Caution: Heart-Wrenching Photos (may be graphic for little ones)

After the first World War, the United States, with its big heart, gave vast sums of money to the dislocated orphans of Europe, but they didn't have enough to meet the need. In one of the places where they were taking in orphans, a man came in, very thin with large, unnaturally bright eyes, thin cheeks and thin arms, leading a little girl. She also showed signs of malnutrition--eyes too large and bright, her little abdomen distended and her thin little legs and arms too small and too thin for her age.

This man led her in and said to the person in charge, "I would like you to take in my little girl." And they asked him if she was his daughter.

"Yes," he said.

"Well," they said, "we're awfully sorry, but our rule here is that only full orphans can receive any help. If one of the parents is living, then we can't take responsibility because we just don't have enough. There are too many full orphans for us to take a half orphan."

And he looked down at his little girl, and she looked up questioningly with big, too-bright eyes, and then he turned and said, "Well, you know, I can't work. I'm sick. I've been abused. I have been in prison. I've been half-starved, and now I'm old and I can't work. I can barely stagger around. But I brought her down for you to take care of her."

And they said, "We're sorry, but there's nothing we can do."

He said, "You mean that if I were dead, you'd take care of my little girl and feed her and she could live here and have clothing and a home?" They said, "Yes." Then he reached down and pulled her skinny little body up to himself and hugged her hard and kissed her. Then he put her hand in the hand of the man at the desk, and said, "I'll arrange that," and walked out of the room and committed suicide.

As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him.

Mercy was showing compassion in the only way it could at the moment; by dying. So Christ Jesus our Lord died there on that cross, for He loved us and pitied us as a father pities his children.

Taken from The Attributes of God by A.W. Tozer

Saying "I love you" for the last time.

Listen to this story, told by a preacher at a conference speaking on youth relationships with their parents.

"During the conference, a 16-year-old girl came forward and asked if she could give her testimony. At first, I sensed a little hesitation in my heart, and then I thought, "No, I need to let her speak." And then I did.

The girl's name was Kayla. She told how she had come home from school one day and was excited because some friends had invited her to go with them somewhere. When she told her Mom, she was just sure her mom would be happy about what she was going to do and would certainly let her go. When Mom heard where she was going, who she was going with- Mom said to Kayla: Absolutely not! There is no way I could let you go there and do that.

Kayla's expectations of a great, fun time were smashed to smitherines in a few moments of time. Angrily, she looked at her mother and said, "It's not fair, Mom! You just don't ever want me to have a good time!" And then she stormed up stairs, went in her room, and laid down across her bed. Her mother followed her. Gently, she opened the door, went in, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to explain.

"Kayla. It's not that we don't want you to have a good time. Actually, there are three good reasons why I don't want you to go. Number one is this, honey: It's against the rules of our home. We don't go to such places- none of us go to places like that. Secondly: I'm concerned about the friends you want to go with, honey. Frankly, I think it's the wrong crowd for you to be around and I'm concerned about you spending so much time around that group of people. Thirdly, Kayla, the main reason I don't want you to go: I don't want you to go because I love you and I want the best for your life. Kayla? I said, I love you. Kayla, darling, I really do love you."

Kayla didn't reply.

Her mom got up and left the room.

This girl from the youth camp was standing on the platform telling her testimony with tears streaming down her face, as she said, "It wasn't that I didn't love my Mama. I did love her. But I didn't speak to my Mom that day. Or the next day. Or the next day. The next morning, I got up and caught the school bus. On the way to school, an ambulance passed the bus. Its lights were flashing, it's sirens were screaming. I had no idea that they were going after my Mama, and that I would never see her again. It was too late for me to say, "I love you too, Mom."

And with tears streaming down her face, that girl stood before that youth group and said this, "One hundred times one hundred times, I've wished I could tell my Mom that I love her. If I could just call her on the phone and tell her I loved her, I would do it in a heartbeat. And if I could write her a letter and say, "Mom, I love you," I would do it. And if I could see her and hug her and say, "Mom, I love you"- a hundred times a hundred, I would do it!"

Today could be your last chance. Do you want your last words to be bitter, angry, and harsh?

Or do you want them to be words of forgiveness, words of love.

Thy Will Be Done

My God, my Father, while I stray

Far from my home in life's rough way,

O teach me from my heart to say,

Thy will be done.

If dark my path and hard my lot,

May I be still and murmur not;

But breathe the prayer divinely taught,

Thy will be done.

If Thou shouldst call me to resign

What most I prize-- it ne'er was mine;

I only yield Thee what is Thine,

Thy will be done.

Should pining sickness waste away

My life in premature decay,

My Father, help me still to say

Thy will be done.

Renew my will from day to day;

Blend it with Thine and take away

All that now makes it hard to say

Thy will be done.

And when on earth I breathe no more

The prayer oft mixed with tears before;

I'll sing on heaven's blissful shore

Thy will be done.

This is "my" hymn. I can't sing it without being convicted of my attitude towards the storms God sends my way. Who am I to question His will- may I learn to bow my will and sincerely say, "Thy will be done."

Created to be.... little helpers. :)

The harvesting begins! Not only does it begin, but it goes on and on...

Well, it seems like it. Those green beans... It could be a drought and they would still be popping out from every stem! It's a rather daunting task at times... especially in the heat. No sooner do I clear a small area, then I discover that they've magically re-populated the entire plant.

I also discovered a little surprise a few days ago.... after picking myriads of beans that were green, I reached under a leaf and pulled a bean out. When I laid eyes upon it, I was a little scared. It was purple. I've never seen those before... did God create those, or are they some sketchy cross-hybrid... And what do you call them? Purple beans or purple green beans? If I said that I'd picked "purple beans", I doubt many would understand.

It could just be me. Maybe purple green beans have been around longer than my 24 years. I know, I just revealed my age in public.... shhhh. :)

Now look at the above pictures. In photo A, we've got Eva in her "Country Girl" shirt. Very appropriate, I'd say. These miniature adults actually have their very own, kid-sized garden gloves! Straw hats and we're ready for work!

Eva is a little master at picking green beans, as I discovered. I ran back in to get the camera, and there she was, picking away. Kailey felt a little left-out, and meandered off to pick her own, Kailey-sized green peppers.

So there we were, slaving away in the sun. Well, mostly Eva and myself. Kailey contented herself (much to my dismay) with digging in the dirt and pouring it all over herself.

I reminded myself that I used to spend hours making mud cakes. Thrill of my childhood, those mud-cake days!

Kids love to help.

I feel that I need to emphasize that a bit more...

Kids love to help!

It doesn't matter what you're doing- pouring in chocolate chips, scrubbing the toilet bowl, pulling weeds, or talking out loud. (Eva loves to help finish my sentences) ;)

Problem is.... its more work when they help. I have found myself sneakily cleaning the house, hoping they won't find me and ask to help. It's hard to say no. They're so cute, for one. For another thing, I know it will benefit them to learn life skills.

If only it weren't so much more work.... Not only do I have to do it with them until they get the hang of it, I then have to re-do (in secret) whatever they do for me!

It's not easy! And I won't lie- I work very very quietly and hide in the closet if I hear footsteps coming my way. Well... maybe not that last part... but it's tempting;)

What is my problem?!?

Um..... selfishness.... perfectionisism.... laziness.... I could go on but I'd rather not. :p

I'm selfish because I'm depriving them of opportunities to learn skills for their life. (Hey, it will benefit me/others in the long run- if I teach them how to buckle their seatbelt, I don't have to crawl in the back of my 2-door sports car... if I teach them to take their dishes to the sink, I will create a life-long habit ... er... hopefully.)

I'm being a perfectionist because I think it all has to be done to perfection. Kids take pride in their work; who am I to insist that every wrinkle be out before I give them a passing pat on the head?? I need to get away from my perfectionism and work on praising them. Praise drives them to work harder and do their work better.

I am being lazy because I want the quick(er) and eas(ier) way out.

So it's tiring, constantly working alongside them, helping them to master some skill.

Is that really my excuse?

So there. Maybe this will increase my motivation to be better about letting the kids help.

After all. One day they will be making me chocolate chip cookies. Unless I refuse to ever teach them by letting them work alongside me.

One day they will be folding the clothes by themselves. Unless I refuse them every opportunity to learn with me.

My thoughts and goals.... I promise you that I'm not posting this to make any of you feel like a bad parent-- if I know you and you're a parent- I think you are wonderful and I've learned from all of you:) Thank you for being a good example!

Keep on keeping on!

Little Girl.

Big Farm.

Little Girl.

Big Grain Bin.

I wonder what life looks like for them....

Does everything seem big and daunting through the eyes of children?

Is that why they need us to coax them through the scary and hard parts

of their life? Things that seem trivial and silly in my eyes...

Do my problems seem big and daunting?

Do I maybe cling tighter to God's hand when He is

trying to lead me up what seems like a treacherous

mountain? When it fact, it is only a gentle slope in the eyes of God...

Do I know anything of the hill Christ climbed for me?

Bruised and bleeding, my Lord and King staggered up that

treacherous mountain, with no hand to hold.

But still He pressed on....

Because with His eyes, He saw that the 'hill' of Calvary

must be conquered to win life for the lost and guilty.

"Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!"