This and That and a Teaser

Looking at pictures of my children after the house is quiet and they're all asleep, always emotionally charges me. What an awesome responsibility! What an indescribable blessing!  What a grueling task, many days, physically and emotionally speaking, for the mother....just caring for their daily needs and shaping them to be Christ followers.  I look at the day's photos and remember my failures, my triumphs, as a mother.

Most of the time, I conclude that only my prayers will save them.  I'm too flawed to reap the miracles I want for their hearts.  My prayers change me, if not them......and by changing me, the Holy Spirit shapes them.

Somehow, looking at pictures in a quiet house, I know what the answer is:  A mother's faithful prayers.

The park is my favorite outing.  Always.  I love the way they push themselves, showing confidence and spunk.  I love it when they call for me, wanting to show me their feats.  I love their joy!  Being outside the confines of the house, with its never-caught-up imperfection, does us all good.

Here is our most recent Monarch, ready for release after drying its wings and consuming its chrysallis coating.

Titus Treefrog food.  Does he look like he knows his fate?

This morning Husband took Peter to a nearby nature park, having signed him up to participate in a children's nature photography class.  I use that word "class" loosely.  Instruction wasn't involved, but we did get a good printed sheet with some suggestions.  Regardless, this free outing blessed Peter very much. In two weeks he goes back to be presented with an 8X10 photo of his best picture, which the ranger determined to be the dragonfly shown below.

I am so proud of Peter!  We have a terribly cheap digital camera, with focusing issues.  Someday I hope to invest in a camera that Peter can use to learn a marketable skill--nature photography.  If training your child in the way he should go includes pointing him in the direction his gifts and passions take him, then just maybe, Peter's calling will be to point people to the Father by taking photos that prove His majesty.

Peter most certainly feels closer to God after a day out in nature.  Whatever deficits his neurological problems cause seem to be lessened, soothed, by nature. This has been proven, and is called green therapy.  My husband, too, feels relief through nature.

The turtle and the following photos, up until the bubble play outside our house, are all Peter's work.

Enjoy!

Psalm 19:1
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Peter will receive an 8X10 of this photo.  Yeah!  He's so excited.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

Exciting announcement:

Shaun Groves, Christian musician and spokesman for Compassion International, has a new album coming out on August 30.  He asked his blog readers to help him promote the album.  Considering him one of the heroes of the faith, I'm a loyal blog follower.  I jumped at the chance to ask him three questions, as detailed in his post.  Honestly, I wasn't sure he'd respond, since I have less than a hundred readers and I don't use Facebook or Twitter.  He has FBI-type ways to check into a person's blog traffic and internet use.  Creepy, isn't it?  

Anyhow, since he's such a stand-up guy, he did respond, and his answers were outstanding...witty and inspired!  Few people read blogs on the weekends, so I will wait until Monday or Tuesday to post the interview. Tease.  Be on the lookout for it!  

Listen to his new album, Third World Symphony, here:   http://soundcloud.com/shaungroves/sets/third-world-symphony

You can purchase it here:   http://shaungroves.com/store/third-world-symphony/