For The Birds?

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. (Matthew 10:29)

Yesterday was a fun day for Little Bit and a busy day for me. We invited a friend over for some playtime for Little Bit so I could get a few things done around the house. We moved our office to a new and much closer location last week, and in the process acquired a rather large amount of used office furniture. Some we will keep and use, the rest we will sell this weekend at a--UGH!--garage sale (I hate doing garage sales.). So I've been going through Little Bit's toys, my books and various other things around the house that we can include in the sale this weekend. I also took the girls out for lunch and a few rounds of bowling. The girls had a lot of fun, but by day's end, I was spent. That spent feeling always sets in somewhere around eight or nine pm each evening, but it hit me much earlier yesterday...say around 6:30? So after we dropped Little Bit's friend off at her home, we headed home too, where I immediately put Yummy to bed and pointed Little Bit in that same direction. The Hoffer has had a long couple of weeks moving and settling into a new office, so he was off to bed all on his own around 9:15. So thankfully, I was given some escape time all to myself. YIPPEE!!! Normally I would dive into my most recent "sappy romance novel", but as I am currently bookless, I headed upstairs and watched two of my favorite DVR'd shows, "Burn Notice" and "Royal Pains" (both on the USA Network, in case you're wondering). Around midnight the Hoffer woke up and came to drag me away from the couch and off to bed.

Now, I don't know about you other moms out there, but when I am getting ready for bed, about a dozen plus small tasks come to mind that I could knock out easily and quickly. Oddly (in my mind, anyway), the tasks that popped into my head involved my front porch. We have a pick-up/drop-off laundry service that leaves the Hoffer's dress shirts cleaned, pressed and hanging on our front door from a hook on Wednesdays (I don't iron...he would have no shirts left). Given that last night was Thursday, I realized that, since we don't often use the front door, our laundry had been hanging on our front door for more than 24 hours. So I open the door at 1:00 am to find the laundry...and this:

That's when the verse from Matthew popped into my head, because just above our front porch is this:

Can you see the birds' tails sticking out of their nest? I don't know what kind of birds these are, but I must admit it's kind of fun having them make their home right outside my front door every spring/summer. The only negative is that it does result in a very messy front porch...if you know what I mean. No consideration or discretion at all on their part. Disgusting is too kind a word.

So at 1:00 in the morning, I have a dilemma: what to do with this little bird who has fallen down and can't get up. I try to get the Hoffer to help me, but he's not getting back up out of bed for nothing. And while I do want to help the little guy, the thought of picking him up doesn't really induce any motherly or tender feelings. All I can think about is all the germs that might be on his feathers from being near that pile of bird poop on my front porch. (I didn't include it in the pictures for a reason...who wants to see THAT???) And besides, if I do put him back in the nest, won't the mother reject him because I touched him? I was stumped and didn't know what to do. So, with that verse in mind, I prayed for some guidance.

The Hoffer suggested I get online for ideas (I felt like kicking myself for not thinking of it on my own!!!). The site I found said that if you find a seemingly orphaned baby bird, it's okay to put it back into its nest, that the human-scent-rejection story is only a myth. I also decided to wake Little Bit up so she could be in on the excitement. I found a step-ladder and tested it, only to find out I was too short to get the bird back home. So I went back to the Hoffer and said the magic word: "Pleeeeease?" That was all it took (I'm going to remember that the next time I want to buys something frivolous!). He very sweetly got right up and put that helpless little bird back into his nest. My hero. :-)

So knowing that God doesn't waste anything but has a purpose in everything, I've wondered why He allowed that little bird to fall out of its nest. Was it just so my family could have a special bonding time over him? Was it a test of some sort to see how I would respond? Or is it something else still? Perhaps it was merely this: that I would write about it on my blog and find not just Matthews 10:29, but also the verses that followed:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

In today's world of upheaval and unrest, of uncertainty about what a sometimes scary future might hold, when worries and fears bombard us and wear us down, sometimes we all need a reminder that God loves us and is going to always take care of us. "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." What a comfort that is.

Pleasant Words

The question was raised recently, once again by astute blogger Shauna at The Coffee Stop, as to how to share something personal on one's blog knowing that one will have to ultimately face lurkers. Here's what she said:

"There is a reason I haven't been blogging as frequently, and hopefully I'll feel confident enough to share it here soon. Quick question: how do you get personal on your own blog, knowing you will come face to face with some of the lurkers?"

It's something I've often wondered myself. How do you blog about something difficult you've been facing without sharing something lousy about another person? Any suggestions? I'm listening! I haven't been blogging for long, but my basic rule of thumb, for life as well as blogging, is that if I don't have something nice to say then I should keep my mouth shut (something The HOFFER has been asking me to do for quite some time--LOL!!!). While I've learned over the years that unkind words or gossip usually come back to bite me in the butt if I don't keep quiet, that doesn't necessarily mean I follow that little nugget of great advice with any regularity. Words can be used to build up and bring joy, or they can be used to destroy and hurt. Once spoken, they can't be taken back. In print--letter, email, note, BLOG--it's even worse, because it's written out for all to see and read again and again. Here's what the Bible says about what we say and how it affects others in James 3:3-12 (I'm using The Message translation):

"A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?"

Yikes. That IS scary!

I had originally planned on this post being about a few pet peeves I have, but reading those verses has caused me to change my mind. Pet peeves are negatives. So perhaps another time when I really need to vent...perhaps. Since words can be used for good instead of evil, positive instead of negative, I would like to share some pleasant words written about my Beloved (a.k.a. The HOFFER), as well as one more Bible verse. It's from one of my favorite books, Proverbs (New International Version, this time!).

Proverbs 16:24: Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.


Boy, did we find out just how true THAT is!!! Check out these pleasant words that someone wrote recently about The HOFFER! And yes, his name really is Cash. This was posted in a BMX chat room that he has been a part of for several years. (OldschoolBMX and Vintage, as referenced in this post, are both chat rooms focusing on BMX racing, mostly past but also present.)


"If anyone knows Cash, they’re a better person. What can I say but THANK YOU!

There are very few people on this earth that I look up to and admire. My dad was one. A good Christian man when he passed just after his 56th birthday. My pastor is another for instance. He brings the word of God to his flock every week in and week out. He’s genuine, not judgmental. He loves Jesus and he loves people. Then there's Cash. Cash is another person that I really admire. He is a genuine person and really loves people. When I first started back into this BMX thing, I thought it was kind of silly to be racing BMX into my late 30’s. However, with my involvement in OldschoolBMX and later Vintage, I found out that Cash was racing and that to me told me that it was alright to do so also. As time went on, I found Cash to be a warm and caring man. Never have I heard a discouraging word come from his mouth. He always has something positive to say and you can see Christ working through him. I consider myself fortunate to have met Mr. Matthews and to have him call me friend is truly an honor that I cherish.

Cash, I love you like a brother. If there’s anything you or Katy need, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I pray for you, your wife, your daughter, and the one in the womb. Cash, you are doing God’s will. Keep up the good fight!

Thank you!

Your friend, Mike"


Oh my goodness. How would you like it if someone said something like this about you? I was weeping openly after I read this. But what's important is this: our friend Mike hit the nail right on the head. The HOFFER is EXACTLY what Mike said: encouraging, always has something positive to say...pleasant words indeed. I am truly blessed to have him be such a major part of my life.

Happy 17th Anniversary and Happy Father's Day, Sweetheart! I love you.