Wednesday Hodge Podge Vol 42

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge...if you want to participate then go to Joyce's blog and add your link at the bottom of her post and join the party. Here are this weeks questions and my answers...for what they are worth

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or are we just more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?

I think 9/11 put an end to our feeling of invulnerabilty.  We can be hurt....we can suffer loss.  since 9/11 I don't take anything for granted....and going through security check points does not bother me one little bit.  I am licensed to carry a concealed weapon and do.  I never thought that would happen.

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?

My parents had lots of rules and like most kids I thought they were terribly unfair. The death of my brother at an early age imposed numerous restrictions on me that most kids never had.  I got really good at sidestepping them and learning how to handle the truth recklessly at an early age to get to do some of the things I wanted to do.    Then I was a parent.  My daughters did not date alone until they were 16...just like me.  One was ok with that...the other not so much. It is amazing how stuff you did as a child comes back to bite you in the rear as an adult.

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

I was a three day champion on the TNN game show, Top Card.  If you want to know what a years supply of Pasta Mama pasta products are....ask me...I can tell you. 

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?

Frank would probably say I am both.  Just when he thinks I am going to be simple....I am complicated and vice versa.  Mine is a mood, seasonal, time thing.  It depends on what it is. 
5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?

Hot dogs with kraut, Italian sausages with onions and pepper, brats...yep....I love em!  Frank and I actually paid admission to go to a local carnie....just to get an italian sausage sandwich with onions and peppers and it was worth every single penny!6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which do you think would be the scariest?

All of the above I have experienced.  I live in the tornado alley section of Alabama, and have experienced them as offshoots of hurricanes in Florida.  I have lived through hurricanes in both Florida and Alabama, I have experienced an earthquake once in California and once in Alabama.  I think the tornadoes are the scariest, especially after the April 11th ones.  That was one of the most frightening days of my life.
7. Labor day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores. If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?

I had chores growing up. My mom had a weekly list of daily chores I was supposed to do and then there was a special edition for Saturday.  We did not have chores on Sunday. I actually loved doing my chores and assigned chores to my kids as well.  It makes you a better person to have some sort of output in the daily running of a household.  I still love to stand at my window and wash dishes.  I got an allowance and so did my kids. I would pay them extra for things not on their list of chores. My kids are all hardworkers today.  I think chores instill a work ethic in you.

8.  High heels....love them or leave them? 

I am a klutz, heals are not my friend, so therefore I do not wear high heels. I love to see women in them...yet, .it pains me to see women walk in them.  for example, Sunday there was a young lady at church who had on pair and it was obvious that the heel of her right shoe was broken completely....so she was walking on her toes...that is the nice thing about flats....the heels never break!  Happy Wednesday!

Here's A Question

I have an important question to ask.

*Takes a deep breath*

Do people really wear their sweaters like this?

(Photo is from the movie Hall Pass.)

But really.

Usually when people wear their sweaters in that fashion it means they are pompous brats.

At least that's how movies and television portrays people who wear sweaters like that.

Please tell me there are NICE people who tie their sweaters around their neck.

(Though I still don't completely get it. If I'm going to get cold later I sling a coat over my arm. Or put on the sweater to begin with.)

(But that's just me.)

Pressing Into Thin Places Author Interview

What a great night I had.  I did my first author interview, via phone, with Dr. Margaret Harrell Wills.  Her book, Pressing Into Thin Places, is a collection of stories from the author's personal experiences, lovingly laced with her own poetry and prose, and infused with biblical views and rich truths.  My first question upon reading the book was exactly what does the term "thin place" mean. Dr. Willis explains in her book that a "thin place" is a"place where  the veil that separates heaven and earth  is nearly transparent.  It is a place where we experience a deep sense of God's presence in our everyday world."

 At 6:00 PM CST this evening I nervously dialed Dr. Wills number and began my interview.  What an experience!
Me:  Thank you so much for giving me this time Dr. Wills.  I understand what a thin place is, what I would like to know is when did you first experience one?
Dr. Wills - "My husband and I were separated and I was laying in bed looking out at the city lights and felt so little and I was wondering did God really know what was going on?  I awakened later actually singing, "Amazing Grace."  My thin place was a momentary awareness or profound unexplainable experience.
Me:  I write poetry and prose myself, did you plan the poetry for the book?  I think it really added something to just reading a story.
Dr. Wills:  "I like the rhythm and cadence of poetry and prose.  I believe it was natural to intermingle my poetry into the stories and biblical references.  I believe I was influenced by Psalms.  You know even David in the Psalms would begin complaining and somewhere through piece he would begin to praise as the Holy Spirit took over."
Me:  Pressing Into Thin Places gives readers permission to be authentic and to acknowledge doubt, questions, even depression.  Often we experience guilt over these sometimes realities, fearing they show a weak faith.  But how can facing these circumstances or emotions actually strengthen faith and reveal the presence of God in our lives?
Dr. Wills:  "We all have ups and downs.  We are emotional beings.  This is part of life.  But can we dial up different thoughts?  Can we change our feelings?  Many times, I believe we can.  Not too long ago I came across a verse in I Samuel 30.  The chapter talked about a time when David was defeated by his enemies, rejected by all those around him and discouraged to the core.  In verse 6, it says, "And David strengthened in the Lord."  How do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord?  I believe we do what a verse in Psalms suggests: "And then one day I went into yur sanctuary and thought" (Ps. 73:17).  We strengthen ourselves in the Lord by going His presence and letting Him guide our thinking.  Many of the Psalms tell us that David worshipped and meditated on the scriptures.  This was no exception.  He received new purpose, vision, and authority.  He waited patiently to become King."
Me:  What do you want your readers to know about struggle and doubt?
Dr. Wills:  "We all go through it, what is wrong is when we don't deal with it.  We should call out and  as you get through whatever situation you are in and look back you see that God really was there.  Think of Thomas who came to Jesus in his time of great grief when his friend had died.  God wants us to be authentic.  That is what Thomas was.  He was authentic in his grief and request."
Me:  What is writing a book of this caliber like?
Dr Wills:  "Writing a book is a journey.  When I first wrote this book and submitted it it was half the size it is now.  The publisher said I had to make it bigger but I could not come up with the words to say  I prayed and asked God if He wanted this book bigger He was going to have to give me the words, and that is exactly what He did."
Dr. Wills:  "I heard a thought once that went, "Does God still speak to us?  The answer was yes....He uses dreams."
Me:  Why do you think we fear admitting doubt or struggles with faith?"
Dr. Wills:  "Fear wants to rise and speak to the bottom corners of our mind.  It will remind us not to be vulnerable.  We will remember what happens when we risk psychological safety or abandon feelings of superiority.  It is all about learning and knowing the Lord.  The teacher offers us hands on experience.  It is not just hearing the word, it is about doing the word and taking it a step further into our faith.  It is important to be obedient, having a listening ear, and a teachable one as well."
Me:  What has your faith journey taught you about prayer?
Dr. Wills:  "Letting go of the last word in a disagreement is the way.  You don't have to prove you are right."
Me:  If you don't mind my asking just what is your favorite bible verse?
Dr. Wills:  "It is one in Revelation.  I don't remember it exactly but it ends with a question, "Are your ears awake?"  Josiah, in the bible went into a battle that was none of his business.  The Pharoah had told him that God had spoken to him and he was to be allowed to cross Josiah's land...Josiah went to battle and died because his ears were not awake."
Me:  What do you want your readers to take from the book?
Dr. Wills:  "I want them to read the book, realize others can benefit from it and share it.  I hope I instill an awareness of thin places in their lives.  I would like for them to be encouraged and be encouragers to others."
What an awesome time this was for me!  I hope you will run to the nearest bookstore and buy this book. It is a great read and a great gift for someone!   Thank you so very much Dr. Wills for a thoroughly enjoyable time!

the Lesson of the Shiny Shoes....or Self-Esteem 101

I have not always been able to stand up in front of a crowd and either speak or sing.  I used to be terrified and would literally throw up  before taking the stage.  When I was in choir at church as a teen there was a garbage can by the door just for me if I ever sang a solo....and believe me....I used it more times than not.  My best buddy, Carol was always right out there....but I just froze....why? 

Because I did'nt feel beautiful.  I felt ugly...inside and out.  When I looked in the mirror....what looked back at me was a far cry from even pretty. 

Now....I have to explain that one of the most beautiful women in the world, Chris Noel, was my baby sitter....so I had a huge mark to hit.  Chris was a real movie star.  She actually starred with Elvis in one of his many beach movies.  She was everything I wanted to be just like....in my gawky stage.  One day, after I was a mother,  I found a verse in Luke and began to grasp the concept. “But Jesus told them:  ‘You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart.  The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.’”(Luke 16:15)  Appearances mean a great deal in our society and world today.  Everywhere you look ….fashion models stare at you from the covers of some magazine or television show…telling us that if we do not fit this mold…something is wrong with us….and we buy into it…every single day.  Billions of dollars are spent every year on products to enhance our looks, surgery to correct our looks, braces, contacts…and the list goes on….but….do appearances really count?  What a person seems to be….appears to be, is that really more important today than who he or she actually is.  I bought into the myth hook line and sinker.  Most of my life…I have struggled.. trying to be good enough…good enough to please a host of people in my life.  To be acceptable to all those that mattered to me.  I struggled to be the perfect daughter to my parents….and failed miserably.  I was not the brightest in school…I had some talent…sang at Church…loved serving God…but…I just never felt it was good enough for my parents…I tried so hard.  My earthly father told me one day…it did not matter what I did…or tried to do…or looked like…he would always love me….because I was me.  I was his special girl.  I loved that man. 

I was speechless, yet I still stuggled to be the perfect Christian…I did everything I was supposed to do…sang praises to God….worked in the church…everything…to be good enough for Him...and one day I realized…He loved me…because He made me.  I may not be a finished product yet…but I am loved. 

Masks are worn by many people.  I wear masks sometimes.  I stand on the stage and sing…and believe me it comes from the heart.  I have a self-esteem problem.  I have had this problem for many years.  One Sunday it reared it’s ugly head once more.  Diane Sherrill was going to sing at our church…for those of you who heard her…she was awesome.  She has such a stage presence and was full of bling, blonde hair, and a lot of makeup…I too was supposed to sing a solo…and when Blue told me she was going to make a guest appearance…I told him…That’s fine…I will sing my solo another Sunday.   I wanted to sing it another Sunday…for you see…My self-esteem could not handle this.  Blue was adament…and I could not tell him…I can’t do this Blue…I did tell Rhonda Blythe and Steve Forehand…that I was NOT going to sing…and when Rhonda asked me why…all I could say was….She has on Shiny shoes!  I thought Rhonda would fall in the floor from laughing so hard.  Needless to say….I stood on that stage after the band had left…and waited…for what…I did not know….but…God knew…and he sent Brother Donn to fix the feelings of great apprehension I had…Brother Donn thought it was time for him to give his message…and he came running up on stage…realized I was still standing there…hugged me…told me he loved me…and returned to his seat.  The hug was the best medicine anyone could have ever given me.  I had a message from God to share…and that is what my purpose was....sharing God's word.  Appearances meant nothing to Jesus, and little was more offensive to Him than pretense…or fraud.  He could spot them in an instant.  What was of greater value to Him?  Sincerity….and authenticity….and a proper attitude toward God.  Even right now….many still hold to the worldly tradition of thinking about appearances.  Jesus gave us a wonderful story to help us better understand what is truly important.  Once upon a time there was a very poor man..a beggar named Lazarus.  He went to the rich man’s house…and begged for scraps.  This rich man had it all…and probably threw out more than enough to feed Lazarus…but…he  did not feed him ….and Lazarus died.  The angels took Lazarus to heaven where he sat in a place of honor next to Abraham.  The rich man died too and he went to hell.  when the rich man looked up saw Lazarus, he begged him to feel sorry for him.  He begged him to just dip his finger in some water and touch his scorching hot lips with it.  Abraham reminded the rich man of what he had done when he was alive and the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth so that Lazarus could warn his family so that they might not suffer as he was suffering.  Is what you look like, where you live, what you wear…is it of any real, lasting significance?  NO!  What matters is your attitude toward God…because that determines your condition in the life to come….for those who choose to follow Christ, the next life will be greater than anything they have ever known here on earth.  They will be rewarded for their Smart Choices.  The ones who have chosen unwisely...you got it, they will be punished.  Appearance is not always an accurate indication of reality.  The tax collector stood away from everyone else thinking he was unworthy to even look toward heaven…He pounded his chest and cried out, “Oh God, I am such a terrible sinner,”  “Please have mercy on me.”  A Pharisee…who was a man of the church…prayed at that same time….his prayer was, “Oh God, I am so grateful that I am not selfish, dishonest, and unfaithful like other people…especially like that tax collector.  Which man pleased God that day?  Pharisees were the purest of the Jews….they openly lived their commitment to Judaism by strictly following not just Jewish law…but countless unwritten interpretations of those laws.  Rules governed everything they did.  Pride in himself…was what the Pharisee showed that day.  Pat me on the back…I am a good Jew….Pride like this leads us farther and farther away from the humility necessary in following Him.  It prevents us from seeing with His eyes….and it blocks prayer from achieving its purposes.  Humility…not appearance is important to God.  Jesus looks past appearances…and beneath surfaces….and ahead…beyond present limitations…We on the other hand…see right here…and right now.  Jesus sees future potential.  His view of the horizon is much broader than mine is.  He notices the little things…the things we overlook…or label as unimportant….and… more than just notice them…he gave value to them.  Aren’t we glad…that God does not look at us…the way that we look at other things?  Closely connected to our pride…is our ability to judge…and we do it well.  “Why is it so easy for us to detect a tiny speck in someone else’s eye when we have a log in our own?”  How can we point out faults of others…and not expect ours to shine brighter still?  I am no prettier than I was back then.   Becoming a Christian did not make the image I see in the mirror change drastically.....but what I learned was that it does not matter how you appear to others.  What matters is our response to Him.  It is because of Him that we can appear before God as someone forgiven…and valuable…and what He has done for us…we are to do for others.  Our role is to point them to Christ…to gently point out the love shaped hole in their hearts…and show them how He can fill it…at this point I ask myself….Me?  How can I do this?  I am not worthy!…Is God sure I can do this?  Jesus’  answer comes to me very loudly…”Oh yes!  Without a doubt you can do this…you begin…by seeing people as I see them.  Look beyond the appearances…Look at each person as someone God loves…as someone Christ loves…as some you can love…because you love me!  Look at every person as someone of great value and expand your definitions of value and worth!”  I am a Christian…I am not perfect…but I am forgiven.  My job…is to tell about Him…the best way I know how.  Hi…my name is Karen…I am a singer for the Lord.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your diary. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either.

----------------------

To have not watched the VMAs on MTV like it seemed my entire Twitter feed was doing.



To want to try a Brazilian Blowout for my hair even though it sounds a little scary.



To still not like working out but I’m making myself do it.



To be baffled that there are kids who are suing their parents for not buying them toys. Um, what?



To need to get my eyebrows done. There should be two.



To be glad that it’s supposed to cool down for Labor Day. These triple digit temperatures can get wearing.



To love candied yams so much. Especially when there are melted marshmallows on top.


To really need to make a button for this meme and a linky. Who makes good buttons and what linky should I use?



To be looking for a specific World War 2 print for my husband Tom. It’s called A Higher Call by John Shaw. If anyone sees it being sold, please let me know. I’ve looked online and it’s sold out everywhere. .

The Ball Plant

Remember this plant?

I asked awhile back if it was a weed.

The general consensus was that it WAS a weed.

I stink at gardening so I wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t even have a garden if it weren’t for base housing insisting that everyone have one.

They really ought to make it optional. “Garden with every house…except to the people who kill plants.”

That’s me.

I kill plants.

Not on purpose, mind you.

It’s just, if it can’t shout at me that it’s hungry like my children do, I forget about it.

It’s why my Mom bought me a singing flower pot. When the plant needs water, it sings. Granted, it startled me the first time it went off. I thought a man had broken into the home and started singing a song. (I know. Weird. But I thought it was like The Singing Burglar or something.)

Anyway, I decided I needed to get rid of the weed. I didn’t want to be written up for a messy garden.

So I marched outside, prepared to tug the thing from the ground.

It didn’t work.

I pulled and nothing happened.

Look, I know I’m weak but surely I could pull up a WEED.

Only I couldn’t.

I had both my palms wrapped around the weed and it refused to budge. I swore a couple of times. My neighbors probably deem me as inappropriate.

At one point I peeked down at the root, wondering if it would ever come out and I saw balls.

Well.

Not REAL balls.

But close enough.

“Stupid ball plant,” I muttered and stomped in the house.

I proceeded to forget about the plant until Tom came home.

He managed to pull out the dreaded ball plants.
They will forever be known as ball plants to me now.

If someone asks me about it in their garden I’ll be like, “Oh, you have a ball plant. Awful, aren’t they?”

Concepcion and the First Year Teacher

My very first year of teaching I learned a great deal more than I ever learned in a classroom.  The first day of school I assigned Spanish names for the students to set the mood.  It was something I learned when I was attending classes on How to be a Spanish Teacher the University of Alabama.  I had a list of boy and girl names for them to choose from.  If they had a name that translated...I allowed them to keep that name...otherwise they picked a name from the list.  Kristie, a cute little tenth grader in the back, chose the name Concepion.  Long about September Concepcion informed me that she had gotten married over the weekend.  She went on to tell me why, at age fifteen she had made this decision..you see she was pregnant and due in mid-March.  We watched this tiny little fifteen year old get larger and larger as the year progressed.  By January some of my boys took a desk a part and made it into a table and chair in their Vo-Ag class.  Now...quick classroom note....my classroom was in a single wide trailer...with a toilet/sink...that leaked unmercifully.  One day in mid March....I was teaching and I heard my sink begin to leak....I turned to cut the main water off when I noticed Kristie in the back holding her hand up.  I called on her and she told me it was time.  I responded to her remark by looking at my wristwatch and telling her we still had 27 minutes of class and turned around to cut the water off....but when I stepped into the tiny bathroom...there was no water leak.....and when I returned to the main part of the room...I noticed a huge puddle near Kristie....and she was frantically waving...and speaking louder, "Senora, it is time!"  She pointed to her baby bump and I saw the movement of a baby coming into the world.  It was at that time that the Keystone Cops would have been thrilled.  I sent a kid to get the principal and one to get her husband (who was sixteen and drove a Monster truck) in the Vo Ag building.  The husband sent back the message that their doctors appointment was not until 3:30.  I grabbed the students shirt collar and told him to go get the boy....and not to come back without him.  He succeeded the second time...and daddy-to-be and the Monster truck pulled up next to the trailer. Four boys worked to get Kristie into the cab of the truck that I could walk under.....and off they went with the principal following them in his car.  The hospital was 20 minutes from the school and they got there in 12.  The dad pulled into the ER entrance and the nurses came out....(I had called them and told them she was coming...and so was the baby).  By the time they got her into the wheelchair...the baby was crowning.  Their little girl was born 27 minutes after they arrived.  The doctor did not even make it.  Needless to say....Concepcion is NOT on my list of girls names anymore.  I can't do that again!  Happy Monday!