O Sovereign Lord, You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

O Lord, you cause everything to work together for good for those who love you and are called to your purpose for them.

We sound the trumpet! You are God and there is none other!

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise to silence the foe.

Let the children who are not yet born PRAISE YOUR NAME!

O Lord, you are the everlasting King, Eternal God.
Your kindgom will last forever, your rule through all generations.

You are the Almighty, All-Sufficient God each day
carrying us in your arms.

You are our Source of everlasting comfort and hope.

Lord, Most High we cry out to you.

Yes, and you are not misunderstanding that quote…just like what Mary Lu implied, our real home is in Heaven WITH our Father.

This life is just a temporary one…a sort of staging area. This is where we make our CHOICE whether we want to be with our Father in Heaven when this life ends OR not.

We make that CHOICE by either accepting and living His commandments or rejecting it.

Unfortunately, accepting/ living His commandments entails suffering and sacrifice…hence, the "valley of tears" reference.

BUT the sacrifices/suffering endured here on earth for His sake is not wasted…it becomes redemptive, when offered up to Him in Union with His suffering when He was on earth.

A little long but I hope that clears that up…

Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, O Lord Most High.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord for mercy.

Lord of the Dead and Living, Help!

Great is the Lord! You are righteous in all your ways. You are loving toward all you have made. You are gracious and compassionate. You are slow to anger and you are rich in love.

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power.

O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy.
In your faithfulness and righteousness come to my
relief.

Hear, O Lord, my cry for mercy.

O Sovereign Lord, my strong Deliverer, rescue the
Little Ones from slaughter.

Thank you for that wonderful story about our Blessed Mother. In this hate-filled, selfish world our mother stills calls us and is with us in this "valley of tears" we call Life.

Mike