On a Velvet Pillow.

We were working out in the garden this weekend. Our tomatoes have been covered since Aug 30th and we go out everyday to uncover and harvest anything red then recover. Zac was bent over in the row picking from the plants in front of him. As I walk by I playfully bump him to see if he can balance himself before he lands head first into the tomato bush.

He doesn't even budge, just puts out a hand, steadies himself and says "Momma, you'd think with as much money as you've had to put into me this summer, you'd be a little more careful of me.... you know like set me up and display me on a velvet pillow." he straightens and continues his daydreaming "I'll lounge their all day and you could show me off saying "see, here is my million dollar child" or something."

I answer that back in the day if a man owed more money than he could pay they put him in a debtor's prison to work at hard labor until he could pay it off....

You could almost see the dream bubble burst over his head.

He follows with "Really? Well, my arms going to be all messed up again so I guess it will be you and dad that would have to do the hard labor."

"Boy, you have no sympathy.."

"I know, makes my idea of the velvet pillow sound better all the time doesn't it?"

"Pick boy, before I break the other arm..."

"Yes, 'em. You're harsh."

That part comes naturally when you're raising four boys.

Today is the 25th..

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

So I suppose your wondering.....

I tried to tell God this wasn't going to reflect very good on Him. I've done a lot of bragging. Funny how he doesn't worry about our opinions.
Zachary is scheduled for surgery December 28th in the Boise Hospital.

They will be damaging the growth plate on his healthy bone and also cutting it to remove a section to bring it back down to the other bones length, fusing it together with a plate.
Dr. Showwalter has chosen to go with Dr. Mills' first assessment and not the second.

This song has been running through my head all day:

Life is easy when your up on the mountain

And you've got peace of mind like you've never known

But things change when your down in the valley

don't lose faith because your never alone!

You talk of faith when your up on the mountain

But faith is easy when life's at it's best.

Now it's down in the valley of trials and temptations.

That's where your faith's really put to the test.

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley

When things go wrong He'll make them right.

And the God of the good times, He's still God in the bad times.

And the God of the day, He's still God in the night....

I was out in my truck after the appointment and my tears were fussing with me a little. I am worried about him going through surgery again. He gets so sick and was in so much pain last time. And here, poor Zac, turns to me and says "momma, I'm sorry I give you so much trouble." Then I really did cry. All I could say was "No, Zac" and shake my head.

Over the course of my life, I have seen other parents go through hell with their children. Mine have been nothing but a blessing to me. They love and serve their Savior with all their heart. I don't have any unwed fathers, My children preach constantly against drugs and alcohol, they don't lie or steal. They don't even know what P.O. stands for. My boys love and protect me like I was some treasure.
No, Zacky~D ...... my children do not give me trouble. Not even when they ~ and I are broken.

In fact, son, I don't know what true grief is.....

And fear not them which kill the body,

but are not able to kill the soul:

but rather fear Him which is able to destroy

both the soul and body in hell.

The mice among the wheat

Our local supermarket has a case lot sale every fall. For a family of our size, it is a real blessing.

I save for it all year and then stock up on canned beans, wheat and sugar, among other things at a discounted price. Last fall the sale arrived at a pretty rough period for our family, we had a disabled client that was being disagreeable and consuming a lot of my time. I was "busy".

One afternoon I hurriedly took my two eldest boys to town and had them help me load our Suburban with food for the coming year. Arriving at home, the phone was ringing, I sighed, it would be another hour long conference on my client's behavior. Turning to the boys I said "Just throw it in the storage room, I'll take care of it later." and I picked up the phone.

The boys were just making their last trek up the stairs as I hung up... " Mom, we stacked everything in order down there but some of the sugar and wheat bags wouldn't fit in the storage bins." I assured them it would be fine and I would pick up more bins the next time we went to town.

"Did you set the mouse traps?"

"Oh, no we forgot." and they turned to go back down.

"It's alright you have done enough ~I'll get them."

That was the last thought I would give it.

September rolled into October and we had to ask that our client be removed from our home. October into November...... Until one day I was baking and needed something from the cellar. Oh, the mess that met my eyes. Chew holes in the corners of the bags of wheat and sugar, droppings laying about and a box full of unset traps sitting on the floor. All my intentions of getting to it some day.... now flashed before my eyes. I had no one to blame but myself.

I instantly began to clean. After the damage was done I magically had time. Everything stopped for the next two hours as I set traps, swept up ruined food and re-bagged that which was still good. I found the time once the danger became real to me.

Two hours provides a long time for self reflection and our Saviour still uses parables to teach us.

I wonder how many times in the lives of my children do I get so "busy" that I neglect to take the time to protect them from the danger? How many small holes have I allowed to be chewed in the fabric of their character because I thought it wasn't that serious? How much more should I be guarding their souls ~ even more so than their substance.

Lord, help me remember that Satan is always vigilant. His only "business" is our destruction. May I never be distracted from my true purpose. Lord, keep me form busyness.