As I sit here in tears...

I just finished watching one of my favorite tv shows and one of my very favorite episodes.
It's the Andy Griffith Show and the episode was "Opie the Birdman". Oh my, tears everytime I watch it! Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with his slingshot. When Andy gets home from work he notices the mother bird in the yard. At supper that evening, he tells Aunt Bea that the neighbor's cat killed the mother. Opie runs up the stairs. Andy knows what has happened. As punishment, Andy opens the window so Opie can hear the baby birds crying for their mother. (this is where the tears start) Opie decides to raise the baby birds. He names them Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod. Of course Barney tells him how to speak to them, what they are saying to each other and how creatures of the wild are raised because Barney knows things like that. Opie feeds the baby birds and takes care of them. As they get bigger, Andy ponders how Opie will handle letting the birds go. Opie finally says they need to get a bigger cage and Andy tells him he knows what he has to do. Opie is afraid he hasn't done all the right things, that maybe the birds can't fly. Andy assures him the birds will be fine. Opie opens the cage and one by one he tells Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod that he hopes he has done all the right things and he releases them into the air where they fly off into the trees. Opie looks at the cage and says, "The cage sure looks awful empty, don't it Pa?" Andy replies, "Yeah, but don't the trees seem nice and full?" That's the point I totally lose it.

I wish we had tv shows like this today. The conversation between Andy and Opie before letting the baby birds go is so sweet and so true. We hope and pray we do all the right things for our children, we pray for them, we try to lead them. Then they get wings and no longer need us for the things they used to need us for. We pray as parents that our children remember their roots and the things we try to teach them and we just have to leave the rest to God. We have to trust Him to take care of the things that are no longer in our control. Ruth Bell Graham said, "As a mother, I must faithfully, patiently, lovingly, and happily do my part - then quietly wait for God to do His."

Letting go of our children all comes down to trusting God. Nothing really belongs to us. It all belongs to Him. We only borrow our chidren for a short while and within those few short years we must pray and trust God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Worship, Church and School

Yesterday we attended worship services at NewSpring in Anderson. The band was awesome. One song in particular really spoke to me. It's an old hymn, but some very powerful words!

Words: Charles Gabriel, 1905.Music: "My Savior's Love," Charles Gabriel, 1905.

I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me!

For me it was in the garden He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs, But sweat drops of blood for mine.

In pity angels beheld Him, And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows He bore for my soul that night.

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary, And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in gloryHis face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy through the ages To sing of His love for me.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me!
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This is a great song and, of course, the band at NewSpring rocked it! But it was so powerful. How often do we actually "stand amazed" of our Holy God? How often do we actually sit in His presence and just enjoy Him? I fall short of that so many times. Each of us needs to take the time to stand amazed, sit with Him in silence and realize what He did for us! The measure of love that caused a Holy God to send His Son to die for my sins, for your sins. He sent His Son to purchase us with His love, he was perfect, yet took on our sins and paid the price for us. WOW. Imagine Jesus in the garden as he prayed. He knew what he was facing, but did his Father's will. Why should I ever do anything less? God hasn't asked me to sacrifice my child. He just simply asks me to love Him, obey Him and accept His Son in my heart and live for Him. Yet, I fall short.

The message was ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES? Clayton King spoke and his answer was simply, "Yes, but the time doesn't matter. What matters is how we are living today.

1. Are we preparing for that time when Jesus comes back to get his bride? We shouldn't be predicting times, just getting ready!"

2. Are we witnessing instead of worrying? We should be telling others while we have this chance.

3. Are we repenting instead of regretting? We should be getting our own lives in order and setting things right with God and with other people.

We shouldn't be concerned of when Jesus will come, we need to focus on NOW. Fight for lost souls! Go get the ones nobody else wants. Go get the ones who feel they have no place or feel they have nobody who loves them. Help us to become warriors for the Kingdom! When we give our heart and life to Jesus, we don't dread the end times, we look forward to no more death, no more sickness, no pain. And most of all to be with our Father!

and last....I know this is long....

school started and I miss my daughter today.