He's an on time God

I have an old song I love called "He's an on time God". How true that is. I have learned if I just tell Him what I need and leave Him alone to handle it, He always come through. I've had situations lately that I would stress over and worry about and then when I put it aside and ask God to take care of it, He does. This song says it all: You can ask the children of Israel, trapped at the Red Sea by that mean old Pharaoh and his army. They had water all around them, and Pharaoh on their track, from out of nowhere, God stepped in and cut a highway just like that. Chorus

He's an on time God, yes, He is. An, on time God, yes, He is.

(Job said), He may not come when you want Him,

(but He'll) be there right on time; He's an on time God, yes, He is.

You can ask the five thousand hungry souls He fed, on the banks of the river with two fish and five loaves of bread. What a miracle, He performed for the multitude, And what He did way back then, He'll do today for me and you.

Things we never outgrow....

No matter what age you are, if you see a paddle with a red ball on a rubber band, you want to pick it up and count how many times you can hit it without missing. Hand me a slinky and I'm going to let it go back and forth for a long time before I put it away. I can't pass a hula hoop without taking it for a spin. I cannot pass up a set of Jacks. I am glad my granddaughter Alexis is old enough to play them. I'll have to give them a whirl this summer. Loved silly putty. My favorite was to put it on the comics and pull it off. Cool. And where would we be without bubbles. I love the old fashioned kind in the bottle with the little wand. I buy them every summer "for the grandkids". That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I have decided for the spring, I'm buying a hula hoop and conquering how to use it more than two spins before it falls and I'm investing in a old fashioned jump rope. I hate to exercise but love to play. What better way to do both than with hula hoop to slim the waistline and a jump rope to burn calories. So forget the fad diets and the expensive exercise equipment. I'm going for the fun. I'll keep you posted on the success.

February - the month of love

February, a time of romance. A time of showing those we love how special they are to us. We have heard it said "Love is never having to say your sorry." and "Love is blind." But what else is love? What defines those moments that create that special bond. It's not the deep abiding heart wrenching moments. It's the little things. I have given this some thought and have came up with my version of Love is....

Love is....

....when he decides to make a batch of your favorite candy, even though he doesn't like it.

....sitting on the couch watching a sit com and laughing together

....when he scrapes the ice off your car so you won't have to

....when he ALWAYS puts the toilet seat down so you won't "fall in" in the middle of the night

....when he walks on the outside when you are going down a sidewalk or road together.

....when you can vent about what is bothering you and he just lets you rant and rave, then asks "What do you want me to do?" And you realize there is nothing he can do except listen and that you feel better already.

....when he spends the whole day taking you everywhere you want to go and never complains how long you spend in each store.

Snow

If we can't have snow at Christmas, why can't we have another Christmas when it snows? I woke up to a world of white and it put me back in the Christmas spirit. But when you think about, Christmas is not just a day. It's a feeling, an emotion, a state of mind. One of my greatest joys at Christmas is giving. So when it snows, it just put me back into that frame of mind. So I think today will be craft day. I bought some discounts items last week and I think I'll spend today making a wreath for my Mom's kitchen. I have several other craft projects going that I'll finish up today. If I don't have anybody in mind for them, I'll just give myself a little gift. So enjoy the snow and find something fun to fill your day.

Chocolate

As February rolls around, we turn our thoughts to chocolate. This confectionery delight can take shape in many forms. Candy, cakes, cookies, drinks, etc. It can come wrapped around nougat, caramel, nuts, or a mixture of all three. We love it with coconut, marshmallow, graham crackers. We are a world that loves it's chocolate....in any form. If I was ever going to build a statue to anyone, it would probably be Milton Hershey. But chocolate dates back much further than that. According to historians, cocoa was discovered in 2000 B.C. in the Amazons. Throughout history, it has taken on many faces and been used for many purposes. It has been used as currency in Spain, as a dowry for royal marriages, as a drink for rulers; the list goes on and on. But chocolate as we know it today, is a comfort food. Many believe it should be one of the main food groups. We love receiving it as a gift. Fill a small candy dish with M&M's or Hershey's kisses and give it as a gift and you have a friend for life. I am convinced that chocolate is an acceptable breakfast food. As with anything, it is good for you as long as you do it in moderation. There is nothing like a bite of chocolate to renew your energy, uncloud your mind and give you a shot of "pep" to keep going. So unwrap that candy bar, take a bite and relax. A little chocolate once in a while is good for you.

A mother's love

Drink your milk. Eat your carrots. Stay out of that candy. Clean your plate; there are starving children in Ethiopia.

How many times have we heard these and similar remarks from our parents? We try so hard to set a good example for health and nutrition for our children. But how many times to we worry so much about their emotional well being?

Do you congratulate them when they do good or are you always berating them for misbehaving. Do you tell them you love them and let them know how special they are or are you "too busy" to stop and play?

Little hands when you were small

Left little fingerprints on the wall.

The floor was covered with lots of toys,

There were cars and Barbies and lots of noise.

As you look back and recall those days,

I hope you remember the times we played.

I tried to clean house, but I didn't obsess.

I'd mostly do it while you were at rest.

I strived to be a mother you'd love.

One you'd grow up to be proud of.

It must have been right, those things that I did.

'Cause I see that same love shown to your kids.

The funny things you remember

Mom and I were talking today about the funny situations in our lives that were hilarious to us that others would never see the humor in. One incident came to mind that we still chuckle about to this day. My family had all come down to visit and we were playing tourist. We went to Auntie Bellam's in Gatlinburg. My daughter, Diana, would have been about 11 or 12 and my nephew, Robby, would have been about 10 or 11. We were shopping around, taking in the sites and Robby and Diana came over to me and said, "We found something we want to buy for Mamaw but we don't have enough money. If we put our money together, could you loan us the rest?" They said it was some Mamaw would love and they wanted to buy it really, really bad for her. So I went with them to look at it. Here's where the funny part comes in. It was a jar of jelly in a pretty glass jar. It was only a couple of dollars and between the two of them, they still needed to borrow a few cents from me to get it for her. My mother loved that jar of jelly as if those kids had given her the moon. To this day, when we reminisce, somebody always says, "Remember when Diana and Robby had to put their money together to afford a jar of jelly for Mamaw." It cracks us up, but guess you had to be there.