I’m Serious. Seriously!!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Welcome to my Blog and Happy Leap Year!!

***New York (AP)—Leap Year is more than just a quirky thing that happens to newborns on the occasional 29th of February.

The extra day that rolls around every four years, including 2016, includes a world of lore related to women—gasp! —popping the marriage question to men.

Here’s a look at that magical mark on the calendar as it relates to love and marriage, courtesy of Monmouth University historian Katherine Parkin, who has researched the topic:

Origins of Leap Proposals—There’s a distant European past: One story places it in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, Parkin wrote. 

Another tale is focused on Queen Margaret of Scotland and a law she supposedly passed in 1228 ordering a man reluctant to accept a woman’s proposal to pay a fine or present her with a silk gown to make up for his bad attitude.

Nobody really knows where it all began. 

“We know that (cartoonist) Al Capp started Sadie Hawkins. We can see that history unfold. This is more anomalous than that,”she said.

As for the existence of Leap Year itself, history has it that in 46BCE, Julius Caesar came up with the adjustment to ensure the seasons remain aligned with the calendar. Further adjustments were needed when the Gregorian calendar came along.

One elite Leap Year party was held in New York City every four years, starting in 1924 and continuing through 1968. It was one of the most prominent, held times at the Ritz-Carlton, and was skipped just one time in that period, during World War II. The women outnumbered the men. There was a stag line and women were allowed to cut in on dances. 

“Women were in control and had charge of the night,” Parkin said. ***

Well, Leap Year, as it relates to women, doesn’t matter very much today, since both men and women are considered “equals”…however, call me crazy, but I believe women, all women, actually do prefer to be courted, fall in love and are thrilled when they hear: “Will You Marry Me?”

I’m serious. Seriously!!

Amen!! Let’s hear it for Love and Marriage!

“Bobby and Betty sittin’ in a tree -K I S S I N G,

First came Love, then came Marriage,

Then came Betty with a Baby Carriage!”

I love it and I love you!!

GOD is Good! GOD is Great!!

Margaret

PS Have a week filled with Love, Fun, Creativity…”Creativity is intelligence having Fun.” —Albert Einstein

“Love is having Jesus in our hearts.” —me

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s Always “the something”!

Monday, February 22, 2016

Hello to all my Blog-Buddies today!!

First, I hope whatever you found yourself doing this past weekend, that you were able to make a difference in someone’s precious Life—and if so, you also made a difference in YOUR own Life. Ya know, there’s always something we can do, no matter how small it may be—maybe even just a sweet smile wrapped with kindness in our eyes. Amen!

“Later on, when they had all said ‘Good-By’ and ‘Thank You’ to Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening and for a long time they were silent…

‘When you wake up in the morning, Pooh’, said Piglet at last, ‘What’s the first thing you say to yourself?’

‘What’s for breakfast?’ said Pooh. ‘What do you say, Piglet?’

‘I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. ‘It’s the something.’ ” 

Let’s ALL find the something this week and share it with someone else.

God is GOOD! God is GREAT!!

I love you,

Margaret

Ask God to remove anything in your Life that is taking the place that belongs to Him. Let’s live in His Grace.

Note:  Special thanks to A.A Milne/— We do love Pooh!

 

 

Crawl In and Sit Down, Grandma…

Monday, February 15, 2016

Monday Blog time…

Welcome, all you Valentines…hope ya got a hug & a kiss from someone…and maybe something else sweet, too—CHOCOLATE, maybe? (I love that stuff!)

“Crawl in and sit down, Grandma, but please don’t pull the fort down!!” …that’s what Lily, my nine year old granddaughter said to me, once we had the fort all taped, tied, and weighted down in the playroom, over the weekend.

Lily and H (7) her younger brother, were spending the weekend with grandma and PaPa and as usual, Lily (9 going on 15, ya know what I’m talking about) called me up to the playroom and asked if I would help her build a fort. H and PaPa were into one of their favorite shows, so naturally, as usual, I play the role of “Dr. Watson” in most of Lily’s adventures at our house. I’m pretty sure I’ve never said “no” but twice to Lily (& have no idea when those two times were ?), so the answer was a big “Yes, of course, honey, I’ll be delighted to help you build your fort!”

Okay, let me tell you a little bit about Lily. First, she was named after me, as in Lily Margaret. She’s the first born child (of two children) of my only son. They live here in Atlanta very close to me, where he grew up. Lily is a very blessed child in so many ways, starting with her Mommy and Daddy. As most of you know, my father was anything but a good Daddy…and my Mother lived most of her Life trying to be both Mommy & Daddy to nine children— (Gemme’ a break!!)

The fact that Lily has loving and adoring parents, is only part of her blessings. Her Mommy & Daddy are Christians and are wonderful role models for both Lily and her younger brother, H. Lily is regularly  reminded that she is the big sister and must wear that title well, and she knows exactly what that means for the most part, except when she’s stayed up waaaaay too late the night before (which does happen from time to time, nobody’s perfect!!).

Lily’s a great little student, well-liked by her teachers, has many friends and is liked and respected by those peers—both genders! I call her my little “shim” (i.e., She-Him). That kid can climb a tree in a flash, play soft ball, soccer, basketball, piano, sing, dance, paint ‘n draw like Monet’,  AND… build an “Inside-Fort” with blankets, sheets & beach towels,  better than Donald Trump with brick and mortar! After all that, she can switch roles and don her lovely party dress complete with hair ribbons, polished nails and sequined shoes, for the Daddy/Daughter Dance at school. I tell you all this to make a serious point, which takes us back to the part earlier about Lily’s parents: “they’re Christians”

They’re good people: loving, energetic, fun, work hard in their own businesses and teach their children about Jesus. The bottom line is they’re good role models! Frankly though, I’m most proud of them for their love and devotion to our heavenly Father. Lily and H actually know and can recite “The  Golden Rule and The Ten Commandments.”AMEN!!

Now, let’s go back up to the beginning—Here’s the shot:  Lily and grandma have finished the fort, which took us about an hour or so to get it really secure, etc.; Lily’s inside (continuing with her instructions for what’s next) and grandma is outside the tent (lying on the floor sweating) dutifully awaiting those further instructions.

Lily begins with: “Crawl in and sit down, Grandma, but please don’t pull the fort down!!”  Naturally, I crawled on in, very carefully and she pointed to the corner I was to settle into for the next whatever…She had “created” a small table with a nite-lite for her “Pastor’s Podium”…yep. “Grandma, I was thinking if it’s OK with you, we could have Sunday School in here in the fort tomorrow morning.” I looked over at her and saw that she had her little Bible, her journal and a couple of pencils placed neatly on her little table. I told her I thought that was awesome and she said she would tell PaPa & H so they could also prepare a lesson to discuss,“since we ALL would enjoy it better if we ALL participated, because I have the biggest part since I’m the Pastor and I don’t want anyone to feel left out.” She talks like this without stopping very often, except to take  a much-needed breath…sorta like her grandma.

My heart was filled with such Joy to watch and listen to this tiny little fifty-pounder,  with her soft, long-dangling naturally curly hair,  as she would toss her head side-ways to get it out of her eyes so she could get a better read from the tiny dim 6-watt nite-lite she had created. As I sat there observing her own Joy, I was well-aware of the fact that this little child is precisely what Jesus talks so much about in the Bible…

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among thee, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.'” – Matthew 18:1-5

“Let the little children come to me and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.  Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:15-17

The evening continued as PaPa & H were given their lessons to perform along with grandma. Sunday morning came, we all crawled into our Sunday School class and from that moment on, all heaven broke loose! Sweet Jesus was right there with us and the next hour was nothing short of glorious! It went just as Lily had planned it and she was very pleased and bragged on H for his help. What a blessing to behold…and that’s just what it was!!

Out of the mouths and precious hearts of little Children!!

Thank you for a beautiful Sunday School lesson, Pastor Lily and Associate Pastor, H.

Amen!!

GOD is GOOD. GOD is GREAT!  Always!!

My prayer for us All this week, is that we will cherish and honor every child who crosses our paths and pay attention to what they mean to Jesus…how important they are to Him and therefore should be to us as well.

I love you,

Margaret

“Blessed are the children, who walk in the Lord. Blessings and joy shall be theirs. Theirs is the bounty, the fruit of the vine. Theirs is the joy of God’s care.”   —Psalm 128

 

 

 

 

 

You Want Me To WHAT?!!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Monday Blog – Welcome, Friends!

*****

“It’s snowing still,” said Eeyore gloomily.

“So it is. And freezing. Is it?” asked Pooh.

“Yes,” said Eeyore.

“However,” he said, brightening up a little,

“We haven’t had an earthquake lately.”

*****

So…”You Want Me To WHAT?!” is my title for us ALL today…and I want us all to read  Eeyore’s words once more, then think about what he’s really saying. Go on…what do YOU think? I want you to have your answer before you read the next paragraph…seriously.

OK, I said all that to say all this:

At first, Eeyore is gloomily complaining…but as he continues in his dismay, it becomes clear to him: IT COULD BE WORSE…maybe even an EARTHQUAKE!! The very thought of this causes him to turn his frown upside down and reminds him of his blessings, as in “today’s not so bad after all, and tomorrow’s not even here yet!”

It can always be worse. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones; however, the fact is, as depicted in this little cartoon, it’s up to us and no one else, to take each day as it comes, one day at a time…and do our best with it.

“One of the secrets of a happy and beautiful life, is to live one day at a time. If we would learn it, it would save us from the worry that in so many people spoils the days, and would add immeasurably to the value of the work we do. For, really, we never have anything to do any day-but the bit of God’s will for that day. If we do that well—we have absolutely nothing else to do.

We do not understand how great a mercy there is for us in the briefness of our short days. If they were even twice as long as they are, life would be intolerable. Many a time when the sun goes down—we feel that we could scarcely have gone another step. We would have fainted in defeat—if the summons to rest had not come just when it did.

‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ —Matthew 6:34

If we allow ourselves to borrow anxiety from tomorrow, we shall find that we have a greater load than we can carry. If we learn well the lesson of living just one day at a time, without anxiety for either yesterday or tomorrow, we shall have found one of the great secrets of Christian peace. That is the way God teaches us to live. That is the lesson both of the Bible and of nature. If we learn it, it will cure us of all anxiety; it will save us from all feverish haste; it will enable us to live sweetly in any experience.”   (J.R. Miller)

Hey, I’m not saying this is easy, however, I do believe if we live our faith…truly— we can embrace this and be mindful of it as we live…one day at a time, as in, TODAY.

Here’s a little suggestion for us all: memorize Matthew 6:34, above. He gave us this verse for a reason. He loves us and wants only the very best for us as we live our lives here…stop dreading the EARTHQUAKE!!

Here’s to: One day at a time…

GOD is Good. GOD is Great, always!

I love you,

Margaret

Special thanks to: my friend in Christ, J. R. Miller, for the blessing of his words to us and to  “Eeyour” and “Pooh”, for their humor and love of life…today, tomorrow & always (A.A. Milne).

 

 

 

 

A Flip of The Coin?

Monday, February 1, 2016 – HAPPY FEBRUARY!!

Hi, Everyone—Welcome to my Monday Blog! How’s it going with you and yours?

You know I wait on the Lord to inspire me each week as I sit down here to visit with you. Frankly, I never know what my topic will be when I sit down…not really; now, I may have ideas playing around in my heart and head, but He has the final say on what He wants me to share with you. It’s a great feeling too, that I don’t have to fret about it, because I know He’s got my back! I love Him so much!

My heartfelt goal here each week, is to share with you a few words that will pull on your heart strings…cause you to stop and think about your lives in a profound way—uplifting, thoughtful, honest and inspiring messages to maybe help you in some way. If I’m able to accomplish that, then I know God is pleased with me.

So, today it’s “A Flip of The Coin”…when you flip a coin, “heads” will take you in one direction and “tails”, another. There’s a catch to this game of chance though; ultimately you’ll wind up in the same spot. None of us has a crystal ball—OK, maybe the old Gypsy  in the movies does, but I’d think twice before I put my faith in that, either.

When we’re at the crossroads and must make a decision, let’s not leave it to a toss of a coin, a shiny glass ball, the moon, the stars, lucky numbers, or Grandma Moses…let’s just take it to our awesome BFF …let’s TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER!!

Here are some of the lyrics of an old favorite hymn of mine that Betty Jean Moore and I used to sing in church when we were teenagers…I’m sure you know it and it’s filled with God’s love and promises to us, especially when we’re troubled and need His direction…

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

“What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

O what  peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.”

Awe, so simple, nothing fancy—just His promises to us…His children. There’s no mystery about praying. It’s our way of communicating with our heavenly Father…talking to Him and listening to Him. Prayer helps us grow closer to God and an intimate relationship with Him changes our lives forever.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.”  – Matthew 6:7

“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”  – Ecclesiastes 5:2

“Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!” —Matthew 26-41

This week, let’s all be so busy loving our lives that we have no time to hate, regret or fear. And when we’re troubled, let’s remember WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS! Amen!

God Is GOOD. God is GREAT! Always!!

Love,

Margaret

Sometimes the only way to get Home is to turn around! Hallelujah!!

Note: Song Lyrics/Joseph Scriven; Music/Charles Crozast Converse (1834-1918)