What’s in your cup & remember how I told you high school was a bad idea?

September 7, 2018September 7, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in your cup, you would have spilled tea. The point is whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled. So, we have to ask ourselves, “What’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what spills out? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or does anger, bitterness, harsh words, and reactions come out? You choose! Today let’s work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, kindness, gentleness, and love for others.

Y’all. I didn’t write that above paragraph, myself. It was copied from a post I saw on Facebook. But BOY did it hit home. Did I tell you what happened to me when I went to register Miss Neenee for high school? We were inside the school. She wanted to see where her classes were. And of course I was excited to climb the stairs and walk all over kingdom come (just kidding, I was not). After my new high schooler had gotten her fill of the visions of classrooms, lockers, hall ways, & perfectly decorated bulletin boards, we headed to the car. When we walked out of the building toward the parking lot, we were greeted by 2 enthusiastic and information bearing kids.

One of the boys said to my excited new high schooler, “Are you a trumpet player?”

In which my trumpeter replied, “Yeah.”

Then, the boy replied, “Well, your car just got hit.”

WHAT??

Evidently, I must have had that look, because here came the band director. Walking from the site of the accident toward me.

There was a short conversation between the band director & I. He briefly told me a young man accidently backed into my car. He said he the young man was very sorry & had social anxiety. Basically, the kid was afraid I was going to come out with all fists flying, pitching a dying duck dog fit about my car. I looked down the way at the worried & scared look on the boy’s face & immediately felt bad for him. I walked down to my car with my daughter following behind me. Even though this was a situation I wish I didn’t have to deal with, I thought it was a teachable moment. As I walked up & looked at the HUGE dent in my bumper,

I looked over at the boy & said, “Are you okay?” He was so nervous.

He muttered out, “Yes ma’am. I’m really sorry.”

I said, “Don’t worry about it. We can fix cars. We can’t always fix people.” I smiled at him & you could tell he felt more at ease. Now when his dad showed up, I’m not so sure what he felt. But his dad & I exchanged pleasantries and insurance information. The law showed up to make their report & as we departed the parking lot, the young man told me again he was sorry. I let him know if this was the worst thing that ever happened to him, he would be ok. Things happen.

Was this an inconvenience? Yes. Was everyone okay? Yes. Could I have showed out and acted a fool? Probably. But what good would that have done? It wouldn’t have changed the fact my car still needed repair. But, what spilled out of my cup, that time, was forgiveness, patience, & hopefully kindness. Do I always act on my best behavior? Probably not. I am human & sometimes I do say & act in a way that my mama would be ashamed of. However, I can get it together every so often, more so than on other occasions.

What’s in your cup today? Is it filled with hate, spite, & an unforgiving spirit? When you are shaken, does your cup spill out bitterness & sharp words? Or does it spill out thankfulness, compassion, & warmhearted actions?

I Peter 3: 8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; (NKJV)

Are your ways prideful & judgmental? Or are they filled with mercy & grace?

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.(NKJV)

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.(NKJV)

Since I have gotten a little older, I seem to be of the opinion, kindness needs to be deliberate & practiced ALL THE TIME. You never know what someone might be going through. And believe me I have never came across anyone without problems. You may be the only light they see in a world of gloom & doom. This world needs love. Why don’t we make an effort to show the Christ like love we would want shown to us? Life is a circle. What comes around, goes around. You get what you give out. So, next time someone gives you a short answer, just smile & kindly thank them. They may have just gotten some really bad news. Or they could just have their cup filled with some stinkin’ rotten things. Either way, your kind heart might just change their way of thinking. If not, you will be still be doing the right thing.

Like my Mamaw used to say, “Don’t act ugly.”

Y’all, can I say we have just been enjoying the fire out of Miss Neenee being in the band? This means we have a reason to go to the football games again. And boy do we love it. We did however make mention how we miss my son-in-law there. He is deployed right now. He loves sports and competition and yelling for our team. So much, that my daughter may or may not have to tell him to sit down before he gets thrown out of the game. He gets a bit riled up. And we love him for it. I hope your weather has been pleasant. Someone said fall is beginning. I’m not sure where they are, but here in northeast MS it is still HOT AS BLUE BLAZES. I hope you all have a relaxing weekend. We will be at the ballgame tonight cheering on our little trumpet player. Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Look at that game face.Almost got her to smile.Yes this is a HUGE football helmet with smoke billowing out of it. We are just fancy like that.

Football good times.

photo credits: Facebook, http://www.ellenlandreth.wordpress.com, pinterest

We should care like Jesus does & why high school is a bad idea

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Goodness gracious is it really just a few weeks until the kids go back to school? I just can’t with this. Miss Neenee is going to be in the 9^th grade.

As in High. School.

I ask myself: “Why does she even need higher learning?” I love her just the way she is. But she is so excited to go. I just know with high school beginning, that means she will be flying out of our little nest before too many years. Which is not my favorite.

I am so over this already, y’all and it ain’t even started. Oh my word. I’m trying my best not to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but GAH.

HIGH SCHOOL. MY BABY. TOO MUCH TO HANDLE.

Bless my heart. Y’all pray for me. Because dadgum it if I had my druthers we would still be here.

Not here.

Speaking of which, do you ever get so caught up with your own circus of problems, that you don’t notice what others have going on? I am so bad about this, unless someone just pretty much comes up to me & tells me what’s happening, I don’t even pay attention to what’s all around me. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I have such a heapin’, helpin’ of this life stuff happening, that I may fail to look at what others are going through. That’s not always good.

This past Sunday, our Sunday School teacher was talking about Jesus. He was mentioning the fact that Jesus helped people & we should be willing to do the same thing. He was talking about how Jesus healed the woman, that had an issue of blood. She had so much faith, that she knew if she could just get to Jesus & touch the hem of his garment, her troubles would be over.

Matthew 9:20-22

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” ²²But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

A sweet hearted lady at church made mention of just that fact people may still be reaching out to touch His garment. When they do, we need to be ready to help. Her point was this, people are hurting. They need the same healing Jesus gave that woman. If others around us reach out to us, we need to be ready to point them to Jesus. I know some may be reluctant to lend a helping hand to others because

A. What do you even say to a person that is in dire straits?

And

B. Who am I to get into someone else’s business?

If you see someone that you know has had a hard time or is having a hard time, sometimes just saying, “I’m praying for you, would you like to talk?” or “What can I do to make things easier for you?” or “Here’s my cell number. Text me & let’s go out to eat.” Are WONDERFUL ways to begin. Then, be there to lend an ear, or meet for lunch, or whatever the other person feels comfortable with. Now let me tell you, I am the worst one in the world to accept help from others. I will scratch and claw and knash my teeth before I will give up and take someone’s offer of help. I have this stubborn way of thinking that I have to do everything on my own. It may be a pride thing or just being bull headed. But there are times I have to step back & say, “This is too much.” Then, members of my personal support team come in and rescue me. (**Personal support team = my wonderful, unjudging family & friends**)

The kind hearted lady I was talking about, just a minute ago, is actually a doctor. She counsels and is basically a super hero. She made mention of the fact that people need to understand they do not have to walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders. People need to realize there is help out there. It’s through us as Christians that we need to be willing to reach out and help others. I heard a preacher say once,

“People are hurting. They need to know we care & they need to know about the love of Jesus.”

You just never know what the person right beside you is going through.

AND you don’t have to be up in someone’s business to help. Simply just saying, “I’m here if you need me.” Or “I have been thinking about you.” Or how about, “I love you.” Plain & simple. Sometimes just knowing you have support is the best medicine. If the other person does need help, hopefully, this will open the door for them to tell you that.

I can remember my mama telling me more than once,

“Don’t let things get in sucha mess. You would have been so much better off if you had of let somebody help you.”

Yes, yes I could have. But my “I can do it myself” got in the way with reality. Which was “I really could use help, like last week.” I guess I just don’t like to admit I can’t HANDLE IT ALL. Which is really silly of me because I have help around every corner, if I would only quit thinking I am less of a person for needing help. And you know my Personal Support Team I made mention of? Every time I ask one of them to help me out, they are more than glad to. It goes without saying, it would be advisable for me to not think I am too good to ask or receive help because like my Mama Boyce used to say:

“Lawdy, chile, you know better than that.”

So, to recap:

Realize there are people that need help.
Be prepared to help others.
Let others help you,

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It has been hotter than blue blazes here. Which is great if you can stay under the air conditioning all the time. Otherwise, it can be a smidge inconvenient because hair and makeup are not a fan of humidity. More than once in the past few weeks I have declared: I’ma ’bout to burn up! Miss Neenee is at band camp this week and next week. Pray that she remembers to put on her sunscreen, bless her red faced heart. Until next time, I should be going because I should be washing clothes.

Photo credit: www.pinterest.com, BibleGodQuotes

You think it’s hot here

June 16, 2015June 16, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Two boys & a bucket of water

It’s funny. We know summer comes every year. But when it starts getting scorching hot, ya’ll, we act so shocked. Like,

“Lord have mercy, where in the WORLD did this come from?”

The heat, the humidity is just atrocious. Thank the Lord, I have lived in the south all my life & ya’ll, I will tell you, you never get used to the heat. You just survive it. Just today I talked to a man, that lives in Texas. He said OUR heat was stifling. And he’s from Texas! Is Texas not hot?? And we DID say after all of the cold this winter we would not say a WORD, a WORD, I tell you, when it got hot. But, here we are.

I love the church sign I saw once, in the dead of summer, that simply stated

“You think it’s hot here…..”

What would we do without the temperature showing up in our cars?

Well, that’s true. There is a place that’s going to be hotter than Northeast Mississippi (Yes, we are from the North. And we are o.k. with that.) in June that’s why we do everything we can to avoid it.

Galatians 5 talks about the fruit of the spirit. Not fruits, plural but fruit singular as in meaning one. It means you have to be ALL of it. Not just a part.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJV)

Let’s back up a little & see what we can do to avoid an eternity of “hotter than a $2.00 pistol” surroundings:

Galatians 5:19-21

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders,^[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (NKJV)

When my all my kids were still at home, I had all of these listed & posted on the front of the refrigerator. Since our most sensitive & highly classified topics came up in the kitchen, of all places, one of them would bring up a situation. It could be from what was being worn to school, to how someone was handling a certain situation, or maybe how someone was acting. I would point to the refrigerator & say ,

“Do you see it on this list?”

With that, they would know the rest of the story. Lots of good conversations came from having that list out where we could see it all the time.

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. Don’t forget this weekend is Father’s Day. If your daddy is still living, make sure to visit or call him. It’s the right thing to do. We will be having Sunday lunch at my house for our Daddys. I will be sure to post some pictures later. Also, see below for my pet peeve of the week. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Thanks for the lesson, Patrick.

photo credits: Facebook, 123RF, junk gypsy

What do Jesus & Malcolm Butler have in common & O how I love Mississippi

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

So, did anybody see what happened on t.v. last night? As in football? As in Super Bowl Football? Well, I may or may not have skipped some of the game. I did try to watch some of the half time show. But ya’ll, Katy Perry. I just can’t. I can’t get past the kissed the girl & I liked it song. I did pull my 11 year old out from in front of the t.v. when Ms. Perry started belting that one out. I would say in the least, she probably has hundreds of songs in her arsenal to sing. But she chose the kissing the girl song to sing last night. Sorry (not sorry). It just aggravates me. If she were here, my Mama Boyce would say, “She needs them legs striped.” Meaning in northeast MS language she needs taken out behind the woodshed. Which means, oh well, she just needs to stop it.

Malcolm Butler – New England Patriots Super Bowl 2015

Anyway, let’s talk about Malcolm Butler. Did you see him make the winning play? Malcolm. Butler. Won. The. Super. Bowl. Now, let’s talk about where ol’ Malcolm is from. West Alabama? No, that’s where he went to college. New England? No, that’s who he plays for.

Did I hear someone faintly say, MISSISSIPPI??

As in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Really? Mississippi? My Mississippi? The one that has the lowest education rating in the nation? The one that has the highest obesity rate in the country? The one that you never hear anything nice about. Yea, that Mississippi. The one that gave birth to Elvis Presley. Well, not really. His mama did, but you know what I mean. The one where the famous author John Grisham is from. The one where other great authors like Eudora Welty, William Faulkner & Tennessee Williams lived & worked. The same Mississippi, in which I have been asked, if we have indoor toliets & running water.

The one where Eli & Peyton Manning came from. The one that is home to the John Stennis Space Center (NASA’s Center of Excellence for rocket propulsion testing isn’t in Houston, or even Florida. It’s Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi.)

I’m not trying to chase a rabbit here. I am just trying to make the point that even though Mississippi gets a bad rap, somehow, somewhere we have done some things really right. So for all you skeptics out there, the guy that won the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots was from the wonderful, fantastic, beautiful, & marvelous state of Mississippi. (I must apologize to all of my English teachers for that really long sentence there. When I get excited, I forget that periods are free & I can use them anytime.) You may be saying how could that be that he’s from Mississippi? Well, it just can. (That’s my best explanation right now.)

Nazareth from the South

There was a time when someone questioned the place where Jesus was from. He was from Nazareth. According to www.bible-history.com, in Jesus’s time Nazareth had an evil reputation .It has generally been attributed to the Galileans’ lack of culture and rude dialect. There was a man named Nathanael, who asked a question about Jesus.

“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46

Nathanael was himself a Galilean. He may have said that because Nazareth was such a common term of contempt among the more “righteous” Jews in Judea. Thank goodness one of the disciples, Philip, was there to say,

“Come see.”

I am happy to say Christ’s being from Nazareth has not had too bad of an effect on His message. I would think He put Nazareth on the map. There may have been some questionable things going on in Nazareth, however, evidently, obviously, there were some really right things going on too. Am I comparing Malcolm Butler to Jesus? Well, maybe sorta. Sometimes it’s as easy as looking for the good instead of the bad. The cream always rises to the top. So did Jesus & so did Malcolm. Before you stereo-type me or Malcolm from being from Mississippi, remember, everybody has to come from somewhere. By the grace of God, we were born & raised in one of the best places on earth.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. You are most welcome to come by any time. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

If you want to read more about how Mississippi is awesome sauce & the cat’s pajama’s, you can go here.

To read more lovely poetry about our wonderful state by the talented Patricia Neely-Dorsey click here.

Photo credits:

Yahoo! Sports, http://www.patricianeelydorsey.com, http://www.prayfit.com, http://www.mississippibelieveit.com, blacksportsonline

Preparing For Winter in the South

October 1, 2013 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Fall is in the air, in northeast Mississippi. It seems just like yesterday, we were complaining about the hot, humid, weather. Now, it seems we may be getting a much needed break. This time of the year puts me in mind of my grandmother & preparation.

You see, as I was growing up, both sets of my grandparents planted & grew gardens. Me and my brother stayed with my Mama Boyce & Papa Clyde, (Daddy’s mama & daddy) while Mama & Daddy were at work. This meant after school & summers were spent, doing whatever it was we could get away with, at their house on Leedy Hill. Papa Clyde & Mama Boyce always had a big garden every summer. We affectionately referred to it as the truck patch. I never really knew why it was called a truck patch. It wasn’t even close to a truck. If anyone out there knows, please enlighten me. Anyways, we worked in the garden all summer long. We would get out in the hot morning sun & pick whatever it was that was in at the time. We picked purple hull peas, squash, tomatoes, okra, corn, cucumbers, butter beans, green beans, pretty much anything you could think of. Then, there were plums, apples, strawberries, mucadines, peaches, pears, all kinds of fruit trees, too. My brother can still tell you the exact whereabouts the pear tree was on the property. I’m sure because he picked up many a pears off the ground, before they ruined. Mama Boyce made sure little went to waste around there. We shelled peas & butter beans, snapped green beans, shucked corn, & basically helped to work up the vegetables, so that Mama Boyce could put them up. She canned & froze the vegetables. She made pickles out of the cucumbers & okra. She would call my Aunt Edna over to make jelly.

My Aunt Edna laughs & says, “Mama had a child for everything. If she needed something from town, she would call on Mary Helen. If she needed to go to the doctor, your Daddy took her. If she had to go to the hospital she wanted Tooter to help her. If she needed help when she got out of the hospital, she would call Nancy. If anyone was coming to visit or if the garden came in, she called me.” Looking back, summers were dedicated to preparing for winter. It was a canning, freezing frenzy of a time. Mama Boyce & Papa Clyde were determined we were going to have plenty to eat, while it was cold outside. We had a big family, so that was a lot of preparation. They most certainly knew the importance of working & not being lazy. The result, from the summer garden, was food in abundance all winter long. It was a matter of taking care of their own. Not haphazardly tossing caution to the wind, just sitting around waiting for someone else to provide for us. They realized things just did not happen. They taught us hard work & preparation is key to success & survival.

Proverbs 6:6 says Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

There is a method to the madness of an ant. It’s preparation. Just as my grandmother saw the importance of preparing for the winter. There was no rest for those few months. But, in the colder months, when our bellies were full of warm comfort foods, we understood why she insisted we be such worker ants. It’s easier to appreciate the bountiful harvest, once the hard work is over.

There is something else that’s being prepared right this minute. That’s our home in heaven.

John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

²In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

I am so thankful for my preparing grandmother, but I am most thankful for my preparing Savior. What a blessing to know Jesus is making preparations for me to come be with Him. That makes me smile! I hope it makes you happy, too. His preparations for us as Christians, in the end, will make everything worthwhile. Just as my earthly grandmother was so thoughtful in her preparing for our needs, the Lord is thinking of us right now, while he prepares for us to be with Him for eternity. That should just make us feel really good. Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. I always love when you stop by. I hope you are getting some good fall weather wherever you are. Enjoy the rest of your day! As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

October 25, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I was taking one of Miss Neenee’s friends home the other day. I saw this beautiful field, with all these big bales of hay.

It was such a pretty sight. One that’s very familiar in Mississippi, this time of year. To begin with, when I looked out into the field, it did not take but a second to realize what kind of seeds the farmer had sown. The grass seeds yielded grass, that was cut & made into hay. You may be thinking, “Alright, so what is that supposed to mean?” It just got me to thinking about what the apostle Paul had said in

Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

We should not be surprised if we sow seeds of discontent, judgment, impatience, hatefulness, jealousy, resentment, etc. that we get that same behavior in return from others. If we sow seeds of kindness, understanding, peace, love, fairness, & patience- don’t be surprised if you see a lot of that come your way. If I am quick to point a finger at someone, then I need to be aware that others could do the same to me. What if God called for a harvest of our decisions & actions? What kind of harvest would He get from us?

Dear Lord, Help us to be kind to one another. Help us to be understanding & not quick to cast judgment on others. Help us to know that we are just people & no one is without fault. In Jesus name, Amen.

I have enjoyed you stopping by for a visit today. Please leave me a comment, if you want to. Hearing from you makes me smile! I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes…..

H54F High Five For Friday! WHOO HOO!

October 5, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I cannot say enough how glad I am that it is Friday! It did not come soon enough. I hope everybody had a great week. The weather was a little cooler, here, in Mississippi. However, today is supposed to be in the 80s (Fall, please come back anytime you get ready). Here is my High Five For Friday- hope you enjoy it:

Miss Neenee picked out her 1st pair of glasses

Miss Neenee came home from school saying she could not see the board. Since I have diagnosed her as a hypochondriac a long time ago, I thought, “We will see.” (No pun intended). I made her an eye doctor appointment, short story is she was right, I was wrong. She picked out her 1st pair of glasses. She is so excited to be nearsighted! Probably the most amazing thing that’s happened to her all year, (to hear her tell it).

Our Bible class door that Miss Neenee & I created

Our Bible class door needed some decoration. Miss Neenee & I came up with this (which I really stole from Pinterest). Our friend, Mrs. Cindy Lou Who, helped with some of the decorations, too. 🙂 note to self-maybe it’s not a good idea to talk about Bible class & stealing during the same post.

Red beans & rice

You know it could not be my H54F without something good to eat. This week I made red beans & rice. They were so yummy. With the cool weather, I love warm comfort food. This was a slam dunk.

EA- stressed out, chemistry loathing, optometry majoring, hard working, Christian young lady

Yep, she’s as pretty on the inside, as on the outside, too! This girl has had a week at college. She is an optometry major, in her 1st semester. She is not loving all the science right at the moment, but is going to make it work. She holds down a part time job, & listen to this: She left yesterday, going on a mission trip with our church until Sunday. Precious does not begin to cover it, for this sweet middle child of mine!

You said it Jayzee…..

Thank goodness it’s Friday! I don’t care what problems I have, they can take a back seat until Monday!

I am linking in with Lauren at From My Grey Desk. Go on over & see what’s happening. I have met several new friends at her High Five For Friday link parties. They are somewhat awesome!

So, what are your plans for this weekend??