Oh Lord, You have been Good!

God's Boys will be good boys!

There was a day that I went to the hospital and came out saying "good grief". It was excruciating. This wasn't that day.

This was a day of going to the hospital and finding, "Good God". As we drove through torrents and sheets of rain that were like a curtain, I was sensible of the similarity to the sheets that we drove through to see Joni. I prayed in my soul that this wasn't taking me into another "good grief" learning session. I said, I can't see the door, Lord. I thought you were going to give us a day or so to process that this is a new season in our lives. I can't see the door into the new season, Lord?

The rains were enveloping and all I could see was the light of the emergency lights of the vehicle in front of us. All I could hear was my heart rejoicing that the heart was still beating. "He's alright? what does that mean?" I went back in my mind to my Grandma telling me the story of my father's hospital session. He was cut up so bad and the shreds of his arm were just held by the sutures. I was crying, when she told me and I couldn't imagine her maternal grief. I saw my mother and I saw my grandma and I saw myself growing into the mother of a man. My son is a man of faith, I told God.

When I saw him, verses of scripture flooded my mind to give to him. I couldn't get the story of this deliverance. God was merciful to us. God had given us another day! His mercies are truly new, like the dew.

What is Education for?~~~figuring out and looking for direction, for your life's journey. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed"

God's Boys will be good boys!

Attempting to recoup all your scruples as they roll upon the floor.

One day you wake up and find that all that you believed about yourself with God has been strewn across the floor of your life. There is a thought that comes to your mind to leave them there and not pick them up. Let's see what happens if I don't pick them back up? I know that God is supposed to love me anyhow? What's the worst that could happen? As we negotiate with our consciences the world is kicking and eating our scruples and every minute that passes defiles them worse and worse, until they are no longer identifiable.

Sometimes, we have to recoup by starting over. Sometimes, we have to start swiftly picking up pieces and cleaning them off. Each time this happens in life, it is different. We always lose a little something when we have fallen and stumbled and dropped everything. Only in Heaven will we see the things that God reglues to our lives to replace the real thing that we dropped, in our sinful stupors. I cannot imagine that we won't be crying about our stumblings. He promises to wipe every tear from our eyes, regardless. Coming to Jesus with the broken pieces is better than trying to glue the things back, ourselves.

Some people never recoup their faith until their very dying day. What a loss, to walk on the earth with your hand outside of God's hand! Learn to walk with Him, even through the complex and painful surgery of reconciliation to Christ in our deepest conscience. He loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Know that this picking up is also part of His wonderful plan for your life!

In the forum of ideas of education, I feel like a drop in a bucket.

God's Boys will be good boys!

And so you are a drop in a bucket, my good man. I do remember the futility of speaking of the things of God and seeing my words fly into the clouds and no one was listening, it seemed. I talked much and studied little.

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, is a wonderful hymn. It is not just a hymn. It is an investment among many investments. Faith is, perhaps the currency of investment and where we put it, is where we invest that faith. Words spent in faith can have victory. Education spent in faith can have victory. This is because we trust that as large as the Goliath of unbelief looks in the systems of education that we are engaged in, our faith sees God as higher and more powerful. I believe that this time spent in the subjection to a worldling system will give me the credentials to fight the good fight and untangle the wicked knots that have syphoned God out of the system. You are seeing God's use of means and acting as Ezra and Nehemiah in restoring God's knowledge into a bereft house.

Don't give up! We are praying for your faith not to fail. God is exalted in our perserverance. HE is the defender of the weak. God takes up your cause and is giving you greater tools to fight greater battles to come. Put on the whole armor of God and use it.

When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Oh Dear, What a very colicky baby you were!

God's Boys will be good boys!

I am grateful to have been able to be there for your many stuggles with your belly. I know that each child has their weaknesses. I have had my moments with each of you on different physical ailments that seemed not to want to go away. Yours was with constipation. You went once a week, if that and it was so hard for you and you were a nursing baby. The doctor said it wasn't that unusual to have tummy problems in a baby. It seemed strange to me. He said for me to move your body for you, in the beginning. To make your body more able to get it out. This seemed to give you some relief.

I am starting with a whole group of boys, this time around, at the daycare. This carries my mind to the challenges of mothering my own little fellows. The one who left us too soon and then you and the ones we were blessed to keep. This week we had a challenge of diaper rash ointment. I hate that stuff. I had to put some on that was medicated and this was especially a challenge for the wandering fingers of curiosity in a boy. The physical challenge of keeping my hands doing what I needed to do and keep a little fellows fingers from getting ointment into his mouth. It is a real feeling of encouragement that my sports reflexes translate into a useful form for some good. It was like juggling and challenging my mental and physical abilities. Then, just when I thought I had the challenge in control, another little one was curious to climb onto the changing table to see the festivities. ACHHHHHHHH!

Guiding them with my eyes and my voice is not always an option. I only have 2 hands and the little ones seem to have 10 hands and swift, precocious intentions. I don't think any of them got the ointment into their faces, but my heart was in my mouth at each changing of the rashy boys. Teach your children to heed your first words to them, if you can. It is safest this way.

That campus is a mad house. Why do we have to pick you up on campus?

God's Boys will be good boys! Couldn't we just pick you up somewhere across the street or something? Perhaps seeing that many young people make me feel old. Well, anyway, we drove around that little circle about 10 times and your father was happy to do it. I, on the otherhand was getting stir crazy. Have a little compassion on your mother's poor nerves. to quote Pride and Prejudices mother. Compassion would mean meeting us halfway. Somewhere off campus, I said the tattoo parlor was an option. Your father thinks that is gross. Well for now I will get used to watching a bunch of post adolescence walking in syncapation and a beat or rhythm that I am not privy to yet. I love you, so I will do it. Mommy.

Fixing your mouth to say yes to mother!

God's Boys will be good boys! "Son, would you please take the garbage outside and rebag it?" "No." I am not used to that from you. You are usually respectful and dutiful, without encouragements to do so. No explanation, no maam or other southern softening of the no. Just a plain no. I really didn't say anything and I won't say anything, unless it happens again. Disrespect of women, by men is a grievous thing. Disrespect of elders is an upsetting thing for a mother to bear to the throne of grace. I know that God can and will take care of your soul and correct your behavior, now that you are a man. That is not really my job. God's corrections can be very, very strong. I am learning to respond to the initial reproofs, before God has to pick my feet up and put them on the right path. I pray the former for you and not the latter. None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good and I am glad that his heart is toward us in our deepest need. I am praying for you, son!

Tools for rearing my grands, whenever...

God's Boys will be good boys!

You may not want to know what I think about the election.

God's Boys will be good boys!

I say I am grateful for the choosing of a Mike Pence as a VP pick for Mr. Trump. I feel that the center of the country is Indiana. He sounds like an ethical choice and a symbol of young hope. He seems like a man who attempts to keep his nose, hands and conscience clear, by the words others have said about him. This is a hopeful sign.

The war of ethics in politics is always the saga. Whether or not ethics or trustworthiness has any part in politics, is always the question. It is only for the stallwart. Those who, inspite of public opinion that they are unethical, keep their political machines well oiled. We will see, if we have devolved into that fatalistic perspective. We will see, if there isn't any hope for our system. Christ's Church is praying for the growth and hope. So we still may see something hopeful happen. Don't give up voting, because Bernie isn't running. Love you!

Boy, This world is not your home and "This Ain't Your Crown!"

God's Boys will be good boys! When joy comes into your life, {and I do hope many joys come}you must remember this: This ain't yo crown! I love you and I would have you look deeply into the joys of life and see the hand of God, lending them to you. It is the hand of God that prospers your way. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.

You are blessed with a good and god-fearing disposition and this is a trust from God. Spend yourself and your mind and your endeavors with prudence, knowing that there is a beginning and an end to them all. Each gift that you have is spent wisely or foolishly. I pray for the preservation of your heart and mind. I pray for the engagement of your faculties in that which will build a better future for us all. Lay the hammer to the anvil of swords to plowshears and see what God can do with that kind of engagement. He alone knows how the world will be bettered with right perspectives attempting to live out faith.

Praise God with as much as you have and see if He doesn't inhabit your life. He will!

Graduation Day

God's Boys will be good boys!

God's blessings on your efforts, my good man!

You have just a few days until your associates degree is completed and you are counting down.  I am grateful for your example of perseverance and wisdom in pursuing your degree.  You are truly a gentleman and a scholar.  I am celebrating you, this mothers day.  I love you.

Getting ready for Graduation!

God's Boys will be good boys! What a good man you were to complete your coursework and not incur any debt for yourself! I am proud of your accomplishments and in awe of your austerity.

It is wonderful to hear you speak from your new educated self and watch you grow in gifts and graces. I am grateful that I have been blessed to see you grow. Love, Mom

I Really like the way that you show yourself in transparency to your family.

God's Boys will be good boys!


I looked up at a star that was far, far away and I realized that there were so many people in my life that loved me enough to be transparent in front of me.  I loved that.
   I was thinking about my Grandma Monica, as I often do.   I saw that I can see her personality clearly and I don't need a book about her to have loved her, like I do.
   I was thinking about each of my children and how I want them to love me, at least as much as I loved her.  It takes courage to place your heart in front of people and show them the real you.  I often squint in pain, knowing that your transparency is going to be attacked in the public forum of our family dynamic.  But, you still do it and you take the blows, with great adeptness.  You know the blows will come and you still keep yourself transparent.
   I hope you stay that way.  I love you!

Did my father's extreme tactics of teaching benefit me? Can you hit a quarter with your serve?

God's Boys will be good boys!

Safe Harbor!

Is There Freedom to Conquer the Questions in your home? In your heart

How many backhand crosscourt drills is enough to win?

How much grits is enough for your family?

Hypothesis?

Daniel was gifted and needed the challenge of a godless education to sharpen his mind and spirit. I believe his continual prayers were to rightly dissect the godless education and find the real truth of God inside it. I believe God did that for him. But, I also believe that our prayers should be the opposite; Where are my prejudices keeping me from seeing the real truth of God?

My ideal educational objective would be half physical and half mental. I would leave the spiritual training for the church people. All of the school time would be sports training and mental acumen. Computers would be banned, except to build one or another.

Science concentrations would include dissecting animals from 6th grade. The choices of specialization would be the child’s after Middle School of Math or Science Majors---Both are essential and would be included in each, but they must have a sense that they have chosen the path that they are taking. Mastery Learning would be the top rung and each level would be aggressively encouraged to take the most challenging that they could.

What makes us want a Wimbledon trophy? The pomp, the encouragement, the Queen’s attendance? We must incorporate encouragements to scholasticism. Psychologists and Nurses should be onhand to diagnose family difficulties which impede the process. Special care and special attention should be given to family problems which cause learning difficulties. This is where Sunday School and Christian lessons of loving one-another would become remedial. We must direct our young people to see the humanity of their living situation and seek to grow from their trials.

It is clear that Nebuchadnezzar had very violent tendencies that encouraged his court to excel and to challenge themselves to higher and higher levels. I believe that Daniel prayed daily for grace to see the purposes of God, in his sufferings and labors. Nebuchadnezzar was drawing every culture and religion to answer to him. He had challenge games for them that could result in their death. This is extreme and his labors brought the greatest learning environment that we see in Scripture. Daniel needed grace and strength to see God as above this challenge. Is earthly knowledge something to aspire to under God? Daniel was victorious in his efforts through prayer and diligence. We must see God as both expecting great effort and sympathetic to our weaknesses. God grant us grace to see this, when we have lesser men than Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar to show us the dichotomy.

You and your Ethan brother cared very much for me, last night.

God's Boys will be good boys!

Thank you for the dear care. Thank you for asking if I needed care. Thank you for bringing dinner up and for the tylenol, which helped me to sleep, so that I could get better quickly from this painful germ.

I think I am better. My throat still hurts, but no more body aches. Love you boys! Mommy