A PRAISE DAY

To quote a sweet friend on this day, "This has just been a praise filled day today! (But aren’t all days supposed to be?)"  Isn't that the truth?  EVERY day should be filled with praise because our Redeemer is alive and well in our daily lives.  Many days, I miss that, but not today!   I am praising the Lord for answered prayer.....and this prayer was the answer for which I longed! Just sayin'....

WHAT A FRIEND.......

Remember me?  It’s been so long since I posted anything that folks have probably forgotten about me.  I will try to do better and make more frequent posts.  I do enjoy sharing for sure.  Time just doesn't always cooperate.

This week has been an unusually sad week.  I began the week on Monday at my accountant’s office, arriving just as one of his female workers got the news that her dad had suddenly passed away.  It’s very hard to comfort when something like this happens.  As she was trying to gather herself in her office, I asked the coworkers (who are my friends) if she was a Christian.  They answered yes.  Before I could stop my mouth, I told them if she wanted someone to pray with her I would.  As soon as those words went out of my mouth, I thought to myself, “Have I lost my mind?  What do you mean?  Geez….”  Then I was reminded of the scripture that says to always be prepared.  Well I did pray with this sweet one…hope it was a comfort but it was sure an act of faith for me.

That afternoon when I got back home, I got the call that my cousin’s son moved to heaven at age 42.   The day was not looking so good.  Doesn’t seem fair or right in our human eyes, huh?  Even when you know that God knows best and sees that big picture, one still wants to wonder why.  It’s especially hard for a mama, or so I would imagine.  I hope I never know that pain.  Not that I’m any better than anyone else, I just hope and pray I never know that pain….just being honest here.  I have all respect and love for all of the mamas who have known that pain...and I know many.  I don’t know how one would make it without the Lord.

It seems as though we often lose touch with our family.   That’s how it is with this side of my family.  My granny and many aunts and uncles have gone to be with the Lord.   I was blessed to see many of my cousins last night at the funeral home visitation.  I found it important that I hear again all the cousins’ ages.  That was amazing to me.  In the lineup from oldest to youngest, unfortunately, I fall in the number three position.  The youngest, who was the flower girl in The Husband and my wedding, is now 43 with teenage children.  Really?  That much time has gone by?  It felt unbelieveable but wonderful to see the ones I did get to see even though it was in such a sad atmosphere.  There was a lot of remembering the good times and the good things which was a blessing to me.

Back to my thoughts here….I get so distracted when I write, just as I do in real life.  Age, I’ve determined.  After all I AM number three in the lineup of cousins from oldest to youngest. 

At the funeral today, there were many tears shed.  At the beginning of the service, the Christian anthem of Amazing Grace was sang.  His grace is amazing, isn’t it?  And thank the good Lord we have it.  My cousin had written a letter to her son and it was read beautifully by her sweet granddaughter.  More tears.  Then The Singer sang the next song.  As soon as I heard the piano music begin, I recognized the tune to “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”….one of my all time favorites for sure.  I listened, REALLY listened, to the words of that song and as the words were sung, my heart began to overflow with joy.   “What a friend we have Jesus….all our sins and griefs to bear….what a privilege to carry….everything to God in prayer….” A privilege.  A privilege to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.  I sat there and was reminded that God cares about you and He cares about me.  GOD CARES.   And, oh my goodness, what a joy and a blessing that is for us!  I sat in that funeral home chapel and cried and cried….not sad tears but joyful tears that GOD CARES.  My cup overflowed.  The Holy Spirit came to my pew and touched my heart and strengthened me.  I was still  sad for my cousin and her loss but joyful that I was assured at the end of that service that her son had gone to heaven to be with the Lord. 

I looked up the lyrics to this sweet song--finding the familiar verses and even one I had never heard before.  The song goes like this:

What a friend we have in Jesus.

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Oh what peace we often forfeit.

Oh what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful?

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden?

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior still our refuge.

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee.

Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised.

Thou wilt all our burdens bear.

May we ever, Lord, be bringing

All to thee in earnest prayer

Soon in glory bright, unclouded.

There will be no need for prayer.

Rapture, praise, and endless worship

Will be our sweet portion there.

So when you are “cumbered with a load of care”, take it to the Lord in prayer!  HE CARES!

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY POST

Okay, so I thought my birthday posts were over....sorry, they're not.  A girl can change her mind, can't she?

Thirty plus years ago on this day at one minute before the noon hour, the lives of The Husband and me changed forever.  For the good.  Forever.  The Girl entered our lives and our lives have never been the same since.

I was thinking of how much The Girl had not changed since being little.  Someone has said that a child's life is molded in the very first years.  When I began to look and think about it, in the life of The Girl that is true.  I thought you, my faithful blog readers, might enjoy seeing the similarities then and now.

The Girl REALLY loves her daddy.  And she also LOVES a good nap.  (And no, I did not cook Double Q salmon in the den in those days.  It's called a "spit cup".  We still have them at our house except now they are quality water or gatorade bottles with lids and no water or gatorade.)  This is one of my favorite pictures from the first days The Girl was at home.

The Girl still listens intently to others and their advice.

The Girl smiles a lot and is happy most days.

She loves to dress her best for church. The Girl loves a good Easter dress.  She does not like scratchy crinolines.

The Girl is a BIG Mickey Mouse fan.  Enough said.

Books and reading are a favorite way to pass the time.  There was more time to pass in younger days than now, but books are still important.

The Girl loves snow.  Check out the plastic bag shoes.

The Girl loves to bake and is very good at it.  

She loves licking beaters, too.

Baking makes her smile....

The Girl even likes cleaning her house most days.  I miss her cleaning skills at my house.

The Girl loves fun shoes....

 ..and hats....quality hats...

She loves Christmas and presents.  She has gotten a lot of "thing-a-ding-ding" gifts of some sort through the years.

The Girl likes to talk on the phone and read her Bible....though not at the same time.  It's harder to multitask as one ages.

 The Girl has ALWAYS loved birthdays....

..and that hasn't changed.  We gave her her gift and had a small taste of sugar free dessert last night.

This quilt is a piece of her heritage.    The quilt top was hand made by a great great (maybe even one more great) grandmother.  I quilted and finished it for The Girl.  The top was given to me back in the 1980's by my mother-in-law.  The quilter had been gone for 50 years then so we figure it was sewn--by hand-- in the 1920's or so.  Vintage at it's finest.  The quilt was a treasure to The Girl.  I thought of what The Husband said about it last night.  Years and years ago the quilter probably had in mind for it to go to someone special and while we don't know what transpired all those years in between, it did in fact go to someone special at the perfect time.  And what a blessed girl she is!

So happy happy birthday sweet girl!  We love you more than you will ever begin to know.....

SNOW--THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Ah....we all love a good snow day.  Or at least many of us do.  I always loved a good snow as long as I could keep my electricity on, firewood gathered, and milk in the refrigerator.  And usually, I can enjoy a good snow for a few days without complaining.

The weather people told us it could be coming.  They told us they weren't sure where but be ready just in case it hit our neighborhood.  Sure enough day before yesterday right before noon, the snow began.  It was just tiny flakes.  Since I had been deliberating for days what kind of dessert to make for The Husband, I decided I needed to make a choice so I could be sure I had all the ingredients.  I surely had plenty of time to get to the store and back.  The snowflakes were tiny.   I decided to make a Praline Pecan Cheesecake. After going through the refrigerator, I found it lacking two blocks of cream cheese.  My recipe needed four.   I bundled up and headed out.  Once I got out I realized that the snow was sticking pretty good on those hills, rooftops, and grass.  Those little flakes.  Who would think?  Sensing that I could have driving issues, I coasted down a snow white hilly piece of road and took a detour heading back toward my house.  I did stop and borrow a couple of blocks of cream cheese from The Girl's refrigerator since I had been trusted with a key.  My Pecan Praline Cheesecake was safe.  (I will put the recipe at the end of this post.)

Well that snow, as many of your reading this know, came in quickly.  I mean quickly.  Just that short circle around to The Girl's house found her driveway covered.  Just from those tiny flakes.  Who would have thought?

It took hours and hours for The Girl to get home.  It took hours and hours and hours and more hours  with The Son-In-Law's truck finally left alone and a 2 mile walk for him before all of my people were in their safe warm beds.  The stories of those I love kept coming as this southern snow kept falling and I hear of so many who had it so much worse.  It's amazing the repercussions that can happen from something so beautiful.  Many of the time I was listening and concerned, it felt nightmarish.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in my neighborhood in spite of all the drama from the day and night before.  The Lord began the day by delighting us when we saw eight--count 'em, 8--deer in our snowy yard.  What a sight that was!  Then The Girl and The Son-In-Law walked over to visit--or so I thought. I realized later that the 25 year old snow sled was the attraction, not the parents.  It was a nice hour in the snow nonetheless and gave great photo opportunities.

I was holding tightly to The Husband's arm because I had almost fallen on the icy road a few minutes before.  I enjoyed my very old furry Walmart hat.  I wear it when it snows so it doesn't get much use. 

My "children" and that great sled....

Life is fairly back to normal here.  My car is still in the garage dry but my family have all gone back to normal life.  I hitched a ride to work today as well.   The Girl says she thinks she will always own a 4-wheel drive as it helped her get home.  The melting continues and by tomorrow afternoon, the snow will just be a memory.   I think this one, though, will go down in our southern history books right along with that one in '82 or '83 and the blizzard of '93 as the ones we'll always remember!

_________________________________________
PECAN PRALINE CHEESECAKE
1.5 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
l/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. cinnamon
4 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 c. chopped pecans
3 T. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted margarine, granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan.  Set aside.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until fluffy.  Stir in brown sugar, nuts, and flour, stirring just to combine (do not use mixer for this step).  Pour filling into crust, smoothing flat with spatula.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool well and then refrigerate.

CHILDREN

Children have always held a fascination for me.  In my church I have worked in different ways with younger children.  I find myself drawn to them.    I learn so much from them.  I guess on a realistic basis, we can spend much of our time aggravated with children, especially you who care for your own children daily.  Then there are times when all that aggravation is erased when you get that sweet, sweet moment that gets you all warm and fuzzy inside.

So here’s some things I’ve noted about very young children that merit mentioning:

Children don’t have to be taught to do wrong.  They seem to know that already.

Teaching children to do right is often a full time job.  Patience and firmness are necessities in this teaching process.

Children love to play.

Children hear more than you think.   They have selective hearing—obviously inherited from their dads.

Children can bring a tear to your eye with just one little sweet unexpected word.

Children really like to be praised.

Children count on us as adults to show them the way.  Maybe they don’t understand that is what they do, but they do.  Let’s not fall short of this task.

Children are full of innocence. 

Children are sociable with their peers. 

Children have to be taught to share with their peers.  Once this is achieved, life is good.

Children need to be loved. 

Children love animal crackers and goldfish. 

The list is endless.

Sunday morning during Big Church,  I substituted as Children’s Choir Director in the absence of the director.  I chose to have them sing “Jesus Loves Me”.  It's often the "go-to" song when I substitute.  This Sunday, though, as the boatload of children in that choir stood and began to sing, it was different.  There was something about the sound of those children’s voices singing “Jesus loves me this I know” that got my tears to the edge and I was blessed yet again by children. 

As I think about it, we adults are not so different from children.    As a mother, I find myself still in conversation saying “my little girl” when talking about The Girl even though she’s not a little girl anymore.  In my eyes and the eyes of The Husband, she will always be our little girl.  Some things just don’t change.   As the child of my Heavenly Father, I realize no matter how long I’ve been His child, I will still be His child forever and always.   And as a child of His, I am NEVER too old to learn from Him.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.”    Mark 10:14

And I say, “Amen”.

COLD WEATHER BLESSINGS

Here in my fair neighborhood, it's cold.  Not bitter cold--that's to come in a couple of days--but cold.  On days such as these, I am grateful for cold weather blessings....


a challenging 1000 piece puzzle....

....a very warm fire.....

...a nice cup of homemade gluten free chicken noodle soup (recipe will be at end of this post) served in a nice soup mug given to me for my birthday by really nice friends.  There was also a matching soup tureen, ladle, and five more matching mugs ...makes you wish you were here, huh?  Bad news is that it was also supper last night and this mug of soup is the last of it.

It's the little things along with big things that require our thanks.

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP 

1 T. butter or margarine 

1 lg. onion, chopped

3 c. chopped cooked chicken 

3 (1 4.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiruted

1 (8 oz.) pkg. spaghetti, broken into smaller pieces  

7 celery ribs, diced

6 medium carrots, diced

1t. poultry seasoning 

1 t. pepper

1 t. grated lemon rind

2 c. milk

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheese

Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and saute until tender. Stir in chicken and other ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer for 45 minutes, stir in milk; return to simmer. Remove soup from heat and let stand ten minutes.  Sprinkle each serving with shredded cheese.  Makes 12 cups.

This recipe is good just as it is; however, I often adapt in these ways.  Firstly, I never use the lemon rind.  For the soup in the mug pictured above, I omitted the mushroom soup and only added one can of low sodium healthy heart cream of chicken soup along with the broth called for and extra broth from cooking the chicken.  I added no milk nor cheese and used gluten free noodles and it was delicious that way.  So...with that said, play with it to suit your needs but be aware l/2 t. of poultry seasoning makes a lot of difference in the taste.  Enjoy!

NIFTY FIFTY

Fifty years ago today my family of three became a family of four.  Yes, I got a baby sister.  I guess if I'm totally honest I will admit that the memory that first comes to mind about that period of time is that snow was on the ground when my daddy and I went to pick up The Sister and my mother from the hospital.   I also vaguely remember that my eight year old self was sick with some childhood disease, maybe chickenpox or measles or some spotty disease like that.   Yes, fifty years ago there was a white Christmas!

After the white Christmas was melted and gone, I rather enjoyed having a baby sister, I would guess.  At various times, I remind The Sister that she really had it made.  As we both got older, she did not have to do a lot of the "pastor service projects" on Sundays with The Parents as I always had to do.  I was old enough to stay home with her and take care of her and even eventually drive her around to fun places.  Places like concerts at Six Flags and such as that.  She had a live in "young" chauffeur and baby sitter.

The Sister and I were and remain different, yet alike.  You might not know that The Sister LOVES shoes.  Really LOVES shoes.  As the two of us age, it's kind of funny how we grow more alike.  An experience with shoes is a good example of the different yet alike personalities.  As the older, more "arthritic" one, I am interested in shoes that feel good on my feet the same at bedtime as they felt when they were put on in the early morning.  I found such shoes.  They are pretty ugly but I really don't care about that as long as they don't hurt.  Imagine my surprise one day when The Sister called and asked me about those ugly shoes, saying she needed a pair that felt good.  Uh huh.  The other day I was reminded of this as The Sister, The Mother, and I had a celebratory birthday lunch.  I wore my ugly shoes and alas, so did The Sister wear hers.  The difference--mine are plain ugly black, hers are vivid ugly multi-colored!

My sister is most loved by many.   She loves her husband, son, and daughter immensely.  She loves her Lord even more.   She loves children.  She loves sports.  She's a good friend.  She can sing.  Well.  She can cook.  She can bake.  Very well.  And she likes doing it.

In celebration of The Sister's milestone birthday, I thought you would enjoy a short pictorial.  I could have made it a long pictorial but face it, tis the season to be busy and scanning old pictures is a time consuming event.  Plus I didn't have any of the time between young and "older".  They would really have entertained had I had them.  So instead, I decided to focus on "sister" photographs that I had.  Enjoy.

Posing with our Granny on the Sister's first Easter....or maybe I should say that I pose and The Sister sleeps.

As The Sister got a bit older she learned the art of "The Wave".  I'm thinking the camera person would say to wave as it showed up in various photos like this one with our Mema.

The next couple show hairband hairstyles popular with my age group.  It looks like it was someone's birthday, too.

Waving in front of the gray Rambler station wagon.....a child's dream ride....

Vacations......

I learned to sew in high school home economics and liked it.  I made all our clothes.  They matched.  On purpose. And we wore them.  Willingly.  I was constantly sewing and we were constantly getting new clothes.  Back then we thought we were stylin' and profilin'.  Now maybe we look at photos, we think not so much.  

The Sister has an infectious laugh and good sense of humor most days.

So happy birthday, Sister!  Hope you see fifty more!  Nifty!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

Nine.  9.  N-I-N-E.  A single digit.  That’s how many days it is until Christmas is here.  When someone tells you that the older you get, the faster time passes, BELIEVE them.  It is the truth.  Where has time gone?  The last few weeks, time and life seems to have overtaken me.  Busy, busy, busy.   I have no wrapped gifts under my tree.  I usually have it ALL done by now. 

My little Sunday School class of two and three year olds celebrated the season last Sunday with a “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” party and invited their parents to be our guests.  We had our regular routine of attendance star application, a time of getting rid of wiggles, a song (Happy birthday to you, dear Jesus), our prayer, lesson, gifts, food….just a fun Sunday School time.  These kids are such a blessing to me every Sunday morning.  Here’s a visual of our Sunday class time.

Tonight I was reflecting as I was writing a couple of last minute cards.  I chose to send these folks the same cards I sent to my Sunday School children—a card with characters from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.  Let me tell you that there are a lot of things I love about Christmas—even when I’m busy.  There’s nothing sweeter than  children’s little voices singing “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.  The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head…”  Jerks my tears every time.  Another thing that gets me is in the “Charlie Brown Christmas” when Charlie Brown (isn’t it funny that he’s never just Charlie, but always Charlie Brown?) asks “Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is about?”  And then shepherd Linus begins to speak.  When he quotes the “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people...for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord”,  I get all teary-eyed again.  Every.  Single.  Time. 

Each Sunday since Thanksgiving, I’ve taught my little class the Christmas story.  I figure with little ones, repetition is good and after all, it is Christmas.    Shucks, sometimes adults need repetition.  To help the story come alive, the past two Sundays I’ve used my child’s nativity.  The children "help" tell the story with "hands-on" experience.

As I put the Joseph and Mary in place in the stable, I thought about them as parents.  They both had to be somewhat scared, I would think.  But with the fear of the unknown and circumstances came trust in what the angel had said and what God had promised.  Youngsters they were.  Becoming parents to God’s own son.  Amazing.   I would think that when they were in that stable and Jesus was lying in that manger, there had to be such a spirit-filled warmth like no other.  The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. 

Then there were those shepherd guys out on the dark hillside.  Imagine their fear when the angel appeared and told them to “fear not”.   I always thought if I could choose someone to be in this story, it would be a shepherd.  Shepherds there on that hillside, probably poor, dirty, and tired.  Then all of a sudden getting the good news from angels that a Savior is born.  I love it that the shepherds were willing to “go and see” and then to “go and tell others”.   I’ve often said, though, that if I think about it, I have been like those shepherds because years ago as a child, I bowed at an altar and “found the Lord” and accepted him as MY Savior.  I know how those shepherds felt.  Joy.  Great joy that they found the Lord!

With my little class, we also use the wise men but I never think as much about them for one reason or another.  I do think of their gifts.  Costly gifts fit for a king.  Jesus only wants gifts of ourselves.  As I tell my little class, gifts of love, sharing, peace, joy…the list goes on and on.  And, too, I always remember that Jesus is THE gift and brings all those to us who love Him. 

The story of that first Christmas never gets old.  It’s new over and over again, be it December or the middle of July.   And as Linus says, “THAT'S what Christmas is all about!”

I say, "Amen"!