"The Little Hurts" by Edgar A. Guest

Every night she runs to me
With a bandaged arm or a bandaged knee,
A stone-bruised heel or a swollen brow,
And in sorrowful tones she tells me how
She fell and "hurted hers'f to-day"
While she was having the "bestest play."

And I take her up in my arms and kiss
The new little wounds and whisper this:
"Oh, you must be careful, my little one,
You mustn't get hurt while your daddy's gone,
For every cut with its ache and smart
Leaves another bruise on your daddy's heart."

Every night I must stoop to see
The fresh little cuts on her arm or knee;
The little hurts that have marred her play,
And brought the tears on a happy day;
For the path of childhoord is oft beset
With care and trouble and things that fret.

Oh, little girl, when you older grow,
Far greater hurts than these you'll know;
Greater bruises will bring your tears,
Around the bend of the lane of years,
But come to your daddy with them at night
And he'll do his best to make all things right.


"Heavenly Father, thank you for my four precious children. As their earthly father, please use me to lovingly console their tender little hearts whenever they are hurting. Thank you for protecting them by preventing them from getting hurt even worse than they do sometimes. Please take up the slack where I lack and transfer their allegiance from me, their earthly father, to You, our heavenly Father. Amen."

"The Old Time Family" by Edgar A. Guest

It makes me smile to hear 'em tell each other nowadays
The burdens they are bearing, with a child or two to raise.
Of course the cost of living has gone soaring to the sky
And our kids are wearing garments that my parents couldn't buy.
Now my father wasn't wealthy, but I never heard him squeal
Because eight of us were sitting at the table every meal.

People fancy they are martyrs if their children number three,
And four or five they reckon makes a large-sized family.
A dozen hungry youngsters at a table I have seen
And their daddy didn't grumble when they licked their platter clean.
Oh, I wonder how these mothers and these fathers up-to-date
Would like a job of buying little shoes for seven or eight.

We were eight around the table in those happy days back then,
Eight that cleaned our plates of pot-pie and then passed them up again;
Eight that needed shoes and stockings, eight to wash and put to bed,
And with mighty little money in the purse, as I have said,
But with all the care we brought them, and through all the days of stress,
I never heard my father or my mother wish for less.

Happy Birthday Charis Dawn Kerstetter

Charis, you were the first arrow God added to your Mom and Dad's quiver (cf. Psalm 127), back on February 3, 2000. I will never forget seeing your face for the very first time through my tears of joy. You are already fulfilling your name--"grace dawning" or "the dawning of grace." Aren't you glad that your Mom and I didn't give you the middle name "matic"? Although with your effervescent personality, we would not have missed the mark. You bring so much joy to our family and are a good help to your younger sisters and brother.
May God continue using you to shine the light of His marvelous grace into the broken lives of many people. May God sharpen and hone your musical ear and train you with a musical eye so that you may glorify Him through music, just like your Mom does. Our prayer is that you will serve God always with every ounce of your strength and every breath of your being. We are so proud of you and we will always love you!

Happy Birthday Noah Glenn Kerstetter

Noah Glenn, our one and only son, Mommy and Daddy love you very much. Whenever I was cutting your umbilical cord, the Doctor pointed out that it was tied in a knot, which is rare and even rarer that a baby survives whenever this occurs. Your Mom and I were extremely relieved and grateful to our Lord Jesus for knowing you, forming you, sanctifying you, and ordaining you in the womb before you were even born (cf. Jer. 1:5).
Contrary to what most people ask, we did not keep trying until we got a boy. Your Mommy and I had decided even before we got married, that, Lord willing, we were going to have four children--regardless of the sex of the baby. We are thankful to our Great God that He has loaned you and your three older sisters to us so that we could be good stewards in rearing you all in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Noah, may God use you as "comfort for those who are in the valleys of life" (Psalm 84:6). May you experience the Lord not only as "the God of the mountains" but also as "the God of the valleys" (cf. 1 Kings 20:23-30). May you "gain Christ and be found in Him . . . know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil. 3:8-10)

"Babies Don't Keep"

Mother, of Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-- Author Unknown

"A Mother's work is never done." True indeed. All the loving Mothers that I have ever known have at some point grappled with walking the fine line between balancing household responsibilities and spending quality time with her children. I am not advocating irresponsibility and a filthy house, but I have never heard an older Mother or GrandMother say that she wished she would have spent more time cleaning her house whenever her children were younger. On the other hand, one-hundred percent of the time I hear the Mother say that she wished she would have spent more time with her children whenever they were younger. Unfortunately, too many Mothers learn this foundational lesson later in life, if they ever learn it at all.

This poem is for my wife and all Mothers who are enjoying the time you do have with your sweet babies and wish you had even more time with them. Remember, as you have heard a thousand-and-one times, "Enjoy 'em while they're young because they grow up fast."

Watch Your Table Manners

One day at lunch time my four young children sounded like a gaggle of geese: "I want . . . !" "I want . . . !" "I want . . . !" "I want . . . !" Squawk. Of course, I am certain this happens only in my household and not in yours.

Therefore I wrote a little poem to help them learn (hopefully) what I have told them countless times about proper etiquette and table manners, etc.

"I want . . . !"
Doesn't get;
"May I please . . . ?"
Your needs are met.

May God imbed in the hearts of all my children this appealing principle.

How have you taught or are trying to teach your children good manners?

Happy Birthday Moriah Faith Kerstetter

Seven years ago, August 7, 2001, God chose to bless our family with you Moriah Faith. Daddy and Mommy love you sweet girl and we always will. As you grow, may you live as one who has been "chosen by the LORD (YHWH or Jehovah)" by "faith" so that others "may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for granting us the pleasure and responsibility of raising Moriah to love You and to worship You forever. May she always choose to walk in Your way and teach others about your grace through faith. We once again place her into Your loving care and ask You to use her in whatever way pleases You. Amen.

Happy Birthday Hannah Grace Kerstetter

Four years ago, August 1, 2004,God "graced" our family with you Hannah Grace. Daddy and Mommy love you "baby" girl and we always will. As you grow up, may the Lord Jesus use you to minister a double portion of grace into the lives of all those you will meet.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for loaning Hannah Grace Kerstetter to us. We are humbled and blessed with the sacred responsibility and awesome privilege of raising her to trust and obey You. May she glorify You and enjoy You forever. Please help us be good stewards of the great gift You have lavished upon us. We re-present Hannah to You and ask You again to use her for Your glory. Amen.