July Artsy Essay

 

For this month's Arsty Essay, Judith challenges us to write about  our favorite and most inspiring possession.  So very hard to narrow down among the keepsakes, the mementos, the photos and such, just one possession.  I still have the dress & shoes Mama married in.  I have Mama Ruth's depression glass.  I have money my Daddy collected from all over the world.  But here it goes:

 

One possession stands alone.  Only one has been a comfort and encouragement.  Only one has directed me in difficulties.  Only one records favorite meetings.  This possession holds quotes from many, both the famous and the ordinary. 

 

Within this possession lie pieces of artwork that I value more than any piece in any museum.  It holds a list of the favorite hymns of faith that I want played at my funeral.  Time lines run through it.  Maps that mark marvelous journeys are held there. 

 

Memories of past friends of faith run deep here.  Facts and statistics are kept here.  History is recorded here.  It has been my faithful companion possession of the past 15 years.  Underscored, written in every available corner, paper stuck between pages, worn and yellowed and falling apart at the seams. Sermon notes from my favorite pastors.  Pictures my children have drawn for me.  It is my favorite for all it contains for me personally and spiritually.  It is the most inspiring because I would not be me today without it.  It is my Living Bible.

 

                              

Tags: Artsy Essay, possessions, Living Bible

Because...

...A REAL American Idol doesn't have to be voted on!!!!!!!

    

                                          

Elvis, any way you want him, all month long in August on TV Land!!!

Tags: Elvis, American Idol, The King, TVLand

Lessons from the Lights

                          

Last Friday, the corporate office got two new desks.  My ever resourceful co-worker, Naomi, finagled getting the old ones passed on to us.  Took a whole day rearranging, but we managed to get them both set up in our office.  So, I'm no longer on a folding table!  Neither is our part-time college student, Brittanny.  She has Nomi's old desk.  We look and feel more professional now.  There was only one problem.  My desk goes into a corner.  And two of the fluorescent lights in the fixture closest to my desk were out.  Made the paperwork portion of my day a little dark and difficult. 

 

After a little gentle nagging, I managed to get our maintenance supervisor, Gerry, to attend to my problem.  He brought a whole box of bulbs in.  I said we only need two.  He said just wait and see.  He began to gently twist loose one old bulb after another in the fixture closest to my desk.  Then he started placing in each new bulb.  One didn't come on right away.  He twisted and pushed and giggled it until it lit up.  When he was finished it was so bright and different! 

 

He closed the cover on the fixture.  Wow!  Even the cover looked bright and clean and white! But now the fixture nearest Nomi, looked dark and dingy in comparison, despite the fact that all of her bulbs were lit.  So, Gerry moved the step ladder over and repeated the whole process on the other fixture.  When he was finished the whole room shone brighter and whiter!  Now I saw Gerry's wisdom.  And in this whole process I realized some spiritual truths as well.

 

Just as Gerry knew every bulb should be changed, God knows we need to be totally made over when we come to Christ.  He doesn't just take away the "bad bulbs" of sin and darkness.  He reworks, remakes and replaces our shallower, dimmer "good bulbs" of love and charity and such with His own new brand.  If a "bulb" doesn't light up, he gently giggles it with the Holy Spirit's conviction and persuasion until it too shines forth it's brilliance.   In this way, we can truly shine, clean and new for Him to the world around us.  And in comparison, those who have not submitted to this change look dull, dingy and dirty.

 

Got any bad bulbs in your fixture today?  Call in the Master Maintenance Man. 

 

                             

Tags: fluorescent lights, maintenance, coming to Christ

Ultimate Bible Quiz

Found this little quiz over at Cynthia's.  Just had to go and try it. 

I'm happy to say I never once picked up my Bible or cheated, Pete as my witness.

  

You know the Bible 98%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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The sad part is, I shouldn't be awesome.  Everyone should know the Word of God at least this well.  Each one should pick it up, read it, study it personally.  Know it all?  Never.  Studying the Bible is like peeling an onion.  Each layer reveals a new and deeper layer. 

Don't have a Bible?  Need a translation you can understand?  Bible Gateway.  Now you have no excuse! 

            

Tags: Ultimate Bible Quiz

An Observation

The other day on my way home from work, I noticed a tanker truck on the roadway.  On it's side were the words "Liquid Sulphur".............This one was truly Hell on Wheels!     ;o)

Tags: Liquid Sulphur, tanker trucks, hell

And It's All Because....

Your mama don't dance and your daddy don't rock n roll.  

Well, I was beginning to think that everyone thought redneck, country girls didn't rock.  But being that I was born and raised in an area smack dab between George Jones' home and Janice Joplin's home I run the full spectrum.   Have to admit I like the clean, clear lyrics of earlier rock.  And I am very partial to Motown.  Daddy took me to see Ernest Tubb in concert when I was about 8.  And my sisters instilled in me that you always watch Elvis any chance you get. (BTW:  August is Elvis month on TV Land!  Movies, interviews and concerts.)

 I know everything from "My Bucket's Got a Hole In It" to "Hell's Bells".  Gracious!  Mama even clued me in on who Rudy Valley, Glenn Miller and Nat King Cole were.  But she didn't dance.  Brought up to be a good Baptist.  Daddy knew how to waltz.  I never got to dancing until I was out of high school!!  Then I seemed to make up for lost time.  The last 20 years or so most of my dancing has been dancing babies around. 

To make a long story short, Carolyn named me as a:   And I'm flattered!  Very. 

Now I'm supposed to pass the award on to five more rockin' ladies.  I know many who do.  I'm just not 100% sure who has already been rocked and who hasn't.  So, I'll just pick and hope for the best.

A new found friend of mine stirs up memories in her journal:  Do You Remember?  I don't even know her name yet.  But her screenie is ggjack7 and she's still got it going on in her 70's.  So she rocks!

A rockin' new tagger in J-land, lipglosslush7, has got it goin' on over at Juicy Apple Designs.  Her tags and sigs are young and hip.....so she's rockin'!

My friend, Vee, is keeping it real and unto the Lord over at Diary of A Sold Out Woman.  Nothing rocks more than that!

Marlene at A Poet's Point of View ROCKS with beautiful photos and stirring poetry.

And there's Donna.  Donna rocks because she is a devoted mom who shares cute and comical conversations with her boys over at Sweeping the Cobwebs of My Mind.  And she's a Texas girl!

Okay people, what are you still doing here?  Go, enjoy and

       ROCK N ROLL!!!!

Tags: rockin' girl blogger, Elvis Presley, TVLand

Please welcome our new addition!

                  
                     (Thank you Donna, for this precious announcement!)

Ain't I precious!  I'm Prissy and I'm all legs.  My mom and dad are both Tennessee Walking horses.  So I will grow up to be tall and ride smooth.  When I run, my tail goes up straight in the air.  It's bred in me. 

I fell into this world from the comfort of mama's warm womb on Friday evening about 8:00 pm.  There was a crowd of onlookers gathered around the pen.  They watched and cheered as I kicked free of the bag.  They seemed to struggle with me as I tried to get to my feet and step far enough away to break the cord.  There were smiles and laughter.  I heard four wheelers bringing others down to stop and see and greet me.  Someone brought mama a bucket of feed. 

I liked smelling mama.  I liked rubbing against mama.  I knew if I could just find the right spot she'd have something good waiting for me.  A couple of hours after I was born, the spectators wandered away and it was just me and mama.

Mama patiently told me try again, as I nuzzled behind her front legs to no avail.  When I went underneath her looking she gently stepped over me and re-positioned herself with her hind quarters near my nose.  She did this dozens of times, until almost by accident I bumped something hard and found wet upon my nose!  I licked.  I shook my head.  Oh, wow!  And I dove back under to find again that liquid meal. 

I saw the sun yesterday for the first time.  I ran for the first time.  I heard lightening and firecrackers.  I felt raindrops upon my back.  So far, life is good.  Life is being by mama.  Life is naps near her feet.  Life is a small little girl coming and wrapping their arms around my neck and telling me "I love you Prissy." 

Today brought visitors.  New faces at the fence.  Looking.  Comparing me to my dad.  Comparing me to my grandfather.  Bragging on my mama.

I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Tags: blogplugs, Tennessee Walking horses, paint horses