TURKEY TRIVIA, THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS AND RECIPES!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

First Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock by Bunscombe

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; 

Who pardons all your iniquities; 

Who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; 

Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion; 

Who satisfies your years with good things, 

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. ---Psalm 103:1-5

LET'S TALK TURKEY!

TURKEY TRIVIA

Benjamin Franklin argued on behalf of the turkey. He wanted it to be the national bird, instead of the eagle. This same  bird saved the Pilgrim's for starvation on the first Thanksgiving. Ben, if I had been there, I would've sided with you! Below is some turkey trivia for you to share with your family on Thanksgiving Day!

• Everyone knows that turkey was the Pilgrim's menu at the first Thanksgiving, but did you know that Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's first meal on the moon was what else . . . Turkey!
  
• Sesame Street's Big Bird's costume is made out of 4,000+ white turkey feathers dyed yellow.
  
• American Indians used turkey feathers on their ceremonial clothing and the turkey's spurs on their arrowheads---ouch.
• The dance the Turkey Trot, which was the rage at turn of the 20 century, emulated the bobbing head and the short jerky steps a turkey makes.
• Wild turkey's spend their nights in trees, roosting upon the branches. They head to bed at sundown. 
• Yes, wild turkey's fly! They fly at speeds of 55 miles per hour to elude their hunters. And they can run up to 25 miles per hour.
• The Guinness Book of Records, records the world largest turkey weighing a whopping 86 pounds . . . the size of a large dog. Talk about turkey leftovers!
• A turkey has a great sense of smell, taste, hearing, and eyesight. Their vision is 270 degrees enabling them to see movement up to 100 yards away. This is why turkeys elude their hunters.
• What is the most dangerous sport in America? It's not NASCAR racing or even football. Biking accidents sent more people to the hospital, but turkey hunting has more fatalities! Because of a wild turkeys' great eyesight and sense of hearing, hunters must stay very still, quiet, and also camouflage themselves so they are often shot by other hunts. 
• Do turkey's drown if they look up in the rain? Nope, that's a myth. Turkey's eyes are on opposite sides of greater field of vision . . . they don't look up. 
• Turkey's have heart attacks. When the Air Force was testing the sound barrier they discovered literally fields of turkey's that had dropped dead of heart attacks.
• We're having turkey on Thanksgiving! Are you? 90% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving! And 50% of Americans eat turkey on Christmas Day too. In fact the turkey industry sells over $4 billion of turkey's each year! 
• Which country consumes the most turkey's per capita!?  Israel.
• A male turkey is a tom, a female is a hen, and a baby turkeys are called poults. 
• Male turkey's gobble, hen's make a clicking or clucking sound. When frightened, a turkey sounds like they are saying, "Turk, turk, turk" . . . so this is where their name came from! 
• In the early 1900's because of over hunting and cutting down trees to make way for farmlands, turkey's became extinct.
• Abraham Lincoln was the president who designated the last Thursday in November as the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Which president tried to move Lincoln's holiday to the third Thursday of November in order to extend the holiday shopping season? Franklin D. Roosevelt . . .  but he was unsuccessful. 
• Age is a determining taste factor. Old toms are preferable to younger ones, because their meat is stringier. Sorry ladies, but younger hens are preferable to older ones . . . sound familiar? Old birds are tough!

OUR FAMILY'S FAVORITE THANKSGIVING RECIPE

OUR FAMILY'S FAVORITE PUMPKIN DESSERT

PUMPKIN PECAN PIE SQUARES

Great dessert to complete any meal. Makes a great dessert for holiday parties. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup old-fashioned or instant oats 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk 2 large eggs 2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 1/4 cup packed brown sugar Whipped cream PREHEAT oven to 350°F. COMBINE flour, oats, brown sugar and butter in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until crumbly. Press on bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. BAKE for 15 minutes. COMBINE granulated sugar, pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs and pumpkin pie spice in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes; pour over crust. BAKE for 20 minutes. Combine pecans and brown sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle pecan topping over filling. Continue baking for 15 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Top with whipped cream. Estimated Times: Preparation - 10 minutes; Cooking - 1 hour. Yields 12 servings. © 2009 and ®/™ Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, used with permission. Submitted by: LIBBY'S® Pumpkin

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE 

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons almond extract

1/3 cup marshmallow creme

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 to 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation: Combine sweet potatoes, butter, milk, salt, almond extract and 1/3 cup of the marshmallow creme. Beat in egg. Pile sweet potatoes in a lightly buttered baking dish. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Top with miniature marshmallows and brown under broiler for about 3-4 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

  

THANKSGIVING HYMN

WE GATHER TOGETHER

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing; 

He chastens and hastens his will to make known; 

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, 

Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own. 

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, 

Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine; 

So from the beginning the fight we were winning; 

Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine! 

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant, 

And pray that thou still our defender wilt be. 

Let thy congregation escape tribulation; 

Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free! 

Amen

--Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn 

(A translation by Theodore Baker)

Thanksgiving Prayer

For each new morning with  light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving! Invite the guests at your Thanksgiving table to tell what they are most thankful for in 2009!

  

MAKING AUTUMN MEMORIES

Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.  ~ Pierce Harris

Left - My granddaughter Hailey far right in the red sparkly shoes, enjoying Halloween with her friends.

My mother made every holiday special for us . . . even when she worked, she always managed to make mealtimes pleasant every day of the week. Just a little extra thoughtfulness, and you can do it too! I learned so much from my mother and my grandmothers. But making memories for your families is one of the greatest activities you can do for your family. 

Just yesterday my best childhood friend and I were reminiscing over all the fun we had on Halloween! Remember the old fashioned cake walks at the Halloween Carnival . . . the music would play, and when it stopped everyone scrambled for a seat! You were eliminated if you didn't have a seat when the music stopped. Finally the last round only two people were left standing vying for a cake. And then, do you recall apple bobbing? 

And the costumes you wore each year! Yes, I still remember mine, because my mother made our costumes. Whether my sister and I were dressed like a cat (The CATS Broadway designers could not compare with my mother's cats!) we won the Halloween Carnival "best costume award" every year! It's not so much the time, but the creativity!

So how does today mom with all her activities, career, and responsibilities make holidays special for her children? Impossible you say? Look below at these simple ideas to do with your children. Remember the memories of the "little things," you do with your children, will last forever! I am so blessed to have a grandchild, so the tradition continues. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could give your child special traditions to pass down for generations to come!

WITCHES HATS 

from Betty Crocker

32 Hershey's(r) kisses, unwrapped (Great job for the little kids to unwrap the candy!)

1 package (11-1/2 ounces) fudge-striped shortbread cookies (32 cookies)

1. Turn cookies over and attach the candy kiss to the bottom of the cookie, usin

g decorating icing.

2. Pipe decorating icing around the base of milk chocolate candy.

Voila!

HALLOWEEN PIZZA 

Call Domino's for a pizza or bake a frozen pizza. Buy yellow or orange peppers, and slice them lengthwise! They are the exact shape of a pumpkin. Arrange them atop the pizza and slice a green pepper for its stem. Ask your kids to decorate the "pumpkin" faces with black olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, red and green peppers and grated cheese. Adorable! 

PUMPKIN PIZZA DESSERT - No worry! I'm not suggesting that you add pumpkin to your pepperoni pizza!

1 can pumpkin pie mix

1 3-ounce package of cream cheese

Tube of decorating icing

Whipped cream in a can

Pizza crust

Prepare pizza crust Soften cream cheese and cover pizza with a layer of cream cheese and then cover with a layer of pumpkin pie mix.  Give the kids a tube of chocolate decorating icing and let them make lines that will look like a spider web. Decorate by circling pizza with a border of whipped cream. Yummy and fun!

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

Buy plain chocolate cupcakes and have your children decorate them with candy corn or using the tube of icing create spider webs atop the cupcakes! You can add licorice spiders or make them with the icing.

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SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO 30!

Just yesterday I was turning 30, but something happened along the way . . . I woke up one morning, and I was almost twice that age. Where did the years ago? And where did my body go? I was one of those skinny girls, which was not as fashionable back in the day as now.... then, curves were in! I could never gain weight no matter how much I ate. Now I can never lose weight . . . no matter how little I eat. Ironic isn't it? Age has a way of doing that to you.

Turning 30 never bothered me; neither did 40, nor did 50. I'll not deny that I'm old . . . I have my little granddaughter, Hailey, around to remind me and to tell everyone else. When she recently commented that I was a little bit fat, her mom scolded her, but she lovingly replied, "It's okay, Mommy, because GaGa's really, really old!" Kids are brutally honest, aren't they! I'm also reminded of the time my little godson sat in my lap, and exclaimed, "Wow! Aunt Susan's got two stomachs!" 

And then there was the time when Hailey and I took a plane trip together, and she dropped a bottle of chocolate milk, just as we were settling in our seats. I quickly dove down to retrieve it before it spilled everywhere. WIth my head down and rear up in the air, Hailey, in a loud voice, issued an alert to the passengers, who were still boarding the plane: "What out everybody or Gaga's big bumper's gonna get you!" You should have heard the chuckles, and seen the smiles that were directed at me. When we finally reached our destination, everyone who passed me gave me a sympathetic pat on the back! And then another plane trip that we almost missed since we were stuck in Mardi Gras traffic, was the even more embarrassing! Because her dad was an athlete, everyone in security already knew Hailey, and they rushed her on through. When I finally got through security, I told her to run to the gate, and she didn't have to wait on GaGa, to tell them I was right behind her. When we got on the plane, everyone applauded. Hailey said, "Thank you for holding this plane . . . my GaGa is so old that she can't run very fast!" Everyone burst into laughter, and then . . . more sympathetic looks!

But the comment that topped them all? On a recent trip to Washington, we were rushing from a causal event to a black tie party. Normally, I am modest in front of our granddaughter, but we were in a bit hurry, so I quickly changed my clothes in front of her. "GaGa!" Hailey gasped in horror. "How did your boobs get down there . . . Mommy's are up here," she noted, pointing just under her chin! My husband Ken and I fell on the floor and dissolved into laughter. There's just nothing like an innocent child to tell you the truth! Of course, she's so innocent that she has no clue that she is insulting me, so I find great humor in her little comments . . . obviously or I wouldn't be writing about them in a blog!

I have friends who would have taken to their beds for a week had they been the recipients of these comments! But truthfully, Hailey showers me with so many compliments that they far outweigh her other observations and comments. When I visited her class, she told her classmates. "Just touch her hair . . . it's so soft. GaGa doesn't have grandmother hair!" And then she told me she loved to sleep with me, because I was so soft . . . so much for the hard body I once had! Ha! And I love it when she tells me, "GaGa, Mommy's plain, but you and I are fancy!"

There is just nothing like an innocent child to tell you the brutal truth. Grandchildren are definitely God's compensation for growing old! Ken and I rarely stop laughing when Hailey is around. 

AND THE BEAT GOES ON!

 

The beat goes on, the beat goes on

Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain

La de da de de, la de da de da

---Sonny and Cher 

 

 

The lives of our family drastically changed a year ago when our 91-year-old father died in October. After a 65 year marriage, my mother was understandably inconsolable. Trying to salvage our first Christmas without Daddy, our family met at my daughter's home in Scottsdale for the holidays. We had hoped that getting Mother away from her home would make her first Christmas without Daddy more bearable. We kept her busy and it helped some, but the overwhelming sorrow remained.

 

When Mother returned to her home in Alabama, she mentioned that her right leg had began swell, and because of the long plane trip, we immediately suspected that she may have developed a blood clot. Unfortunately for Mother, her doctor was out of town for the New Year holiday, so on the afternoon of December 31st when the swelling grew worse, my sister-in-law took Mother to a nearby hospital; not the hospital in her hometown, but a dozen miles away, because she had heard of an amazing Pakistani doctor there. This was truly fate!

 

Upon my mother's initial exam, the doctor also expected to find a blood clot, but after numerous tests, he solemnly informed us that he had found a large mass on my mother's ovary instead. He that the mass appeared to him to be ovarian cancer and the swollen leg was likely caused by  ascites, which meant the cancer was likely in the the late stages. The doctor told us to immediately find a gynecology oncologist. We were devastated.

 

Thus our journey began to save our mother. It began with prayer and prayer requests. And throughout the journey we have prayed without ceasing. Since Daddy had died, my mother felt it was her time to go and she announced that she did not want to fight the cancer. Having lost our father tragically, we persuaded Mother that we children, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren could not cope with losing her too.

 

Finally, she gave permission for my brother to set up an appointment with a surgeon for a biopsy followed by surgery hospital at this hospital, while my sister and I researched the best possible treatment options. I found a impressive group, South East Gynecology Oncologists (SEGO) in Atlanta. I read where a doctor in the group had an ovarian cancer research lab at Georgia Tech, funded by one of the Home Depot founders. But because our family has a history with Emory University, my sister wanted to get Mother admitted there, but the head of ovarian cancer was retiring and was not taking on new patients, and his replacement was not arriving for another month and a half. The search continued. My sister called a friend, who worked at a hospital in Atlanta and she also recommended the group I had discovered, but they had no immediate openings. And then fate intervened, the day before the biopsy, SEGO had a cancelation, and said they could see Mother the following day!

 

We canceled the biopsy, and on January 9th, Mother had her first appointment with a doctor at SEGO, who is a great part of our miracle!

 

At the first visit, the oncologist gave Mother some hope, explaining the many advances in ovarian cancer treatment. He agreed with the Pakistani doctor that because of the ascites that she was likely in Stage 3(c). Also, he determined that she was in no condition for surgery, or she would likely end up in ICU.  He ordered a C.A.T. scan and then removal of the fluid from her abdomen. The fluid was tested and it was determined that Mother's CA 125 was 379; normal is 1-35. Next he ordered 9 chemo treatments.

 

By February during Mother's monthly exam, the tumor could not be felt at all. Had prayer and the few chemo treatments dissolved it? We would not know until surgery. After Mother completed the 9 chemo treatments, she was at last scheduled for surgery. The oncologist had hoped to do robotic surgery, but because he wanted to do exploratory surgery so he could investigate if the cancer has spread to other sites. Because of the ascites he suspected that it had spread to the omentum but it had not. Mother's tumor was confined to one ovary, so instead of STAGE 3(c) or worse, the oncologist staged Mother's cancer at Stage 1(a)! We were overjoyed!

 

After Mother's surgery, her CA-125 had dropped to 88. The oncologist then ordered 9 more chemo treatments. For the first time Mother had problems with her platelets, so chemo was delayed a couple of times. By the end of the second 9 chemo treatments, the results of the C.A.T. scan were clean, and the CA 125 was normal at 27. Hallelujah!

 

The first of September, after 9 long months away from home, we packed up the car to take Mother back home and headed for the doctor's appointment for what we thought would be her last regular appointment, and that we would only return once a month for check-ups for a while. We were praising God!

 

You can imagine our shock and disappointment  when we heard the doctor wanted Mother to undergo 9 more chemo treatments.  He explained that she had responded so well to the chemo that he wanted her to continue, but at a lower dosage, for at least 6 more, and then, he would reevaluate. The oncologist explained that he wanted to make sure that Mother's cancer would not reoccur in her lifetime. Mother has the advantage of having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 81, and she has since turned 82. The doctor said based upon Mother's excellent health for a woman her age she could live to be 95! We were shocked and disappointed he wanted her to continue the treatments, but we had committed to follow doctor's orders, so we readjusted our attitude, especially since he predicted that her cancer would not likely reoccur in her lifetime.

 

Next week, Mother will complete her 6th treatment, (She couldn't have chemo last week because of a low platelet count, but she has had an injection to elevate the count so she can have it next week.

 

And then, Mother will begin a new round of chemo. The oncologist changed her chemo protocol to different drugs, and instead of every week, Mother will have chemo every other week. We aren't sure how long these treatments of every other week will last, but we will find out more at her doctor's appointment in mid-November. Mother is hoping to be home by Thanksgiving!

 

If the oncologist continues to order her chemo for every other week, we are hoping that she can have the treatments at the Emory Hospital in LaGrange, Georgia, only twenty miles from home, so she can return to living home. Mother will continue to see her wonderful oncologist once per month for a while and then he will reduce her visits to every 3 months. 

 

God has guided Mother's treatment every step of the way. He, along with the help of the doctors, nurses and prayer has healed her. Mother is cancer free, and we believe and pray that she will remain so! The oncologist also added that the love we had surrounded her with has been so healing for her. It's one day at a time.

 

For now, the beat goes on . . .  .  

A LICK AND A PROMISE

 John 15:4-5: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing’.

 

How does one tap into the power of God? To realize the full value of this union we have with our Creator, we must ‘abide’ in Him . . . meaning to dwell or remain; so that we are always in a conscious union with Jesus. He not only becomes a part of us, but when you abide in Him, you can feel his presence in your life. Personally, I talk to God like I talk to my husband. I ask Him for wisdom and guidance, and in all sorts of supernatural ways, he provides it. Then there are times of silence . . . there can be many things occur in your life that cause you to ask, "Where are you, Lord?" 

 

When my father died so tragically last October. I was on my way to visit him. After our 2,000 mile journey, we were only 20 miles from my parent's home when he died. Why couldn't I have gotten there sooner? I had an uneasy feeling but circumstances prevented me from getting there in time. Why? I have asked God this question 100 times! Yet in spite of the tragedy, our family has experienced the presence of God like never before during our time of grief. Through this I have understood the supernatural power of abiding in Him and Him in me, like never before. Knowing he was there . . . in every detail has brought us great peace. He has certainly been in the details of my mother's illness, from the diagnosis to getting her to the right doctors to her remission.

 

But lately I have been very, very busy . . . trying to wrap up my real estate business before I returned to Atlanta to take care of Mother. My niece and I have flexible schedules and have been taking turns. Hey, something's gotta give . . . it was my prayer life that was giving. But I knew that God understood.

 

Over the past few weeks I have hit some bumps in my life . . . just little things, but distressing things. Why? I realize now it was because I was not tapping into this holy union . . .  to his power. I have been so busy that I have felt overwhelmed. Oh, I didn't stop praying altogether, but I have been too busy to really concentrate on my prayers. They were became perfunctory, not earnest. In the last few weeks, I complained that God seemed far away . . . distant. But guess who moved? Not him!

 

And things happened when my intimate conversations with him were cut off. An example is my granddaughter's school tuition. Each year I pay for it because it is more important to me than it is to her parents that my granddaughter attend a Christian school. Since California real estate has slowed down this year, my available funds for her tuition were extremely low, so at the first of the year, I asked my nephew to suggest a stock that might provide the money by August.

 

Sure enough the stock he suggested soared, even in this dismal market. My $1,000 investment grew and by the first of August, I had enough money to pay the tuition. The very morning that I was taking the stock out to pay the tuition, I was stunned to discover that the stock had dropped drastically the last 24 hours, due to a loan not being funded for the company. By the next day 50% of the company's work force had been laid off. I couldn't believe it . . . . I just missed the money for the tuition by a day. Why Lord? Why couldn't have you prompted me to take it out earlier? Maybe I wasn't listening? 

 

Then the next few days brought disappointment in other little ways. Nothing as drastic as the tuition loss, but I lost little things, had a car problem, missed a deadline, things didn't work, a minor error on my taxes resulted in my paying a penalty . . . just little irritations that suddenly became insurmountable.

 

Yesterday was the worse! A friend of mine had lost some very expensive diamond earrings in her condo, her second home in California, that I was selling for her . . . we're talking $25,000 earrings, here. Anyway, I found them when the movers were there. She asked me to hang onto them until she completed another move on the East Coast, so I put them away in safe place, and I was still holding onto the earrings when I finally spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. She gave me her new address and asked me to mail them to her. 

Since I was leaving to care for Mother, I was trying to get everything done before I left, so I found a box for the jewelry and dropped it in my purse to take to FED-X. As I was going out the door, I realized that I forgotten the earrings. I ran back inside and grabbed them in my hand to take them to post office. I had planned to put them in the box when I got in the car, but outside my door my phone rang . . . always a major distraction for me, because for a real estate agent, the telephone is my lifeline. My conversation continued as I got inside the car. I put my call on the speaker in the car and drove away, still talking.

 

A few feet down the road, I suddenly remembered . . .  the earrings!!! Where were they? Not in my hand!  I slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. I looked everywhere inside the car. Still no earrings. I turned the car around and went back home, and checked all around the place where the car was parked in front of my house . . . the earrings were nowhere to be found. Although I was late for my appointment, I took the steps up to home, and there in the middle of one step was an earring . . . but only one! I looked everywhere for the other earring . . . all around the sidewalk, the steps, in the grass, and the ivy. The second earring simply wasn't there. I had to leave for my appointment with only one earring in the box. Keep in mind there was no way, I could afford to replace the earring that I had lost. I didn't even have enough money for the school tuition, which was due in a few days.

 

I completed my appointment and later met friends for dinner. The evening was not enjoyable for me because I was distracted and worried about the earring. Sarah, my dear friend offered to come home with me to search for it, but i knew she needed to get back home to her little daughter. When I arrived home, I searched for the earring until 2:00 a.m. with no success. 

Before I went to sleep, I begged to God to help me find the earring. I set the alarm for early the next morning. First, I looked around the house, retracing my steps, looking under the bed, furniture, and in the trash cans. Maybe, I had dropped them in the house? When I didn't find the earring, I went outside, begging God to guide me. And guess what! I found the earring! It was as though I had a radar in me . . . I went right to the earring. And believe me it was not easy to find, but it was for me. I found it at the bottom of the steps, at least two feet from the steps on a hillside, covered in ivy hidden in the dirt at least a foot down in the ivy. I literally found it in less than 20 seconds! Talk about praising God!

 

I came back in the house thanking him. And then I checked my stocks and guess what? No, not enough to pay the tuition, but it had recovered enough to pay for the first semester! And I am confident that God will provide the rest of the money by the time January arrives!

 

Without him, I realize I am truly nothing. Just like the branch when chopped off from vine, I cannot bear fruit if I'm not abiding in him. Just like the baby who cannot live outside her mother's womb. The message to me is . . . SLOW DOWN, SUSAN! 

I am convinced that the greatest detriment to our union with him is busyness! I had been really busy wrapping up my real estate business since I was leaving for the East Coast, so I hadn't taken the time to focus on my prayer life or really listen to him. I can remember as a small child washing my face, my mother would order me to give it more than a "lick and a promise." That pretty much sums up my prayer life of late . . . a lick and a promise. 

 

And to think that I asked "Why?" DUH! If we do not take the time to plug into the outlet if how can we expect to have the power? So my prayer is "help me slow down, Lord . . . help this hopeless queen of multi-tasking slow way down!"  The meaning of the Scripture, "Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added until you," resonates within my soul today. First things first! And the first thing in my life . . . God! Amen!

Remembering Michael Jackson

Recently, my cousin Jane Dickson from Alabama visited me, and we hit all the Hollywood hotspots, including the movie star homes. Our guide was brimming with the news that reporters had gathered in front of Michael Jackson's home in Holmby Hills. It was rumored that Michael was due to arrive at his home at any moment now! A large group of fans and reporters had clustered outside his home to get a tiny glimpse of the legendary and eccentric pop star as he emerged from his car to walk into his home.

But on the morning of his funeral, it is not the Michael Jackson sighting that I recall, but I think of my friend, Terri McFadden. God had blessed Terri with a talent for songwriting, but like any dream in the arts, earning money from your craft can be a challenge. But for Terri it didn't matter because she had a wealthy husband, who afforded her a great lifestyle. When her husband dropped dead unexpectedly, Terri found herself in a midst of a raging financial storm.  While the bills piled up in front of her home, Terri did what many women do . . . . besotted with grief and hopelessness, she "took to her bed," as we say in the South! Terri had recently become a Christian, so she kept calling out to God. Yet he seemed far, faraway. 

Finally a friend came to Terri's rescue. She filled a laundry basket with the mail, and brought it inside. One by one she opened the bills, as she sat with Terri and they devised a plan for grieving widow to dig out of the mess. What a great friend! May God bless us all with such a friend!

"But His plans are not our plans," the Scripture tells us.  Unbeknownst to Terri as she griefed in her bed for weeks, God had heard her cries, and He had answered her prayers. In the laundry basket was an envelope . . . . with a six figure check in it just waiting to be opened! Terri, an aspiring Motown songwriter, had sold the lyrics to a song for the Jackson 5! Terri has won two Grammy's, and when she co-wrote the theme song for the movie, Men In Black, she used the money to get her Masters in Theology at Fuller Seminary. Today, she is a renowned Bible teacher in the Los Angeles area, and speaks nationally, encouraging women everywhere.

Is there an envelope in your life waiting to be opened? Sometimes to the answer to our prayer is right under our nose, yet we are too overwrought with worry to have the eyes to see it or take the action to open it. Look around! For one thing I am sure of is that we can trust our Heavenly Father to provide our needs in such miraculous ways!