“Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

Life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or siblings or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

God Bless You..... Now, and Always....

So Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine..!.!.!.!

The Birth of a Child

      I remember the joy the pride when each of my children were born. What do you think Mary must have felt the day Jesus was born???

Not much more than a child herself ..alone except for a husband she had never known yet ..they had traveled far from home, she was great with child… riding on a donkey .. it was time!!

Joseph, its time the baby is coming… we must find a place to stay!!! Can’t you just hear this young girl now???? I don’t know how calm you would have been or she was but if it had been me it might have went something like this……

    Ok Joseph it’s time to stop this donkey and find a place to rest,Joseph did you hear me..soon. “JOSEPH” NOW THE BABY IS COMING!” What do you mean there is no rooms? Here we are in the middle of “who knows where” ..where is my mother ..when I need her?

   What? In there? Is this the best you could do? There is cow’s and sheep and camel’s .. you want me to have this baby here?  No time now he’s coming!!! Get the doctor call the nurse ..WHAT..no doctor no nurse???

But from what we read Mary gave birth in that stable with the animals' and Joseph, no one to clean the baby up and lay him in her arms. I guess Joseph wrapped the baby and lay him in a feeding trough.  

   This was our savior's birth ----

I believe that Mary knew all was ok everything would be fine,,maybe she had angel’s there to help I don’t know. I do know she knew who she was giving birth to …The King of Kings …Savior of the world…Jesus!!!! and so did Joseph.

Thank you Mary for being willing to bring this baby into the world for us …that we may live. Thank You Father for sending your son too die for us . Thank You Jesus for for paying the price for our sins … Thank You Holy Spirit for calling Jesus from the dead that we might live with Him and all our loved one’s one sweet day.

… Thank You Holy Spirit for calling Jesus from the dead that we might live with Him and all our loved one’s one sweet day.

Thank You for the GREATEST CHRISTMAS GIFT ever !!!!

And to my loved ones that are waiting there cheering us on …we will see you again!

Happy Thanksgiving

      What  childhood memories come rushing to mind when you think about Thanksgiving???                                                                          

   For me there are many .. but one that came to mind this week was when I was about seven yrs old, grandpa & grandma LeCrone (Will & Ella) still lived on the old homestead out of Helena. We lived on the Finny place out of Ringwood.

   Everyone came from miles away for the family Thanksgiving gathering. Great aunts , uncles and countless cousin’s, grandma’s, grappa's you name it they were there. Also friends and neighbors from all around.

      Everyone come early stayed late, some from far away came the night before and spent the night .. there was pellets all over the place even on the porches. Everyone cooked and helped cleanup and played games like horse shoes, red rover, tag …even the grownup, we had so much fun!

 

   One time after a really hard game of horseshoes everyone was laying around under the trees telling stories…some times there would be snow on the ground at Thanksgiving so it was snowball fights and building snowmen.. and running in to warm ourselves around the pot bellied stove in the kitchen . 

One thing I miss is the big farm kitchen .. we gathered around the table to eat and play games.

Ok, back to the story…. the cousins from NM was here and we went up stairs and was playing with the old phone, you know where you wind the handle to call the operator.. well our coz CE wanted us to line up all the way down the stairs holding hands and he would touch the phone battery and we would see what would happen. WOW!, he thought it was so funny all of us got shocked!!! But whoever was the lucky one on the end got it the most..yep, you got it ..that was me. I can remember that feeling to this day.

   But what fun we had.. it was a workout for our angels I’m sure ,,to keep us all safe. 

So what about your memories??? Share with us!  Have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

They went to Jared

Christmas in Nov.

Here are a few fun pictures of our early Christmas in GA.

Things You Can Learn From Kids

     My grandmother Lanham always said you are never to old to learn, if you stop learning you die. Yesterday I learned how to be a witness to a friend that don’t know Jesus … that don’t even believe in God … from my five year old grand daughter.

   She came to her daddy and said daddy my friend Janet don’t believe in God. He ask her why don’t she believe in God? Sophie said I don’t know but I’ll find out .. she was gone a few min. upon her return she said .. Janet said she didn’t know why she didn’t believe in God. Her dad ask what did you tell her, Sophie said I told her if she didn’t believe in God she would go to hell. Her dad started to tell her.. maybe you should tell her Jesus loves her and we do to ..but he ask what did she say? Oh, she said ok she  would believe in God because she didn’t want to go to hell.

     Now both five year old girls were happy and the grownups had learned a lesson.

    Why are we so afraid to talk to people about God? Today the sermon was about fighting the good fight of faith. I really enjoyed it. The pastor talked about do not neglect the gifts in you, fan the flame the the gift of God in you.

It takes some to be cast into the sea too know what it meant to be dry and in the ship.  As they say you don’t always know what you have until its gone.

Let us not miss the boat or allow  anyone we know to miss heaven because we are not willing to share what we have in Christ.

Carrot, Egg or Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her, She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling.. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.. 
 
    Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans . She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. 
 
    In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." 

    "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. 
 
    Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. 

    Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" 
 
    Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 

    "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" 

    Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? 

    Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? 

     Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? 
 
    The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. 
 
    When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling, everyone around is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!