Many years ago, while I was feeling sorry for myself and everything seemed to be going downhill, a friend of mine offered up a little bit of wisdom that I have since taken with me through life and its pitfalls. She said, "Laura, when life serves you lemons, just add a little sugar and make lemonade."
It seems that as long as everything is going smoothly along the road of life, people are happy. But, the minute they hit a pothole, they sound like my dog Sugar, "the drama queen", it's all about me, and poor pitiful me. However, something seems to escape all of these people who cry about every little set back, "There is always someone else who is worse than you are." Not only that, but many times we cause our own setbacks, it's just we aren't prepared to take the consequences for our actions--good or bad.
I know some people who never smile; they never say hello without going through a litany of so many problems and reasons why they are depressed that it would send you searching for a knife to slit your own throat. What is up with that? Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that we all make our own beds, now whether that bed is plush goose-down or a pile of hard rocks is up to us. You bring problems into your life when you let life run you.
As a Christian, I know worrying is a sin because Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, (don't worry); but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
So, once I learned to put everything in God's hands, praying and studying his word daily, I don't sweat the small stuff, and I don't sweat the big stuff either, because I know all I have to do is turn it over to God, and he'll handle it for me without a fee and interest.
Now, if you are not a believer, I'll pray for you, but, the lesson is still the same. When you invite negativity into your life, you will have it. When you repeat something over and over enough times, you'll soon believe it. So, if you keep repeating to others how depressed your life is every time you see them, not only will you notice people going the opposite direction when they see you, but your life will continue being depressing. However, when you sit down and think about what you want out of life, then start working toward that goal you've set, it's amazing how life takes on a whole new meaning. You then begin to run your life, rather than the other way around. If by chance you hit a little hiccup, don't worry about it. I Peter 5:6-7 states: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care (anxieties and worries) upon him; for he cares for you.
I remember something my dad said to me while on the way home from visiting my mom in the hospital. By the way, the reason she was there was because she had a heart attack after seeing a friend of my dad's crushed under a forklift, while he and my dad were working on it. See a reason for depression here? But, when I asked him if he was all right, my dad, the great man that he is, looked at me and said, "It's just another bump in the road, Baby Daughter, and we'll get over it."
So sure, I'm not rich among some standards, but I'm rich in many other ways. I've seen the down side of life, and believe me, I've had to start over with nothing but the clothes on my back many times. I've seen a time when all I had in the cabinet was a bag of beans and twenty-six cents in my bank account with a week to go until payday. I've been there and bought so many t-shirts and cups that I could start my own store of misery, but dwelling on the past does no good. It's living in the present and preparing for the future that changes your life tomorrow.
We all make our own decisions, and we have to be prepared for the consequences of those decisions. Do you purchase that fancy tv and risk getting behind in a car or house payment, or do you watch that little portable for a while longer until you can afford the fancy one? It's your choice today, and no one's fault but your own if you make the wrong one. So, as a friend once told me when life serves up that bag full of sour lemons, look for that little cup of sweet sugary happiness and whip up a big batch of refreshing lemonade. Then share a glass, along with the recipe, with someone else who could use it. Remember, blessings are meant to be shared and not kept to yourself.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Giving Thanks
This week I went to my daughter's for Thanksgiving, and when you are driving for four hours one way, you have a lot of time to think. Too many of us are tied up and entangled in our own self pity to actually take a moment to stop and count our many blessings. Blessings, by the way, that should be shared and not horded for oneself.
During this drive I thought about the many people who would not be spending time during the holidays with family, but many who do not even have a family, much less a home. I thought about the children who live their young lives in pain and torment from those who do not value life, and choose to destroy it, rather than let someone else enjoy it. What has happened to our world?
Many of us choose to put on blinders to the pain, to the evil, to the cruelty and immorality, thinking that if I ignore it, it will go away. I have news for those people who choose to live in a box with no holes with which to view the world outside of it. It won't go away, but it will only get worse. Why?
Isaiah 59:1-15 deals with the Confession of sins and says ... your iniquities have separated you from your God...No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. ...Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey, The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. Today more than ever, I see where people who are Godly and moral speak out against the injustice and the evil in the world only to be targeted and become the prey just as it was spoken by Isaiah in the Old Testament. When did what was wrong just fifty years ago, suddenly become right? When did sex before marriage become a past time, rather than a sin that was shunned? When did calling a child molester a pedophile, become wrong because it might insult him or hurt his feelings? When did displaying a cross or a nativity scene, that was once common practise without a thought, become wrong because someone was insulted?
Do you see a pattern forming here? If we as good moral Christians and citizens continue to close our eyes and put on our blinders, one day we will be blind and we will be mute because we allow the evil to make us their prey. We will live in a society whose mouths are no longer necessary, like that episode of the "Twilight Zone" when people had no mouths. It's time to take a stand on the playground and chase the bully and his cronies out of it.
How? Speak out and raise your children in a manner that is not only pleasing to God, but also in a manner that is moral and pleasing for man, not to man. Teach a child to value life, not destroy it. Teach a child to respect his own property and he will respect his neighbors. Spend time with your children because they are your blessings. Move away from the computer and television and pull out "Candy Land" or "Monopoly." Spend time with your kids while at the same time teaching them to read, to count, and most importantly, teaching them how to properly interact socially. Teach them to be gracious winners and losers. The trend will then turn and the bully will begin to back off the playground because you are no longer giving him room to play in it.
So, count your blessing no matter how small, and share them with someone next to you. The blessing of a simple smile to someone having a bad day may mean more than your think.
During this drive I thought about the many people who would not be spending time during the holidays with family, but many who do not even have a family, much less a home. I thought about the children who live their young lives in pain and torment from those who do not value life, and choose to destroy it, rather than let someone else enjoy it. What has happened to our world?
Many of us choose to put on blinders to the pain, to the evil, to the cruelty and immorality, thinking that if I ignore it, it will go away. I have news for those people who choose to live in a box with no holes with which to view the world outside of it. It won't go away, but it will only get worse. Why?
Isaiah 59:1-15 deals with the Confession of sins and says ... your iniquities have separated you from your God...No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. ...Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey, The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. Today more than ever, I see where people who are Godly and moral speak out against the injustice and the evil in the world only to be targeted and become the prey just as it was spoken by Isaiah in the Old Testament. When did what was wrong just fifty years ago, suddenly become right? When did sex before marriage become a past time, rather than a sin that was shunned? When did calling a child molester a pedophile, become wrong because it might insult him or hurt his feelings? When did displaying a cross or a nativity scene, that was once common practise without a thought, become wrong because someone was insulted?
Do you see a pattern forming here? If we as good moral Christians and citizens continue to close our eyes and put on our blinders, one day we will be blind and we will be mute because we allow the evil to make us their prey. We will live in a society whose mouths are no longer necessary, like that episode of the "Twilight Zone" when people had no mouths. It's time to take a stand on the playground and chase the bully and his cronies out of it.
How? Speak out and raise your children in a manner that is not only pleasing to God, but also in a manner that is moral and pleasing for man, not to man. Teach a child to value life, not destroy it. Teach a child to respect his own property and he will respect his neighbors. Spend time with your children because they are your blessings. Move away from the computer and television and pull out "Candy Land" or "Monopoly." Spend time with your kids while at the same time teaching them to read, to count, and most importantly, teaching them how to properly interact socially. Teach them to be gracious winners and losers. The trend will then turn and the bully will begin to back off the playground because you are no longer giving him room to play in it.
So, count your blessing no matter how small, and share them with someone next to you. The blessing of a simple smile to someone having a bad day may mean more than your think.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Henny Penny
Working and eating have always gone hand in hand. The Bible states in II Thessalonians 3:10 "even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." There have always been those sayings, "A good day's wage for a good day's work." Even the children had stories to help them understand the importance of working hard and gaining from your labor. One such story that I remember was "Henny Penny".
Henny Penny and her chicks lived in the great barnyard of Farmer Brown. One day as she was clucking along, she happened upon some seeds of grain. "Oh my," she said. "I can plant these seeds and when they are grown, I can grind it into flour and make bread." So, she asked the dog, the cat, and the pig, "Who will help me plant these seeds?" The dog replied, "I'm too busy playing." The cat told her, "I'm too busy grooming." And the pig said, "Not me, I'm too busy sunning." So, Henny Penny, tilled the ground and planted the seeds herself.
Each day she asked the dog, the cat, and the pig, "Who will help me fill the buckets with water to pour on the seeds?" And each day they all had something better to do and would not help with the work. So, each day Henny Penny watered and tended to the seeds alone.
Then the day came that the seeds had grown into tall stalks of wheat and were ready to be sown, so she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig and again asked, "Who will help me thrash the wheat?" No one stepped forward to help because they had something better to do. So, Henny Penny worked hard to thrash the wheat alone.
Once that was done, it was now important to grind the wheat into flour. Like before, she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig, asking, "Who will help me grind the wheat?" But again, they all refused. So, like she had done before, Henny Penny worked hard and long to grind the wheat into flour.
Now, it was time to take the flour and make it into loaves of bread, she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig, and she asked, "Who will help me make the bread from the flour?" No one volunteered to help because the dog was too busy playing, the cat too busy grooming, and the pig too busy laying in the sun.
"Okay, then I'll make it myself," she said. And Henny Penny did just that. She mixed the flour and made the bread, she baked it and when it was done, the dog, the cat, and the Pig could smell the wonderful aroma of the fresh baked bread and when she asked, "Who will help me eat the bread?"
The Dog barked, "I will." The cat meowed, "I will help you eat it," and the Pig grunted, "Oh, I'll help."
But this time, Henny Penny told them, "When I asked you to help me plant the seeds, you couldn't. When I asked for help in watering the seeds, you refused. And, when I asked help in gathering the wheat and grinding it into flour, you were too busy. You wouldn't even help prepare the bread to be baked. The most simple task you wouldn't do, but now you want to eat the bread?"
They all nodded their heads, but Henny Penny told them, "No, I believe, my chicks and I will eat the bread, and maybe next time, you will be more willing to help." And that she did, and Henny Penny and her chicks had a wonderful meal.
Moral of the story? You don't work, you don't eat.
Sound familiar? The problem with the world today, is that they have not heard the story of "Henny Penny", and they have not learned its moral. Raise the young with a good work ethic, and they will build a better future for themselves and for others. Today children are taught to be lazy and not productive. Give children responsibilities, and they will learn how to be responsible adults. Teach children how to respect others, and they will grow into respectful adults. So, tell this story to your kids, and then have them take out the trash, but reward them for their hard work.
Henny Penny and her chicks lived in the great barnyard of Farmer Brown. One day as she was clucking along, she happened upon some seeds of grain. "Oh my," she said. "I can plant these seeds and when they are grown, I can grind it into flour and make bread." So, she asked the dog, the cat, and the pig, "Who will help me plant these seeds?" The dog replied, "I'm too busy playing." The cat told her, "I'm too busy grooming." And the pig said, "Not me, I'm too busy sunning." So, Henny Penny, tilled the ground and planted the seeds herself.
Each day she asked the dog, the cat, and the pig, "Who will help me fill the buckets with water to pour on the seeds?" And each day they all had something better to do and would not help with the work. So, each day Henny Penny watered and tended to the seeds alone.
Then the day came that the seeds had grown into tall stalks of wheat and were ready to be sown, so she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig and again asked, "Who will help me thrash the wheat?" No one stepped forward to help because they had something better to do. So, Henny Penny worked hard to thrash the wheat alone.
Once that was done, it was now important to grind the wheat into flour. Like before, she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig, asking, "Who will help me grind the wheat?" But again, they all refused. So, like she had done before, Henny Penny worked hard and long to grind the wheat into flour.
Now, it was time to take the flour and make it into loaves of bread, she went to the Dog, the Cat, and the Pig, and she asked, "Who will help me make the bread from the flour?" No one volunteered to help because the dog was too busy playing, the cat too busy grooming, and the pig too busy laying in the sun.
"Okay, then I'll make it myself," she said. And Henny Penny did just that. She mixed the flour and made the bread, she baked it and when it was done, the dog, the cat, and the Pig could smell the wonderful aroma of the fresh baked bread and when she asked, "Who will help me eat the bread?"
The Dog barked, "I will." The cat meowed, "I will help you eat it," and the Pig grunted, "Oh, I'll help."
But this time, Henny Penny told them, "When I asked you to help me plant the seeds, you couldn't. When I asked for help in watering the seeds, you refused. And, when I asked help in gathering the wheat and grinding it into flour, you were too busy. You wouldn't even help prepare the bread to be baked. The most simple task you wouldn't do, but now you want to eat the bread?"
They all nodded their heads, but Henny Penny told them, "No, I believe, my chicks and I will eat the bread, and maybe next time, you will be more willing to help." And that she did, and Henny Penny and her chicks had a wonderful meal.
Moral of the story? You don't work, you don't eat.
Sound familiar? The problem with the world today, is that they have not heard the story of "Henny Penny", and they have not learned its moral. Raise the young with a good work ethic, and they will build a better future for themselves and for others. Today children are taught to be lazy and not productive. Give children responsibilities, and they will learn how to be responsible adults. Teach children how to respect others, and they will grow into respectful adults. So, tell this story to your kids, and then have them take out the trash, but reward them for their hard work.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Why Family Values?
What's the world coming to when good, strong wholesome family values are being attacked each day. I'm far from ancient, but I'm no Spring Chicken either, so I can still remember a time when people woke on Sunday morning, dressed in their best (and women never wore pants), and went to church for worship. The preacher could teach about the sins of the world straight from God's mouth to the congregation's ears. They actually read the Bible, and what it said was practiced and the government, nor anyone else stepped in to legislate it.
However, today, it seems the majority dress in their best to show up at Starbucks for a morning cup of that special seven dollar chocolate decaf latte with whatever else they can throw into it, and God is only a word placed in a quote to grace the billboard of an atheist who doesn't believe there is a God. What is that ole saying, "In battle, there are no atheists in a foxhole." Oh, and government, today if the preacher even mentions that homosexualism is a sin, which according to the Word of God is, the church is preaching hate and risks loosing their non-profit status. So, now what happened to government staying out of the church?
The sixties was the beginning of the downfall of the moral fiber of this country. It was all about free love, drugs, and STD's. Dr. Spock was telling people how to raise their children without discipline and saying, "no", to them, because that inhibited their ability to explore and express themselves. Well, I've got news for Dr. Spock, the only thing I found his book any good for was putting it to the seat of the problem when my child misbehaved. That my dear readers, was the beginning of the end.
That free love turned into a rash of unwanted pregnancies and less responsibility and more welfare. Momma always said, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk free!" Sure, even back in Victorian times you had your incidents, that's been going on since the beginning of time, but the little darling was shipped off to Aunt Sue's in Connecticut for the summer, not paraded through town as if she were a Gold Medal Olympic winner. Shame was placed upon her head, and that was to be an example for others like her. Or, the man took responsibility and married the girl, like he should, and the baby was premature. That's what you call checks and balances.
The need to return to those wholesome family values is upon us today as we see families strewn from one part of the country to the next. Kids today aren't taught that first you date, then your marry, and after that comes the baby carriage. They are thrown into a school that insists on teaching kindergarten children about sex. What's up with that? Let's just legally, through the school, destroy what little innocence these children have.
Marriage is sacred and has a purpose. As I've said before, we set examples for our children because they imitate everything. They are taught by our examples, and that is why the moral fiber of the family is so important. It shapes our conscience when we are taught right from wrong. It shapes our country when mommy and daddy (not Mary's two mommies, or Johnny's two daddies) teach the ten commandments to their children.
The Mosaic law was meant to structure a society, don't steal, don't kill, don't lie, and it sure wasn't meant to offer up a soft-fuzzy name for those who did. I had a brother-in-law who when he was needing a roof over his head would get arrested because it provided him "three hots and a cot". Discipline is meant for those who disobey, and it wasn't meant to be fun.
However, today, it seems the majority dress in their best to show up at Starbucks for a morning cup of that special seven dollar chocolate decaf latte with whatever else they can throw into it, and God is only a word placed in a quote to grace the billboard of an atheist who doesn't believe there is a God. What is that ole saying, "In battle, there are no atheists in a foxhole." Oh, and government, today if the preacher even mentions that homosexualism is a sin, which according to the Word of God is, the church is preaching hate and risks loosing their non-profit status. So, now what happened to government staying out of the church?
The sixties was the beginning of the downfall of the moral fiber of this country. It was all about free love, drugs, and STD's. Dr. Spock was telling people how to raise their children without discipline and saying, "no", to them, because that inhibited their ability to explore and express themselves. Well, I've got news for Dr. Spock, the only thing I found his book any good for was putting it to the seat of the problem when my child misbehaved. That my dear readers, was the beginning of the end.
That free love turned into a rash of unwanted pregnancies and less responsibility and more welfare. Momma always said, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk free!" Sure, even back in Victorian times you had your incidents, that's been going on since the beginning of time, but the little darling was shipped off to Aunt Sue's in Connecticut for the summer, not paraded through town as if she were a Gold Medal Olympic winner. Shame was placed upon her head, and that was to be an example for others like her. Or, the man took responsibility and married the girl, like he should, and the baby was premature. That's what you call checks and balances.
The need to return to those wholesome family values is upon us today as we see families strewn from one part of the country to the next. Kids today aren't taught that first you date, then your marry, and after that comes the baby carriage. They are thrown into a school that insists on teaching kindergarten children about sex. What's up with that? Let's just legally, through the school, destroy what little innocence these children have.
Marriage is sacred and has a purpose. As I've said before, we set examples for our children because they imitate everything. They are taught by our examples, and that is why the moral fiber of the family is so important. It shapes our conscience when we are taught right from wrong. It shapes our country when mommy and daddy (not Mary's two mommies, or Johnny's two daddies) teach the ten commandments to their children.
The Mosaic law was meant to structure a society, don't steal, don't kill, don't lie, and it sure wasn't meant to offer up a soft-fuzzy name for those who did. I had a brother-in-law who when he was needing a roof over his head would get arrested because it provided him "three hots and a cot". Discipline is meant for those who disobey, and it wasn't meant to be fun.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Good Sensibilities
Why Goodsensibilities? Because so many people do not have the common sense that God gave a goose, and because Common Sense, Goose Sense, Good Sense, etc. were all taken and this one wasn't. As a writer and activist, many subjects come to mind that when thought about, are just "good common sense." However, Common Sense died a generation ago, and it has been replaced with "absolutely, No Sense at All." Years ago, people would use what they called, "Good ole horse sense," in making decisions, and many times it was the right decision. These decisions were usually based on good, wholesome family values.
However, today, family values are something that is quite antiquated. Families are rare, and by family I mean a mother, father, and children; the family God created--the kind that sits around the dinner table together in the evenings and discusses how their day went. They talk together, rather than grabbing a bag purchased from McDonalds and running to their separate rooms in order to either watch tv on their big screens, or play "Death Invaders" on a computer. No wonder the world is upside down, what ever happened to actual personal communication? You know, the kind of communication that is one on one.
Today, people text rather than phone. People email rather than pen a letter and mail it, then we wonder why our children grow up unable to write or the price of postage rises. In the office, it's send an email, rather than walking to the office next door and communicating. It's no wonder we live in an age where people are unable to communicate socially, they never come in contact with one another. There is no need.
Communication is very important, espeicially within the home. At the dinner table is where big decisions are, or should be, made concerning the family. You learn about values by talking to the children, and remember, they immulate what they see, so they learn to brush their hair by watching you; they learn to brush their teeth by watching you; they learn how to pickup by watching you. Good habits are picked up by watching you, but children also pickup bad habits as well.
So, what this blog is about it the "Good Common Sense" that is needed today and those moments when we all need to sit back and just "think about it." I hope you enjoy the site as I attempt to bring a little thought process into your mind and your home. So, if you have children, go give them a hug, and if you don't, then go hug a friend or family member. We all need more than just a text message.
However, today, family values are something that is quite antiquated. Families are rare, and by family I mean a mother, father, and children; the family God created--the kind that sits around the dinner table together in the evenings and discusses how their day went. They talk together, rather than grabbing a bag purchased from McDonalds and running to their separate rooms in order to either watch tv on their big screens, or play "Death Invaders" on a computer. No wonder the world is upside down, what ever happened to actual personal communication? You know, the kind of communication that is one on one.
Today, people text rather than phone. People email rather than pen a letter and mail it, then we wonder why our children grow up unable to write or the price of postage rises. In the office, it's send an email, rather than walking to the office next door and communicating. It's no wonder we live in an age where people are unable to communicate socially, they never come in contact with one another. There is no need.
Communication is very important, espeicially within the home. At the dinner table is where big decisions are, or should be, made concerning the family. You learn about values by talking to the children, and remember, they immulate what they see, so they learn to brush their hair by watching you; they learn to brush their teeth by watching you; they learn how to pickup by watching you. Good habits are picked up by watching you, but children also pickup bad habits as well.
So, what this blog is about it the "Good Common Sense" that is needed today and those moments when we all need to sit back and just "think about it." I hope you enjoy the site as I attempt to bring a little thought process into your mind and your home. So, if you have children, go give them a hug, and if you don't, then go hug a friend or family member. We all need more than just a text message.
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