i don't remember growing older

Happy birthday, Kendall. Wow! Where have the years gone? When I put the Sunrise, Sunset song on the other day I didn't realize how well it would go along with today's post. I think the song goes something like this.

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older, when did they?

Kendall is 17 today. The picture above is my favorite photograph that I have ever taken of him. It was about three years ago at the Old Mill in North Little Rock, AR. The Old Mill was featured in the movie, GONE WITH THE WIND. The video below was taken last night. Kendall is # 11.

Kendall 2010MG from Elizabeth Dianne on Vimeo.

One of our favorite stories about Kendall goes like this.

When Kendall was about 3 or 4 years old, both of his parents were working at the same school (and Kendall was in pre-school there) but left at different times and drove different cars. Kendall was a sleepy head and it was very hard for him to wake up in the mornings. Also, he was pretty lanky at this point in time so he could lay down on the bed and with a little cover on him, you could not tell he was there.

Kendall got up, got dressed and ate breakfast but somehow made his way back to the bedroom.

Kim, my DIL left for work first and made sure that she told my son to be sure and bring Kendall. Kailey went on with Kim.

Jeff gets up and gets ready for school--the house is quiet, he walks through the house, peeks in Kendall's bedroom and leaves for work.

At about 10:00a.m., Jeff and Kim make contact by phone at school and Kim asked Jeff if he got Kendall in class okay or something like that. Jeff thought he had come on to school with Kim and thought Kim was kidding him. When they both finally discovered that they had left this little lamb at home by himself, Jeff broke every speed law in the books to drive the distance (across the city of Tulsa--takes 20 minutes or so) to get to their home.

Jeff runs in the house, breathless with anxiety, and Kendall is sitting there watching t.v. When they asked him what he did when he woke up and found that he was alone, he said, "I cwied for a little while, and then I watched cahtoons."

Praise God that the little ones know more about technology than I did at that age. (was there any techology then?--well, I certainly didn't have a t.v. LOL)

two precious hidden flowers of humanity

Did you see the report of the 70-something year old woman who was found alive in Haiti yesterday, the 7th day after the earthquake? And the 26-year old woman with the hip out of place and the broken leg who was singing and looked radiant? She said she talked to her boss--God--the whole time and did not need another human being. What a testimony!


As I sit here trying to imagine some of that seven day period--hunger knawing holes in the stomach, thirst cracking parched membrane, pain wracking the whole of the body, my mind cannot wrap itself around the bravery and resilience of these women.

And yet I know it has to be a miracle. Only God could provide this larger than life heroism. How could this NOT bring glory to our God? These women were praising God as they were rescued.

Earth in its fury had hidden these precious flowers from sight--from hope-starved families, from light of day, from food and water BUT it could not hide them from the care of a tender, loving Father. Surely, surely, as they waited days, hours, minutes, moments that seemed to go on forever--a loving, heavenly Father was singing songs of deliverance over them.

I wonder if they could hear Him--if their spirits could hear voices of millions of angels singing "back-up" to Him-- I wonder if at times it was a lullaby of comfort and rest, if other times it was a ballad of memories of their families and loved ones to keep up their hope--and at times a spirit-charged anthem of conquering victory to spur them toward the day the rescuers would miraculously find them breathing and praising God? I wonder.

If ever I have been encouraged to do the things I need to do, it is today. He is my hiding place and He is singing over me.

Ps 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Zeph 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

sunrise, sunset

If you would like to see a dazzling array of sunsets and sunrises, please GO HERE to the link I have provided for you.

You also can add your own photography to the group. And then be sure to check out the photography component at Pioneer Woman's blog here, where Ree Drummond has provided a gorgeous high-res photograph for you to do with as you please. Her photography is truly breath-taking.

I know I have shared these verses from Psalm 19 before but I just have to share them again.

Ps 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.



PHOTOGRAPH: I took this photograph in Hot Springs Village, AR--2004.

please pray for mitchell

We just received a phone call from Sam, the grandfather of Mitchell. He is very seriously ill and is intubated at this time. They are not sure yet just what the source of this dire problem is. He needs a miracle. Won't you please join me in prayer for this precious child of God. You can read his story HERE.

THIS VIDEO WILL BRING A LUMP TO YOUR THROAT BUT INSPIRATION TO YOUR HEART.