MEN - Advise which may save your life!!!!!

MEN - Advise which may save your life!!!!!

You should RECOGNIZE when your significant other has an upcoming "special date" such as a birthday, anniversary, Mother's (or Father's) day, etc.  With technology today there is NO reason that you cannot remember a date - put it on your digital calendar, set your alarm, add it to Outlook as a recurrence.  You are doomed if you don't.

You should PLAN something ahead of time taking into consideration your significant's interests.  This does NOT have to be costly.  Breakfast in bed, notes in places they will see, scavenger hunt to find their birthday cake, picnic in the park, dinner at home with friends.  PLAN it YOURSELF, don't rely on your kids, in-laws or their friends.  Take the bull by the horns.  You are doomed if you don't.

Let your significant KNOW you recognize THEIR day and PLANNED something ahead of time so they don't wonder if you cared enough to think and plan for them.  Dinner with no reservations doesn't count.  Flowers you pick-up at the grocery store don't count.  Boxed, unwrapped chocolates don't count (unless you are serving on a silver spoon in bed for breakfast).

Be thoughtful about your plans.  Be wise with your money.  Most of all realize, the day isn't about you, it's about them.

Read carefully as this may one day save your life!

I sure do feel lucky that God wrote that book for me

February 28, 2011

My Grandpa Allen is 81 years old.  He has a hard time seeing things with his eyes anymore so it’s hard for him to read his Bible.  When I visit he has me read his Bible to him and that’s what I did yesterday.  After I got done reading his Bible to him he said “I sure do feel lucky that God wrote that book just for me and just for you.”  It reminded me of when I was a little girl and my Grandma Allen said the same thing to me.  She always told me, “Carrie, God loved you so much that he wrote a book just for you.”  At the time I didn’t understand what my Grandma was saying to me, I really thought the Bible was written for older people who could read it and understand it.  But earlier this week I read a scripture in Matthew that says “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

God made sure to include children in the Bible because YOU as a child are important to Him.  God loved you so much that He wrote a book just for you.  My Grandma always was able to explain things to me in a way I could understand, so what she did when I was little was to put my name in place of words in the Bible so I could see how God had written a book just for me.  Now I will read the same verse the way my Grandma used to read it to me “Let Alexandria come to me, Let Adam come to me, Let Agnes come to me. . .  and do not hinder Alexandria, Adam, Aggie, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”

Let us pray: “Dear God, thank you today for bringing these children into your house of worship.  I pray that we remind our children today of your love and how you prepared a special book just for each of them to read and grow to know you better.  Help each of us learn your ways through your Holy word.  We love and praise you.  In Jesus name, Amen.”

Why does death capture the young?

Why does death capture the young?  I have been at a loss of words lately on this matter.  I have been reading God's word and praying, still I have no good answers.  I have sought out answers others have given in hopes that I might understand.  Here is one that I read and it does make sense. "God does not Will "bad" things to happen in life. Rather, "bad" things happen in the freedom that comes with the gift of life. When "bad" things happen to any of God's children, God is grieved and suffers with us, experienced most vividly in the hurt and suffering of Jesus the Christ for all humanity. Any "bad" thing which happens is never the last word. Rather, God is the deepest and last word, and that word is love and eternal life with God."  I know this does not console a broken heart or the feelings of helplessness.  I do think that all things work together and for what reasons, I may never know.  I know my struggles have given me the opportunity to learn of God's love more deeply, of His caring hands and of His goodness.  All things which I have taken for granted during my life.  There is only one thing I know, it is that we live and we all will eventually die.  When and where and how, none of us know, but we can know that our hope is in God and that we can turn to Him to ask questions and seek comfort.  He has NEVER failed me and He will NEVER fail you.  Hugs and love to you.

A Little Green

I just prepared a creamed corn casserole.  It looks pretty tasty if I say so myself.  As I looked at the ingredients mixed up in the bowl, I knew there was just something missing . . . a little green.  My love for making casseroles comes from my Grandma Wanell Allen.  She could pull any combination of ingredients out of the fridge and make the tastiest eats you could imagine.  If she thought the taste might be a little questionable, she would throw bacon or cheese or Ritz crackers with butter on the top for good measure.  Without fail she always had a little green in her casseroles.  Sometimes she threw in green beans, peas, spinach, dill, parsley, broccoli, or collards.  She always had something green on hand.

My grandparents hosted many of my date nights.  I always jokingly told my dates "watch out for the casseroles, Grandma cleaned out the fridge and you never know what the green is".  I told them to steer clear of the "unknown" at dinner and stick with what they knew they would eat.  Without fail my dates wouldn't scoop out a portion of casserole and without fail my Grandpa would ask my dates if they weren't hungry.  He would keep on talking about how good Grandma's food was and ask why they wouldn't eat more and then offer them more food.  I would often watch as my dates squirmed in their seats as Grandma would offer them casserole as she saw it was missing from their plates.

Only a few passed this little test of mine and took Grandma up on her offer for casserole.  You see, my Grandma would never serve anything questionable, but just the thought made several of my dates squeamish.  I figured, if they didn't have the nerve to try Grandma's casserole, they weren't worth my time.  Many only got that first date, while only a few others moved to the second date.

If only Grandma knew about my little test . . . and that little bit of green, she may have had more fun with dinner.