Daddy's Cup

July 22, 2010, would have been my Daddy's 99th birthday. He so wanted to make it to 100 but soon after his 96th birthday he was transported by angels from his hospital bed into his eternal heavenly home forever to be with his Saviour.

I dreamed about him last night. I was at his house but he wasn't home. Not sure why but I dream about him or something connected with him often. It sort of comes in waves. I will dream those dreams maybe three or four nights out of a week and then not dream about it anymore for several weeks.

As I often do, this morning I drank my coffee out of Daddy's cup. When me and my step sisters were cleaning out Dad and Trudy's house after Trudy passed away last winter I finally took Daddy's cup home with me one day. We had left much of the kitchen items sitting on some tables so that any of the family that wanted to could pick out what they wanted. The weather was so cold and there was only the one heater in the house and us girls had been freezing trying to get the house cleaned out so it could be sold. After several weeks no one still had picked up Daddy's cup with the fish on it. I had given it to him several years ago for either Father's Day or his birthday so decided I would just take it home with me to drink my coffee from. I was pretty sure that would please him! And so I did and so I have!

I am like my Daddy in some ways but different in many others. He loved to fish! That's why I gave him the fishing cup. I hate fishing! He liked his coffee strong and black. I like mine with plenty of cream. He drank Folgers. I drink Maxwell House. He wanted the "real deal" (caffeine) I drink decaf. I'll never forget an incident several years ago. It was my sister Leola's birthday and I went by and picked up Dad and Trudy and we headed down to see her. I had baked a cake and bought ice cream for us to have when we got there. When we got ten or fifteen miles from her house I called to see if she would like to fix a pot of coffee for us to have with the cake. She told me to ask Daddy if he wanted her to make decaf since it was the middle of the afternoon. His reply from the back seat was very forceful...."Tell her I'd just as soon have a cup of ditch water as decaf coffee!" So that settled that! He had his coffee that afternoon with his daughters just like he liked it....strong, black, and with caffeine!

The Bible verse on Daddy's cup is from Proverbs 27: 19 and says: "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man."
Just as when we look in water we see our face reflected, so can we see the reflection of another's heart when we get to know them. My Daddy had a good heart. Not physically for the heart that beat in his chest was not very strong in his last days. But spiritually his heart was solid as a rock. I'm glad I got to know him!

Good reflections of a good man. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Marilyn

Tea --For One

I've never been much of a hot tea drinker. Well, except for hot herbal teas in the wintertime when fighting off a cold. I've always viewed the regular cup of hot tea as something the British do. I admit I was a little intrigued by the whole "afternoon tea" bit though when I used to read Emilie Loring novels novels years ago. But believe it or not, I've just polished off my third cup of hot Lipton tea completed only by a little dash of milk. And I really liked it!

Last week I read somewhere that tea is really very, very good for us. Health wise I mean. It has less caffeine than coffee and somehow it effects the body in a different way also. It's high in anti-oxidants and lots of other good things that I can't at the moment remember!

I'm not much into acronyms but did make one today with the word TEA. (Notice I picked a nice short word! lol)

Tarry -- " to linger, to stay". The Holy Spirit has been nudging me lately to Tarry longer in the Word. To come to God more often and stay longer than I've been staying.

Employ -- "to use, to apply". I'm also realizing that I need to more often employ the things that I read in the Scriptures. What good does it do me to read the Word and then not do it? Not much!

Attain -- "to achieve, to accomplish, to reach". I'm really thinking that if I "Tarry" and "Employ" that it will be easier for me to Attain a closer walk with God. And that's something I want.

I'm liking my TEA today! Join me in a cuppa???

"He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good." Proverbs 19: 8

Marilyn

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Last Sunday morning I used a variation of the devotion "The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee" for the lesson in our ladies Sunday school class. I don't golf so instead substituted "juggling balls". (O.K......I don't juggle either but did have these on hand.......and I omitted the coffee)

Here is a recap of the "original" story that I took this object lesson from:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes'. The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life." "The golf balls are the important things - your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full." "The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car." "The sand is everything else - the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you." "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal." "Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented...The professor smiled.'I'm glad you asked'.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

As I prepared for this lesson I was reminded of a verse of Scripture that sums it all up...Matthew 6: 33…”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If we'll seek Jesus Christ first, then we don't have to "sweat the small stuff" because He will take care of everything else!

Marilyn

Holding On or Being Held?

This morning I took the lightweight dog leash off the hook and called our dog Blackie to come and walk with me. He doesn't really like to be on the leash and if he spies it he sometimes won't come to me. I thought I'd be smart this morning and carry out the doggie treats to coax him into a walking mood. My other dog, fourteen-year-old Duke was ready for both a walk and a doggie treat. Although he weighs about thirty pounds and Blackie is probably twice that, Duke still thinks he's top dog around here! He's walked with me for so many years he doesn't need a leash but Blackie...now that's a different story! He will walk but he will spend most of his time out in the woods doing his own thing, hence the leash as I am trying to teach him to stay with me out walking.

The doggie treats did the trick. He came and took one from me but immediately ran away. Duke wanted treats too so I gave him a couple just for being such a loyal friend all these many years! Oh and also just because I like to spoil him! ha I had the leash ready in one hand and a treat ready in the other when Blackie came back. Made him wait for the treat while I hooked the leash on his new red collar. As I have done for years when walking my dogs, I took the leash, put my hand through the loop and they wrapped the rest around my hand to get the desired length. Then I gave Blackie the treat but instead of gobbling it down, he left half of it hanging from his mouth. Bad move! Duke decided he wanted Blackie's treat along with his own and proceeded to take it from Blackie's mouth!

I guess you can imagine what happened next....DOG FIGHT! A little barking, a little growling and a big black dog running FAST away from a little white dog with very sharp teeth! And guess what? He was moving FAST away from me and the leash at the same time! He moved so fast that I didn't know what happened except that the leash was no longer wound around my hand and that my hand was hurting really bad! The loop in the leash was thankfully large enough that my hand had slipped through when he ran. Had it not, I would most likely have been thrown to the ground and dragged! As it was, it just scrapped and slightly bruised my hand and wrist.

Benny was outside and saw the whole thing. After looking at my hand and determining that it was going to be all right, he then proceeded to fuss at me for the way I'd been holding the leash wrapped around my hand. His exact quote was, "NEVER tie yourself to something bigger than you are!" Hmmm. Good idea! What he meant was, if you are not big enough to totally control something, don't attach yourself to it!

I started thinking about the things we hold on to. Some good. Some bad. A lot of things bigger than we are. Do you worry about things that you really have no control over? Have you begun to experiment with things you know God hates? Are the things you read and the shows you watch on TV not the wholesome things you were taught to respect? Then you're holding on to something bigger than yourself and may get hurt! Satan may just take off running and leave you dragging behind on the end of his leash!

On the other hand, think about the opposite of holding on which would be, being held! When my kids were little and they got hurt or didn't feel well they wanted to be held in my lap. At the end of a long day when they were tired, they wanted to be held. It is a form of comfort and security that we really never outgrow. A big hug from my husband or a friend when I'm feeling down or tired makes such a difference!

What a blessing that we don't have to worry about holding on to God to get comfort and security from Him. Why don't we have to hold on? Because HE is holding on to us! And His grip never slips! He will never pull us in the wrong direction either! I'm so thankful my salvation is sealed and secured by His Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

In His Grip.......Marilyn