ROSE in ROSE
by Brady
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Live now and live it in the joy of the LORD
Decades ago, after my baby sister married, my parents began visiting the Smoky Mountains every autumn. It became a special tradition for them. One year my mother expressed to me that, "the next time we go", she wanted to stop at a roadside quilt sale, and that is just what she did. She purchased a lovely "Wedding Ring" quilt in muted pinks, greens, and cream colors, with the woman's name embroidered on the back. She loved that quilt.
It wasn't until I helped my father clean out the house after she died that I found her lovely quilt carefully folded by her bed, never used. She loved it but "from afar".
That next Christmas my grieving father visited every one of his children's homes that week, making a big circle in the mid-west. As he drove up to our home, I ran outside to hug him and welcome him. In his arms was my mother's lovely quilt and the rack she kept it on. He gave this thing which was precious to my mother for me to enjoy.
What an honor for him to give me this beautiful hand-made quilt! I dutifully folded it and displayed it in our living room. How could I use it? My mother loved this quilt and she never used it. So this treasure was there for almost a year reminding me of my precious mom and how my father had given it to me.
*
I love how the LORD works in our lives. Quietly, inside of me, I was remembering my mom and things she often spoke about. She shared this one when I was to be a newlywed. She spoke of when she was first married, and eventually had two little boys, and they moved far from home to a location where my father's new job was, and then I was born soon after.
The housing in this "Air Force" town was slim, so at first they ended up living in tiny military quarters off base---although my father was a civilian working for the Air Force. All the other "Air Force" wives were her friends with just as many little ones to raise, and everyone was busy.
The main difference in these other wives and my mother was that my mother would be staying in the area - for this would be my father's career - the other women were Air Force wives and would eventually be transferred, often to other bases perhaps all over the world.
My mother would describe the housing which had been torn down long before I was grown. Every living unit had a little place for a garden by the front door; one of the first things my mother did was plant flower seeds in this spot. Other women would come and go as their husbands were transferred, but no one would plant their gardens because they may only be there for a short time.
The other women would openly love my mother's little garden, but lament to her that they could never plant a garden, not knowing how long they would be at each base.
Soon enough my sweet mother began to encourage the other wives to plant seeds no matter if they would ever see it to fruition. If they never saw the results, the next woman who moved in would enjoy and appreciate them. If other wives would begin to plant seeds perhaps they would end up at a vacant home whose former tenant chose to plant seeds even though she may never see the flowers.
What a beautiful "picture" I still have of the "seeds" my mother "sowed" into the friends she made at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base housing in the '50s. She never told me if anyone listened to her encouragements, but she shared with my sister and I the encouragements of enjoying your life in the "moment". Plant your flower or vegetable seeds in season even if you may not be there at the end. Enjoy your life now; do not wait for the "someday" where you have "this or that" to be what makes you happy. Live now!
I now say, live now in the joy of the LORD!
*
For almost a year my mother's quilt sat prettily displayed in our living room. I feel it was the LORD reminding me of my mother's encouragement to live now. I went over and took the quilt to our bed and began to enjoy her precious quilt.
Almost 20 years later I still use it, trading off to another quilt for a change. Last night I began fixing the spots which have been worn on my mother's quilt. It has been used, it has been loved, and you can see the wear---but I have lived and loved in the "now" in the joy of the LORD, and I wouldn't change this for anything.
"My grace is sufficient for you"
Do you have a thorn or two in the flesh? (2 Cor. 12).
We all have something or more than one which nags us, shows up now and then, or something which never leaves us.
Do not fear or feel overcome! The LORD God is with you always! He is your strength and He is your comfort! Rejoice! for He draws you closer to Himself as you rely on Him!
HT to Winging It, for Stan's post, "Thorn in the Flesh".
Stan ends with,
"[The LORD] wants to constantly remind me I'm not autonomous, not sufficient, not capable on my own. He doesn't want me depending on my own power. He wants me depending on the power of Christ dwelling in me."
*
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
*
We all have something or more than one which nags us, shows up now and then, or something which never leaves us.
Do not fear or feel overcome! The LORD God is with you always! He is your strength and He is your comfort! Rejoice! for He draws you closer to Himself as you rely on Him!
HT to Winging It, for Stan's post, "Thorn in the Flesh".
Stan ends with,
"[The LORD] wants to constantly remind me I'm not autonomous, not sufficient, not capable on my own. He doesn't want me depending on my own power. He wants me depending on the power of Christ dwelling in me."
*
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
*
Saturday, January 24, 2015
The Two Glasses
There sat two glasses filled to the brim,
On a rich man’s table, rim to rim;
One was ruddy and red as blood,
And one as clear as the crystal flood.
Said the glass of wine to the paler brother:
“Let us tell the tales of the past to each other;
I can tell of a banquet and revel and mirth,
And the proudest and grandest souls on the earth
Fell under my touch as though struck by blight,
Where I was king, for I ruled in might;
From the heads of kings I have torn the crown,
From the heights of fame I have hurled men down:
I have blasted many an honored name;
I have taken virtue and given shame;
I have tempted the youth with a sip, a taste,
That has made his future a barren waste.
Greater, far greater than king am I,
Or than any army beneath the sky.
I have made the arm of the driver fail,
And sent the train from the iron rail;
I have made good ships go down at sea,
And the shrieks of the lost were sweet to me,
For they said, ‘Behold how great you be!
Fame, strength, wealth, genius before you fall,
For your might and power are over all.’
Ho! ho! pale brother,” laughed the wine,
“Can you boast of deeds as great as mine?”
Said the water glass: “I cannot boast
Of a king dethroned or a murdered host;
But I can tell of a heart once sad,
By my crystal drops made light and glad;
Of thirsts I’ve quenched, of brows I’ve laved,
Of hands I have cooled, and souls I have saved;
I have leaped through the valley, dashed down the mountain,
Flowed in the river and played in the fountain,
Slept in the sunshine and dropped from the sky,
And everywhere gladdened the landscape and eye.
I have eased the hot forehead of fever and pain;
I have made the parched meadows grow fertile with grain;
I can tell of the powerful wheel of the mill,
That ground out the flour and turned at my will.
I can tell of manhood debased by you,
That I have lifted and crowned anew.
I cheer, I help, I strengthen and aid;
I gladden the heart of man and maid;
I set the chained wine-captive free;
And all are better for knowing me.”
These are the tales they told each other,
The glass of wine and the paler brother,
As they sat together filled to the brim,
On the rich man’s table, rim to rim.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
On a rich man’s table, rim to rim;
One was ruddy and red as blood,
And one as clear as the crystal flood.
“Let us tell the tales of the past to each other;
I can tell of a banquet and revel and mirth,
And the proudest and grandest souls on the earth
Fell under my touch as though struck by blight,
Where I was king, for I ruled in might;
From the heads of kings I have torn the crown,
From the heights of fame I have hurled men down:
I have blasted many an honored name;
I have taken virtue and given shame;
I have tempted the youth with a sip, a taste,
That has made his future a barren waste.
Greater, far greater than king am I,
Or than any army beneath the sky.
I have made the arm of the driver fail,
And sent the train from the iron rail;
I have made good ships go down at sea,
And the shrieks of the lost were sweet to me,
For they said, ‘Behold how great you be!
Fame, strength, wealth, genius before you fall,
For your might and power are over all.’
Ho! ho! pale brother,” laughed the wine,
“Can you boast of deeds as great as mine?”
Of a king dethroned or a murdered host;
But I can tell of a heart once sad,
By my crystal drops made light and glad;
Of thirsts I’ve quenched, of brows I’ve laved,
Of hands I have cooled, and souls I have saved;
I have leaped through the valley, dashed down the mountain,
Flowed in the river and played in the fountain,
Slept in the sunshine and dropped from the sky,
And everywhere gladdened the landscape and eye.
I have eased the hot forehead of fever and pain;
I have made the parched meadows grow fertile with grain;
I can tell of the powerful wheel of the mill,
That ground out the flour and turned at my will.
I can tell of manhood debased by you,
That I have lifted and crowned anew.
I cheer, I help, I strengthen and aid;
I gladden the heart of man and maid;
I set the chained wine-captive free;
And all are better for knowing me.”
The glass of wine and the paler brother,
As they sat together filled to the brim,
On the rich man’s table, rim to rim.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
from “The Best Love Poems of the American People”
Friday, January 23, 2015
You're Always a Role Model to Somebody #23
"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the LORD,
I teach you today, even you.
Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
teaching you true and reliable words,
so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?
Proverbs 22:17-21
Modesty: The Hidden Person of the Heart
Social media's "control" over people has changed our culture in so many ways:
"Firestorms" of "likes" and also those of verbal destruction.
Our once beloved freedoms in our country electronically trounced, where "innocent until proven guilty" has morphed into media-mob rule.
I suppose I could go on--but this is not my desire. Instead, I want to express some thoughts on modesty.
*
1 Peter 3:3-4
Your adornment must not be merely external—
braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry,
or putting on dresses;
or putting on dresses;
but let it be the hidden person of the heart,
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is precious in the sight of God.
*
I have been a seamstress since I was a young teen. I have used patterns - sometimes altering them - and designed my own fashions.
I have seen the fashion industry come out with new styles, but the populace do not "catch-up" fast enough.
One example was in the mid '70's when the fashion industry had planned "high-waisted" pants with "short blouses". What happened with the female populace was "short blouses" paired with the already popular "hip-huggers". There were a great many women with tummies showing because they wanted their original pants and not the new high-waisted kind.
For over a decade I have worn leggings. They are wonderful for me. I wear tights most of the time instead of nylons with dresses, but this can be hot unless it is actually cold outside. Leggings were the wonderful answer for me! No feet and so no heat!
I have not necessarily followed what is popular in fashion so I would be wearing leggings with my dresses, but rarely see anyone else doing so. I can't help it if no one else discovered them! If it is cool outside, I most probably wear leggings instead of tights to this day.
Eventually I began to see younger women wearing leggings as pants---and definitely, not the leggings made as pants (in other words, quite "see through"). I was disappointed to see this fashion style come about-- although definitely more opaque now, they are still revealing; it is "second skin," as my husband calls it.
Today I see all ages, but mainly younger women and girls, who are not taught how to be "you"; how to be "fashionable" and yet honor and guard themselves by being modest.
I have known parents who are completely legalistic about clothing, and those who have no rules at all. Chaos can come from either end of this spectrum.
I have known parents who have chosen modesty for their daughters until they reach preteen ages and then all the ideas they had in place to protect and guard their daughter's modesty are out the window so that they "fit in".
Kudos to Veronica Partridge for sharing her own testimony of how the LORD was working in her inner person long before she made her decision in modesty. I love how she came to the point of asking her husband his opinion. What a beautiful testimony she has shown to younger (and older) women.
Matt Walsh comments on this media-mob"firestorm":
"Modesty is good. We can laugh at it, we can make fun of it, we can treat it like a joke, but in the end we only degrade ourselves."
He ends his commentary with a quote from C. S. Lewis:
"In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful."
I have known parents who are completely legalistic about clothing, and those who have no rules at all. Chaos can come from either end of this spectrum.
I have known parents who have chosen modesty for their daughters until they reach preteen ages and then all the ideas they had in place to protect and guard their daughter's modesty are out the window so that they "fit in".
Kudos to Veronica Partridge for sharing her own testimony of how the LORD was working in her inner person long before she made her decision in modesty. I love how she came to the point of asking her husband his opinion. What a beautiful testimony she has shown to younger (and older) women.
*
1Peter 3:5-6
“For in this way in former times the holy women also,
who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves,
being submissive to their own husbands;
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord,
and you have become her children
if you do what is right without being frightened** by any fear.”
*
**When we trust the LORD by trusting our godly husbands in Him, to be godly in their thinking and doing, we can relax in our living and not live in fear any longer. Even when our husbands make mistakes and perhaps chose wrongly, we will honor them and glorify God by our choices to trust the LORD by trusting them.
*
"Modesty is good. We can laugh at it, we can make fun of it, we can treat it like a joke, but in the end we only degrade ourselves."
He ends his commentary with a quote from C. S. Lewis:
"In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful."
God's spiritual road map gives us stability
Psalm 119:19
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
*
Ah, but what sinners we are! We can get into a "spiritual malaise" not reading His word or even when reading His word we may be "getting nothing out of it" because our attention is distracted by our attitude, and lack of wonderment of Him.
If we have wrong attitudes while going to His word, we are blind to His truths, and the LORD may hide His truths from us until we show some real effort and choose to divide His word rightly with reverence and awe.
God's word is precious, valuable! We must choose to desire it and treat it as precious --more than any riches we can find here on this earth.
*
Luke 8:16-18
“Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container,
or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lamp stand,
so that those who come in may see the light.
For nothing is hidden that will not become evident,
nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
So take care how you listen;
for whoever has, to him more shall be given;
and whoever does not have,
even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
*
If you feel like a stranger, then let God teach you how He expects you to act.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Your Mission
If you cannot on the ocean
Sail among the swiftest fleet, Rocking on the highest billows,
Laughing at the storms you meet,
You can stand among the sailors
Anchored yet within the bay;
You can lend a hand to help them,
As they launch their boats away.
Up the mountains, steep and high,
You can stand within the valley,
While the multitude go by.
You can chant in happy measure,
As they slowly pass along;
Though they may forget the singer,
They will not forget the song.
Ever ready to command,
If you cannot toward the needy
Reach an ever-open hand,
You can visit the afflicted,
O’er the erring you can weep;
You can be a true disciple,
Sitting at the Saviour’s feet.
Prove yourself a soldier true,
If where the fire and smoke is thickest
There’s no work for you to do,
When the battle field is silent,
You can go with a careful tread;
You can bear away the wounded,
You can cover up the dead.
For some greater work to do;
Fortune is a lazy goddess,
She will never come to you.
Go and toil in any vineyard,
Do not fear to do or dare;
If you want a field of labor,
You can find it anywhere.
Ellen M.H. Gates.
from “The Best Love Poems of the American People”
You're Always a Role Model to Somebody #22
"The wise in heart are called discerning
and pleasant words promote instruction."
Proverbs 16:21
How do we live in an 85 MPH world?
I live in small town areas, by two interstates and three big towns. In this world speeding is what people do. Somehow the interstates turn people into speed demons going 85 MPH or more. It is usually fine for me to do the speed limit with little troubles as the speeders fly by.
My troubles with the speeding world begin when I am on normal highways, in town, or around construction areas. People do not want to do the speed limit. When the speed limit is 25 MPH, this is the speed I am going to do.
So how do we live in a world where breaking the rules is normal?
Psalm 119:9-16
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.
*
My troubles with the speeding world begin when I am on normal highways, in town, or around construction areas. People do not want to do the speed limit. When the speed limit is 25 MPH, this is the speed I am going to do.
So how do we live in a world where breaking the rules is normal?
Psalm 119:9-16
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.
*
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
It's the 8th of January
History Lesson today on the 8th of January.
There will be a test so watch the LEGO reenactment:
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory), defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the territory that the United States had acquired from France with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The Treaty of Ghent, ending the war of 1812, had already been signed on December 24, 1814, but news of the peace would not reach the combatants until February. Unfortunately, since the war was really already over, if only one person had brought their cell phone with, it might not have happened.
Another lesson was learned that organized troops should not march against an entrenched position. This was lost on the British (and almost everyone else) until the western front disasters in 1914-1918 and the invention of the tank.
*
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS,
tune: Eighth of January, traditional
words by Jimmy Driftwood;
LEGO reenactment to Johnny Horton's version
Well, in 1814, we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Missisip
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we met the bloody British in the town of New Orleans
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well, I seed Marse Jackson come a-walkin' down the street
And a-talkin' to a pirate by the name of Jean Lafitte;
He gave Jean a drink that he brung from Tennessee,
And the pirate said he'd help us drive the British to the sea.
Well the French told Andrew, "You had better run
For Packenham's a=comin' with a bullet in his gun.
"Old Hickory said he didn't give a damn
He's a-gonna whup the britches off of Colonel Packenham.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well, we looked down the river and we seed the British come
And there must have been a hundred of them beating on the drum
They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring
While we stood behind our cotton bales and didn't say a thing
Old Hickory said we could take em by surprise
If we didn't fire a musket till we looked em in the eyes
We held our fire till we seed their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns and really gave em Hell..
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well we fired our cannons till the barrels melted down
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round
We filled his head with minie balls and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the 'gator lost his mind
They lost their pants and their pretty shiny coats
And their tails was all a-showin' like a bunch of billy goats.
They ran down the river with their tongues a-hanging out
And they said they got a lickin', which there wasn't any doubt.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well we marched back to town in our dirty ragged pants
And we danced all night with the pretty girls from France;
We couldn't understand 'em, but they had the sweetest charms
And we understood 'em better when we got 'em in our arms.
Well, the guide who brung the British from the sea
Come a-limping into camp just as sick as he could be,
He said the dying words of Colonel Packenham was,
"You better quit your foolin' with your cousin Uncle Sam.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
"Well, we'll march back home, but we'll never be content
Till we make Old Hick'ry the people's president.
And every time we think about the bacon and the beans
We'll think about the fun we had way down in New Orleans.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch emDown the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
*
There will be a test so watch the LEGO reenactment:
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory), defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the territory that the United States had acquired from France with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The Treaty of Ghent, ending the war of 1812, had already been signed on December 24, 1814, but news of the peace would not reach the combatants until February. Unfortunately, since the war was really already over, if only one person had brought their cell phone with, it might not have happened.
Another lesson was learned that organized troops should not march against an entrenched position. This was lost on the British (and almost everyone else) until the western front disasters in 1914-1918 and the invention of the tank.
*
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS,
tune: Eighth of January, traditional
words by Jimmy Driftwood;
LEGO reenactment to Johnny Horton's version
Well, in 1814, we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Missisip
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we met the bloody British in the town of New Orleans
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well, I seed Marse Jackson come a-walkin' down the street
And a-talkin' to a pirate by the name of Jean Lafitte;
He gave Jean a drink that he brung from Tennessee,
And the pirate said he'd help us drive the British to the sea.
Well the French told Andrew, "You had better run
For Packenham's a=comin' with a bullet in his gun.
"Old Hickory said he didn't give a damn
He's a-gonna whup the britches off of Colonel Packenham.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well, we looked down the river and we seed the British come
And there must have been a hundred of them beating on the drum
They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring
While we stood behind our cotton bales and didn't say a thing
Old Hickory said we could take em by surprise
If we didn't fire a musket till we looked em in the eyes
We held our fire till we seed their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns and really gave em Hell..
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well we fired our cannons till the barrels melted down
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round
We filled his head with minie balls and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the 'gator lost his mind
They lost their pants and their pretty shiny coats
And their tails was all a-showin' like a bunch of billy goats.
They ran down the river with their tongues a-hanging out
And they said they got a lickin', which there wasn't any doubt.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well we marched back to town in our dirty ragged pants
And we danced all night with the pretty girls from France;
We couldn't understand 'em, but they had the sweetest charms
And we understood 'em better when we got 'em in our arms.
Well, the guide who brung the British from the sea
Come a-limping into camp just as sick as he could be,
He said the dying words of Colonel Packenham was,
"You better quit your foolin' with your cousin Uncle Sam.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
"Well, we'll march back home, but we'll never be content
Till we make Old Hick'ry the people's president.
And every time we think about the bacon and the beans
We'll think about the fun we had way down in New Orleans.
We fired our guns and the British kept a comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they began a running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch emDown the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
*
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
You're Always a Role Model to Somebody #21
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man."
Proverbs 3:3-4
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Beautiful Things
Beautiful faces are those that wear —
It matters little if dark or fair —
Whole-souled honesty printed there.
Beautiful eyes are those that show,
Like crystal panes where hearth fires glow,
Beautiful thoughts that burn below.
Beautiful lips are those whose words
Leap from the heart like songs of birds,
Yet whose utterance prudence girds.
Beautiful hands are those that do
Work that is honest and brave and true,
Moment by moment the long day through.
Beautiful feet are those that go
On kindly ministries to and fro,
Down lowliest ways, if God wills it so.
Beautiful shoulders are those that bear
Ceaseless burdens of homely care
With patient grace and daily prayer.
Beautiful lives are those that bless
Silent rivers of happiness,
Whose hidden fountains but few may guess.
Beautiful twilight at set of sun,
Beautiful goal with race well won,
Beautiful rest with work well done.
Beautiful graves where grasses creep,
Where brown leaves fall, where drifts lie deep
Over worn-out hands — oh! beautiful sleep!
Ellen P. Allerton
It matters little if dark or fair —
Whole-souled honesty printed there.
Like crystal panes where hearth fires glow,
Beautiful thoughts that burn below.
Leap from the heart like songs of birds,
Yet whose utterance prudence girds.
Work that is honest and brave and true,
Moment by moment the long day through.
On kindly ministries to and fro,
Down lowliest ways, if God wills it so.
Ceaseless burdens of homely care
With patient grace and daily prayer.
Silent rivers of happiness,
Whose hidden fountains but few may guess.
Beautiful goal with race well won,
Beautiful rest with work well done.
Where brown leaves fall, where drifts lie deep
Over worn-out hands — oh! beautiful sleep!
Ellen P. Allerton
from “The Best Love Poems of the American People”
You're Always a Role Model to Somebody #20
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him
and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6
Friday, January 2, 2015
Miss Fogarty’s Christmas Cake
By C. Frank Horn, 1883
As I sat in me window one evening
A letterman came unto me
With a nice little gilt invitation
Saying "Gilhooley come over for tea".
I knew that the Fogarties sent it,
So I went for old friendship's sake,
But the first thing they gave me to tackle
Was a piece of Miss Fogarty's cake.
There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
It would build up a fine stomach ache
It would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
Miss Mulligan wanted to taste it,
But really there wasn't no use,
For they worked at it over an hour
And couldn't get none of it loose
Till Murphy he went for the hatchet
And Kelly came in with a saw.
That cake was enough by the powers above
For to paralyze any man's jaw.
There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
Till she tripped over Flanagan's brogans
And spilled a whole brewing of tea.
"Oh, Gilhooley", she cried, "you're not eating!
Try a little bit more for my sake!"
"No, thank you", says I, "I've no courage to try
To force down any more of that cake.”
There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
Maloney was took with the colic,
McNaulty complained of his head,
O'Donnell lay down on the sofa
And swore that he wished he was dead.
Miss Bailey fell down in hysterics
And her legs, they did wriggle and shake
And everyone swore they were poisoned
Just from eating Miss Fogarty's cake.
There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
A letterman came unto me
With a nice little gilt invitation
Saying "Gilhooley come over for tea".
I knew that the Fogarties sent it,
So I went for old friendship's sake,
But the first thing they gave me to tackle
Was a piece of Miss Fogarty's cake.
There were plums and prunes and cherries,
There was citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too,There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
It would build up a fine stomach ache
It would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
But really there wasn't no use,
For they worked at it over an hour
And couldn't get none of it loose
Till Murphy he went for the hatchet
And Kelly came in with a saw.
That cake was enough by the powers above
For to paralyze any man's jaw.
There were plums and prunes and cherries,
There was citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too,There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
Miss Fogarty, proud as a peacock,
Kept smiling and blinking awayTill she tripped over Flanagan's brogans
And spilled a whole brewing of tea.
"Oh, Gilhooley", she cried, "you're not eating!
Try a little bit more for my sake!"
"No, thank you", says I, "I've no courage to try
To force down any more of that cake.”
There were plums and prunes and cherries,
There was citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too,There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
McNaulty complained of his head,
O'Donnell lay down on the sofa
And swore that he wished he was dead.
Miss Bailey fell down in hysterics
And her legs, they did wriggle and shake
And everyone swore they were poisoned
Just from eating Miss Fogarty's cake.
There were plums and prunes and cherries,
There was citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too,There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries,
And a crust that was nailed on with glue!
There were caraway seeds in abundance
That would give you a fine stomach ache
That would kill a man twice after eating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake!
Though the taste is seductive, it makes me reflexive:
Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake.
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