"PATTERNS FOR LIVING"

Yesterday I wrote about getting up and speaking to people in a crowd. It brings back memories of when my two girls were young.

Every year our church we attended had a mother and daughter banquet. They would have guest speaker and mother and daughter tributes. Well this particular year they asked me if I would do the mother response. My older daughter was asked to sing in a trio for the event, so they asked my younger daughter to give the daughter's speech. My older daughter probably was about 14-15 at the most and my younger daughter was about 11-12. I am guessing on the exact age they were.

I suppose they asked me to give this speech at this banquet because the theme was "Patterns for Living". It centered around sewing, etc. The program actually was a pouch just like a pattern you purchase at the store. Inside the envelope was the program. Picture of versions of a dress that one could make on the cover of the envelope.

I can't remember too much of what I said, but I do remember a bit of what my younger daughter said in her tribute. I will try to tell you the zest of the speech below.

"Mothers come in all sizes, colors, and personalities. It just so happens that God gave me a plump lovable one." Then she went on to tell all the various hats that mothers have to wear.
"They are cook, chauffeur, counseler, referee, teacher, etc." She went on to tell about her mother in particular. "It wasn't my mothers fault that I happen to draw from the bowl of duties, scrubbing the tub, washing the dishes, etc." She really did an excellent job with her portion of the program. She told how I had led her to the Lord.

You remember what I was like when the lights were on and all ears was waiting for me to speak! For such a young girl, I was just amazed at her ability to communicate her thoughts without freaking out the way I had done.

Of course, it did help that both of the daughters had private lessons on public speaking and voice. Now who could possibly give them so much training, you ask? No other than Dick Van Dyke's drama teacher when he was in high school. No wonder she was cool, calm and collected.

Wisdom--Step out of your box and do things people ask you to do, you never know but that it will be something God wants, and He will help you.

JELLO FOR LEGS!!

When I was in high school we had in our Junior and Senior years a play that we put on for the community. The first year, I had a minor part and when I was a senior I had a little bigger part. In the play I was a neighbor and was in love with the professor that lived next door. Eventually I ended up in his basement with the tomato preserves and I was awe struck! The plays went really well and I loved having a part, even though both were rather insignificant parts. I think my best girlfriend had the lead part in the senior play.

What does this all have to do with "jello" for legs. Well, between Acts, I was supposed to go out and present the teacher a small token of appreciation for her hard work in helping us put on the play.

Since I was president of my class, it was my responsibility. All I had to do was go out and say a few words and give her this gift. "Piece of Cake" I thought. It would have been, but I forgot one little minor thing. STAGE FRIGHT! All during the play, I performed as if nobody was watching.
What could go wrong, I thought. I walked out on the stage and the curtain rose, the lights went on in the audience, and I was all alone with everybody looking at me. My knees started shaking,
my voice left me and there I was for all the world to hear what I was supposed to say. I freaked out and could not utter a word. Finally the the teacher saw my predicament and came out to accept the gift. I know some of you guys can't believe that I was speechless!!!

Our Junior and Senior banquet was in the spring of that year and again, since I was president of the class, I was suppose to give this speech, also. Lo and behold, I acquired the mumps and the Vice president had to give the speech. Yes, I really did have the mumps!

Then when we graduated, I was to give another speech on our classes behalf of being a new alumni at the banquet. This was my only chance to redeem myself. I was bound and determined the same thing wasn't going to happen again. I ended up doing a "great" job. I left nothing for chance, as I practiced what I was going to say and looked everyone in the eye while I was talking. Whew!

Wisdom--It never hurts to step out of our comfort zone and do something that you aren't used to doing. Never again did I ever experience "stage fright" like I did that night! Looking back on this, I am glad I had the experience at that young age.

LIFETIME OF LEARNING!

When you are going to school, you just can't wait until you graduate. Well, did you know you never get too old to learn and it is a lifetime experience!

Yesterday I went to our "Home Extension" (not what they call it today) and had a lesson on the country of China. We learned many things about that country. No matter how old one gets, you can still learn. Also, the camaraderie you have with those ladies are priceless. One thing lead to another subject. I told them about an e-mail that was sent to me a few months ago. I will tell you the jest of the e-mail.

There was a church that was needing extra cash. They found some bibles (they forgot they had) in the attic of the church and thought perhaps if they went door to door that they could sell these bibles to raise money they needed. Of course, they needed volunteers for this project of selling these bibles.

Two men of the church were salesmen and they volunteered. Well another person volunteered, also. The pastor thought the salesmen would do very well, but the other man, he was rather doubtful of whether he would be able to sell anything (since he had a speech problem). Remember Moses had a speech problem and look what he did. The pastor didn't want to discourage the man, so he decided to let him join the other two in selling these bibles.

They all went out and one of the salesmen said that he earned $250 that day. The other salesman said, he didn't do quite that well and only brought in $195. The pastor was hesitant in asking the man with the speech problem what he was able to sell, but still he had to ask.
This man said that he sold a $1,000 worth. The pastor was absolutely amazed!!! He asked him what in the world did he do to raise that much money?

Well the man said, "I ww-went uu-up tt-to tt- he dd-door and aa-asked ii-f they ww-anted to buy a bb-ible or ww-ould tt-hey rr-ather hh-ave mm- e rr-ead tt-he bb-ible to them!

Next writing I will tell you about a speech (or lack of one) that I gave.

Wisdom--Don't ever under-estimate the smallest effort a person gives that is dedicated to be used of God!! God uses the lest of these to confound the wise! I Corinthians 1:27 says--"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" Maybe there is still hope for me yet!

MY FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER!

I want to tell you about a teacher that I had in my senior year of high school. He was a history teacher and the coach at the school.

The very first week he demanded your TOTAL attention. If you started looking out the window and daydreaming, he would make all the class have eyes and ears on what he was saying and teaching. He would ask two or at the most three students a question, if he didn't get a right answer from them, he would say, "All books closed, we are going to have a test today". He did this consistently and needless to say, the class did not do too well on the tests. I was totally freaked out! We needed this credit to graduate and he was so ROUGH on us.

Since my dad was on the school board, I went home and told my dad that they needed to do something about that teacher that was coming down so hard on his students. Dad just listened.
I'm sure he was thinking, "well they finally got a teacher that expected kids to study and learn the subject". He did not give me any sympathy.

Well-----since I was not getting any sympathy at home and no sympathy from the teacher, I decided the only thing I had to do, was dig in and STUDY. INDEED, I dug in and studied. When he would give an essay test, he expected you to write everything you knew about the subject and not leave any details out. You made sure that you did your assigned homework for the day.

Throughout the year I was getting fairly good grades in this class and from the teacher that I thought was totally unfair! I learned more in one year about history of the United States than I had all previous years put together. By the end of the year I was really liking the subject. I can truthfully say that he was one of my favorite teachers of all time. He was up there to teach and he expected you to learn!

My dad had always said that teachers were born teachers and good teachers had that something extra that made them stand out. I think this teacher fit that bill. He wasn't mean about it, but was consistent and expected one to learn as he taught. Loving but firm was his "motto".

Wisdom today--Thank a teacher today for helping you learn and grow up at the same time!

TYPICAL TEEN YEARS!

As I have stated prior to this, that I lived a rather sheltered life. My world was rather small. I had only been in 2 states by the time I was 18 years of age.

When the war broke out, I thought, Oh My we were going to get bombed!! Then I settled down to being a typical teenager. The war was in my mind, but they were fighting a Million miles away! However, I was very aware of the significance of war and what it was doing to our country, I was pretty much like an average teenager and not consumed by it.

My High School years were "happy go lucky" and I could have taken those years a little more seriously than I did. I was interested in making friends, and enjoying my teen years. I enjoyed some subjects, but other subjects weren't "my cup of tea". Like when we studied Edgar Alan Poe and his writings. I just was not that interested in knowing what he was driving at in some of his way out thinking. I learned most of that in class.

I loved the math courses, and commercial subjects and home economic courses.

Tomorrow I will tell you my favorite teacher in High School. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED!!!

Thought for the day--I could have been a little more diligent in studying, but I will never regret being carefree and making good friends during those years. The friends that I made, have lasted a lifetime! I think all kids need to have a time to find themselves and develop social skills along with book learning.

POUND ANOTHER NAIL BEHIND THE BARN!!

A few years ago I went to a ladies meeting at my daughter's church. The speaker was a Mrs. Smiley. She had written a couple Christian books and a well sought after speaker in Christian Circles. Oh yes, another thing that stands out in my mind, is that I knew her mother-in-law and went to high school with her. Mrs. Smiley lives with her husband and boys on the same family farm, in the same community that I grew up in.

During World War II, scores of prayers had been said throughout the country for those in the service and the outcome of the war. I think Abraham Lincoln once said, "We should not ask that God be on our side, but to make sure that we are on God's side". With God knowing the evil that was taking place, the Holocaust and the Japanese declining to surrender after starting the war, I believe that He answered so many parents prayers and the war was ended.

Mrs. Smiley brought out that every time God answered their prayers, that they should go behind the barn and POUND ANOTHER NAIL IN THE BARN. This was a reminder when they looked at the nails, that God has been faithful in answering their deepest heartfelt prayers. Much like the Israelites did when they stacked the rocks up for a reminder of God's faithfulness throughout the years.

I think that World War II ending was one of those times that one needed to "GO BEHIND THE BARN AND POUND ANOTHER NAIL IN THE BARN". Just another reminder of God hears and answers prayers and His faithfulness. Truly the nation had something to be thankful for!

OUR GRATITUDE FOR OUR SERVICE MEN!!!

The War years were trying days at the best, and horrifying days for a lot of the men that went through the war. War in not a "pretty" picture and we applaud those men that served in any capacity during the war.

To get a greater appreciation for what our Armed Forces went through, please check out of the library Tom Brokaw's books (3 in total) about the "Greatest Generation". I had mentioned earlier of Stephen P. Ambrose writings on World War II. PBS had a documentary on the "Pilot's story". This is one man's experience of his involvement in the war. Flag of our Fathers is another book to check out at the library.

So many gave the supreme sacrifice for future generations "freedom". Let us not ever forget them and appreciate our current Armed Forces in keeping our "Country Free".

When it came out what Hitler was doing and the atrocities that they found in that country after the war, THANK GOD WE WON THE WAR! Evil men still exist and we should never take our freedom for granted.

I think it was Eisenhower that said after the war, "Take as many pictures and document them all, so that someone in the future will not come along and say that this horrible Holocaust never existed." I cleaned up his exact words, but now we do hear people say that the Holocaust never happened. Pictures do not lie and we must never let this happen again.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU AGAIN, FOR THE SERVICE MEN/WOMEN THAT KEPT US FREE. May our country be free from those that wish to destroy us and may these men that gave the supreme sacrifice, have not died in vain!!