustainer of life.
*The day He showed me the simplest promises in His Word.

I wish there was only one day when I surrendered my lamb to the Lord. But there are many. I keep taking him back. I know Jesus is the only Healer of hearts. I fall down to my knees and lay him at the scarred feet of my Savior.

Friends, I ask for your prayers. The next couple of weeks are crucial in some decisions we have to make concerning "Hoss". Please pray for the heavens to open and provide what we need to keep helping our son.

God knows what He is doing. I must just trust. This is the only job I have.

Complete Surrender

As I am reading through Surrender, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, I am struck by the fact that my heart fights against this.

I am prone to anxiety. I am, at times, racked with worry. I have not surrendered my son completely.

I must.

Nancy quotes a poem by Ann Blocher before she went home to be with the Lord. She fought the battle with cancer, and in the midst of this, wrote these beautiful words:

Yes, Lord! Yes and Amen!

"Can you trust Me, child?

Not only for ultimate eternity,

of which you know next to nothing,

and so are not tempted to meddle-

But for the little span of your life between

the Now and Then, where your envision

decline and separations and failures,

impairments, pain, bereavements, disappointments-

Do you find Me qualified to Lord of your last days?

Oh-yes, Lord! YES, Lord! Yes and amen!

Can you trust Me, child?

Not only to synchronize the unthinkable

intricacies of creation-

But to work together for the good the gravities

and tugs within your little orbit,

where your heart is pulled by needs

and lacks you wish, but are destitute, to fill-

Do you find My resources adequate

to feed both the sparrow and you?

Oh-yes, Lord! YES, Lord! Yes and amen!

Can you trust Me, child?

Not only for the oversight of nations

and creations not of this world-

But for those beloved ones I committed

to you and you committed to Me-

Do you believe Me trustworthy to perform

the good work begun in them

until the Day of Jesus Christ?

Oh- yes, Lord! YES, Lord! Yes and amen!"

-pg. 204-205, Surrender by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

When the Night Comes

Darkness is an amazing thing. The Bible has so much to say contrasting light and darkness. Darkness is so often viewed with evil, sin, and deceit. After all, so many crimes happen in the dead of night, not the light of day.


Jesus is the Light of the World. We are to be reflective of THE light and to shine forth our lights. We are to be cities set on hills that cannot be hidden. We are commanded to not put our lights under a bushel. Our Lord is the lamp to our path and a light to our feet. Light dispels all darkness.


When the night comes and darkness sets in, I sometimes feel as if I can't even control my thoughts. Things that I know are not real, become real. Anxiety is strong. Fear takes a foothold. 


So, I can relate to the Psalmist as he cries unto Jehovah:

"When I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night, for You have been my help and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy." Psalm 63:6-7

This is my plea as we go through this unknown time with our beloved oldest son. The future is uncertain. We don't know where the finances will come from to keep him in a safe place until he is ready to come home. This is fear. Deep in my gut.


But then, I remember. Peace floods in. Fear tries to creep back and I must push it away. And remember.


So tonight, I will not let my thoughts linger. I will not allow my mind to bring pain to my inner parts. I will remember the faithfulness of God.

Fire, Water and Fear

Sometimes in my life, there are 2 x 4 moments. (As in boards)

God confirms a truth that I need to grasp in my life and does it by various means.

Mr. Spurgeon has been feeding "Mr. Cartwright" and I each evening with God's Word. Lately we have been in Isaiah 43.

¹But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

I have felt engulfed by flames. I have felt without a shadow of a doubt that my head is below water. These things have I felt, but have really not known. For my God is able to sustain me. I must speak to my soul and say, "This is not truth."

Last week my dear friend, Patty, sent me a card that was full of encouragement and guess what? Yup. The verses on the inside of the card were the same.

So today, in the midst of being on my back for 3 days with a pulled muscle, my mind was struggling to fight. I was listening to a podcast from Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She was interviewing Angie Smith, the wife of Todd Smith of the Christian group, Selah. A few years ago she delivered a baby that died. She has since written a book called, I Will Carry You. She explained her journey and how God was enough for her as she went through this extreme trial. She read Isaiah 43:1-3.

Right there, the tears began to flow. As I heard her say, " we do not see the depth of God's Word. We take for granted these specific promises He give us," I grabbed my head and held myself, crying.

For I know as my oldest lamb is far away, my God is near. My heart aches daily and I fight. My thoughts of the "what ifs" and "what will happen when the year comes up" pound my mind too often. Then I find myself wondering if my God is big enough. Anxiety. I fight.

He will send the fires and floods, but He will carry me through.

Am I Blind?

Lately, I feel like I can't see....

*past how I feel. But I know

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called usby his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (II Peter 1:3-4).

*past the worries and fears for my precious son. But I know

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

*past the fear of others...what they think. But I know

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine". (Psalm 33:18-19)

*the future. But I know

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper. I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes." (

Psalm 118:6-9 )

*how God thinks He will use these trials in my life for my good. But I know

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Lord, please make blind eyes see. Help me to trust. Help me to fear You. Help me to not be anxious, but thankful.

The Story of Commander Deeds (Part I)

I was mesmerized by this true story that Watchman Nee told his fellow believers in China.

"A young man named Todd was led to Christ by a wise couple from a church in his neighborhood. He had been a rebellious youth, but on the day that he was saved, he asked the couple what he should do to show his obedience to the Lord. Over tea in their home, they told him that the Gospel would never make inroads in their town until a certain battalion commander was converted."

"Young Todd asked who this Commander Deeds was. They said that he was a retired military man over sixty years of age who thought all Christians were hypocrites and who cursed and beat any Christian who dared to preach the gospel to him or even to pass by his house. He kept a pistol at home and threatened to open fire on anyone who preached to him. Having heard this, Todd immediately prayed, 'O Lord. You have shown grace to me. This is the first day of my salvation. I will go and witness to him.' Before tea was finished, and less than two hours after his own salvation, he was on his way to the commander's house."

"Fearing for his life, the couple begged him not to go. The commander's anger grew fiercer by the day, they told him, but Todd would not change his mind. He arrived at the house and knocked on the door. The Commander answered with a rod in his hand and snarled, 'What do you want, boy?' Todd asked if he could come in and for some reason the hostile man allowed him entrance."

"The boy wasted no words. 'I pray that you will accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior!' he blurted out. The commander raised his rod in the air to intimidate the youth, then shouted, 'I suppose you're new around here, so this time I will pardon you; no one talks to me about Jesus, but this time I will not beat you. Now consider yourself fortunate and get out of here quickly!'"

-excerpt from Watchman Nee by Bob Laurent, pg 102

(Part II tomorrow)

A Link For the Fearful

This has encouraged me today. For fear has taken hold...along with anger and hate. I know where I must flee. I go there now. His arms are waiting. He sees my sin and pain. He forgives. He heals.

Lessons Learned...#3

"Grace and Glory" is recounting the 3rd lesson she has learned while waiting for her hinds' feet. She has been taught some marvelous things by her Shepherd. Things I am being taught as well.



"The third thing that I learned was that, You, my Lord, never regarded me as I actually was, lame and weak and crooked and cowardly. You saw me as I would be when You had done what You promised and had brought me to the High Places, when it could be truly said, 'There is none that walks with such a queenly ease, nor with such grace, as she.' You always treated me with the same love and graciousness as though I were a queen already and not wretched 'Little Much Afraid'."



"Then she looked up into His face and for a little time could say no more, but at last she added, 'My Lord, I cannot tell you how greatly I want to regard others in the same way'."



My Lord, here is Your other handmaiden, "Laden with Fear". Over the last few weeks, You have showered me with grace, mercy, forgiveness and love in a way that I have treasured. For my fearful responses have taken precedence too many times. Your perfect love has cast out my fear. Thank you. The fear wants to still rise up. I need your Word each day to help dispel my worries and anxieties. Help me to regard others, especially "Hoss", in the light of who You are. I love You, my Perfect Shepherd. Lead me on.

Lessons Learned...#1

As I am reaching the end of Hinds' Feet in High Places, I am so full of emotion.

"Much-Afraid" has reached the heights and has been given a new name. "Grace and Glory" is conversing with the Good Shepherd and He asks her what she has learned. As I read her response, I double over in tears, anguish, and yearning to want to be there. I still feel like I am in the desert most days. Or if I find that I have one foot on the slope headed to the High Places, then I slip, tumble and fall.

Here are "Grace and Glory's" words that I long to speak forth too.

"First, I learned that I must accept with joy all that you allowed to happen to me on the way and everything to which the path led me! That I was never to try to evade it but to accept it and lay down my own will on the altar and say, 'Behold me, I am thy little handmaiden, Acceptance with Joy.'"

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.