In the Presence of My Enemies

 

Not too many years ago, I remember following a story in the news about several people, including a missionary couple in the Philippines that had been abducted and held hostage by the Islamic terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. They were forced to march through jungles for over a year, sometimes without eating for days, in order to evade the Philippine army as the terrorists tried to extort their release for ransom. Throughout the ordeal, Martin and Gracia Burnham, relied upon their faith, even praying for their captors. I always found their story compelling and inspiring and was excited to find that she was the guest speaker at church this last Sunday. After hearing her story and considering the ordeal that she went through (including the death of her husband during her rescue), I am amazed at the peace God can bring and the way that He can turn even the worst circumstances into something good. If you have not read her book, In The Presence of My Enemies, I would highly recommend this story of courage and faith.

Book Launch Party

                                                   

NYMB On Being a Mom and NYMB On Family are the newest releases from the NYMB series from Publishing Syndicate and I was excited to be a part of the book launch/ book-signing party this past Tuesday evening. What a fun event put together by editors Linda O'Connell and Dianna Graveman , as well as Robin Moore Theiss of STL Books in Kirkwood, MO! 

There were door prize drawings, cute corsages for the contributors, 

and drinks and refreshments for all.

I especially enjoyed hearing some of the contributors read their stories aloud to the crowd. 

The humorous presentations made them even more funny and entertaining.

One more thing made the evening a great success. 10% of all sales was donated to a worthy cause, The Family Resource Center.  

Thank you to everyone who came out and to those who planned the event.
It was a great night to meet more of the talented writers in the St. Louis area, catch up and celebrate with friends, and see some of the Kirkwood area. 

My Life As A Little Sister

(Jesse)

Hello everyone!

I haven't done very well keeping up with blog posts lately. It's been a crazy couple of months with two sons graduating this year. 

(So proud of them both!)

My oldest son, Jesse, graduated college and has moved back home for a few months to save up for an apartment. 

                                                                                                              

(John)

My youngest son, John, graduated high school just a week later.
We've been busy with registration, orientation, housing, etc... all things that require lots of forms, time, and prodding when you have a procrastinating teenager who is also busy with a part-time job. :)

So in order to get something out on the blog, I am posting a short excerpt of a project I have been working on called My Life As a Little Sister.

I hope you enjoy it! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My Life As A Little Sister

   I am the baby of my family and shared a bedroom with my older sister, Twila, from the time I was born until she married at the age of 20. She is almost seven years older and looking back, I can't help but feel a twinge of pity for her, because I now realize that I was the little sister that nightmares are made of.

   Case in point.... when she turned sixteen, my aunt and uncle gave her a beautiful sweet sixteen corsage with sixteen sugar cubes wrapped in pretty blue ribbon. It sat on the chest in our bedroom and taunted me day and night. (Imagine a nine year old picky-eater who'd barely touched dinner lying in bed and staring at sweet cubes of sugar just a few feet away). One night, while she was on a date, I pulled one of the cubes from the back side of the corsage and ate it quietly in the dark. I waited the next day for her to scream and tell mama on me, but to my delight, she didn't seem to notice. So.... the next day, I ate another one. This went on for awhile and she never said a word! Finally the back of the corsage was nothing but ribbon loops, and the front had only a few cubes left. I had even gotten past the point of being worried - after all she hadn't said anything and it was obviously noticeable. Boy was I wrong! One afternoon as I sat on the bed reading, she came into our room, looked for something on the dresser, and for the first time saw the limp corsage lying there. A look of shock, then outrage came across her face as she spun around to face me. "My corsage!" she screamed. "What happened to my corsage? Did you do something to my sugar cubes?!!"

   "I ate some of them," I said. "I didn't think you'd care."

   "You ATE my sweet sixteen corsage?!" she shouted incredulously. "You ATE my corsage? 

Mom! Laura ate my corsage! It's ruined! There's nothing but ribbon left!" she cried, holding the sad-looking memento in her hands, as my mom hurried down the hall to our bedroom.

   After all of these years, I don't remember what happened next but I know it involved a scolding and a spanking, and I guess I deserved both. At the time though, I just couldn't understand why she would be so upset over a few cubes of sugar when our grandma had a box of them at her house. You would think I learned my lesson, but not long after, she got a sugar Easter Egg with a little scene inside and left it on our dresser, I couldn't help myself...I nibbled off the icing around the edges.

Needless to say, several years later when I got my own sweet sixteen corsage (and a little more self-control), I felt terrible about scarfing down her sentimental sweets. She never let me forget it either...that is until two years ago. I ran across one of those decorative eggs at Walmart and bought one for her. That Easter I presented it to her with an apology card and I think I finally earned her forgiveness! Now if I can only think of a way to make up for cutting the lock off her diary.....

(Sweet Sixteen Sugar Cube Corsage similar to my sisters)

....... to be continued

Fortunately, my sister and I are still close and get a good laugh out of our memories of growing up and sharing a room together. 

Here we are today... proof she still loves me. LOL

Hello everyone! My first blog site encountered a problem and for some strange reason, cannot be accessed anymore; so along with my new posts, I will be putting some of the old posts on this site also.

Here's one from a while back. :) 

Grandma's Elixir

Contrary to what my grandma believed, Vicks VapoRub is not really a cure-all. That's not to say it doesn't work for some things, but Grandma thought it was the answer to most any ailment

Cold and cough? You can bet it was rubbed on our chest

Stuffy nose? Just inhale that eucalyptus and camphor smell and put a dab in your nostrils and it will help you breathe easier. This one actually got me into some trouble at school one day. Fighting a cold, I had put a glop of it in a Kleenex to take to school. When my nose felt stuffy, I'd occasionally take it out and sniff the VapoRub . Unfortunately, Mr. Emerson, my 9th grade history teacher, didn't appreciate the magical properties of Vicks and made me throw it away and write sentences for interrupting the class. Of course, my friends and I had been pretending it was snot on the tissue in order to gross out the snobby girl that sat in front of me. 

Sore throat? Grandma told me many times to unscrew that green lid and get a little on my finger to swallow down. When I pointed out the warning on the label (which by the way says DO NOT USE IN THROAT OR MOUTH), she assured me that a little bit wouldn't hurt me; it would just make my throat numb and make me feel better. Thankfully there were times that I didn't follow her advice.

I saw her use it on her hand one day when she burned herself taking cornbread from the oven, and even overheard her telling my aunt that she'd used it on her hemorrhoids! Yes, Grandma would've been a great spokesperson for their company, because she sure believed in the power of that salve.  

I always got a chuckle out of how she kept that jar handy and how often she touted it's benefits, so imagine my surprise when a few years ago, I read something on the internet claiming that Vicks VapoRub could help cure nail fungus. My sister-in-law had just been complaining to me about my brother's toenails turning yellow because he'd gotten a fungus from spreading out mulch while barefoot. (Is this a gross blog post or what?!) Excited that maybe my grandma had been on to something after all, I called to share the remedy with her. Laughing, she interrupted me and said that they'd read the same thing and that he'd been rubbing it on his toenails every night for 3 weeks. "Is it working?" I asked hopefully. "No," she said, "but I sure can breathe good!"

For those of you interested, here are a few links showing the history and many uses of Vicks VapoRub:

http://www.ehow.com/way_5445453_vicks-vaporub-remedies.html 

http://www.mythirtyspot.com/2012/10/13-helpful-ways-to-use-vicks-vaporub.html

 

20 Things a Mother Should Tell Her Son

(and what fathers ought to be saying too! - * my addition)

1. Play a sport. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble. And maybe even throw or catch.

2. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don't take something away from her that you can't give back.

3. Use careful aim when you pee. Somebody's got to clean that up, you know.

4. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it some day.

5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom. Now please go use them.

6. Pray and be a spiritual leader.

7. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if some idiot clocks you, please defend yourself.

8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.

9. Treat women kindly. Forever is a long time to live alone and it's even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.

10. Take pride in your appearance.

11. Be strong and tender at the same time.

12. A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.

13. "Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way.

14. The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private". Please do not scratch them in public.

15. Peer pressure is a scary thing. Be a good leader and others will follow.

16. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.

17. Be patriotic.

18. Potty humor isn't the only thing that's humorous.

19. Please choose your spouse wisely. My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.

20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.

~Saw this on a friend's Facebook page,

Unknown author    ...perhaps Nino Rostomashvili ?

I'm not sure where this originated, but I saw some humor and alot of truth in this and I wanted to share. As the mother of two boys.. three, counting my stepson, I've always wished I knew exactly what to do and say to help them be successful in life. Parenting is hard work! Sometimes it's hard to know when to intervene and help or when to let them learn lessons the hard way. When is it best to be patient/ keep quiet and when is it best to discipline?

I guess as parents, we learn as we go,  hope we are doing a good job, and pray for guidance.

Right now my boys are at the age of leaving the nest and I feel the urge to impart some final bits of wisdom before they are off on their own. I want them to know they are loved unconditionally, but I may not always agree or approve of the choices they make. I want them to make good choices and have godly wisdom - not wisdom in the way of the world. I've tried to impress upon them that success isn't in having an important job or making lots of money. It isn't the ability to travel or pursue your own hobbies. It is found in living a life for God and in loving others. When asked what the two greatest commands were, Jesus replied, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]  (Matthew 22:36-39) 

When we seek God's way first, the other things will follow. That's not a promise that you'll be rich or popular, or have everything you want, but you will be blessed and have the peace that only God can give. That is far more valuable than all the material things the world can offer.

So along with all the sentiments above ..and several more I could add...  :) .... . we as mothers need to get to the heart of the matter. Actually, even more than mothers, FATHERS, need to get the priorities in the right place and offer this kind of advice because boys tend to model the behavior and example of their dad. Move number 6 up on the list and make being a spiritual leader of highest importance. Most importantly, don't forget to lead by example.

If we teach our sons to live a life focused on loving God and others, then they will be like Jesus and grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52) That is what I want for my sons. That to me, defines success.

THE OLD PORCH SWING

 

It was splintered, worn, and in need of white paint now and then, but always a place of comfort and familiarity. A place to sit and listen to Papaw tell stories while he rocked us back and forth and occasionally smoked a pipe. He was my daddy's dad and I loved him. He always seemed to have time for me and I knew he was happy to see us when we made the trip "home" as my Dad called it.  My feet dangled and didn't quite reach the wooden porch and sometimes I'd tuck them up underneath me and lean my head on his shoulder. The swing would groan and squeak a soothing rhythm as we swayed back and forth and we'd talk about everything under the sun. Why roosters crow......How many rabbits he'd got out of his box traps that morning....Why he wouldn't let Mamaw drive his car (she had tried once and had torn the car door completely off ) ... or how he'd found arrowheads in the cotton fields next to us when he was a kid. Sometimes he'd stop swinging and get up and go inside to get a cup of coffee. Most days, he had a bucket of water on the porch with a big dipper in it, and I'd take a drink from it when he offered, even though Mama always scolded me and told me not to drink after everyone. I can see him in my mind now, sitting in that swing and waving goodbye as we drove down the dirt road, headed home. To this day, when I think of Papaw, many of my memories involve that old porch swing and the time we spent there.

That swing was also the place that Mamaw sat to shell peas or peel potatoes for supper. She'd come out the screen door, barefoot and wearing an apron, with a bowl and knife in her hand. Fried potatoes were a staple around there (along with beans and cornbread) and when we saw her cutting up the potatoes, we'd stop playing long enough to try and grab a few out of the bowl to eat. She'd playfully swat at our hands and finally peel one for each of us to eat. We'd grab the salt and sit on the porch crunching raw potato while we talked. When she got up and went inside to cook, my cousins, my sister, my brother, and I would really get that old swing going. Of course, it wouldn't take long before one of the grown- ups would hear us laughing and yell out the window for us to stop swinging so high. They always said that one of us would get hurt or that the swing would break, but I don't remember it ever happening. Though I do seem to remember a few of us picking up a splinter or two.

In the evenings, the grown- ups would sit out on the porch - some in the swing and some in chairs around it. The men would smoke and they'd all laugh and talk about old times and people we didn't know while we chased lightning bugs and played hide and seek in the yard. When I got tired or when the mosquitoes got too bad, I'd crawl up in some one's lap on the swing and sway back and forth listening to the comforting sound of their conversation and the creaking of the swing as I drifted off to sleep. Many times, I woke up in bed the next morning, trying to remember how I'd gotten there.

When I was 10 years old, my papaw passed away and I remember how sad and lost Mamaw looked sitting in that swing alone. I remember the next visit too, when I sat in it alone and Daddy came out and swung with me awhile, never mentioning how he must miss Papaw too.

My aunt and uncle and cousins moved in with

Mamaw not long after that and the swing seemed to always be occupied. I still sat in it from time to time, but  my Aunt Janey and my little cousin, Derek were in it most of the time when we visited. He seemed to love it, and would take his pacifier out to smile at me, and then poke it back in saying something I couldn't understand. He was big for a "fooler" asd tried talking around it while he clenched it with his teeth much to my entertainment. I'm sure he was trying to tell me how much fun he was having in that swing.

An old porch swing. It's just an object, but one that is witness to the ups and downs of everyday living and the joys and sadness a family shares. It's a place for lovers, or children, or grandparents - for all generations and in all kinds of  circumstances. It's a place for making memories.

I wish I could sit in Mamaw and Papaw's front porch swing again.

**************

Here's the touching song I heard the other day that brought back many memories and inspired this post. If you have memories of your own porch swing, be sure and listen.

Old Porch Swing by Eddy Arnold

http://youtu.be/6ZY_iBRfn3U

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted
in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more
while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's"

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . .
look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back.” 

~ Erma Bombeck


I ran across this online today and wanted to share. I read this many years ago and it made quite an impression on me then... even more so now that I'm approaching the half-century mark. (Eek.. it looks just as bad in print as it sounds when I say it.)  :)

Life is short. Sometimes we forget the to take time to enjoy and appreciate the things right in front of
us and instead worry about things that really aren't important in the long run. I'm sure we could all add our own thoughts/regrets to this list, but the important thing is that each day is a new opportunity to get our focus on the things that count. There's a saying I often see that states "The important things in life aren't things."  How very true!

What's important is what we do with our life. Do we use it to glorify God and love others? Do we
really slow down and take time to appreciate each day as a gift from our creator? I know that my own outlook changed when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years back. Somehow, keeping my kitchen floor swept and mopped to a shine became a lot less important to me. Playing a game of RISK or Stratego with my kids and living in the moment were a lot more rewarding.

I took more time to watch and marvel at a sunrise or a sunset. I relished the beauty of it and saw with fresh eyes the way the grass sparkles in the morning dew. I listened intently to the beautiful songs of birds nearby. Buying a new item of clothing for myself seemed less necessary when I realized how temporary material things are and how many people out there have so little. I am much happier giving. No, I didn't become a saint. LOL But I did get a clearer view of what I value and I began to have a greater appreciation of all around me. Living and laughing with the ones I love became more important and my relationship with the Lord really blossomed. After all, when it gets down to it, who has loved me the most and done the most for me? Who am I going to be with when I breathe my very last breath?  Have I really confessed Jesus in my life and told others about the wonderful peace they can have with Him even in the most difficult situations?

When people say cancer changes you, they are right. I've heard some cancer survivors say that they wouldn't change things, even if they could, and until it happened to me, I didn't understand or believe that. But now, in a way, I'm grateful for that trial because it helped reinforce what is important in my life.

You don't have to go through a life-changing event to recognize these things though. You just
have to have a change of thinking. We only get one chance to live life. Don't go through on auto-pilot or not appreciating so many of the things around you. Spend more time enjoying things and especially the company of those important to you. Don't live your life self-involved and thinking only of your pleasure, but don't live it worrying about pleasing others either. Enjoy your life. It is a gift from God.  Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." That is what I choose to do no matter the circumstances around me. When we make up our mind to be content and when we seek Him first, blessings follow.

I guess the sign in my living room kind of sums it up for me:

Live a little, Laugh a little, Love a lot.

Words I try to live by. :)

Some people feel the rain.

Others just get wet.

Sing Like You Don't Need The Money,

Love Like You'll Never Get Hurt,

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

http://youtu.be/IMaQ1EjmGkk