Why are we shocked?

From the time we are a little child, we are taught to pray. We learn "God is great, God is good." We kneel down at bedtime for "Now I lay me down to sleep". When we grow up in church, we have prayer in Sunday School class. We pray during the singing in church. We pray before the preacher preaches and again for the altar call. Then we pray again to close the service. In our daily lives, we take time to pray when something bothers us. We pray for those around us. We pray for a multitude of reasons. We are taught that if we pray in faith believing, God will answer. We even pray for God to strengthen our faith. With all this praying, you would think we would be conditioned to know that his answer was a done deal. But I have noticed lately, many of the people I come into contact with show remarkable surprise when their prayers are answered. We, as a whole, believe in the power of prayer. Yet when God shows up with the answer, we react with "Oh my gosh! I just prayed for that to happen." Like it is a great mystery as to why or how our prayer was answered. There should be no surprise. Faith is believing in something you cannot see. It is an automatic acceptance with no "what if's". Yet, as we exercise our faith that we believe God will provide, we still jump back in amazement and say "WOW" when he does. If we pray with a childlike heart and an acceptance that it is a done deal, we should see a great many more of our prayers being answered. Jesus said it best when he said: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"

What I Like About Fall

Fall is not a season. Fall is a place to be visited in our memories. Growing up, fall was a special time for us. Friday's in fall were for football. Daddy never missed a home game of the Barboursville Pirates. When we were young, Dad would head out to the football game with his jacket and sometimes his umbrella. We would gather in the yard to play as the evening sun set and the temperature would drop. Rachel and I would do cheers and cartwheels as we rooted for our team, even though we weren't at the game. Jack and Andy would be playing football in the yard. When dark would start to settle in up our hollow, Mom would call us in. We would get our baths and put on our pajamas. Then we would settle down to watch our black and white TV. Mom would always have a package of Saps Glazed Donuts and would make us big cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows. As we got older, we were allowed to go to the game sometimes with Dad. My parents never drove so we didn't own a car. It was about a mile walk to the football field. Those cool October evenings turned even colder after the game as we walked up the hollow to the house. Nothing was more inviting than walking in from the cold, crisp fall air to the aroma of hot chocolate and the sweet taste of glazed donuts waiting for us. Memories like this are why I like fall. Think I'll go make me a cup of hot chocolate.

Food for thought

Do you ever receive those "get to know me" emails? The ones where you change the answers to fit you and pass it on to your friends to get to know everybody better? Guilty. I'm one of those senders who loves to find out more about the people I know. One thing that I have found is that inevitably there is a question about food. Have you ever noticed that their is always a question somewhere in the list that the answer just has to be "Chocolate". Whether it is your favorite comfort food, your favorite dessert or you favorite ice cream flavor, chocolate receive an overwhelming acknowledgement. It can comfort you in times of stress. It brings extreme pleasure to your taste buds. No other food on earth can make a person forget everything and smile with a deep sign when they take that first bite of chocolate for the day. But it occurs to me that if you have respect for chocolate, you must acknowledge its counterpart....peanut butter. You never see anyone say "peanut butter cookies" or "peanut butter fudge" as their favorite. I make a peanut butter fudge that is the best I've ever had. In honor of peanut butter lovers everywhere, I'd like to share the recipe with you. PREP: Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan with butter 4 cups sugar 1 can Carnation Evaporated Milk (12 oz) Mix together and place on burner over medium heat. Stir the entire time you make this or it will scorch. When it comes to a full boil, continue to stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add: 1 bag Reese's Peanut Butter Baking Chips 1 Stick Parkay Margarine Beat until Reese chips are melted. Pour in a prepared cake pan. Refrigerate. As it starts to set up, cut into slices. Keep refrigerated. I have had people who make this and substitute the Parkay or Carnation for different brands and they tell me it makes a big different. Stick with what is suggested if possible. Let me know what you think of it when you try it. Have a happy day!

The File Cabinet

My heart is like a drawer, for each thing there is a file. Some stay there forever and some for just a while. One day as I was kneeling, the Lord began to look. As he saw the files I kept, I watched as his head shook. “My child, this will not do. These files do not belong. You felt that you would need them all, but oh you were so wrong.” I watched as He flipped through them, reading every tab. Leaving in the good ones and pulling out the bad. He left in peace and kindness, but hate went in the trash. It was followed by greed and gossip. They were destined to be ash. He pulled out jealousy and fear, but left in hope and faith. I watched as He worked diligently; determination on his face. When all the wickedness was gone, empty slots could be seen. I watched His face light up with joy; his eyes began to gleam. He filled each empty folder with all the love that it would hold. He slipped them back into my heart to stay as I grow old. He dusted off His hands and said “I’m finished. I must be on my way. Now that we’ve cleaned out those old files, I’m in your heart to stay. For though you thought I’d left you and you wondered where I’d been, I was here all along just waiting for room to enter in.”

By the Dawn's Early Light

I was just fixing my hot chocolate and opening the curtains as I was waiting for the sun to rise. For some reason, it made me think of the line in the Star Spangled Banner, "by the dawn's early light." Any of you that know me well, know that I will "google" anything that hits my fancy of the moment. You guessed it, I googled our national anthem. I found several interesting facts that I'm sure I learned in history class at some point, but as I've aged, I had forgotten. One of the most interesting thing I learned was that the Star Spangled Banner has more than one verse. But part of the last verse really made me think. It is... Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! For whatever reason, the most important line in the entire song is never sang. It is a profound statement that puts our minds at ease, removes our worries, shoulders our burdens, guides our footsteps: In God is our trust. How many people would have a better life and live in a better world if they just placed their trust in God. It is still a battle that we are fighting today, 195 years after Frances Scott Key wrote those words. They have taken prayer from the schools, they are fighting to remove In God We Trust from government buildings and currency. Many people do not know that In God We Trust was not even printed on paper currency until 1956, though it was on certain coins in the late 1800's and early 1900's. In 1776 Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." That is as applicable today as it was then. If we as a nation spent more time on our knees placing our trust in the very God that helped us form this nation, you have to wonder what a different place the world would be. So each time you see the dawn's early light, give praise to the one that created it and remember to always place your trust in Him.

What happened to common courtesy?

When I was growing up, it was common courtesy to hold the door open if you were going out and someone was coming in. It was common courtesy to say please, thank you and excuse me. The older I get the more I notice that courtesy has taken a back seat in our lives. In the hustle and bustle of busy days, we get so focused on what we are doing that we forget the things we were taught. I have had a day full of people who cut you off on the highway, walk in front of your car when you are driving through a parking lot and leave their buggies in the checkout line so that you have to move them to get your purchases on the counter. If everyone made a concentrated effort to be polite at least once a day, the world would be a better place. We would still be busy, but we would smile more because someone exercised some common courtesy to us that day. So hold the door open for someone, give them a smile or let them go in front of you in the checkout line. You will make someones day.

My random thoughts

There are times in my life when random thoughts run through my mind and I like to sit down and put them on paper. Many years ago, I was going through some rough times and I was thinking about all the blessings I had that many people in other cultures and other situations would never experience. I started thinking abou the happy moments of my past and some of the things that always made me feel good. I sat down at put them into a poem. I'd like to share it with you today. Hope you enjoy: Reflections As I sit here and reflect on the good things in my life. It’s easy to forget my cares, my worries and my strife. For I’ve been blessed in many ways by the Lord above. He’s put a roof over my head; gave me a family to love. Sometimes he gives us blessings that our blinded eyes can’t see; The warmth of the sunshine, a dew drop on a leaf, The soft mew of a kitten as she snuggles by your side; The white caps of the waves as we watch the ocean tide. The enchanted sounds of children as they learn to sing, Sitting on a front porch with grandma in a swing. Walking down a dirt road; throwing rocks into a creek. Watching as an eagle flies across a mountain peak. Listening to a blue jay as it sings among the pines. Going to the river; dropping in a fishing line. Walking through the woods; stumbling on a buck or doe; Stopping in a garden just to smell a fragrant rose. So be sure and look around you with fresh thoughts in your mind. And behold the many blessings I’m sure that you will find. And when you thank the Lord above for the blessings He gives you, Be sure to thank him for your friends, for they’re a blessing too.