The Father's love

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 One of my favorite ways to understand God’s word is to look at it like a Father talking to His children, which is what His word is all about. Just like we have an earthly father who loves us, cares for us, guides us, and leads us in the right way, God does the same for His children. Many times, I have felt His sweet, gentle voice speak softly to my troubled soul. And many times, I have felt like He wanted to shake me and say, “What in the world were you thinking?” There are times when He tries and tries to lead me in the way He wants me to go. And I fight him every step of the way, using that one whiny word that all parents despise…..”But,” When I get too “big for my britches” and finally figure out what He wants me to do, it’s like He is getting a little fed up with me and has to say “PAY ATTENTION”. I call those my 2x4 moments because the impact is so great it is like He smacks me upside of the Head with a 2x4 to get my attention. Joshua 1:9 is one of those 2x4 verses. If you break it down, as a father would speak to a child, it is like He is saying: “How many times do I have to tell you, quit worrying about every little thing? I’ll take care of it. I’ve told you time and time again that I’ll handle it. I’ve got everything under control so quit letting it stress you out. Would you quit trying to do it all by yourself. I’ll always be here for you.” Oh, how very much He loves us and wants to take care of us. If we would only quit asking for His help and LET Him help, I wonder how much fuller our lives would be?

Why is my purse so heavy?

I recently joked that my purses have grown so large that you could carry a third world country around in it. That may be an exaggeration, but it sometimes feels that way. I used to be able to stick my license and money in one pocket and car keys in the other and go. As I’ve gotten older, I have to have so much more “stuff”. Car keys now have those big old fancy button pushing things that you need to lock or unlock your car. I have that and my car key, house key, PO box key, daughters spare key all on one ring which is WAY too bulky to stick in a pocket. Since you want to be prepared for any contingency when you leave home, you now have to have money, debit cards, credit cards, and check books when you go anywhere, “just in case”. Not to mention office supply rewards card, three grocery store reward cards, Sam’s Club cards, AAA card, and much more. So forget sticking cash and a license in my pocket. Then of course, you need the pill case with the Advil in case somebody gets a sinus headaches, Aleve because that’s MY drug of choice, chewable aspirin in case I get one of those “sun” headaches and don’t have anything to drink to swallow a pill with, which I have now learned if a woman is having a heart attack she should take an aspirin. So if I start to have chest pains, somebody grab one of the little orange pills and stick it in my mouth. Then there is the Zantac so I don’t get acid reflux, which will make me FEEL like I’m having a heart attack. So I maybe better take a chewable aspirin with the Zantac in case it IS a heart attack instead of acid reflux. Add to that I’m obsessed with making sure I have Band Aids, nail file, nail clippers, and stuff in case of emergency. Then since we live in the germaphobic era, I have to have Germ X in my purse. Add to that my sunglasses and billfold and a notebook for my famous lists and an ink pen, and you get a pretty full package. Then on Saturday, the kids like to ride in my buggy when we go shopping so I have to stick a diaper, wipees, and sippy cup in my purse “just in case”. Then of course I always carry a calculator to make sure I don’t overspend. Then there is the famous cell phone we can’t leave home without. And Waa Lah. There you have it ….. a purse big enough to carry a third world country. I recently had some friends on Facebook sharing what was in their purse. One has been carrying enough paper trash to fill a landfill. She also had 2 packs of instant oatmeal “just in case”. One had a cup of pudding she carried for so long; she forgot WHY she put it in there in the first place. My own daughter, returning from a trip to Mickey D’s, had to dig past the fire trucks and semi’s in her purse to find the honey mustard and barbeque sauce. One Saturday not to log ago, I left my purse in the back seat of the car with the kids. On Sunday morning when I went to change purses for church, I found one of Saturday’s French fries in my purse. Like so many other things in my purse, I stopped and pondered, “How did THAT get in there.”

The Products of our lives

Have you ever smelled a particular smell that takes you back in time? For me, it’s Prell shampoo. I can take one whiff of Prell and I’m 7 years old and its Saturday afternoon. Mom has washed my hair in preparation for church on Sunday. She would wash our hair and then give us a Tootsie pop. We would sit in the floor while she rolled our hair on those pink sponge curlers that stayed in all afternoon, evening and night so we would have beautiful springy curls on Sunday morning. We would watch Sky King or Roy Rogers while we counted the licks to get to the center of the Tootsie pop. There are just certain products that bring back fond memories. I remember Quaker Oats coming with a free cup and saucer. Oxydol and Fad would have either wash clothes, face towels or dish towels, depending on the size box you purchased. We lived out in the country so we had a well and septic tank. It was always Zest soap because it lathered best in hard water and Scott toilet paper because it was best to use with septic tanks. I hated helping with dishes, but I always think of it when I smell lemon fresh Joy. It reminds me of sunshine and green grass. The kitchen window was over the sink and you could see out in the yard. My brothers would be out playing while my sister and I dried and put up the dishes. I hated the dishes so much that I developed a technique to get out of doing most of my share. I became allergic to dish towels. Whenever a dish towel was placed in my hand, I developed an overwhelming urge to “go tinkle”. Once I made my escape, I would linger just as long as I could and still keep from getting in trouble. My sister would have most of the dishes done by the time I got back to the kitchen. Over the years, I have been able to use many excuses to avoid my share of dish duty at Mom’s. When I got married and had babies, our family would gather at Mom’s on Sunday after church. We’d have fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a veggie or two, chocolate cake with chocolate icing and peaches. When dinner was over, my mom, sister, sister-in-laws and myself would get up and clear the table and “red-up” the dishes to get ready to wash and dry. The minute the dishtowels came out of the drawer, I would pipe up and say “Do you all want me to go out in the yard to keep an eye on the kids?” Being aware of my “allergy”, they would just laugh, shake their head, and say “Go.” Such fond memories.

One month and counting

It's hard to believe, but Easter is just a month away. That means I have only 5 Saturdays to find the perfect Easter dress, shoes and purse.

Ever since I was a little girl, new Easter outfits were a huge part of the holiday. We always got a new dress. Sometimes we bought them; when times were tight Mom made them. But we always had a new dress for church on Easter Sunday. We would get new patent leather shoes, mostly white since to us Easter was the kick-off for white shoe season. When we were younger, we would get little white gloves and lacy socks and sometimes those little round pocket books that looked like straw baskets with lids except the "straw" was also white patent leather. I just loved those purses.

Over the years styles changed as the times (and my age) changed. What used to be slim fitting Easter dresses with white high heels with skinny spike heels and ankle straps has evolved into a two-piece skirt and top with an elastic waist and a pair of low heeled open toe pumps or sandals. What used to be cutesy purses is now something large enough to carry a small third world country in.

I have never felt truly "dressed up" for Easter unless I have on high heels. I'm going to try to find some nice heels this year (in white of course) that are slender enough to accent my legs, but sturdy enough to support my less than slender body.

Letting the shopping begin!!

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

My Precious Grandchildren

Christian Garret - Age 10

Caleb Michael - Age 6

Alexis Caroline - Age 5

Shelby Rayne - Age 19 mos.

These are the jewels of my life. Each one precious in their own way. Garret is my animal lover. He can quote facts about animals I have never even heard of. I've learned not to doubt his knowledge or he'll look it up on the Internet to prove it to you. Caleb is all about vehicles. Dump trucks, semi's, firetrucks, motorcycles. He has more knowledge about what makes vehicles work than some mechanics I know. Alexis is our affectionate grandchild. She always has a kiss and a hug. She is so loving. Last time she was over, she said "Mamaw, you will always have a special place in my heart." Pretty profound for a 5 year old. Shelby is the baby of the bunch and spoiled by all. She is starting to develop her own personality and it is very humorous at times. At 19 months, she already has strong opinions on things and doesn't hesitate to let you know it. They provide constant love and amusement to my life.

A cat's life

Of all God's creatures great and small, nothing has life as good as a cat does. Cat's are such interesting animals. For those of you who have never had the love of a cat, you don't know what you are missing.

We adopted K.C. from the pound when she was a few weeks old. Skittish and afraid of her own shadow, we made the decision that she would be an inside cat only. We had her fixed and declawed when she was old enough.

K.C. was not a normal cat. She went through her frisky, playful stage; but was still afraid of any sudden moves. But she had a dream life.

Her days existed of laying in the window or on the back of the couch, letting the sun's warmth lull her to sleep. When I would get up in the morning, she was waiting outside the bedroom door. We would walk down the hall to her cat dish, her between my legs - me trying not to fall.

She would get fresh food and water and then go prepare for another nap. Cat's needs are met at all costs. They are fed on schedule; their litter boxes are kept clean for them. We prepare our laps as a nesting place where they can cuddle.

K.C. would lay beside me on the couch at night as we watched TV. She would snuggle and her warmth and gentle purring would lure me to sleep every time. She would become such a dead weight that I would have to literally pry her off me so I could go to bed.

How many times I wished I could lay down just once without a cat on me. Two summers ago, we lost her to health reasons at the age of 17. Now, there are times when I lay down and it's chilly and I wish I had her back to snuggle with again. She was demanding. She was persnickety. She was stubborn. She was opinionated. But she was mine and she loved me. Unconditionally. Day in and day out.

"Dance As If No One's Watching, Sing As If No One's Listening, And Live Everyday As If It Were Your Last"

Happy March 1st. This is the month for anything Irish. I love St. Patrick's day. Ireland is my dream vacation. I love the rolling hills, the lush green pastures, the music. I have Irish ancestors, the Clonch side of the family. Each of us inherited a touch of auburn in our hair and a wee bit of the temper that goes along with it. My favorite vegetable is potatoes, which I joking say is because of my Irish ancestry. My first grandchild, Garret, was even born on St. Patrick's day. So I love this month. This will be a busy month for me. Duck Duck Goose has their annual spring sale in Knoxville. I have two Pampered Chef parties to attend. My oldest grandchild will be turning 11 so we get to have a grand birthday party. My daughter is going to a concert so I'll be keeping two of the grandkids one night. There will be a wedding shower to attend. Our choir is learning our new Easter program so we'll be practicing every week. My sister is coming for a visit and I can't wait. But most importantly, I will be celebrating my wedding anniversary on the 27th. Allen and I have been married 29 wonderful, exciting years. We met on a blind date, dated two months and 10 days and got married. We went to Virginia to a quaint town called Pearisburg, Virginia. We were married in a Baptist church by the Reverend James O'Rourke. That's right, he was Irish. To each of you I leave this Irish blessing:

May God give you... For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer.