semper fi

Recently, my oldest, Liz, had career day at her high school. She checked out the important stuff like BadAss Coffee. Great. But she spent the most time at the recruiting table for the Marine Corp. She has no desire to be a part of The Few and The Proud mind you. She just loves the way they look in uniform and rightly so. Thank God she is listening to me after all!

Our home is not far from the US military recruiting center. By the grace of God, the Marines jog on our street. Sometimes they carry the Marine Corp. flag while they run and sing the Marine Corp. Hymn....I've been known to stand on my falling down balcony and just bless them with a somewhat inappropriate "Semper Fi, boys. Semper Fi." I feel a little like Mrs. Robinson when ever I watch them, but who could blame me? John has my full permission to drool should a supermodel ever jog down our street...'cause that is never going to happen!

Dirty old lady behavior aside, it has been a week of watching my children and hearing their wisdom.

John bought little Miss Maggie a ring from a train show (why they had rings, I don't know) and she could not wait to show me.

"There is nothing so special as getting a ring from your daddy, right Mommy?" She half asked and half told me.
"True Mags. I love my ring from my daddy too. And I love my ring from your daddy as well." I said smiling at John.
"You see! It is very special and important." Said with the all the wisdom of a soon-to-be seven year old.

Caity can't find her glasses (either can I) and Brennan would like help to find her iPod. Liz is almost passing math...Sounds like their mother all the way around. And they are ready to try a new youth group at a different church. Each one admitted they have no one to share their faith with of late...and so have not. It is way easy to be the "holy one" in the crowd if you are the only one who is somewhat holy. They are hungry for Him and miss Him. That is all good.

And Sir Jack. Boy, has he been getting to me. Bad enough he waves and smiles, sadly, at me from the bus in the mornings...just to break my heart I am sure, now he has taken to reading the Word to his old mom each night before bed.

"You know mom, my reading gets better everyday since I started to read the bible. You think He has something to do with it?" He asked me this morning.

"I bet He does." I answered after him, as I watched him run down our acorn covered front lawn to that bus of his.

I went back inside and opened up to psalm 116 where we left off at and I got a blessing I had not anticipated this morning.

"Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains. " (psalm116:16)

I had a praying mom and because I did, my children now do too. I hope I will serve more and maybe ogle the USMC less as I celebrate all the chains He has freed me from. Glory in the morning indeed.