Honoring the elders among us

I received this in an email from my friend, Pat, and just had to share it with you. I think this story and song might be wonderful to use on Mother's or Father's Day.

While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gate to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... the only thing that would comfort was this verse.........
"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
we are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me...
The Bible tells me so."

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it. A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best." "Senior version of Jesus Loves Me" Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others check out this newest version of Jesus Loves Me.

JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love
(CHORUS)
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)

Hurry up, Spring!

Spring had better get here soon or I'm not going to be able to scratch my own behind!!! LOL

I got this funny picture in an email my friend Pat sent to me. I thought it was hilarious!

The Great Flood

Ed and I took a drive the other night to look at all of the high water in the area. Rt. 33 East was closed for most of the day yesterday just this side of Nelsonville because of flooding. So the traffic was rerouted to 328 to 56 to 278 back to 33 at last. I felt so sorry for many of the people who were having to take this detour. Of course, Ed and I are very familiar with it BUT if you aren't? Well, you would probably think .......well, I'm not sure what you would think but these secondary roads are nothing but hills and curves and dips and more curves and hills and more dips.....unbelievably curvy, hilly, and dippy roads. *grin* Ed said there was a guy driving a Lexus behind him and someone in an Accura in front of him and he said you could tell they were totally out of their element driving-wise. Here are some pics of the high water. A couple of them were taken as we were driving down 33 as it rained so they are kinda blurry but you get the picture. The other was taken the next day after the rain had stopped and it was actually a beautiful day even though the water was still so high. The one good thing about all of the rain is that the water table levels are up where they should be after a near-drought last summer, but I am ready for spring! *smile*





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So, Friday was a beautiful day even though it was chilly. Then on Saturday we had rain, snow, ice pellets, mist......it was frightfully cold and wet and yucky. AND yesterday morning.....Easter Sunday morning, it was TWENTY DEGREES here in our little valley! Yikes!!! Did I feel like wearing something pastel, light and airy to church? Uhhhhh.....no. *grin* BUT, I do have this really pretty jacket that is pastel-colored and pretty heavy. It is also nylon-lined, making it really warm. The spring wardrobe is going to have to wait awhile longer to be brought out.
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Last night at church, we had Bro. and Sis. Malik, who are missionaries to Pakistan. Ed and I just really connected with Bro. and Sis. Malik and shared a wonderful time of fellowship with them. Sis. Malik gave her personal testimony during the service, telling how she came to find the Lord and it resonated so with me and how I found the Lord. We talked afterward about how that many people see us and just think that we have been in the church all of our lives but not so and how we don't want to forget where the Lord brought us from and all that He has done in our lives. He has been so faithful and compassionate to us through the years. It is so wonderful when you meet sweet people like the Maliks and feel such a spiritual kinship with them immediately. They are staying in Mt. Vernon this week while travelling around the area. I told them that Pastor Kramer was my former youth pastor and that the saints in Mt. Vernon are awesome, which they truly are! (I miss you all!!) Ed and I are just going to have to find the time to come up for a visit!

The kitty of the house

Ed was eating breakfast the other morning and Ellie was right there watching him take each bite, as evidenced here:



She is so persnickety! If we do offer her a little nibble, she just sniffs it and turns away, but continues to sit there and watch us eat. Go figure. *smile* A couple of things that she DOES nibble at are Pringles Orginial chips and orginial Doritos but only one chip. She will eat just about any kind of dry cat food but she will only eat 9 Lives sliced beef and gravy canned cat food. She only gets about 1/4 of a can of the 9 Lives each morning as a little treat but, let me tell ya......she is ready for it when I get up in the morning! She is all around my feet, meowing like crazy! But I wouldn't have her any other way. :-)

Bro. L.J. Harry preached at the Section 3.2 youth rally at our church Friday night and it was absolutely wonderful. His message was "Nothing Better To Do". This message was right along the same lines as Bro. Bounds' message last month at the rally in Nelsonville. The Lord is reaching out, appealing to our youth to enter the ministry and work of the Lord. There is such a need for workers. The Lord moved into our midst so beautifully and powerfully, dealing with and ministering to the youth. We had an awesome time in His presence and later as we all gathered in the fellowship hall at church for food and all.

I have to say that our musicians and praise singers really bring it when we have special services! They were absolutely awesome!
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Okayyyyy.....I just couldn't resist sharing these with you! :-)

Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A: A receding hareline.

Q: Why did the magician have to cancel his show?
A: He'd just washed his hare and couldn't do a
thing with it.
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I have Pepsi Chicken simmering on the stove this morning already. I haven't fixed it for ages but had a craving for it yesterday and could hardly wait for today to get it simmering. This is a recipe that I acquired when I was still working at Smead Mfg., where I worked for 15 years. The girls that I worked with and I were always looking for quick, easy and delicious recipes and this is definitely one. Here's the recipe which is easy, easy, easy!

6-8 pieces of chicken
I prefer thighs and breasts with the bone in. Boneless chicken tends to turn out just a bit dry when cooked in this manner. You can remove the skin if you like.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a dutch oven. Place chicken in the kettle. Season to taste. Pour 16oz. of ketchup over chicken. Pour a can of Pepsi over this. Bring to a nice simmer, cover and cook for one hour.
I usually serve this with scalloped/au gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes and green beans. I absolutely loooooove green beans and could eat them everyday!

Enjoy!!!

A funeral dish

Now, you might be wondering about that blog post title but let me explain. Whenever I need to fix food to serve after a funeral, this is most often what I fix and I get raves on it. *smile* It is quick and easy and I always have what I need to fix it, on hand. It is delicious served with cornbread and really doesn't need anything else to complete it, unless it might be some kind of luscious dessert. *smile*
Let me tell you how I came up with this recipe. Close to 18 years ago, a young family in our church had new triplets. (They are now 17! *smile*) Well, every Wednesday, for a few months, I would fix supper for the family and take over to them, as I figured it was surely hectic trying to get everyone ready for church and so on on Wednesday. They also have another daughter, who is now 22. Anywayyyy....a dish that I fixed occasionally that the husband especially liked was Creole Weiners (Hot Dogs). It was a recipe that I found in my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook.
Soooooo, during this time, Ed, Daniel and I had gone camping and I was craving vegetables, so we found a little grocery store out in the country and we bought some canned and fresh vegetables. When we got back to our campsite, I proceeded to concoct this dish that I call Creole Vegetables, using the Creole Weiners recipe (though THIS recipe doesn't have weiners in it *grin*) and it has been one of our favorites ever since. I fixed it yesterday and Ed and I finished it up today!
Here's the recipe for Creole Vegetables:

CREOLE VEGETABLES AND SMOKED SAUSAGE

1 LB. OF SMOKED SAUSAGE
1 LARGE ONION SLICED AND SEPARATED INTO RINGS
1/2 LB. OF BACON CUT INTO NOT-TOO-SMALL PIECES
2 CANS OF SLICED STEWED TOMATOES
2 CANS OF GREEN BEANS/ DRAINED
2 LARGE POTATOES/ BAKED IN THE MICROWAVE OR TWO CANS OF POTATOES, DRAINED AND SLICED

SAUTEE THE BACON AND ONION TOGETHER UNTIL DONE. YOU MAY NEED TO
ADD A LITTLE OIL, DEPENDING ON HOW LEAN THE BACON IS. CUT THE SMOKED SAUSAGE INTO SLICES AND ADD TO THE POT, LETTING THE SAUSAGE BROWN.
ADD THE STEWED TOMATOES AND LET THEM SIMMER FOR A BIT
WITH THE ONIONS AND BACON. SALT AND PEPPER.
NEXT, ADD THE GREEN BEANS, MIX WELL AND LET THE FLAVORS SIMMER
AND BLEND TOGETHER. SALT AND PEPPER.
PEEL AND CUBE THE POTATOES AND ADD TO THE MIXTURE.
SALT AND PEPPER. LET THIS ALL SIMMER FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. YOU MAY NEED TO ADD SOME WATER, DEPENDING ON HOW "SOUPY" YOU WANT IT
TO BE. I DON'T LIKE TOO MUCH LIQUID. TASTE TO SEE IF YOU NEED
TO ADD MORE SALT AND PEPPER. I'VE ALSO ADDED A FEW DROPS OF LIQUID SMOKE A TIME OR TWO, BUT NOT ALWAYS. *SMILE* DEPENDS ON THE MOOD I'M IN!
THIS IS GREAT WITH HOT CORNBREAD AND BUTTER!!
(OH, AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD FIT INTO THE CATEGORY OF
"DIET FOOD"! *SMILE*)
ENJOY!!!
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You know, I sometimes think we can miss an opportunity to really minister to people by fixing food for them. Through the years, when we've had food leftover from supper or Sunday dinner, I've put it in containers that don't have to be returned, i.e. styrofoam plates, aluminum foil pans, etc. and given it to widows at church or an elderly couple or a single person living on their own and it has amazed me at how very appreciative they are of this simple, caring gesture.
I don't say this to pat myself on the back. I just consider it such a privilege to be a blessing to others, but perhaps someone out there is looking for a way to minister to others and can use this idea.
I've also fixed meals for a family that perhaps the Lord just laid on my heart. The mother might work outside of the home or perhaps their finances are a bit sparce. I've not always known. But I do know that anytime I have done this, I have been amazed by the overwhelming gratitude of the people, especially the elderly people, widows, and single people.
Last week, I believe it was Wednesday evening, I packaged up some of what Ed and I had had for supper and put it in a pretty St. Patrick's Day gift bag I had. I tucked tissue paper over the top of it and put St. Patrick's Day Mints on top of the tissue paper. I discreetly gave this to a divorced lady in our church who works long hours. I had made sure to put dessert in it for her because I KNOW she LOVES sweet stuff. *smile* I put the dessert in the bottom and put a little note on it that said, "Don't you dare eat this first! You are to eat the REAL food first, THEN dessert!" I knew she would get a huge laugh out of that and she did!!! *smile* And she DID eat the dessert first, with a hot cup of coffee.
So, if you have leftovers, consider fixing them up nicely for someone in your church or neighborhood. Or if you are just in a cooking mood or have extra or plenty, this is such a wonderful way to minister to others.

I was glad when they said unto me......

After not having church Sunday because of the inclement weather, it was so wonderful to make our way to the house of the Lord Wednesday evening and to be in service and worship the Lord. We also continued our bible study with Doug and Bill early that evening before church.
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The Section 3.2 rally is at our church tomorrow night (Friday) and we are all excited!! Bro. L.J. Harry from Mt. Vernon will be preaching and he is just awesome! We are expecting great things from the Lord as the youth and everyone gathers in!
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By the looks of things, spring is on its way. The temperatures have been in the 60's and it has been sunny and breezy. The snow is almost all gone but the ground is a mushy mess and we have to be sure and stay on our sidewalk or driveway lest we sink in up to our ankles! *smile* I am ready for warmer weather.

Ed will have a ten days off for spring break this year and we are thinking of taking some sort of vacay, though we haven't decided exactly what or where. I'll keep you posted!
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I don't have alot to post about but I thought I had better put something up so that you will know that I am still in the land of the living!! *smile* The Lord's best to each of you!

Political Correctness

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America , Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES".

You must now refer to them as "APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS".

I love it!!! LOL
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Some politically correct remarks about women:

A woman with blonde hair is no longer to be called a 'DUMB BLONDE' - She is a 'LIGHT-HAIRED DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.'

She is not an 'AIRHEAD' - She is 'REALITY IMPAIRED.'

She does not 'NAG' you - She becomes 'VERBALLY REPETITIVE.'

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How to speak about men and be politically correct:

He is not a 'BAD DANCER' - He is 'OVERLY CAUCASIAN

He does not 'GET LOST ALL THE TIME' - He 'INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS.'

He is not 'BALDING' - He is in 'FOLLICLE REGRESSION.'

Let it snow!

Hi Everyone! It is still snowing in Ohio....and blowing and drifting and getting colder. Brrrrr!!!! Here is a picture of Ed doing some snowblowing and Rocky following along. *smile* Our county has been under a Level 3 snow emergency all day so we have stayed close to home, of course.

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Most of the area schools dismissed early yesterday. Ed does private transport for Logan-Hocking Schools and takes a 12-year-old boy to a spanish-speaking class in the Athens School District. He and his family are from Venezuela and he is learning to speak English in this particular class. He and Ed have a time! *smile* So Ed picked Richard up from school. Well, coming out of Athens and heading north, you go over this huge hill on Rt. 33. The road cuts through a hill. On the Athens side of the hill it was just raining but Ed said as they crested the hill, the valley and hills that spread out before them to the north were snow-covered and it was like a blizzard. When Richard saw it, he said, "Awwwwesome!" (His favorite english word at the present time *smile*) "Oh yeah, it's awesome alright, Richard," Ed replied to him as he drove on carefully. LOL Ed called me and told me that the roads were horrible and there were cars in the ditch and median everywhere. So when Richard saw the first wreck, he said to Ed, "Thees ees not good, Ed." *smile* Well, it normally takes Ed two hours to go get Richard and take him home. Yesterday, it took him 5 1/2 hours! So, Ed gets Richard almost home. He had to go a different route because the usual route had humongous hills on it. So he went the opposite way and sure enough, there was a hill right before you get to where Richard lives. So, Ed called Richard's dad and told him what was going on and would he be able to come get Richard. Well, Richard had to talk to his dad and let him know what was going on because his parents do not understand or speak much English yet. Ed said he couldn't believe how fast Richard talked in Spanish! Richard just laughed when Ed asked him what the heck did he just say to his dad! *smile* So a little while later, here comes Richard's dad, mom and little sister and his dad just drives downn the hill like it is summertime and goes right into the ditch at the bottom of the hill. "Thees ees not good," Richard says again. LOL Richard goes and gets his sister, brings her over and introduces her to Ed. She is three. "Thees ees my leetle seester, Ed." Ed says she is cute as a button. Just adorable. Well, Ed helped them get out of the ditch and then he turned around in the middle of the road and came home. He just loves Richard and they have such a good time together. This has been a good change of pace for Ed because normally he transports troubled teens to a counseling program in Athens and while most of the kids are okay, some of them can be a bit of a problem for Ed and it can make things a bit tense at times.
Sooooo.....I called Daniel at work and told him to please be careful on his drive home because the roads were terrible. He assured me that he would be and that he would call me when he got home. So, about two hours later, I get a phone call. It is Daniel and he says in a weak voice, "Mom, call 911. I'm in the ditch!" Well, I KNEW he was kidding! And he was. He was just pulling into his driveway. Thank you , Jesus.
It is supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow and the snow is supposed to move off to the east, so things should return to normal in the next couple of days. Ed drove into town this afternoon, though no one is supposed to be out on the roads unless it is an emergency. *grin* He said the only place that was open was Walmart and Speedway and I believe Bob Evans. He also said that the roads were indeed very bad still today.
I hope you all are doing well wherever you are!

I'm impressed!

I've been to most of the presidential candidates websites. When I've gone to them, it has been necessary to enter my email address to continue on. Having said that, I have received numerous helpful emails from the Obama camp, reminding me of numerous things concerning election day here in Ohio. But what has really impressed me is that today several precinct locations across Ohio had to be relocated in the middle of the day due to flooding. So, I get an email telling me where four precincts in Hocking County have been relocated to! Talk about a well-oiled machine!

I have received, oh, maybe a couple of emails from Hillary. Just the usual campaign jargon going on in them.

I haven't received any from McCain or Huckabee.

Again, I am very impressed with the smooth operation of the Obama campaign. It appears that they are able to get things done...pronto!

I know, I know.......

......I go from "no posting" to posting three times in one day! I have no excuse. *grin* But I wanted to share a recipe with you. Many, many years ago, the ladies at our church put together a cookbook. I believe it may have been the first one that we ever published. THAT'S how long ago it was! *smile* Well, I was single and thusly, did not cook much. BUT I did want to contribute to this cookbook, so at work I started asking for some really good recipes that I could contribute under my name. *wink* Soooooo, this is one of the recipes that I was given! Several months after the cookbook was published, Sis. Martin, who is now my pastor's wife, told me that this particular recipe was her youngest daughter's favorite dish! I felt compelled to 'fess up that I had never tried it. And I didn't for several years after that, either. But once I was married to my dear husband, I finally got around to fixing it and we love it! So here it is and you are more than welcome to tweak it any ol' way you like!!

Pork Chop Noodle Bake

4 Boneless Sirloin Pork Chops
1 12-16 oz. bag of noodles
2 cans of mushroom soup
1 can of mushrooms
1 cup of water

Season and brown the pork chops on both sides. While doing this, cook the noodles. After browning the pork chops remove them from the pan and put the mushroom soup, mushrooms and water in the drippings. Let this cook and simmer until smooth and thoroughly mixed. Put the cooked noodles in a lightly greased 9X13 casserole. Place the pork chops on top of the noodles. Next, pour the mushroom soup mixture over the pork chops and noodles. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
I usually fix green beans, peas, or broccoli with this. I have never done this but you could probably mix small broccoli florets in with the noodles and bake them right along with everything else. I like to mix broccoli in with alot of things to add some color. You do have to be careful about the flavor combos though. I wish I had taken a picture of this casserole to post here. But, trust me, it is delicious!!! Oh, and this is definitely not diet food. I don't even know if you could possibly tweak it and make it diet-friendly! Bon Apetit'!

Is Ohio on the map today or what?

Wow! All three major networks are in Columbus tonight. The three major candidates.....Hillary, Obama and McCain....are planning to hold their victory celebrations in Columbus tonight. Hmmm.....sorry to say, but one of them is going to be a bit disappointed, perhaps. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About a year ago, we had an evening at church where the ladies that wanted to gathered to try their hand at different crafts and so on. Some of us did scrapbooking. Some did crocheting. Others tried making blankets and other things that I can't remember. *feeble grin* Well, at this gathering I took two big pieces of fleece material that I had purchased in order to make a blanket. My friend Neda and her daughters ended up making it for me that evening. They got down on the floor, tore into it and had it done in no time at all! Me getting down on the floor is not in my repretoire at the present time nor has it been for some time.....*little grin* Anyhoo.......have any of you ladies made one these blankets? They are sooooo easy. Mine is made of OSU print and gray fleece. The OSU print is not trademark but it is still nice. Anywayyyyy, after the blanket was made, I brought it home and tied it into a neat bundle and tucked it away. But one morning this week, I was so chilly. My eyes happened to rest on this bundled up blanket and I thought, "Why am I not using it?" So I got it and wrapped myself up in it, in my recliner, and it is heavenly! It is so soft and warming. Ellie the cat absolutely loves it! Everytime she sees me with an afghan or blanket of any kind, she comes running, jumps on me and starts kneading and purring like crazy. *smile* Here is a website that has good directions for how to make one. I think the fleece I used was 54" wide and I used 2 yards, so it is a really nice sized blanket. They are wonderful to make and give as gifts. Here is a picture of mine folded in fourths:

From snow to THIS!

You want weather? We have it here in Ohio!! *smile* We went from this a couple of days ago:

To this today:

With two sunny and 60 degree days on Sunday and Monday in between. It is in the mid-thirties now and going down! So hang on, you hardy Ohioans! It's March!! *smile*

Ed and I are continuing to teach a weekly bible study to two men who have been coming to church for about a year. They are two of the sweetest guys you would ever want to meet. And they are so hungry to know all that they can about the Lord. They are so faithful to church and always sit on the third row. It is such a privilege to share the riches of the word of the Lord with them. They are taking Ed and me out to dinner before church on Wednesday evening, so we are looking forward to that, of course! Bill is in his late forties and divorced, while Doug is in his seventies and a widower. They are best friends. Doug reminds me alot of my father. He is just the greatest guy. Bill started coming to church with his daughter and a short while later started bringing Doug with him. They just want to help with any thing that they can at church. It is inspiring to see their love for the Lord, His word and the church. I'll try to get a picture of them posted here in the next few days and yes, I'll be sure to ask them if it is alright. *grin*
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I've got a new physical problem that I am dealing with that has aggravated my back even more. It isn't anything terribly serious, meaning it can be taken care of in time with minor surgery....well, I believe it will be minor, but it has caused my pain level to really elevate and my walking ability to be impaired even more, which is not good. This is one of the reasons that I have not been posting much here. It's taking most of my time and efforts to just do the necessary things here at home and church and I just don't want to have to ask Ed to do any more than necessary, though he doesn't mind. There are no words to adequately describe how wonderful he is to me, even if he does make fun of me and tease me sometimes. *smile* But this is a good thing because he keeps me laughing. Sometimes I feel sorry for him because there isn't much that he can do to help alleviate my pain and so on and he feels kind of helpless, but it's enough to know that he is always there for me, you know?
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We have had two absolutely gorgeous days, weatherwise, today and yesterday. Oh, but the sunshine and warmth has been so welcome but it isn't going to last. Tomorrow it is supposed to turn colder and start raining. We take the good with the bad, hm? *smile*
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We went to Daniel and Erin's a couple of weeks ago and I got a really good picture of Max,their bald python, our grand-snake. LOL Here he is laying in the sun on the arm of the sofa: