Nuture the Seed

Vision without a task is only a dream. A task without a vision is but drudgery. But vision with a task is a dream fulfilled. So when an idea is planted into our minds, we must nurture it in order for it to grow. Nothing comes to us without our laboring (giving of ourselves).

Which Self Fits You?

Help Eliminate Poverty

Hope Does Not Automatically Come to All.

We as God's people must ask ourselves: Are we sharing the Good News? Are we delivering the message of hope to others? True the world will always have physical poverty but we can help to eliminate spiritual poverty. Our hearts need to burn with the desire to do so. If not, God help us!

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks for our abundance of blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving Cameron, Barbara, Madison, Cassidy, Kellee, Alisha and Preston. I love you dearly. and am forever grateful for the love you give to me.

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends who enlighten my pathway. I am forever grateful for your friendship.

Thank you dear Lord - for I am truly blessed, and forever grateful to you for everything.

Tied with Love

Had to share the History of APRONS with you as its words speak volumes of truth. One lingering memory of the apron was my Grandma Livingston daily drying her eyes with her apron after a season of prayer while sitting in her rocking chair, Bible in lap. Life was simple back then - hearts were filled with love for God, family, friends, and neighbors alike - and there wasn't any thought of choosing sides against another - just hearts filled with love.

“The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

At the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs that needed to go to the warming oven (or incubator).

When company came, aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons also wiped many a perspiring brow that was bent over the hot wood stove. Wood chips and kindling wood were carried into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried away the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

As unexpected company was driving up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. Then there was dinner - when it was ready, Grandma would walk out onto the porch, holler as she waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace the old-time apron that served so many purposes.

Oh, and can't forget that Grandma used her apron to set her hot baked apple pies on the windowsill to cool (now her granddaughters set their pies on the windowsill to thaw). Wouldn’t we go crazy trying to figure out how many germs were on an apron? However, I don't know anyone whoever caught anything bad from it; I can only think of something good, and that was love.”

Today, let’s put on a spiritual apron,
tie it with our heart's strings,
and then Give to Others Love.
Okay?

Tis the Season to Give [What?]

December is a time of gift giving. I was wondering what gifts should I give this year? Will the cost of the gift determine how much I love and care for someone? No, the price should never be the measure of my love. If that is considered the joy of giving, then let's start leaving the tags on. Or better yet, let's make sure the tags are in conspicuous places so they'll be noticed right away. Let's let our children, our parents, and our friends know they are worth $24.49, or $49.89, or $98.95, or $229.59, or (I’m sure you get the point).

Looking back, my greatest gifts came with a love price tag. Please allow me to share some. A bouquet of wild flowers picked by my husband for my 22nd birthday, slightly wilted and the stems in lengths of various degrees but still an everlasting memory gift. A green ware Nativity set from my two sons, Mark and Cameron, when they were teenagers. It was a birthday present in 1976, and a total surprise. I opened the package at midnight (been at hospital all day as my husband was in ICU at that time). A priceless gift, which is proudly displayed all year round. A snapshot of daughter Kellee (at 7), grinning from ear-to-ear (front teeth missing), wearing an apron that fell to her shoe tops, but the snap proudly proclaimed she was cooking in her class - and going to share her baked goodies with me. An absolutely adorable memory, framed close to my heart and kept in my special memories box. A bright orange construction-paper cookbook from youngest daughter Alisha (at 6). Its pages contained cookie recipes (having more glue on the pages than anything) . On the cover, handwritten in her original words, "Mommy's Cook Bookie." I still have the “bookie” in my memory box, and look at the love creation from time to time with a chuckle.

Another special Christmas gift was via a tiny grin from granddaughter Zoe (at 3-1/2 months), when her mother Barbara tried to get her to play with toys we'd given her that were for children ages 3 and up. Zoe loved the toys but just couldn't get the hang of how to use them. We lost Zoe less than two months later so I would not take anything for that gift memory. Oh yes, the two handmade ornaments from granddaughters Madison and Cassidy when they were 3 and 5 . Their little hands made ornaments with their pictures prominently displayed inside with glitter encircling the outside. They were proud as punch to give them to me, and I was equally as proud as punch to get them. These ornaments are still part of my annual Christmas decorations. A drawing by grandson Preston when he was 4 years old showing Santa driving a race car around a race track (even at 4, he wanted to share something we both loved and that was NASCAR). Four years later that drawing is still an everlasting gift, tucked away in my heart.

No money could buy any of these gifts. There are all priceless. Guess I’m melancholy but this year I don’t want currency, checks, gift certificates, or expensive presents to take the place of giving love memories. Bring on neighbor Judi’s homemade goodies, Auntie May's embroidered dish towels, or Grandma Gracie's crocheted tablecloth. Bring on special handmade gifts from the grandchildren. These are all fashioned with love.

Oh dear Lord, please let me give gifts that last. . . gifts wrapped with a portion of myself. Tis the Season to Give LOVE.