GOD KNOWS WHEN ONE SCOOP IS ENOUGH

Our family members included Dad, Mom, fourteen children and an elderly hired hand. We were poor so it was not often we went on an outing. Occasionally we would pile up in the back of the pick up truck and go for an ice cream. Mom always ordered all children a one scoop ice cream cone. Never one for herself. She always said she had to help with ours. Mom knew one scoop was enough because with the summer heat, the sun would melt them rapidly. I loved the outing and the treat. I dis-liked having to rush to eat it, because I was denied the enjoyment of savoring the good taste. This is much the same way God has worked with me. He gives me exactly what I need. Never too little or too much of anything. He knows how much of anything I can handle. God does not want me to be like the ice cream and have a melt down. Mom helped us with the ice cream cones, God helps me with everything. One thing different, God never rushes me. He grants me the enjoyment of savoring the good taste of His sweet Glory and Grace. 'Cause GOD KNOWS WHEN ONE SCOOP IS ENOUGH

ERASE AND DELETE

It only takes a small amount of eraser to delete written mistakes. It only takes a drop of Jesus's blood to erase and delete our sins.

GOD USED SOMEONE ELSE'S EAR

We got our little dog Josh when he was only ten weeks old. My husband, Dudley and I have a real weakness when it comes to our pet. We spoil him rotten and treat him like a family member. I was the one that spent the most time training Josh, so when he wants something he generally comes to me. He will start off with a real quiet groan and if I do not understand what he wants, he will continue with each groan getting louder and louder. Living in Florida we have to use our air conditioning quite often. Josh likes to lay on the vent when the air is blowing. Recently Josh came to me trying to tell me what he wanted. Every groan got louder, yet I was unable to comprehend what he wanted. Finally after making every effort to understand him I gave up and sat back down. Josh showed signs of frustration by sighing real big. Rather than give up on what he wanted me to know, he got off of the couch, went to Dudley and panted in his ear. Dudley commented on the fact that he believed Josh wanted the air to blow up through the vent. I got up, pushed the dial down on the thermostat and the air began to blow. Josh left Dudley's side, went to the vent, laid down and remained content the rest of the evening. After much laughter the thought occurred to me how God has worked with me the same way Josh did. There have been times God has tried to tell me something. He started out with a whisper. And with each attempt to get me to understand, He got a little louder. When all attempts failed and I still did not comprehend, rather than to give up on me, He worked through someone else. GOD USED SOMEONE ELSE'S EAR to hear what He wanted me to know. He did this by working through someone else. Having them hear what He wanted me to hear. Then lead them to work with me until I understood. I am so glad God loves me enough, not to give up on me. He is willing to make the extra effort by using someone else's ear to do the hearing for me when I do not understand. I feel equally blessed because God has used my ear to hear something He wanted me to tell someone else. What a wonderful feeling it is to be able to be used by God to help someone else.

JUST SAY NO TO SELECTIVE EATING

I was eating a nectarine while walking the yard. When finished, I threw the seed in the area most often frequented by squirrels. That evening I found the squirrels had brought the seed back to me and laid it on the steps. They had applied SELECTIVE EATING and rejected my kind offering of food and nourishment. My thoughts turned to the word of God. His gift to us for food and nourishment. Offering us guidance and instructions on how to live our lives. Failure to accept God's word is rejecting God's kind offering of food and nourishment for our souls. Acceptance of God's word provides nutrition for our daily walk with Christ. JUST SAY NO TO SELECTIVE EATING

RED, READ, READY AND REDD

Isn't it odd how some phrases stay with you through life? One phrase frequently heard in my childhood was from my Mother. When we needed to straighten up our house, she would say, "Red up the house." As a child I gave no thought to this phrase. I knew what Mom meant. In raising my child I questioned the wording and origination of this phrase. Did Mom mean red like the color red, read like I read a book, or ready like you need to get ready for school? My curiosity of the phrase still wondered me. I questioned my sister Jan. Together we did research and discovered the word is redd. The definition is: to clear, to tidy. The terms redd and redd up came to the American Midlands from the many Scottish immigrants who settled there. Redd is still used in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the United States it is especially common in Pennsylvania as the phrase, "redd up." Entering into a personal relationship with the Lord, gave new meaning to RED, READ, READY AND REDD. Jesus shed His RED blood so everyone's soul could be saved. God gave us His word, the bible. This book of instructions all through the ages, people have READ. When we put our faith in God, trust Him explicitly and give Him complete control of our lives, we stand READY. Ready to leave this world and go to our eternal home in Heaven. What joy and peace we receive when we let God REDD us up. He clears away the sin and tidies up our lives. Thank You Lord Jesus for the blessings of RED, READ, READY AND REDD.

A LICK AND A PROMISE

Canning season and butchering day were always such busy times. Regular household chores had to be hurriedly done so as to have time for the additional jobs. In rushing to complete these tasks Mom would say, "We will just give it a lick and a promise." I knew a lick and a promise meant, give the job a quick once over and promise to come back and do better later. Chaotic schedules can result in the need to do some chores by giving them a lick and a promise. To do God's will and work for Him it requires peace of mind, purity of heart and a clean soul. Each task God asks us to do is done in His way and in His time. God grants us the sufficient amount of time to do everything He wants us to do. When serving God, there is never a time a lick and a promise is acceptable. In serving Christ we can not be clean and dirty at the same time.

I'VE BEEN PRESERVED AND SEALED

My brother Deb preached a sermon about God's preservation of Christians and how He seals us until redemption. He used a jar of preserves, a sealing lid and the bible verse Psalms 16:1: Preserve me, Oh God: for in thee do I put my trust. The Psalmist was speaking for himself, making it personal by saying Preserve me, Oh God. The same goes for us. We must have a personal relationship with Christ. "Why should God preserve me?", Deb asked. Referring to the bible verse, "for in thee do I put my trust." Using the meaning of the word preserve from the Webster's dictionary, he explained that is what God does for Christians. He protects us, keeps us safe, alive, intact, free from decay and reserving us for personal or special use. Other bible verses were read to show some things God will preserve: Those that trust Him, the faithful, the souls of His saints, the simple (those that do not know right from wrong such as young children or persons with mental illness), all those that love Him and the way of His saints. Reading bible verses; Job 36: 6 and Psalms 37: 8, he explained God would not preserve life of the wicked or seed of the wicked. In order to preserve something it must be sealed. The lid with the rubber seal was used to illustrate what God meant by sealing us. Ephesians 4: 30 "sealed until the day of redemption." Redeemed means to retrieve. We are sealed until Christ comes for us either by the grave or the rapture. I am so grateful Deb shared this sermon with me. I have a personal relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ and in Him I put my trust. Because of God - - - I'VE BEEN PRESERVED AND SEALED.

CUTTING AWAY FROM OUR ROOTS

There was so much I had to learn when we moved to the country. We had a lot of trees on our property that had never been pruned or cared for. Drought had caused the roots to surface above the ground in search of water. I failed to see their need, so I cut and discarded them. Not long afterward some of the good quality trees became weak, others died. I had cut and damaged their root system, interfering with their source of nutrition and hydration. When I put on the armour of God to protect myself from evil, He helped me enter into good relationships. I am blessed to have God's gift of loving relationships with family, friends, church members, co-workers and many more. Providing me a root system. A source of nutrition and hydration. But, there were times I met people having little or no communication with loved ones because of conflicts or feuds. Many passed away with unresolved issues. The lack of peace in these situations was sad. It seems a privilege to maintain healthy, wholesome relationships. The choice of CUTTING AWAY FROM OUR ROOTS can have adverse affects on many lives. Causing weakness or death of what may otherwise be good relationships. Part of inner peace is having peace with others.

NOW I CAN SEE BETTER

When our grandson Daniel was two he began wearing glasses. I felt bad he had to wear them so young, but I was happy they found the problem and he can see better. 2nd Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Praise God for the glorious gospel of Christ. Because of it I can see better.

MANY LONG YEARS AGO

When our grandson Johnathon was 5 years old, he would come to us and say,"MaMaw and PaPaw, may I tell you something?" We would say, "Yes." He would always start off each story by saying, "Many long years ago." We thought that was so precious because he was so young and yet everything seemed so long ago to him. I am so glad that MANY LONG YEARS AGO: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

WE ARE IN A WIN, WIN SITUATION

When our Granddaughter, Suzzanah, was 7 years old she was very small framed and lightweight. While playing soccer the Goalkeeper(Goalie) wanted a relief from the position so the Coach sent Suzzanah in to fulfill the task. Because of what is involved in performing this duty and Suzzanah being the smallest team member, everyone was surprised to see her put in this position. There is only one Goalie per team, The job is to stay close to the goal and defend it. The Goalie is easily identified because he or she wears a different colored shirt or a vest over the shirt. Suzzanah, however, was not reluctant. She went across that field as though she was on a mission and appeared to have no fear. When it came time to defend the goal, she did just that. She used every resource available to her by simply laying that small, lightweight body right down on the ball. That was very effective and needless to say, a real crowd pleaser as everyone rose to laughter. Suzzanah carried out her mission and defended the teams goal, without reluctance or fear and using every resource available to her. This made me I think about God. And how as Christians we are all on the same team. God is our one Goalie for our team. He always stays close to us and defends His goal, which is us His team. And when we use every resource available to us, which is the word of God, we are able to carry out God's will(our mission) without reluctance or fear. And God is so easy to identify because He is always dressed in a robe of unconditional love, joy, peace and gentleness. So no matter what we encounter in life, WE ARE IN A WIN, WIN SITUATION WITH GOD AS OUR GOALIE.

THAT WAS A BURDEN

When we think we have no time to read our bibles, pray or share God's blessings, we should make time. IT IS NOT A BURDEN, but rather time of spirit filled service to Christ. Nothing we do, can be a burden compared to the burden Jesus suffered for us. God gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross so all our souls could be saved. THAT WAS A BURDEN Jesus carried His own cross to the tree for His crucifixion. THAT WAS A BURDEN Jesus wore a crown of thorns on His head. THAT WAS A BURDEN Jesus had nails driven into His hands and feet. THAT WAS A BURDEN. God loves us so unconditionally He allows us to place every care and concern in His hands. THAT'S A BURDEN

"WHAT'S THE DEAL ON CELERY, DAD?"

Since my father's passing, I think often of the conversations I had with him. One in particular comes to mind. I love eating produce and can pretty much tell what part of each has what flavor. Sometimes I will eat something that makes me wonder about it's texture and flavor. So in my wonderment, I decided to call Dad and ask him, "What's the deal on celery?" He had always been a farmer. He should be able to answer my question. I made my call and said, " Dad, Why is it that when a person buys celery, sometimes one bunch will be so coarse, salty and bitter on the outer stalks and another bunch not?" Dad answered by saying, "I think it depends on what kind of soil it is planted in, where it is planted and what it is planted next to." Well, that was a satisfactory answer as far as I was concerned. Dad's response makes me think we are like celery. If we plant ourselves in poor soil, where we should not be and next to the wrong people and things, we will be coarse, salty and bitter. Proverbs 24:21 "My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change." Or we can plant and root ourselves in God's unconditional love, joy and peace and be like the heart of the celery; tender, sweet and flavorful. Psalms 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." GOD BLESS YOU AND ENJOY YOUR CELERY.

TOO LATE I SEE

I am writing this story at the request of a very Dear Loved One. This person, feeling inadequate to put thoughts into words, I offered my assistance. I am finding that as I age, I am becoming more of a thinker. There are so many things I wish I had known. Things I believe would have helped in raising my children. I was the Mother of two children. Both of which were so different. My daughter was responsive to reprimanding. She tried to be obedient. My son was defiant and disobedient. He was destructive and would purposely destroy his toys. I think that somehow I should have known something was wrong. As my son aged, I remember, he was not a happy child. I was raised in the old school, in which boys worked with their Fathers and girls worked with their Mothers. My daughter had no problem with this system. My son did not like it at all. He seemed to enjoy being in the house with me. He resented working with his Father in the family business, repairing vehicles or whatever needed done. He would complain and become very angry. On numerous occasions, I tried to explain to him that the knowledge and skills he learned as a young man would benefit him when he went into the work force. As a teenager my son had social difficulties. He met a young lady with a child. For the first time I seen him truly happy. It was such a pleasure to watch him enjoying his life and the lives of the people who were a part of it. One day this young lady rejected him and told him the relationship was over. His purpose for living had ended. Rejection was not something he was able to handle. He ended his life. For all the people that love him, our worlds were turned upside down. Guilt, pain, anger, lack of understanding, the desire to blame one another, were only a few of the overwhelming feelings flooding our minds. I wish I had known about depression. I feel guilty sometimes because I feel I let him down, and that there was something I could have done to help him. Too late I see the signs I only wish I had recognized and understood then. I would like to take this opportunity to tell all of you parents and grandparents, if you see behavioral issues in your children that concern you, please follow your instincts. Take them to the doctor. Don't hesitate. Be there for them. Spend quality time with them. Make every second count. Talk with them, go for walks with them, listen to them, really hear what they have to say. See and hear what they do through their young eyes and ears. Be the best role models you can be. Believe me when I tell you, after the empty nest syndrome, you will have plenty of time to sit, relax, watch tv, use the computer, read or like me---think. And when you think of this story, please think of me and whisper a prayer for me and all the people that have lost loved ones to suicide. Pray that God will help us that we won't be so sad and that it won't hurt so much. Pray that every day when we miss them so much that God will help us to focus on the happy memories. Pray that God will give us the strength to make it through each day. And most of all, please pray for anyone that may feel a sense of hopelessness. Pray that God will restore in them the desire to hold on to God's unchanging hand. Because if they can do that, they will see purpose for their lives. They will be able to see there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

THANK GOD FOR AUNT EDNA'S SOUP

During my teen years, my father was injured in a vehicle accident. My Aunt Edna chose to come frequently after church to visit. We were a very large family and she would make a pot of vegetable soup to bring for lunch and WOW did I love it. I never got tired of it no matter how often she brought it. It was such good food and great nourishment for the body. One thing she did bring with her I grew tired of was her sermons. She would just get off on preaching, praying, worshiping God and passing out the tracts she wrote. I would get so fed up with it. Not because I did not believe what she had to say, but she would just go on and on. And Sunday was the only day we got to play and that was after we spent hours washing the dishes from the meal. So, by the time we got the kitchen cleaned up, then she took all her time to serve the Lord, well, you guessed it, the day was gone. But, Mom and Dad would make us listen to her and later when she would leave I would think to myself, when I get big, I am never going to do that. I am not going to go around telling people about the Lord all the time. I am not going to preach, teach, sing, read or write stories about God. I am just going to mind my own business. But, you know what? I love The Lord and I love telling people about God. I love praying and singing. I love writing stories and sharing what God has done for me. I love reading the word of God and I am glad God is my best friend. Every day I THANK GOD FOR AUNT EDNA'S SOUP. Sometimes I still think I can taste her vegetable soup. But always I know I can taste her christian soup. And forever the nourishment feeds my soul. Many times I have wondered where I would be today if it had not have been for my Dear Precious Aunt Edna. She was so passionate about God and her love for Him. I am so grateful her passion spilled over into her christian soup. I am so glad she was not selfish and was willing to share it with so many in her time on this earth. I shall always love and miss her and THANK GOD FOR HER SOUP.

SECURE PLANTING AND PROPER ALIGNMENT

My Dad made wooden shadow men. They are used to put in ones yard and when it is dark and light hits them, it appears as though there is someone there to deter intruders. We live in the country so it is suitable to have something of this nature in our yards. Because Dad was aging and I was unsure how many more crafts he would be able to make, it was important to me to have a couple of these. Dad has passed away, and because they were his handiwork, we value them more than ever. We decided it was time to paint them again. While making our observations to see how much paint to buy we noticed there were vines growing on one of them. Knowing this would eventually rot the wood, we decided the wisest thing to do, would be to move the one from it's present location. I decided I was going to tackle the job myself while my husband was at work. I completed phase one by removing and transporting this 6' tall, 18" wide man mounted on a 8' 4x4. Now I was ready for phase two which entailed digging the hole to plant 2' of the post and position the man. This seemed like a minor task. To my surprise, seven tries later, I had finally dug far enough down to reach the proper depth to plant the post in a secure manner. Stepping back to evaluate the efficiency of my work, I realized planting was right, but the alignment was off. After numerous attempts, I completed the task. As I was digging the hole and aligning the man, I thought about God and me. I asked God for forgiveness for my sins when I was 18 years old. I loved God and I knew He loved me. But, I lacked faith and did not know how to trust. I did not believe I could trust the people on this earth that I could see, so how was I supposed to trust someone I couldn't see. And how was I supposed to get this thing called faith. For over twenty three years God had to keep digging down deep into my mind, heart and soul to get me planted securely. He had to keep working all those years to get me properly aligned. I am glad God was willing to tackle the job of removing me from sin and transported me to salvation. I am happy He stayed with the task and dug down until He got me securely planted and properly aligned. Because now I can look up for The Master's guidance and straight ahead for direction. And I can remain strong in my faith and put all my trust in Him. I am at peace that I am being used for His glory. Because now, I am SECURELY PLANTED AND PROPERLY ALIGNED to do God’s will.

THE CLUMP OF UN-PRODUCTIVENESS

When my Mom was a newlywed her Mother-in-law sent her and two of Mom's sister-in-laws to the garden to plant seeds. Grandma instructed them to place 2 or 3 seeds in a hole, mound and cover them. After completing half the task, the young ladies grew tired and wanted to rest.They chose to take the remaining seeds to the end of a row and plant them in a tree stump. They went to Grandma and told her they were finished. Three weeks passed and Grandma called the 3 young ladies together and asked them if they had planted all of the seeds according to her instructions. The young ladies responded by saying they had done the job correctly. Grandma informed them she was aware they were not telling the truth. There were 3 rows. All of which had half a row of seeds growing. In a tree stump an over abundance of seeds had come up all in a clump. Grandma sent them back to the garden to properly transplant all of the plants from the tree stump into each of their rows. Grandma knew if the seeds stayed in the tree stump, all in a clump, many of them would die. The ones that did survive, would never grow and produce properly. The girls would never reap any crops from their labor. There are many topics in this story regarding errors of our ways and how God knows everything we do. But, I am visualizing people in place of the plants all in a clump. Every one being different. God richly blessing each person with their very own characteristics and talents. Creating purpose for each of their lives so can everyone can be productive.. I can imagine people, each being blessed with the same talent, all in a clump. An example of this being, a clump of preachers preaching to each other, teachers teaching to each other, and singers singing to each other. The shortage of space, insufficient nutrients and oxygen would prevent everyone from growing and producing. No one would reap any crops from their labor. Some may die all in a clump. God is continually showing me I have been blessed with more talent than I ever knew I had. It makes me sad when I hear people say, "I can not do anything." Everyone can do something. Everyone has God given talent. And if each of us spread our talents around we won't be in a clump. We can grow and be productive. Everyone can reap the crops of their labor. I am glad that by just asking God He will show each of us our talents. With His guidance we can remove ourselves from THE CLUMP OF UN-PRODUCTIVENESS. Thank God, we can be efficient and productive in whatever God's purpose is for our lives.

SIGHT UNSEEN

Questions often asked: 1. How does a person know for sure there is a God? 2. How can people know there is love between them and God? Our grandson, Tyler lives in New Hampshire. We did not get to see him in person until he was 2 years old. We had a mindset to his being the second we found out our daughter was going to have another child. Before he was even born into this world, and before we received the first picture of him, we had no doubt of his existence. When we thought about our family, we thought of Tyler. When we prayed for our family, we prayed for Tyler. When we planned a visit with them, we thought of Tyler. When we talked to them on the phone we asked about Tyler. And he shared our love by enjoying hearing our voices on the phone. We had not seen him, but his heart and ours shared a mutual love. SIGHT UNSEEN-KNOW THERE IS A GOD. MAY YOU SHARE A MUTUAL LOVE WITH GOD AND BE BLESSED.

LIGHT, FULL VIEW AND INSPECTION

When it is dark I carry a flashlight to take our dog Josh for a walk. One morning when we crossed the street to get the newspaper Josh saw something in the right-a-way. He barked, alerting me to it's presence. Shining the light on the subject, I was able to determine it was only a weed. Josh is a small house dog. The size of the weed along with the breeze caused the weed to move. Josh perceived this as something alive and alerted me it's danger. Shining the LIGHT on the subject, bringing it into FULL VIEW and doing an INSPECTION, revealed there was nothing to fear. My inability to perceive things correctly has posed a real problem for me in my christian walk.. Satan uses every tactic to make us falter. He is so good at what he does because he focuses on staying in between us and God. Knowing my weakness, Satan loves to make me sin by causing me to see things incorrectly. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. God knows if we want to put a stop to this type of sinful thinking and behavior we need protection. Ephesians 6: 10&11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. I am continually working to improve my perception. By asking God for strength, trusting in His power and using the whole armour of God to protect me. John 8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. I thank God my perception is improving. When Satan tempts me to see things his way, I shine the LIGHT (Jesus) on the subject and ask God to help me bring it into FULL VIEW and do an INSPECTION.

EMAILING PICTURES IS LIKE OUR CHRISTIANITY.

An elderly Christian lady told me the closer we get to God the less room Satan has to get in between us. This helps Christians to prevent sinning. I asked her what I could do to work toward this. Her reply was,"Look for God in everything." I have made an effort to practice this and found she was right. Allowing God to use me the way He is, I see Him daily in everything. And, I am in awe of it all. Today I realized EMAILING PICTURES IS LIKE OUR CHRISTIANITY. To email a picture, we have to GET IT INTO our computer by scanning or downloading. We have to NAME and SAVE it in a file. When we want to SHARE this we have to OPEN that file, ATTACH the picture and SEND the email. In relation to our Christianity, this is the same procedure. To become a Christian God has to GET THE DESIRE FOR SALVATION INTO our hearts, minds and souls. Once we have desire, we ask forgiveness for our sins and become SAVED and NAMED a Christian. When we want to SHARE our Christianity we have to OPEN up. ATTACH Godliness to our lives and willingness to serve Him. Then SEND the message of God's word to others.

HEED, SEEK AND DO

We have a radio that sounds an alarm, warning us of weather conditions to be concerned about. It has sounded two times already this morning and I have only been up an hour. It has been annoying, because neither time did it involve our area. Even as much as this alarm has aggravated me, I see a message here. I am thinking back how many times in my life God sounded an alarm to me about concerns either for myself or others. Sometimes He would sound it more than once. It was how I reacted to God's warnings that affected mine and other peoples lives. There were times I chose to ignore the sound regardless of who it was for. Other times I would throw my hands up in the air and say forget about everyone else, I have to be concerned about myself. Or I would do for others and not myself. And there were incidences when I would rush in, I was large and in charge, and to my way of thinking I had everything in my control. Or I would never complete the task. I think about those times now and I say to myself, how foolish of me. What was I thinking? Who in the world did I think I was that I could be in charge and in control of everything and everyone? It is unbeknown to me exactly how my actions to God's warnings affected every ones life. Only God knows that. Some affects are evident. Others, I may see later and some may never be revealed to me. I do know one thing for sure. On every occasion I failed to do a task that was vital in order for me to take the correct actions. I never stopped and asked God to give me wisdom, guidance and strength to carry out His will. Even when he would sound the alarm more than once, I just went on about my business totally out of control because The Father's hand was not guiding my actions. I am so glad God has shown me the HEED, SEEK AND DO method. I HEED God's warnings, SEEK God's will, and DO what He wants. By using the wisdom, guidance and strength He provides me I can carry out my responsibilities and complete the tasks. Through faith and trust and with God in control I can react to God's warning according to His will..

ME, GOD AND OREOS

My mind takes me back to a time our daughter Cindy, and grandchildren, Katie and Brady came for a visit. The children were very young. Brady was still on the bottle and in diapers. He had just recently learned to walk. And had learned only a few words. Kids have to get cookies when they go to their grandparents. It is all part of the grand scheme of things. So when snack time came, MaMaw brought out the oreos. Brady being as young as he was, I handed the oreos to big sister and said, "Here you go Katie. Share with your brother." Within a matter of seconds I heard Brady scream at the top of his lungs. I was paranoid to say the least. I thought he had been seriously hurt. He was still on his feet, no blood, no injuries of any kind just yelling, crying and jibber jabber. It took a while for PaPaw and me to figure out what the problem was. Katie had obeyed. She shared the oreo with baby brother. But when the top portion of the cookie separated from the bottom, she kept the part that had the sweet, good tasting filling. She handed Brady the part with only the cookie. Young? Yes. Did they have a lot to learn? Yes. Were they unknowledgeable? No. They both knew that the sweet and good part of the oreo was in the center. And, they both were going to go after what they knew was sweet and good, regardless of how much noise they had to make. ME, GOD AND OREOS are similar to this event. God knew in the center of me there was sweet and good. And He was going to go after it, regardless of how much noise He had to make. He separated me just like an oreo. God worked with me by taking off the top portion, giving me the desire to take a super honest look at myself. Observe what was staring back at me in my mirror. He gave me the will to improve the areas of myself that were not sweet or good to Him or me. The hardened heart, negativism, impatience, bad language, lack of concern for others, failure to communicate with my loved ones and so much more. God knew that was only half the internal battle I was fighting. I had to work on the bottom portion. The sweet and good He uncovered about me, would remain stuck to the bottom. Just like an oreo. God sent me back to my mirror. This time I found the reflection of guilt, shame, pain, low self esteem, inadequacy, fear and again so much more. These were feelings coming from the poor choices either I or someone in my life had made. Feelings that were affecting my every day life. The wrongs of my past had to be removed so the bottom base could be strong to hold the sweet and good. Do I have a lot to learn? Yes Am I perfect? No Am I going to make mistakes? Yes Will I have bad feelings again? Absolutely Will I think of the past? Definitely Will any of this affect my present or future? Positively Every day I have to learn. Now I go to God for the knowledge I need. No one is exempt from error. Not even christians. We are all human beings. When errors are made, bad feelings surface. We do think of our past. It is part of who we are. Sometimes God reminds us of it so we do not make the same bad choices and mistakes. Sometimes Satan reminds us of it so he can get us to make the same errors. But, now I know enough to go to God for guidance. It is our choice how we let all that has ever been in our lives, affect our present and future. With all of my faith and trust in God, I have chosen to let my experiences affect my present and future in a POSITIVE way. Because ME, GOD and OREOS got down to the center for the sweet and good of me.

OUR DAILY NEWS

My neighbor lady called. Her voice appeared as though she was almost panic stricken. Lightening had damaged the newspaper office so she did not get her paper. She said, "Bennie, I do not have anything to read." Sensing how upset she was I felt the need to remedy the situation immediately. I said, " I will be right over." She said, "Why, did you get your paper?" I replied, "No, I will bring you my Bible. History is in the Old Testament and Current Events is in the New." Thank You God for your word. OUR DAILY NEWS.

"AM I GIVING YOU ENOUGH ROOM GOD" ?

All my life I heard people say, "God is my best friend." Or, "I have such a wonderful relationship with God and I feel so close to Him." And the hymn: In the Garden. The chorus is: And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. I was clueless to what people meant by their comments. I always loved that song, but I did not understand it. After I asked God to forgive me for my sins and I was saved, I still had no idea what this was all about. I loved God and I knew He loved me. And I used to think, How is one to get this kind of feeling? Am I supposed to just think this way and imagine God is walking and talking to me. Am I supposed to try and hear Him telling me I am His own. And what's with the joy and us tarrying in this garden. And if none other has ever known this, then why are people going around telling and singing about it. I mentioned before, the fact that I have slow comprehension. Twenty three years and 5 months after I was saved, was how long it took me to get a grip on all this. I think it was a bit ridiculous on my part to take so long to get this understanding. In todays language a BIG, 'WELL-DA" would probably be the most appropriate response. GUESS WHAT. It was my turn to have this relationship with this friend. To feel all this closeness. And do all this walking, talking, hearing, tarrying and having joy that none other has ever known. Was I ready to experience all of this? YES SIREE. WAS I EVER READY. BRING IT ON LORD. 'CAUSE NOTHING ELSE AIN'T WORKING FOR ME. Salvation was GREAT all in itself. But, my cup was only half full. It could not runneth over as so stated in the 23rd. Psalm, verse 5. Why? Because all of those years I only had allowed God to forgive me for my sins and save my soul. I went all those years with only salvation and the fact that I was a Christian. Never once did I open my eyes wide enough, or lend a listening ear long enough, or open up my heart receptively enough to accept what else God had to offer. Once I was ready to accept all that God wanted to give me, He gave it to me. In all those years, He was not going to push His gift on me. He was not going to force me to take His presence. No, I did not spell presence wrong. It is His PRESENCE he wanted me to have. He wanted me to quit pushing Him away. He wanted to be my best friend. He wanted to give me His love and walk with me every step of the way through life on this earth. He wanted to help me by talking to me and showing me how to listen to Him. He wanted me to learn how to make good choices by giving me knowledge, wisdom, guidance, strength, perseverance and everything else that goes along with this friendship. All I had to do was be accepting and willing to turn everyone and everything totally over to Him. I had to let God be 100% in control of it all. It was then that I learned the true meaning of Faith and Trust. God is my best friend. We have such a wonderful relationship and we are so close. Twenty four-seven whether I am walking, sitting, standing or lying down, I know He is right beside me. That is why I ask "AM I GIVING YOU ENOUGH ROOM GOD?" Foolish? Maybe to some people it is. To Me: It's my cup running over. My Christianity. My purpose for living. My salvation. My wanting His will for my life. My faith, hope and trust. Me knowing I am His own. The joy God and I share. The time we tarry. And the certainty this is something None other has ever known. Why? Because it is MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Can anyone have this same kind of relationship? Yes. Everyone can have this same kind. Just not mine. Each person has to have their very own personal relationship. Once a person accepts God's gifts, and willingly enters into a friendship with God it is their very own, like None other will ever know. When christians get to that point in their Christian walk with Christ, the closeness makes it understandable why I ask, "AM I GIVING YOU ENOUGH ROOM GOD?"

HE IS MY SOURCE

Our granddaughter Katie came to visit at the age of 2. We took her to an attraction. It is our arrangement when we go to such a place, Dudley be the one to pay. Katie had gotten thirsty and asked me for something to drink. I told her she would need to ask her PaPaw to get her something, because he was the man with the monies. She politely went up to Dudley, put her little hand in his, looked up at him with a big smile and said, "PaPaw with the monies, can I have a drink please." Several years later, Katie came back for a visit. Again we took her to an attraction. Again she needed a drink. This time without asking anyone, and without hesitation, she politely went up to Dudley, put her little hand in his, looked up at him with a big smile and said, "PaPaw with the monies, can I have a drink please." This has always amazed me. Katie had only gotten to see her PaPaw on several occasions. But, regardless of the miles between our homes, it was obvious there was no distance between their hearts. It did not matter how long it had been since she had seen her PaPaw. She felt safe to put her hand in his. She trusted him explicitly. She remembered what source to go to. And she had total faith in him to meet her need. The way Katie was with her PaPaw is the way I am with God. I feel so safe with my hand in God's. I trust Him explicitly. I remember daily He is my source. And I have total faith in Him to meet my every need.

AN UN-BLOOMED ROSE

We had a rose bush that was so healthy and green and had just begun producing buds. We were so excited. We just knew we were really going to be able to enjoy the beauty of these roses. Within a matter of days, the weather conditions turned to one of those summer Florida torrential rains. The rain pours out of the sky and with such force and winds that it causes damage. Our new little rosebuds, being young and tender did not stand a chance of survival. The rains beat them off of the bush and knocked them to the ground. After the weather cleared up, the sun came out and the rose bush was fine and healthy as ever. But the rosebuds were not replaceable. When they fell to the ground they were knocked off from their source of nutrients. Their purpose was over.They had to be thrown away as un-bloomed roses. When I received salvation, but did not know how to have faith and put my trust solely in God, I was like an un-bloomed rose. I failed to have purpose. I was still in existence, but I was not fulfilling God's purpose for my life. I would try to please family, friends, co-workers, church goers, and everyone else. But, God was who I needed to be pleasing. I was not letting His purpose for my life be the drive behind my deeds. I set myself up for failure as a Christian in every facet of my life. Without me having faith and trust, the powerful driving source of purpose I needed for my life, was not coming from God. My will was being done, not God's. As time went on, I was beaten off the bush, meaning God's unchanging hand. I was lying on the ground without my source of nutrients. All because I would not let God feed me the wisdom and guidance to be able to fulfill his purpose for my life. I was like an un-bloomed rose that never flourished to full potential. Never extracting the beautiful fragrance. Never being able to benefit myself, nor any one else because I lacked God's purpose. Unlike, the un-bloomed roses that had to be thrown away because of their inability to survive, we have a choice. We can opt to let God show us his purpose for our lives. We can let Him be the driving force behind His purpose for us. We can let Him give us nutrients of wisdom and guidance. Thus giving us the opportunity in our walk through life on this earth, to bloom in God's beauty and be sweet fragrance to others. I am glad I am no longer an un-bloomed rose. I chose to bloom.

EVERYTHING THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH

our grandson Bradlee was coming for a visit. Before leaving for the trip he was so excited and he kept telling people about it. When asked what he was going to do when he got to Florida, Bradlee would say, "I am going to see my MaMaw and PaPaw and the land turtles and all the lizards and bugs in their yard." Well, lo and behold, upon his arrival we got a quick hug and kiss and off on his mission he went. He scoured our land in search of everything that creepeth upon the earth. And believe you me, he found them. Every day we spent with him on his two week stay, he ventured out to learn everything he could about anything living on our habitat. I as well had to go with him, because it is no secret, his MaMaw is a nature buff. Needless to say, I loved every second of it. I was in awe, as I watched this little 8 year old fellar jump from place to place. He was chasing down frogs, turtles, lizards, and bugs of every kind. Never once did he show fear of anything that creepeth upon the earth. And every find was a real treasure to him. He had such love and compassion from the largest to the smallest creature. With each creature we talked about it's characteristics and markings. The size, shape, color and their purpose for existence on this earth. As we walked his eyes stayed to the ground to see if we were accidentally going to step on anything. When he thought we were, he would holler out and squat down and so kindly and gently scoop up whatever he saw. He would set it to the side to spare it's life. Now when we converse, Bradlee tells me if he finds any creature that is hurt or dead, it breaks his heart. He tells me God created them too. Often I think about that wonderful experience, and I think of the bible verses: Genesis 1: 30 & 31 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. I am so glad God created us. Our characteristics and markings, size, shape, color and our purpose for existence are all because of God, our Creator. Each of us are a real treasure and God is always watching out for us. And when He needs to, He will squat down and so kindly and gently scoop us up and set us to the side to protect us. I am so happy I can walk on this earth without fear, because God never leaves us alone. Even everything that creepeth upon the earth, God created them too.

CONQUER ANXIETY AND STRESS

The way to conquer anxiety and stress is to still away with God. Being still with God separates us from our active surroundings. When we choose to spend quality time with God, we make a spiritual place where we wait in silence with our Creator. We find God's unconditional Love, Peace and Joy. We separate ourselves from the world and spend time with The Holy Spirit. Our personal relationship with God gives us the opportunity to have this experience with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Sometimes our lives are so hectic and we hurry and read our devotions and say our prayers. We think we don't have time. But, every day that God grants us to live on this earth, he gives us 24 hours. Surely, we can find some time throughout those hours each day to still away with God. When we don't do this, we deny ourselves the privilege of true fellowship with God. Satan will do anything to get in between us and God. He will rob us of the enjoyment of this special time with our Master. So, if you are suffering with Anxiety and Stress, STOP your busy hands, CALM your thoughts and STILL AWAY WITH GOD. IT WILL BE A LIFE EXPERIENCE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET AND A PRACTICE YOU WILL WANT TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

THE REVELATION FARM

Faith and Hope are elderly christian lady friends. Both women were raised on farms. Having not been around animals for awhile, Faith and Hope decided to take a day trip to The Revelation Farm. Faith and Hope had always wondered why the farm had such a name. It was on this day the true meaning of the farms name was revealed to Fath and Hope. Faith and Hope walked around the farm. At each set of animals they would stop and chat a bit. When the two ladies came upon the pigs they began to converse. Faith said, "Hope, how have things been going for you?" Hope replied, "Fairly well, except I am still having trouble dealing with the adversities of my past." Faith said, "Hope, I look at a persons past like I look at these two pigs." Hope asked, "Well, how on earth do you do that?" Faith said, "Well, look at them. The one asleep over there in the mud hole is named Down. The one over here standing up and looking out of the pen is named Out." Hope scratched her head for a minute and asked, "Okay Faith, but what does that have to do with anything?" Faith replied,"Down is laying there asleep in that mud hole with slop and waste. Never even got up when we came. Shows no sign of ambition or enthusiasm. Seems content to be down wallering in this pig sty of filth with no regard to a better life." Faith paused for a moment while Hope made observation of what Faith had said. Faith continued by saying,"Now, take a look at Out. When we arrived at this pen, this pig was already up on it's feet. Walking about. Looking out of this fencing. Making observations of what is outside of this pen. Obviously by the appearance, this pig does not spend a great deal of time laying in it's resting hole. The pig food is in one area. And this pig has apparently buried it's own waste because you do not see it laying around." By this time, Hope was a little lost in the conversation, so she asked Faith to further explain her concept. Faith said," People can decide if they want to be like this pig named Down and lay around in the mud hole of their past. Wallering in all of the adversities and mistakes that either they or someone else made throughout the years. They can stay down and never get up. Allowing the slop and waste to be piled up all around them. Never rising up to look out of the fencing. Never having any motivation, ambition or enthusiasm to improve their life. As though they are accepting the pig sty of the errors of the past as their place in life. Never having any hope or faith to strive for a better future." Hope said, "Okay, I am with you to this point. Now, what is the deal on this pig named Out?" Faith said,"People have a choice to be like that pig named Down or like this pig named Out. Like Out, they can rise up. Get on their feet. Bury the waste. Make observations. Look outside the fencing of the pen that is holding them to the past. Apply motivation, ambition and enthusiasm. Giving themselves the opportunity to improve their lives. And because of their hope and faith they can go through each day looking forward to a brighter tomorrow." Hope asked Faith, "What do you anticipate will happen to these two pigs named Down and Out?" Faith said, "Well, I hope Down will let Out be it's role model and one day rise above this life and put this behind as it's past. Then Down can be of some benefit to others while on this earth. But, if Down continues this way of life, that will never happen. I expect Down to end up in a slaughter house. It will be then and only then that it benefited anyone by providing a meal for someone. Other than that, Down's life will not have accounted for anything and Down will have missed the enjoyment of it's time on earth." Faith paused for a brief moment and said, "As for Out. I have faith that Out will continue to rise up and eventually make a way to get out of this pen. I believe Out will enjoy life and be of benefit to others while on this earth. And one day Out will take first prize at The County Fair." As the two ladies exited the farm, they made a special point to look at the sign. The Revelation Farm. This time Faith asked Hope, "What do you make of the name?" Hope replied by saying,"My faith tells me God sent us to this Revelation Farm. Today, God gave me a revelation. I need to hope for a better life by making the choice to bury the past and walk in faith for a brighter future." Faith's response,"A BIG AMEN."

WHAT A MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION

A REAL SIGHT TO BEHOLD My husband, Dudley and I are a one pet family. We rescued our first dog from the animal shelter. He loved to run, so it was suspected he somehow got away from his owners and was not able to find his way back. We had been in search of a family pet for quite some time, but we were working people so there were many factors to consider. We take pet ownership very seriously and we are very committed to the task. We believe pets should be made members of the family. On this day we went shopping for a pet, we were on a mission. We were definitely coming home with our new family addition. Our son was being released from a long stay in the hospital and we wanted to have a pet there when he arrived. We had not been residents of this area very long, so we sought advice from family and friends where we might seek a satisfactory pet. Some friends from work suggested we visit the animal shelter. When we walked into the shelter, I asked, "May we see your small house dogs please." The lady at the counter said, "Well, that is fine, except we only have one." She proceeded to the kennel with my husband on her heels and me trailing behind. When we arrived at the designated location, the shelter worker opened the door to the cage and life as we knew it changed forever. Dudley could not pick that dog up fast enough. The shelter worker asked if we would like to take him outside for a few minutes and get acquainted with him. We agreed that would be a good thing to do. All the while me thinking as I followed along behind Dudley and this dog that we were past getting acquainted. The bond between Dudley and this furry haired fellow had already been set. Dudley at that time was a man with a very negative attitude. He smiled very little and laughter was nearly unheard of. He was an only child and both of his parents were deceased. He had a long distance relationship with his only child, his teenage daughter, Cindy. Because of the loss and grief, Dudley did not allow himself to get close to anyone or anything. But, on this day, God had other plans. Seconds after we exited the building, I knew our stay outside was short term. I looked at this 43 year old man with this little dog wrapped in his arms and could see that was not the only wrapping going on. The dog was already wrapped around Dudley's heart and finger. I saw a miraculous transformation take place right before my eyes. The unconditional love, joy, peace and gentleness on the faces of this man and dog were a real sight to behold. I asked Dudley if he wanted the dog. The emotional break through was instantly revealed on Dudley's face, in the big, broad smile from ear to ear. I have never liked driving. I am one that would rather ride and sight see. Dudley however, was not turning loose of his new found friend so I slid behind the wheel. As the Dad and Dog relationship continued to grow in the passenger seat, I managed to ask what we were going to name him. I was told that was something I could do. So immediately in view of what I had just seen, I began contemplating on names. I looked as these two creatures of God who shared feelings of loss and loneliness. Two wonderful beings that so desperately needed each other to help ease the pain they were going through. I realized this miraculous transformation I had just witnessed could not have happened by anyone other than God. So I named our precious little hairy buddy, Zachariah and we called him Zach. It is said the biblical meaning of the name Zachariah is: God remembered. Zach passed away shortly before his 16th. birthday. And now when I look at his pictures and urn of ashes, I get blessed all over again. I think about how when we ask forgiveness for our sins, become christians and turn our lives over to God--- WHAT A MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION A REAL SIGHT TO BEHOLD And no matter what we encounter in life on our walk through this earth, God never lets us walk it alone. God remembers us and daily we benefit from His unconditional love, joy, peace and gentleness. We will always love and miss Zach and when I think of him, I always think WHAT A GREAT RUN.

THINKING ABOUT A DECK OF CARDS

SATAN IS LIKE THE BLACK SUITS. When we allow Satan to be our guide he uses the SPADES to dig the holes and the CLUBS to beat us down by over burdening us with sin to eventually bury ourselves. GOD IS LIKE THE RED SUITS. When we know Jesus shed his RED blood for us and we give our HEARTS to Jesus and give Him complete control of our lives, then we know we found a DIAMOND in the rough.