He Loves Me. 🌹 He Loves Me Not. 🌹

Blast from the past! Did you ever take a flower (usually a daisy or a rose) and proceed to pluck off one petal at a time and repeat the words “He loves me; He loves me not”? Playing that little game represented the truth between whether that cute boy loved us or not. I don’t know if guys played that game like we girls did, but I just know we were motivated by our longing that he would like us and that little flower game gave us hope.

In my case, when that cute, black haired, brown eyed boy paid me some attention, I started saying “He loves me; He loves me lots!” My hope became a reality!

Now I segue to a love that is a much bigger deal than the attraction we had for that cute guy! God is crazy in love with us. Proof-positive is found in John 3:16 “For GOD SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever (that’s YOU and ME) believes in Him, will never perish but have eternal life.” Jeremiah 31:3 emphasizes His love, even more, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever!” And, as in that beautiful old song, "The 12th of Never", FOREVER is a long, long time!

Back to that flower game. How often do we play it with God’s love – when we doubt Him and we question His plans for us? It’s like this:
I get a flat tire – He loves me not.
I get a job promotion – He loves me.
I sprained my ankle – He loves me not.
I get a check in the mail I wasn’t expecting – He loves me.
I drop my cell phone and the screen cracks -- He loves me not.
I am given a new cell phone – He loves me.

No matter how our day goes or even how our life goes – no matter the ups and downs – the sweet surprises or the disappointments -- no matter whether we feel sad or glad; God’s love is unconditional (unlike those cute boys who were here today, and gone tomorrow). God is with us. He has plans for us beyond our greatest imaginations. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Let’s throw away those flowers and emphatically believe and know "...how deep, how wide and long is the love of Christ." (Ephesians 3:18).
HE LOVES ME! 🌹🌹 HE LOVES ME! 🌹🌹 HE LOVES ME!

Christmas is for Children -- of All Ages

Oh how the memories roll like a film during this time of year when we see a Christmas program, a play, light displays, hear a song or anything that creates a “blast from the past”. That happened for me on Sunday when my two youngest grandsons were in their church’s Children’s Christmas program -- singing about the birthday of Jesus.

That took me back 40+ years ago when I directed the Children’s Christmas programs for our church. Each child was responsible for learning a little Christmas piece. A 3-year old would say something like “I may be small and not very tall, but I know Jesus came to save us all”. And an 8-year old might have said, “Christmas time again, fills our hearts with joy. Love came down to bless every girl and boy. The greatest of stories ever to be told, is Jesus born a baby, what a wonder to behold!” Then we’d sing some Christmas songs that the kids would, with gestures and hand signs, sing with so much cuteness you could hardly stand it.

My Staci was one of those, who, at about age 3, was so shy that she’d pull her skirt over her head to hide. Who knew that little shy girl, would be so “out there” today, singing and speaking to massive audiences? Oh, God did.

My son would own the stage and holler out “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” Who knew he would grow up to be an entrepreneur and speak to audiences like he did this last Sunday? Oh, God did.

Who knew that my two children, donned in their Christmas Children’s Choir outfits in this photo, two typical siblings who aggravated each other with such pointless matters more times than I could count, would come together and create businesses that would make life better for so many? Oh, God did.

And those children that I saw last Sunday at Expression Church, so adorable, in their Sunday best, singing the words to those songs that spoke about faith for today and hope for tomorrow all because of a newborn King. Because He lives, those kids have a future and a hope – no matter whether they were on the front row because they liked the limelight, or the back row, because they prefer to be in the background. God holds their tomorrows and don’t be surprised that right in the that group of kids are doctors, lawyers, politicians, moms, dads, entrepreneurs, pastors, teachers. Who knows where they’ll end up? Oh, God does.

Our Creator and He who is a KNOW IT ALL has the master plan for those kids’ lives and yours and mine – all because He loves us all so much. How do we know that? Christmas. The Creator of ALL, Master of ALL, God of ALL became flesh and gets us…..so much so that He sees us from our beginning to our ending. Who could love us so much and want the best for us like that? Oh, God does.

One Nation UNDER GOD!

Day 232 of Photo Inspirations -- One Nation UNDER GOD
Aw!  The 50s...Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, I Love Lucy, Ozzie & Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, Poodle Skirts, Hula Hoops!!!

What a great, Be-Bop-A-Lula time we had Saturday night -- celebrating the Sock Hop days of the 50s at my community, Hyde Park at Tulsa Hills.  I did my best  "Olivia Newton John" impersonation from Grease.  As one of the hosts of the event, it was such a treat to research some of the 50s memories, like those I mentioned above, in black and white TV, "Name That Tune" show (we played it at our party), hula hooping (I won that one! LOL!), bubble gum blowing contest, etc.  I am a Baby Boomer, one of the record number of babies (3.4 million) born in the U.S. (must have been a lot of cold nights -- LOL!).  

Goodness -- have times ever changed the way of doing things since then.  Compared to today, it's a wonder we survived those days, and are even here to tell the story!  My fellow 50s generation will recall that, as toddlers, no car seats, instead, we stood by our parents and what stopped us from being thrown into the windshield when they stopped the car quickly, was their automatic arm.  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles.  When we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or even shoes.  We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.  We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!   We didn't have video games, no 99+ channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no computers, no Internet, BUT.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!  

Lots of blast-from-the-past memories, but I wouldn't trade those days for these days for anything -- particularly when it comes to child safety in cars and otherwise, and brilliant technology that makes life so much easier. There's just no sense living in the past and thinking about the way things were. There's just too much to celebrate about the way things ARE, and that God intended us to be here and be fully engaged AT THIS TIME.

But there's also paramount things that should NEVER be changed.  One of the most critically important decisions that was made in 1954 was the addition of "One Nation Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.  And in 1957, our currency was printed with "In God We Trust" words on it.

Yesterday, my FB post was about those words: "In God We Trust".   Yes, there are those who want to stamp out God from our schools and public places. But, here's the deal -- emperors have tried to destroy those words, philosophies have tried to stamp them out, tyrants have tried to wash them from the face of the earth with the very blood of those who claimed it, yet, it still stands. "In God We Trust" is still our non-negotiable.  It is indelibly printed in our hearts, our spirits and our minds.  Now, let's pray that our nation NEVER concedes to letting it go.  

"Blessed is the Nation is "whose God is the Lord." Psalm 33:12



Psalm 100:5;  'For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness TO ALL GENERATIONS."

Snow Boots Come With Memories

Day 49 of Photo Inspirations -- Snow Boots Come With Memories
So yesterday, a snowy day in Tulsa, I set out to take some photos of the beauty.   I pulled out these snow boots and bundled myself up from head to toe to stay warm.  When I was back home and taking off those boots, I had "blast from the past" moments.   I remembered how amazing it felt to take off those tight ski boots and cozy down into these cushy snow boots.

I remembered when my Honey and I set out to buy snow and cold weather attire because we had been asked to be the speakers for a Ski Retreat at Copper Mountain in Colorado.   That was back in the 70s, and yes, I've had those snow boots that long,  No wonder I had some nostalgic moments.  

We were so excited because neither of us had skied before and this was our opportunity to give it a try.   We took some ski lessons and enjoyed "snow plowing" on the beginner slopes.   When I thought I had mastered snow plowing, I was ready to try going faster, and when I did, I lost all ability to slow myself down and went head-over-heals into a clump of trees, losing my skis and losing all pride!  The worst part was a torn cartilage in my knee.  Oh, the pain that I endured throughout the rest of the retreat, and the ride home.  Once home, I was scheduled for arthroscopy surgery, which would be two weeks out.  During the course of those two weeks -- we prayed and believed for healing to that knee, and just before the date of the surgery, I found myself walking without pain, which had been incessant before then.  I never had to have that surgery.  One of many times when we experienced God's healing touch.

After that, we went on to ski in many ski areas with our children, who each became black diamond skiers -- Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Whistler and Banff in Canada, etc.  We loved the sport, until the day came when my Honey and I realized "We've been there, and done that!" and the protection of these awesome body parts that God gave us became our emphasis. But, thanks for the memories! Yesterday, those snow boots took me on a sweet memory ride and gave me even more reasons to thank God for this year of photo inspirations.

Merry Heart Does Good Like a Medicine

Day 30 of Photo Inspirations --
Loved hanging and shopping with my girl today.  Just like old, old times -- when we shopped till we almost dropped, made a quick stop to eat and laugh a lot -- a whole lot.  Today I had a "blast-from-the-past" moment when we stopped at Chipotle's and I saw the stools at the windows! 

I remembered 25 years ago when we were on a business trip to Vancouver BC Canada.  Meetings were all done.  Now it was time to shop.  And, we did until we stopped to eat and the only place left to sit down was at a window with stools just like the ones we sat at today. It was a very busy, crowded sidewalk outside the window and, as we ate, we were amused to watch people walk by. Our thoughts were "God sure made a wide variety of people: big - little, tall - short, dark - light, and with lots of varieties of dressing styles:  sophisticated - trendsetter - casual - formal - sporty - wild & crazy.  In Staci's spur-of-the-moment quackiness, she said, "Let's each pick a number from 1 to 10."  She chose 5; I chose 8.  Then she said, "The 5th man that comes along is mine and the 8th one will be yours!"  Game on.  We counted 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 and 5 (and her guy was not the dreamboat she had hoped for). Then we counted on 6 - 7 - 8 -- and to our utter laugh-out-loud, side-splitting and hilarious amazement.....number 8 was literally a crowd of short, Asian elderly men shuffling along, side by side in a group. It was the "merry-heart-does-good-like-medicine" moment.  We could hardly hold ourselves together from laughing so hard -- laughter about that moment that we were reminded of today.
 
I know this story doesn't have my usual inspirational impact to it, but I share it today as one of the most precious mother/daughter times that we had together -- where we laughed about the silliest things, shared life and all the beauty it has for us.  I cherish the memories.  We were "best buds" then.  But, time makes the sweetness even richer and better than it was before.  Today was one of those "sweeter than honey" times -- we just didn't get to count the men walking by!  ;-) 
#Friends4Ever #LoveMyGirl #LaughterIsGoodMedicine

Krispy Kreme Memories -- Before and After Technology

As I read that Krispy Kreme celebrated its 77th birthday last Friday, I had a "blast from the past" moment, thinking about my grandkids enjoying those hot and yummy donuts. It was a sweet visual of them watching them being made, their eyes sparkling and lips watering, when the store clerk would give them a free one.

A lot has changed since Vernon Rudolph began selling his doughnuts to local grocery stores in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Now there are stores in 500 locations and they even offer a "Hot Light App" which alerts customers' cell phones when their doughnuts are hot. Wow, it's amazing how the technological revolution has transformed our lives!

Phone apps and social media have given us many ways to share what's going on in our little corner of the world. It has changed the way we make memories....and now we can share those memories quickly with others. Once upon a time, we'd put film in our cameras, take the photos, take the film to the store to be developed, then put the photos in an album to share at the next family gathering. Now we simply take a photo with our mobile phone, then we immediately "SHARE" it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter -- and in just moments, our family and friends have entered into our world of memories, made just moments before.

Whether you have distant memories like the ones I've shared here: (photos made from a camera's film): my Payton & Alexia enjoying Krispy Kreme donuts that we took them in Texas (now Payton & Alexia are 14 & 12); Brennan (now 10) with his Great Granny having a Krispy Kreme "tea party", or memories you're making today -- cherish them -- celebrate today's moments so that tomorrow you can be thankful that you "stopped and smelled the roses".....or, rather you "stopped to enjoy a yummy donut"!!