Saturday, May 27, 2023

Pondering Memorial Day. Best Years of Our Lives (1946) The Every day Challenges, Laughs and Memory. ADDED EDIT.

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Oh my heart.


One of my very favorite movies for this day.  'Best Years of Our Lives'  (1946). It was once said this movie is the most accurate of how the soldiers felt after WWII and what they experienced.  I highly recommend this movie, even the music score is beautiful!  

I have other favorites too but thought this would be nice for starters since I'm keeping this blog entry short.


 

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My parents as many of you know; my dad went to Gulfport Military Academy in Mississippi.   He was a captain there as a student.  I love this portrait so much, it hangs in my home in a place of honor.  I thought it spoke volumes this Memorial Day.


So much going on these days around the Forest Cathedral, just wanted to quickly put this up in honor of Memorial Day.

 

We look at the culture and it can be sad to us, but we can keep our personal homes in an attitude of prayer and calm coupled with cheerfulness.  God is faithful.

 

For me personally, it's been a bit unusual here, I was shocked to see I had high blood pressure.  Me?!   How?!   Sometimes life is stressful with an elderly parent, the concerns and emergencies than can arise etc.  I've never had a problem with high blood pressure so this is very new to me.   The only time I can remember having high blood pressure was one day when I was expecting our first baby and I was in my early 20s, there had been an altercation the day before and it showed the next day, but that was the last time that I know of.  I've delivered four babies and my doctor would always comment, Beautiful as usual! when he took my bp.  So you can imagine my shock!

I'm wired very sensitively, I'm a genuine Highly Sensitive Person, an HSP.  A Gift but it can also be trying in life, we seem to feel things and pick up on more than the average person.

 

I hope to put another blog up soon!  I have more I would like to share with more photos I do think you all would enjoy.  Prayers are coveted as I'm  trying very hard to stay away from any stress of any kind.


As Philippians 4:8 says, we need to think upon things of good report, things that are lovely.... : )

 

One kind of funny thing that represents things, the other morning I see my devotional on the floor under the coffee table of all places.  I see this strange white wad that looked like a coccoon of all things!  On closer examination, the wad was a wad of white chewing gum!  One of our precious little 3-4 year old grandsons who were here the other day decided that they would conveniently put their gum on Mimi's devotional  that is on the coffee table, and then casually slip it under the coffee table on the floor!   I had to smile and then just laugh!   I told Jem and he just laughed and laughed...

For some reason it was just the picture of how life is sometimes!    I think that's pretty good....A Blessing, ya just have to laugh at little things like that!    


I may start writing memories I have that were happy ones, when I take my blood pressure I purposely think upon those things.


One of those was me taking our little girls to a Memorial Day ceremony at a courthouse...Our little girls would carry their homemade autograph booklets made out of red, white and blue construction paper so our elderly veterans there could sign them as our little girls held the booklets in their little hands.  I remember being so very touched at this ceremony that I was tearing up even using a tissue ...One of the elderly vets, probably from WWII looked over at me, a baby in my lap...I think he wondered what my story was...And I wondered what his story was.   And still do...

 

God bless and be with you all until the next time...May we lift our country up in prayer.


EDIT  5.28.28   Please oblige, I must add the following song I just heard.  This brings tears to my eyes, beautiful, just beautiful.

Saturday, April 1, 2023

What's Been Going On? Sewing Practical Skirt sets, Desperate Decluttering...Nature - God's Handiwork and Music Suggestion

Oh me oh my, it's been so long and I feel as if I've neglected my poor little blog.  But I've been so busy with the work of home and all of that entails with the grand-littles, elderly parents and cooking nutritious dinners and all of that jazz...and yes, decluttering.  Not stupidly throwing away things that might be needed but giving things away that I don't like anymore or don't fit.   Or putting things in an evaluation bag for a year or so.  (No pressure that way)   With everything that goes...I haven't been able to squeeze blogging in and have not even known what to blog about, for the theatre of my mind is so very full.

So this is life here, please oblige...


One sewing goal that was an immediate need in hot weather now is making two practical cool skirt and top sets.  Something feminine but casual and cool for home, I don't wear skirts every day but in the warmer weather it sure is nice and it feels so feminine too.  I can pair these sets with sandals, mix and match with other things in my closet and even throw tennis shoes on with these skirt sets, it's kinda cute.  



Easy-Breezy

These tops are from Simplicity 1690 and I made mine vneck.  Both of these outfits are from very comfortable and  breathable cotton lawn fabric.    The skirts are Simplicity 4881.  I made mine maxi length. The  belts are just my made-up belts I used with the leftover fabric.  The top has very small side slits on bottom but not necessary, the tops are a little shorter, almost forming a peplum appearance and I like that.

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I added navy ric rac on this one so the outfit would compliment my fair skintone a bit better.

 

Last Child in the Woods

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This is a neat shot of my son in law with our grandsons enjoying God's Handiwork...

A good book?    Last Child in the Woods.  If you are tired of all of the screen stuff?   Read:   Last Child in the Woods, it's an excellent book, the Lord used that book to help me and direct my feelings and heart before moving out here.   God had been working on my heart, yes indeedie. 

 

 

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So nice when you go out to eat and you are seated across the window from that awesome old house, you whisper Thank you Lord! ....Oh the stories that home must have!   When it was for sale we would walk over there and peer into the windows, you could tell there were some parties probably presented there, a few  white porcelain rolling style carts on the back porch area near the kitchen.   A huge glass fixture hanging over the den...Huge with swirled mint green, baby blue, pale pinks and lavender in a solid glass giant fixture.   The town is a polite one...Have you noticed different towns and areas have different spirits to them?  When we look at the history many times we see why, what kind of people founded the town, were they mannerly?  Did they appreciate the arts?  Were they good Christian people?

 

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Meet Missy Christmas.    Our daughter called us late in the night on December 27, and told us about a poor dog spinning in circles out in the freezing cold.   They tried to warm her with blankets and the next morning we went out, Jem and I, to get that fur baby.   She's blind and has been mistreated, the youngish vet looked at us and said:   

She's had one hell of a life.

She's in good hands now...Oh my heart.  What a sweet little good natured doggy...Little angel.  Who dumps these precious animals, God's creatures?   Who does this?

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Creative Touches.  Our oldest daughter and her husband gave us this handsome lazy susan to us for Christmas.  Our kitchen island was the perfect place for it!

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One of our neighbor's cows.  I love to see these guys and gals with the little calves...

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Our daughter who lives at home is mommy to this little guy...Atticus.  

 

One of the fur angels here, she's so sweet with her little pink nose!   Mo-Mo.

 

 I love to keep things old fashioned here.  Why not?  With all the things going on in the world, I can keep this a sanctuary and play sweet things that clear the mind, make me smile and allow me to hear God's Still Small Voice.

 

This precious music station has just what I was looking for...

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Well Dear Readers, I think of you all often.  I never thought I would be away so long when I posted my Christmas post but here I am! : )

Memory Bank This Week  Edit 4.4.23, our daughter sent me this pic!

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I played a vintage Candy Land game and Pick-up-Sticks too with one of our little grandsons...So fun!   Nice memory to put in my memory bank. *big smile*

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May we lift our country up in prayers and make our little homes that sweet sanctuary in attitude and prayer.   They will know we are Christians by our love.   We don't have to compromise on anything or be afraid to speak out, but they will know we are Christians by our love and in my opinion our sincere example. 

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May we lift our country up in prayers and make our little homes that sweet sanctuary in attitude and prayer. How will our kids and grandkids remember us?   I hope a Holy Ghost smile will always be there for my family. 

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Until the next time...Signing off from My Forest Cathedral

~Amelia

 

Monday, December 12, 2022

My Little Tree Complete and Christmas Movie List, Music and Thoughts

 Here's my little Amelia tree:

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It's complete with true-vintage Christmas cards from the 30s and 40s and little doggy and kitty ornaments not to mention a little elephant...My husband says it's just like me...old fashioned in a good way.  : )

 

 

 

A balanced woman of God sees herself as valuable, gifted, responsible for her own growth and maturity--not overly dependent on anyone to get her through life or to make her secure.  

 ~Charles Swindoll

 

 

A couple of years ago I started using a four foot tree and I'm so very glad I did.  I can keep it in my coat closet and pull it out myself.  I just put it on my childhood coffee table and it's wonderful.

What did I use to decorate my tree?

As I wrote in the last entry, I used a tube of pale pink dollar tree ornaments and little silver metal bell-type ones with old fashioned icicles too!  These are unbreakable ornaments, no one wants to visit a museum with little children, they want to visit a loving home where it's okay for little hands to touch things.  Of course everyone minds their manners. ; )  ....and hugs are many. 

This contains an image of:  These two little ornaments remind me of Elbee one of our kitties and Liesl one of our doggies.  Our oldest daughter, Janie just bought me the little kitty ornament recently.  Blue eyes just like Elbee.


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These beautifully old and loved cards are so telling of a very thoughtful culture back in the 30s, 40s and 50s.   People treasured these darling cards, decorating with them throughout their homes and then carefully and lovingly securing them in scrapbooks to keep safe for years, many times until they passed from this green earth.  

Back then a Christmas card really meant something.   So very, very sweet.  

 

 


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Photo by Robert Stock

 Looking for nice old fashioned Christmas movies?   Here's a partial list from a few years ago including some pics from when I was a little gal:

*Christmas Movie List*

 



 

It's peaceful here this time of year in the forest, in December there is a special kind of Peace...

 

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EDIT 12.13.22    I love it when our neighbor's cows come to visit...I love to watch them, such wonderful and interesting creatures.  I talk with them and they seem to understand!  Once one was afraid and ran away, I quietly said:  "Don't be scared, I won't hurt you...."  That cow turned around and looked at me and came closer standing there eye to eye with me.  I think these precious creatures know in their hearts that this is a sanctuary for them.  It's been said that the cows kneel on Christmas eve at midnight for Baby Jesus.  If you see the precious old movie, 'Tenth Avenue Angel' with Margaret O'Brien you will see what I'm speaking of.

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Our Two Eldest Grandsons Having Fun...

Mimi's house....so fun.   Mimi buy us Captain America outfits! ; )  Mimi found these on clearance.  Perfect.  What a fun play day. 

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And here's our youngest little grandson saying:  Ya'll have a Merry Christmas!   This sweet little angel's eating one of those little apples I was writing about.  We have Mimi (hibiscus-peach) tea, Mimi apples, Mimi little cherub oranges and even Mimi frozen banana slices.   

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For frozen banana slices:   Just get a peeled banana or two or three and slice width ways in circles, not too terribly thick.   Place the circles on wax paper on a plate in freezer and when frozen place them in a large zip lock to reach into.  It's a very nice snack for the older littles.

 

 

 

 


 

I found this playlist and thought you all might enjoy this too, it shows some touching Christmas shots of our WWII soldiers at Christmas along with the original radio clips: 

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Tradition gives us a sense of solidarity and roots, a knowing there are some things one can count on.   

~Gloria Gaither

 

The following is what I listen to in my kitchen, enjoy and be touched as I am every time I hear this...The entire playlist is on the site there.  I think of my life as a little girl as I listen to the music here:


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How could I forget about this darling Christmas book by Roy Rogers?:

This contains an image of: {{ pinTitle }}   ...Simply adorable yet so poignant and so very truthful.  From 1960.   I highly recommend.

You may enjoy this past post from 2019 on the book above and the movie, Meet John Doe, Remember...Don't be a Heelot!:

*My Post Here*

 

 

Take care all, let's be alert to those around us who need a cheering up.  Maybe we need cheering up and can receive through giving?  I'll be the first to admit this season can sure stir up thoughts of missing our loved ones...



Made ourselves a nice pot of nutritious and wonderfully Italian soup this evening.   It has broccoli, lima beans, lentils and spinach with onions and garlic simmered in olive oil, lots of basil and a tomato base broth.  I made brown rice to put in the soup on the side.  Tomorrow I will make baked potatoes as a side to the soup. 
 
Take care , enjoy that good ol' fashioned Christmas music.  Let's pray one for another.   Let me know what you all are up to as we celebrate this sweet holy season.  How can we pray one for another?  
 
Fact:  In What World Is Donald Trump Anything Like George Bailey? | The Mary Sue Do you know that when Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey cried at the bar in "It's a Wonderful Life" that he was actually crying unplanned, he had suddenly thought of humanity and how lost humanity was...He had returned from WWII.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Blustery Days Tell Many a Tale in the Theatre of my Heart and Decorating for Christmas of Course!

 I think it was Hemingway who suggested we sit at the typewriter and bleed so to speak...So that's just what I'm gonna do here.  I hope it's in a good way, something that will touch your heart and just make you and I notice life more.  Here's some little petals from my heart...  We could call this...Zuzu's Petals.

 

Written yesterday...

 

Today it's a blustery and grey day with hints of sunshine.  These blustery days sprinkled with little raindrops remind me so much of when I was a little girl and attended our church mass.  I attended a modern Christ-centered Catholic church then and I adored our priest, Father Laurence Connelly.  Father Connelly had a way with people, he truly knew the Lord I do believe because it was so evident in his love and unbelievable care.  He passed away over two years ago and people are still writing comments on how he touched their childhood and lives.   That was back when there were decent people and I think there are still decent people in each Christian religion.  Even back when I was a little girl, Father Connelly disappeared after one summer of our family being absent, he was moved to another parish most shocking to my little girl's heart.  A horribly liberal and rude hawaiian shirt wearing priest who played john lennon's 'imagine' song in church (complete with print-outs of the song) took his place.  

Tragically I never knew another Father Connelly.   I now do more Bible studies and we enjoy this pastor and my son in love is a pastor a good distance away and I know he does the right things behind the scenes and is fighting the good fight, the real deal.  I realize there are wonderful Christians in each kind of Christian church but in this day and age it's actually pretty rare to find the real deal.  But that's okay, it certainly doesn't affect my relationship with Christ.  I do me, I do Jesus and I certainly want to be the real deal. 

 

The day was a blustery one and my mom and I attended the church mass, it was the Sunday we were to buy a special gift for a poor child.  My mother and I would buy the most  beautiful baby doll we could find...A big huge beautiful set-up.  We wrapped the large box beautifully and my mother dressed me up in a kelly-green jumper she had made for me with a little Christmas tree pin on the strap.  I had a white turtleneck on with white tights and black patent shoes.  My hair was long dark brown hair down to my waist and my mom would usually style it some up and some down or a simple white hair band to match my shirt.  Neat as a pin.  That's how my mom was, she's 92 almost 93 and a little more easy going now..

The church played the theme to "The Little Drummer Boy" and us children marched up to the altar with our gifts and our beloved Father Connelly was stooped down eye level, smiling and received our gifts.  

Father Connelly would come out to the public sidewalk in front of the church if my mom hadn't arrived yet to pick me up from Wednesday night ccd class.  He would come and make sure I was safe out on the sidewalk and braid my hair like a nice uncle.  (no weird stuff you hear about) until my mom arrived, then he would chat with my mom too.  There was some very amazing things he did for our family that I will share another time.

After that mass on that blustery day we went to my dad's gas station on the bay.  My dad owned a Gulf gas station for both automobiles and boats on the docks there, he also rented boat slips for the shrimpers and boaters to dock their boats...it was amazing.  His gas station when you stepped into it had the feel of the place George Bailey was brought into in the movie after jumping off the bridge.   My dad had quite a few, probably half a dozen or so wicker seats lined up on the wall for visiting fishermen and shrimpers, sometimes doctors from the city taking their boats for a spin and my dad sat at a desk in the corner with his coffee enjoying the chat unless he needed to serve someone's gas or ice needs.  

I remember as a little girl looking out on the blustery bay from the front of that room over the vast pier...It was a dark grey sky over the grey bay...Enchanting I thought. You see, I'm an only child who lived in a very old neighborhood, our home was built in the early 30s, not a typical suburb with children running around, so I was a little thinking, observing, artist gal.  My mom, dad and I ate our lunch in my dad's room there on the bay and I remember eating a little hostess chocolate cake wrapped in foil for desert...I liked the outside part but not the filling.  ...I'm still of that bend...Although a person on a strict diet for health and humanitarian reasons these days I still love my chocolate moist cake but no filling please!  Haha!  Now-a-days my chocolate cupcakes are made with yard eggs, coconut oil, kerry gold butter and stevia, no sugar hardly at all...I made some chocolate muffins for Thanksgiving that were delicious if I may so so myself.  ; ) 

 

But yesterday reminded me of that very blustery day and the Christmas season ushers in now at Advent time thoughts of those dear to me, people like Father Connelly.  

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May we  be that Father Connelly.   Do you have any Father Connellys in your life?   Father Connelly people are like that light...They reflect the Light of the Lord and touch so many.

 

 

 

It's beginning Advent and I've done a little decorating to achieve a bit of wonder here, I just love twinkle lights and am trying to figure a way to keep more year round.

 

May I share?...

Reading:   'Watch for the Light'     Excellent devotional for Advent.  

This is neat.  'It's a Wonderful Life Trivia Book'  Written by Jimmy Hawkins who played little Tommy in It's a Wonderful Life.  Do you know that Donna Reed was very similar to her caring character in the movie?   Donna Reed was also raised on a farm, the oldest of five children, a fascinating story.  


Listening to:  The classic 'White Christmas' cd by Bing Crosby   Nothing like this for the Christmas season...Beautiful songs and some very cute ones too, very old fashioned and sweet, sweet, sweet.  A wonderful atmosphere.   Father Connelly actually reminds me of Bing Crosby in Bells of St. Mary's.  


Yesterday I listened and watched 'Bells of St. Mary's' as I made supper...Oh my goodness, oh my heart, what a precious, precious movie.


I'm decorating a little more simply at this point, more maybe like my mom did but with a little more whimsy in the end.  We shall see what I have the druthers to do, I'm just plodding along not rushing, trying to only enjoy.


One of the first things, first things first right?:  

 

My sweet manger scene from Hobby Lobby near the kitchen and breakfast table.

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 I'm loving my little tree purchased from Dollar Tree several years ago, I found these sweet vinyl placemats from Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago and am happy.  I love the vintage feel this set-up gives!  I found the little cake stand at Dollar General last year.


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This is my little Mimi tree on my cedar chest that Mr. Jeske made for me when I was a little baby!  I have little books under the tree for little hands to look at when our grandbabies come over.   

This setting is called Mimi's Coffee Shop.

I may not be the hostess with the most-est but I do want to be that loving Mimi with plenty of little apples and cherub oranges to share and  lots of arts and crafts coupled with warm hugs, care and love.  

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A children's version of 'It's a Wonderful Life' also by Jimmy Hawkins

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Soooo....Pick up a book little ones, mommies...Enjoy yourselves with some Mimi Hibiscus-Peach tea or good ol' coffee... I have coconut creamer too!

 

In my living room within eye-shot:  

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Another little four foot tree that is all lit up, I will probably add my sweet little doggy ornaments and some unbreakable pale pink bulbs and some silver bulbs from dollar tree, old fashioned icicles of course!....AND vintage Christmas cards from the 30s and 40s tucked in the branches here and there...  So fun.  The tree is situated on my childhood coffee table so that makes it even more special.

 

 

On our coffee table that Jem made from wood on the property:

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Not only is this decoration but I'm reading this book too.  'It's a Wonderful Life, The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook' another jewel from Jimmy Hawkins, little Tommy from the movie.

 

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Pearl Harbor Day is coming up soon...I cherish this original sheet music from the movie, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo  (a true story involving the Doolittle Raid)  And there is my little greenhouse my daughter gave me a couple of years ago.

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They are having fun in there getting ready for the holidays!

 

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This is the Advent book we used for our family, it is a very nice one.  I bought three copies from ebay for my three married daughters who were wanting to know about that book we used to do!  They loved it.  So let's just say that our family recommends this book for the Advent season.   We used this every year.  Oh my heart!  And they remembered and want to do it too!

 

I've started decorating my guest bathroom too, this little room is kinda fun because it's a smallish room and like a mini museum of sorts...

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George lassos the moon!
 

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The three above...Me....

 

 

 

Our newest little grandbaby...A little girl... I think she's saying for all of you to have a sweet Christmas season!

 

 

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One fall morning this year right outside my window... God's beautiful creatures...

 

 

Tonight for supper I think I'll make some baked potatoes in my instant pot and serve a vegetable soup from last night.  I made a tomato basil type soup with everything but the kitchen sink in the way of veggies and even dropped some eggs and sliced black olives in it and served it with brown rice spaghetti.  

 

I may put some of my Dollar Tree poinsettias out in the pots by the door...Maybe some Christmas garden flags.   We shall see but first things first. *big smile*

 

 

 

 

May we be that Father Connelly kind-of-people.  When we're at the store smile at people, smile at children, smile at the elderly.  Compliment the checker.  Give a sweet Christian tract to the checker or whenever else the Holy Spirit gives that nudge.   Let there be no snark in us.  

How many of us have already been affected by snark or an 'over-the-boundary' comment this season?  We would like to give them a sucker punch right? lol  (I'm speaking to myself here, because yep it happened. But not the sucker punch! LOL (Although I had to give them a solemn look and a comeback of wisdom shall I say.) We just have to pick up our toys and keep on going though right?  Sometimes it may be one of those rascally relatives so to speak but we still have to pick up our toys in our hearts and keep on going.  We can speak our minds with dignity but then just keep on going in life ministering to others, we can't let those kind of folks get us down.  Many people will never change.  I'm willing to bet that they have quite a reputation they have made for themselves. 


And above all...Let's be so nice, so kind, so Christ-like that if someone says something not nice about us behind our  backs that the person hearing the little morsel thinks to themselves....No, Amelia or (fill in the blank with your name) would never ever do that.   

 

Let's be the Father Connellys in this world, those Light bearers for Christ.   ...Let's reflect the Light of the Lord.  The best way to do that is when we spend time with Him talking and walking with Him, reading our Bibles even if it's the same psalm over and over again....We can know Him so well, we act like Him too!  : )  I think that's pretty good!   We have to be oh so quiet too...We have to be quiet and not too busy to hear the Holy Spirit's voice.

 

Let's make people's day.  Let's leave them better than when we first run into them...Let them go home thinking..."Wow, they made my day!"

 

God bless you.  Be kind, be sweet to others.   Let's  build that reputation of being that very sweet and loving person.   

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The museum of my heart...