AMEN

THE FLOWER AND THE BUTTERFLY

Once there was a man who asked God for a flower and a butterfly, but God gave the man a cactus and a caterpillar instead. 

The man was sad. He didn't understand why his request was mistaken. Then he thought, Oh well, God has too many people to care for, and he decided not to question.

After some time, the man went to check up on his request that he had left forgotten.

To his great surprise, from the thorny and ugly cactus a beautiful flower had grown, and the unsightly caterpillar had transformed itself into the most beautiful butterfly!

God gives the very best to those who leave the choices up to Him.

SHADOW PLAY

This man is quite talented with his hands. Never saw anything like it.

THE QUIET SERMON

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.

IF WOMEN CONTROLLED THE WORLD

DON'T TRY THIS

A 75 year old man drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 miles per hour, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.

"Amazing," he whispered as he flew down I-10, pushing the pedal even more. Looking in his rear-view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, red lights flashing and siren blaring.

He floored it to 100 miles per hour, then 110, then 120!!! Suddenly, he exclaimed, "What am I DOING? I'm too old for this!" So, he reduced his speed and pulled over to await the trooper's arrival.

Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch, exhaled, and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 15 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."

The old gentleman paused, then said, "Years ago, my wife ran off with a State Trooper . . . and I thought you were bringing her back."

The trooper replied, "Have a good day, Sir."

HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT?

Just try this. It is from an orthopedic surgeon . . .

This will boggle your mind, and will keep you trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't. It's programmed in your brain!

1) Without anyone watching you (they might think you are goofy), and while sitting where you are (at your desk in front of your computer), lift your RIGHT foot off the floor and make CLOCKWISE circles.

2) Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your RIGHT hand.

So, how'd you do? Did your foot change direction? Haha! I told you so!!!! And there's not a thing you can do about it.

Well, you and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again - if you haven't already done so!

(BUT BE CAREFUL . . . OR YOU MIGHT END UP LIKE THE FELLA IN THE PIC BELOW!)

THERE I GROW AGAIN

Hey, y'know what? Don't worry if you have problems, which is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries.

If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you. Let me explain. 

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.  On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question.

"I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," a traveler observed. "Why is this?"

The guide gave an equally interesting answer.

"The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, and storms, or in other words, surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces." Then he added this telling note. "That's the way it is with every living organism."

And that is how it is with you and me. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.

So, you have problems? No problem. Just tell yourself, "There I grow again."

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS

I did not believe what I was seeing in the photos below, so I decided to check it out. To my surprise (and delight) it is TRUE. Haha! Who woulda thought a garbage truck could be SO COOL???

(Click on the link below to see verification.)

http://www.snopes.com/photos/automobiles/garbagecamper.asp

TAKE THE QUIZ

Are you smarter than a third grader? Let's see . . . Click on the link below and take the test.  Feel free to comment below on your score.  

http://www.squirtsplace.com/games/MapTest.swf

I'M THE MOM

CHERRY DELIGHT

If you like cream cheese and sugar with your cherries, then you'll LOVE this dessert. My Momma used to make it when I was living at home and I never could get enough of it. I'm WARNING you, though, a little dab'll do ya!

CHERRY DELIGHT

(Look for this recipe on the RECIPE page under my Stick Family.)

CORN CHOWDER

Last night we spent a few hours with our church family. Folks brought delicious soups, sandwiches, and desserts. We spent our time fellowshipping and thanking God for our blessings. I brought Corn Chowder and it really was tasty. I had a special request to post this recipe on my blog. So, this one's for YOU, my friends! =)

(Look for this recipe in my RECIPE page near the top of my blog under my Stick Family.)



LEST I FORGET

taken nearly a year and a half ago

taken this month

I want to praise God for giving me back my smile!!!!!

 It's been a tough road, but long ago somewhere I read that "the bumps are what you use to climb on." I know I still have some "climbing" to do, and I'll be running into more "bumps," but so much has changed for me and my family.

My blog has given me one opportunity after another to find a reason to laugh, and to think on the positive. It's my goal to keep y'all in mind as I select items to post. I want YOU to have a smile spread across your face, and when you come back I hope you find reason to laugh some more!!

God truly has given me, "Beauty for Ashes."

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
(Proverbs 17:22 KJV)  

OH, YOU MUST'VE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY . . .

Can you guess who this is?
(Hint: It isn't any of my children.)

SEEING DOUBLE

Great Friends

This picture was taken at a High School football game that got called because of a pretty fierce rainstorm. Those "blotches" you see are actually raindrops. We did our best to take shelter under the bleachers, but I'm afraid they weren't built for that. Haha! Anyway, to make a long story short, I came upon this picture not too long ago. I gave it a long, hard look, and by George, I finally saw what many (and I mean MANY) people have already seen. Allow me to explain.

Over the years, both my friend and I have been stopped by folks wanting to know if we are sisters and even twins. I think the first time it happened was when we were together at a yard sale, and I was trying to decide if I wanted to pay $5 for a salad shooter. We just chuckled and wondered why they would ask such a question. However, I don't believe either of us gave it much thought after that. Then strange things began to happen. For example, a lady I'd never met before approached me in Walmart speaking to me as if we were acquainted, and was convinced my hubby worked at the bus barn. My hubby never has, but hers did!

Once, she called to tell me about a garage sale from which she had just returned home. She felt I might benefit from some of the items they were selling. I told her I wouldn't be able to go until later in the afternoon, but that I would indeed go. When I got there the couple kept staring at me as if I were going to steal something. I felt uncomfortable. When I went over to them to purchase my items they said matter-of-factly, "You were here this morning, too." (Haha!) Feeling relieved I just smiled and said, "No, that wasn't me. That was my friend, but she's the one who told me about your sale."

This last story takes the cake, however. This time my friend stopped at another yard sale, and if I remember correctly, was looking at some DVDs for sale, when a woman burst out of the front door calling my name.  When she got closer the woman realized her mistake.  My friend laughed when the woman asked if she knew anyone by my name.  When she said she did, the woman mentioned my last name, and my friend confirmed it. Now this woman was one of my mother's best friends, and I knew her well, but my friend had no clue who she was.  Haha! What are the odds of THAT happening?

Boy, oh boy, could we tell you stories! It's not always at a sale either. Now, when something like the above happens, we just smile super big smiles at each other and get tickled. That's our "kick" for the day. Guess we truly could pass for sisters!

The odd twist to all of this lately, has been that some folks are getting OUR HUBBYS confused with each other. At times, they even confuse us as couples! That's really funny to us. :)

OUTRAGEOUS DOUBLE CHOCOLATE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

We baked these Betty Crocker cookies last week. It was amazing to see how BIG they really are. They turned out just like the picture in the cookbook said they'd be. Yummy!

Our cookies

Their cookies

We got this cookbook from the library. There are TONS of wonderful recipes in it. The girls want to try them all. Haha!

(Look for this recipe in my RECIPE page near the top of my blog under my Stick Family.)

WHEN I'M AN OLD LADY . . .

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,

And bring so much happiness . . . just as they did.

I want to pay back all the joy they've provided,

Returning each deed, oh, they'll be so excited!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites, and blues,

And I'll bounce on the furniture . . . wearing my shoes.

I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.

I'll stuff all the toilets, and oh, how they'll shout!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,

I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.

Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,

And when that is done, I'll hide under the bed.

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,

I'll not eat my green beans, or salad, or meat,

I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,

And when they get angry . . . I'll run . . . if I'm able!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,

I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.

I'll take off my socks and throw one away,

And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,

I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.

My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,

And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids.)

~Joanne Bailey Baxter, Lorain, OH

IT'S RAINING BABIES

Please forgive me, but little man and I have been thinking of sweet babies today. Hope you don't mind our sharing.

SLEEPING BEAUTIES: NEWBORNS IN DREAMLAND

I bought this calendar for 2011. If this isn't sweet, I don't know what is.

MOMMY'S KISS

 

Sorry for the videos that follow this one.  I couldn't figure out how to keep them from popping up.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN

How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
And told Him your heart's hidden secrets?

How long since you prayed? How long since you stayed
On your knees till the light shone through?

How long has it been since your mind felt at ease?
How long since your heart knew no burden?

Can you call Him your Friend?
How long has it been since you knew that He cared for you?

How long has it been since you knelt by your bed
And prayed to the Lord up in heaven?

How long since you knew that He'd answer you
And would keep you the long night through?

How long has it been since you woke with the dawn
And felt that the day's worth the living?

Can you call Him your Friend?
How long has it been since you knew that He cared for you?

A CHUCKLE 4U - "Just Ducky"

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here: don't step on the ducks!"

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks ALL OVER the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one. Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.

St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps. She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on . . . very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and trim. St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.

The happy woman says, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all eternity?"

The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"

A CHUCKLE 4U - "The Loan"

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.

"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday."

Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.

Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.

The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink, and perfectly formed.

Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.

She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use THIS as collateral."

She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, WHAT in the world IS this?"

(wait for it)



The bank manager looks back at her and says,

"It's a knick-knack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."

OLD COMMERCIALS

A CHUCKLE 4U - "Glasses"

My face in the mirror isn't wrinkled or drawn.

My house isn't dirty and the cobwebs are gone.

My garden looks lovely and so does my lawn.

I think I might NEVER PUT MY GLASSES BACK ON!

BABY SHOWER

I was looking at some of the pictures from our little man's baby shower. It is amazing to me how quickly time passes . . . and how good God continues to be.  

The Hostesses 

The Table

The Cake, Little Man, and Me

The Gifts

Me feeling very happy and blessed

The Smiles



A CHUCKLE 4U - "Military Jokes"

Worse Punishment? - An Air Force cargo plane was preparing for departure from Thule Air Base in Greenland. They were waiting for the truck to arrive to pump out the aircraft's sewage holding tank.

The Aircraft Commander was in a hurry, the truck was late in arriving, and the Airman performing the job was extremely slow in getting the tank pumped out.

When the commander berated the Airman for his slowness and promised punishment, the Airman responded: "Sir, I have no stripes, it is 20 below zero, I'm stationed in Greenland, and I am pumping sewage out of airplanes. Just WHAT are you going to do to punish me?"

Communication Breakdown - The reason the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines squabble among themselves is that they don't speak the same language. For example, take a simple phrase like, "Secure the building."

• The Army will put guards around the place.
• The Navy will turn out the lights and lock the doors.
• The Air Force will take out a 5-year lease with an option to buy.
• The Marines will kill everybody inside and make it a command post.

Jeep in the Mud - During training exercises, the lieutenant who was driving down a muddy back road encountered another car stuck in the mud with a red-faced colonel at the wheel. "Your jeep stuck, sir?" asked the lieutenant as he pulled alongside.

"Nope," replied the colonel, coming over and handing him the keys, "Yours is."

Very Important Colonel - Having just moved into his new office, a pompous, new colonel was sitting at his desk when a PFC knocked on the door.

Conscious of his new position, the colonel quickly picked up the phone, told the PFC to enter, then said into the phone, "Yes, General, I'll be seeing him this afternoon and I'll pass along your message. In the meantime, thank you for your good wishes, sir."

Feeling as though he had sufficiently impressed the young enlisted man, he asked, "What do you want?"

"Nothing important, sir," the PFC replied, "I'm just here to hook up your telephone."

Military Etiquette -

Officer:         Soldier, do you have change for a dollar?
Soldier:         Sure, buddy.
Officer:         That's no way to address an officer! Now let's try it again. Do you have change for a dollar?
Soldier:         No, SIR!

NEVER MESS WITH A MARINE

An Army 2nd Lieutenant is taking his platoon on patrol when his scouts come running back and say, "Sir, there's a Marine standing in the way of the road". The Lieutenant scoffs and sends a fire team to go investigate and remove the Marine. They approach the Marine and he begins to head for a small ridge on the side of the road and motions for them to follow. As the rest of the platoon advances and takes cover they hear yelling and screaming. The Marine emerges a couple minutes later and dusts himself off and again stands in the middle of the road. The Lieutenant curses and calls for a squad to remove the Devil Dog. He again heads down to a small ridge and they follow. Once again there is blood-curdling screaming and weeping. And AGAIN the Marine emerges and dusts himself off. Bewildered and upset, the Lieutenant sends all but his platoon Sargent down and says, "Eliminate him!" They run towards him and again follow him to the ridge. The screaming begins again and suddenly a specialist comes running up, bloody, his cammies all mangled. The Lieutenant is in shock and says, "What is going on out there soldier?" Gasping for breath the soldier replies, "Its a trick sir!! There's two of em."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES
SEMPER FI

HAPPY 235TH BIRTHDAY TO THE USMC

TRIBUTE TO THE MARINES

* United States Marine Corps Birthday: 10 NOVEMBER 1775 *

A tribute to the United States Marine Corps and the reasons why they are superior to the many organizations of the world . . . of course, I'm a little biased . . . but it's true.



1) Best haircut. Hands down. You can't have a bad hair day with a high and tight. And you spend less on shampoo.

2) Dress blues. They're the coolest uniforms in any military worldwide.

3) Bloused trousers. Another distinctive Marine look that sets the proudest service members apart.

4) The rest of the Marine sea bag. From the Alphas to the camouflage utilities, uniforms just look better on a Marine than any other service member.

5) Marines don't wear dungarees.

6) Most respect #1:  When the Marines pulled out of Haiti and Somalia, the media reported the U.S. military was pulling out -- as if tens of thousands of Army troops weren't still in the country. Now that's respect.

7) Most respect #2:  When the Corps came back to Haiti after 60 years, an old man on the Cap-Haitien beach said ``Welcome back!''

8) Toughest mascot. The Marine Corps' is a bulldog. The Navy's: a goat.

9) Esprit de Corps. Even if you can't spell it or pronounce it, the Marine Corps has it in spades. One example: When sailors get tattoos, they do it to express their individuality, and their choices range from Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse to raging sea serpents. When Marines get tattoos, they do it to express their solidarity, and choose bull dogs, ``death before dishonor,'' and ``USMC.''

10) Best war monument:  Iwo Jima

11) The Marines invade, then go home. The Army has to do the occupying.

12) The silent drill team. Just watching them ply their trade makes you want to wear dress blues.

13) Status:  Sailors live and work on ships. Marines go for cruises -- then hit the shore.

14) Best fast attack vehicles:  LAVs.

15) Best fighting knife:  Ka-Bar.

16) Best duty assignments:  Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.

17) Worst duty assignments:  Okinawa, Kaneohe Bay, Camp Pendleton, Diego Garcia, Moscow, North Carolina. Plus any ship at sea.

18) Most exotic duty assignments:  Kuala Lumpur, The White House.

19) Best phone number.  Call 1-800-MARINES and you've got the Corps. And if you're a civilian with the character to be a Marine, a recruiter there will be happy to sign you up.

20) Toughest DI's (Drill Instructors). They're so tough that when the Navy wants to train its officers, who do they call? 1-800-MARINES.

21) Toughest boot camp. When San Diego was still training Navy recruits, legend has it that recruits occasionally would jump the fence and accidentally land in Marine boot camp. The Marines would keep them a couple of days, and when the recruits were sent back, they were ready to be sailors!

22) Best motivational cries:  Ooh-rah! - Attack! - Kill!

23) Best emblem:  Eagle, Globe and Anchor. (Air, Land and Sea)

24) Best campaign cover:  The Smokey Bear hat.

25) Separate heads for enlisted and officers. Everywhere else, officers and enlisted use the same pot.

26) The only official, congressionally sanctioned hymn for any of the services:  "The Marines' Hymn.''