Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
By Betsy Monico
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| 11-YEAR-OLD FAIRFIELD hunter Michael Stamper killed this 7-point buck on a recent hunting trip to south Texas with Scott Schick. The 11-year-old is the son of Michelle Stamper and of Mike and Christi Stamper. |
I was just laying down with my youngest two, Blaise and Bosque, knowing that when I got them to sleep I would be guaranteed a nap. They were wrestling like brothers and sisters do. I tried to keep a straight face, knowing that if I laughed and caved it, it would make their mischief escalate. They were rolling around and carrying on so that I did what I do way too often. I called out loudly for their Dad. I said "Branden, you may need to come back here, Branden." He did not respond. When Bosque gave Blaise the next shove, instead of using her usual title of "Dad" when she wants her knight in shining armor to come a running, she yelled out "Branden" just like I had done. When he did not answer, she tried a few more times and called "Branden!" She is such a little copy cat.
It reminded me of another time recently that all four of my children played copy cat. Half way through my Mother-in-Law washing our breakfast dishes, I nudged her and said, "Let's go pray in my room." We came in the back and were praying in my room at the foot of my bed when the door opened and in came four wild and crazy little ones! I looked up to shuffle them on out, but before I could even get that thought out, they were on the bed right next to us and kneeling closely by us on the floor, right where they should have been. Blondie, that is what we call my Mother-in-law, just kept on praying and they seemed to join in with us in their own way. I got a few kisses about half way through from Brazos on my forehead. Prayer and kisses made my day!
I am not following the news much about all of this cloning of animals. It is just too much for me! I am concentrating on the "cloning" that seems to be taking place here on a daily basis. Everyone in this house plays "copy cat" and clones one thing or another. It is up to us what they copy! Even if we did not have children, there would still be others watching and imitating us, so none of us escape this responsibility. I was also reminded of how this concept of others watching closely works when of my kids asked me one day at the kitchen table, "Why don't you smile anymore?" That may have been the hardest thing I have ever had to hear, but it sure does keep my in check now and makes me want to show my pearly whites more often, whether I am in the mood or not. One person smiling can transform a room.
The last thing I have learned this week is to be careful what you write and say you believe in because you may be tested! I have been tested more than I care to share on exactly what I wrote last week about taking thoughts captive! My pet scan is only a few weeks away and I have had to wrestle the thoughts in my head! It is literally like an old school wrestling match with one of the Von Erichs at the fairgrounds like we used to have here in Fairfield. The thought of "What if" comes and I have to find a verse in my head to take it down with! It pops back up in the middle of the night when I can't sleep and I have to take it back down again and hold it down! I have had to hold my thoughts down for several ten counts and mind you, I have no strength, but I know the One who does!
We have so many promises from the Lord that are given to us in the Bible. I have always seen red birds too as a physical sign that God is with me. Go on and laugh now and have a good chuckle on me because I am "one of those people" who sees something in nature and thinks God sent it just for me! I know someone who sees a rainbow and has total confirmation that her challenge will come to pass. Well, I have always had a thing with red birds because they remind me of my Mom. I saw one on my wedding day, the day my Banner was baptized, and let me just share that when I was laying in bed Friday all day fighting my mental and physical battle in the nice quiet of my home, the red birds were just awesome outside!
We have a brush pile that I have wanted Branden to burn because it adds to the clutter in the back of our house, but it has grown to be a huge attraction to the cardinals. There were 6 or 7 of them on it Friday at any given time. One of the silly birds even came up on the porch and sat on the grill right outside of my bedroom window. The landscape out back is colorless, minus the few bug catchers laying around and Nerf balls that should be picked up, so the bright red color stands out and reminds me that I have a personal God! What more could I ask for? Is there a connection too that the birds love the old pile of ugly sticks and useless brush that I would have liked to already disposed of? Maybe so because the Lord loves us unconditionally, junk and all! He is even attracted to our ugly piles and helps us clean up what is a mess. Salvation, including the forgiveness of our sin, is where, like with my red birds out back, the beauty comes in on a dark and gray day to remind us we are never alone. Have you had a "sign" like mine this week? I hope so!