The Shoebox

I received this via email and just had to share it with you! May good Lord bless all you wonderful women who are also loving wives.

THE SHOEBOX
A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents.
'When we were to be married,' she said, ' my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.'


The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

'Honey,' he said, 'That explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?'

'Oh,' she said, 'That's the money I made from selling the dolls.'


A Prayer.......


Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;


Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods;


Because Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death,


Because I don't have time to crochet!

Deluge

While parked outside the high school yesterday afternoon waiting for my daughters, my attention was caught by the raindrops slowly filling up the windshield. Despite the week long deluge, I was having a particularly “soul parched” day. As I lost myself in the scene unfurling, I realized that the drops seemed to be hitting the windshield according to the beat of the music playing on the radio. I naturally assumed I was imagining until the music sped up and the raindrops followed suit. About the time the chorus began to play, I found myself listening more intently to the lyrics. I was amazed! The song on the radio to which God obviously seemed to be playing a water pouring symphony was called  Rain Down by Christian group, Delirious.

Rain down all around the world we're singing

Rain down can you hear the earth is singing

Rain down my heart is dry but still I'm singing

Rain down, rain it down on me.

Back to the start, my heart is heavy

Feels like it's time, to dream again

I see the clouds, and yes I'm ready

To dance upon this barren land

Hope in my hands

cause it's living water we desire,

to flood our hearts with holy fire

Do not shut, Do not shut, Do not shut the heavens

But open up, open up, open up our hearts

Give me strength to cross the water

Keep my heart upon Your altar

Give me strength to cross this water

Keep my feet don’t let me falter

Do not shut the heavens

But open up our hearts, open up our hearts

do not shut the heavens

but open up our hearts, open up our hearts.

Rain it down on me.

God was there in the downpour. He was there in this storm of pain and difficulty I was sharing with my Mom who I had taken to the doctor’s again that morning. Her body so wracked with pain and I felt so helpless to alleviate it. My heart was full, but God was overflowing in His reminder that He was indeed raining blessings upon us. Consider my Mom and I giggling on way home from Doctor’s as tumbleweeds seemed to be racing us down the street! Truly, even in the darkest storm of trial or pain, God gives us something to marvel or appreciate as a reminder that He is there, He is mighty, He loves and He is in control.
Song video link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzpKeJgY_s

 

Happy New Year

This past Christmas Season,

We honored a few traditions and embraced a few new ones.

A few bittersweet moments emerged as we looked ahead to next Christmas Season,

When our eldest daughter may be away at college...

Early on, Mom and the girls and I partook in an evening filled with

Memories and light sponsored by local Hospice program.

Chris played Santa Claus and we welcomed unknown and close neighbors into our home

We felt honored and blessed as children came and went…

One who was very shy and preferred to whisper in my ear to tell Santa, but

Was yelling, “Bye Santa!” by the time she got back in the car…

A little while later, a mother and her three daughters visited…

Told us that their cousin had called them and told them, “you have to see Santa…he really is Santa!” Of course, the cousin was the shy little redhead who had just left!

The youngest of these had never seen Santa before, so we felt doubly blessed to participate in her first Santa visit!

Morning dawned one Sunday and we were invited to make a snowman…

Friends of Kylie’s had brought snow back from the mountains the day prior from their Grandfather’s Memorial Service.

They live a few streets over and we had a ball building a snowman in their front yard!

You never know what opportunity comes knocking each day…

Even a chance to fellowship in the snow!

This year, we did not miss nor get rained out of any parades!

Chris met Mom and I after work for downtown’s nighttime parade

Then she and I cheered our girls and their band members on for the

Morning Oildale Parade!

Throughout the month, we celebrated Kylie’s Sweet 16…

She didn’t want any big fan fare but did have a few friends over

The following weekend for a “Cookie Bake” and

Kayla’s turning 18…

Half a dozen friends joined Kayla after school for macaroni & cheese and festivity!

Long gone are the days when we must keep little ones entertained during the party.

Mom and I didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves!

Of course, set up and clean up is still needed!

The past few weeks, Chris and I have learned an invaluable skill of sneaking away with one another.

Now, we weren’t really sneaking away, as Mom and girls knew when we were leaving, but we have carved out time precious needed for one another.

Whether shopping or eating or just driving around looking at Christmas lights,

We were together just he and I.

So as the Christmas Spirit flowed and Christ’s light shone,

We also learned to keep the love light burning!

Looking ahead to the New Year, I am not sure what God has in store.

However, I vow to take Christmas with me and

Keep Christmas with me every day…Somehow.

Happy New Year 2010!