I was maybe three years old. My brother, Robert, was maybe two. Rob died when he was three because he had cystic fibrosis.
I have always been the kind of person who has to look at things and analyze them. I have to turn them over and over again in my mind before I accept them. Rob must have been the same way.
We had found a bag of lemons that day in my grandmother’s kitchen. We looked at them. They looked pretty, all small and yellow. Surely, they would fit in our small mouths. We had analyzed them in our minds. We had turned them over in our minds. Now, we would turn them over in our mouths.
Being curious, we bit into the lemons. If my face looked like Rob’s, which I’m pretty sure that it did at the time, we looked just like we had been sucking on lemons.
“Blech!” we said.
One of us decided that we needed to throw them out. We lugged them out on the back porch. We began throwing the lemons out in the yard.
Mama came looking for us and saw us throwing the lemons in the backyard.
“Why are you throwing the lemons out?” she asked.
“They’re spoiled,” I answered, throwing another one in the yard.
“Yeah,” Rob said. “They’re sour.”
To our little toddler minds, just because they tasted sour, we thought they were no good. We didn’t think that anything that tasted so sour could be good.
It’s funny how our tastes change over the years. Nowadays, whenever I go eat at O’Neal’s, my sister Abbie’s favorite restaurant (and one of mine), I have to have lemons in my iced tea. When I go to Pizza Hut, I want lemons in my Diet Pepsi. I like the bitter taste and I can even eat a lemon straight, without making a face. (It’s a secret how I do it, though.)
Have you ever found yourself in a situation that has made your life sour? Perhaps you have found yourself hanging around with the wrong people.
When I say “the wrong people,” I’m not necessarily talking about people who will ask you, or force you, into doing things that are wrong. The wrong people I am referring to may actually be good people. They may be your best friends, but they can cause you trouble if you are around them too much. Perhaps, they’re the kind of people who constantly bring you down. They’re not like Nelly Forbush in South Pacific who proudly sang the song, “I’m a Cockeyed Optimist.” You can look in Webster’s Dictionary and see their photo there when you look up the word pessimist.
I’ve got to be honest. Sure, there are times when I’ve been down and I’ve expressed my feelings to my friends. Most of my friends are kind and will take the time to listen. It’s hard, though, to tell your problems to a person who constantly tells you about their problems. They don’t want to listen to you. They are consumed with their own problems. My best advice to you if you are having a problem that has got you down is to speak to a minister or a person who you know is a Christian or a licensed counselor.
“The wrong people” can also be those who are users. They use us up and then throw us away. We feel burned time and time by them, but we keep returning to our lemons.
In John, Chapter 4, we meet a woman who kept returning to her lemons. Nothing seemed to make her happy. She’d had five husbands, and she now had one at home that wasn’t her husband.
Marriage wasn’t her problem. It was the style of life that she had chosen to live that caused her problems. She met a man that day, however, when she went to the well who would change her life forever.
Jesus sat at Jacob’s Well. The story goes like this:
He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
She wanted the water He offered. She wanted her life to change, but there were some other things that Jesus wanted to deal with her about. He told her to go get her husband and bring the husband to her. She said that she didn’t have a husband.
Jesus told the woman He could tell that she was being truthful with Him and that He, who had never seen the woman before, knew that she had been married five times before and that she wasn’t married to her current husband.
The woman threw all of her lemons out the back door that day. Her life changed. I don’t know if she went home and kicked her man out the door, or if she went and told him about Jesus and he repented and married her. I just know that the woman’s life was never the same again.
An interesting thing about the story in John, chapter 4, is that it says that she went to the men in the city. The women there probably had their own lemons that they’d been sucking on and their faces were all perched up with disgust for this woman, because of the lifestyle she had lived. I wonder how they felt when their husbands went home, after they had gone to see Jesus at her behest. I imagine their lives were changed, also.
Have you got a problem that has caused your life to sour? Go, get a lemon, stand on your back porch, pray to God to take that problem away and just hurl that sour lemon as far as you can across the yard.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Word To My Bugalugs
Word To My Bugalugs
It’s amazing how some words can be turned around and mean something totally different than their intended use.
I have a friend named Adrienne, who I went to high school with. She has lived in Australia for over 20 years. Adrienne and I keep in contact through Facebook, an Internet social networking site. One day, on there, she asked me if I had kept up with a classmate whom she referred to as “bugalug.” She explained to me that “bugalug” was an Australian term of endearment. Curious, I decided to look up the term on Google. My search led me to the Urban Dictionary, which I discovered had the definition of the Australian term, as well as an urban term. Apparently, in street language, a bugalug is a male prostitute. Adrienne’s bugalug, however, was a term of endearment, such as a parent would use for their child.
Slang words confuse me sometimes. It was two years before I found out that the word “homey” did not mean homosexual. I had heard my Latin American friends use the word “esai.” I thought that they were asking me to write essays for their children’s school assignments. It took writing five essays for me to figure that out. (Just kidding!)
Other words with alternative definitions include:
“Hot,” which can mean the temperature is high or that someone is sexy. Another definition is that someone is doing very well on his or her job, such as a baseball player who is hitting well, has a “hot” bat.
“Cool,” which can mean that the temperature is moderate but more towards the cold side than the hot side. It can also mean that a person has appeal or charm.
“Warm,” which can mean that the temperature is moderate but more towards the hot side than the cold side. It can also indicate that a person is nearing the proximity of an object, such as in a guessing game or blindfold game, when you tell someone, “You’re getting warmer.”
“Word” is another word that can mean something different. It can mean the words you see on this page or it can be a message, like Paul Revere had to get word to the minutemen that the British were coming. It can also be used in hip-hop street language, such as “word to your mother!”
Some terms in the Bible also have different definitions than what we would think of today. One word is “corn.” It does not mean maize, what we know as corn in America, but it means the head of a wheat or grain plant. The term “wine” has different meanings in the Bible. One term means an alcoholic beverage; the other means grape juice, basically. Also, when God refers to man in the Bible, he usually refers to mankind, including women, and not just men.
I hope that my readers are all my bugalugs (Adrienne’s Australian term of endearment and not the street vernacular) and that are all enjoying the season, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
It’s amazing how some words can be turned around and mean something totally different than their intended use.
I have a friend named Adrienne, who I went to high school with. She has lived in Australia for over 20 years. Adrienne and I keep in contact through Facebook, an Internet social networking site. One day, on there, she asked me if I had kept up with a classmate whom she referred to as “bugalug.” She explained to me that “bugalug” was an Australian term of endearment. Curious, I decided to look up the term on Google. My search led me to the Urban Dictionary, which I discovered had the definition of the Australian term, as well as an urban term. Apparently, in street language, a bugalug is a male prostitute. Adrienne’s bugalug, however, was a term of endearment, such as a parent would use for their child.
Slang words confuse me sometimes. It was two years before I found out that the word “homey” did not mean homosexual. I had heard my Latin American friends use the word “esai.” I thought that they were asking me to write essays for their children’s school assignments. It took writing five essays for me to figure that out. (Just kidding!)
Other words with alternative definitions include:
“Hot,” which can mean the temperature is high or that someone is sexy. Another definition is that someone is doing very well on his or her job, such as a baseball player who is hitting well, has a “hot” bat.
“Cool,” which can mean that the temperature is moderate but more towards the cold side than the hot side. It can also mean that a person has appeal or charm.
“Warm,” which can mean that the temperature is moderate but more towards the hot side than the cold side. It can also indicate that a person is nearing the proximity of an object, such as in a guessing game or blindfold game, when you tell someone, “You’re getting warmer.”
“Word” is another word that can mean something different. It can mean the words you see on this page or it can be a message, like Paul Revere had to get word to the minutemen that the British were coming. It can also be used in hip-hop street language, such as “word to your mother!”
Some terms in the Bible also have different definitions than what we would think of today. One word is “corn.” It does not mean maize, what we know as corn in America, but it means the head of a wheat or grain plant. The term “wine” has different meanings in the Bible. One term means an alcoholic beverage; the other means grape juice, basically. Also, when God refers to man in the Bible, he usually refers to mankind, including women, and not just men.
I hope that my readers are all my bugalugs (Adrienne’s Australian term of endearment and not the street vernacular) and that are all enjoying the season, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
A Table Before Me
I was having my usual stressful and hectic week. I was headed to work listening to a preaching tape when the guy, who I had never heard of before, said that God had prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.
I seized hold of his message with both hands and my whole heart.
“Yes,” I thought, “God has prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.”
It doesn’t matter what devils of Hell and Earth assail me, I can still sit eating from the smorgasbord of spiritual gifts that God has for me. In the 23rd Psalm, I am told that God has prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.
Earlier in the week, I was made painfully aware of the depths that my enemies will stoop to. Still, God calls me to love them, no matter how bad they mistreat and use me. Still, God has a table set before me in their presence.
I thought that the enemy had won, but, once again, the devil had lied. I have won and they don’t even realize it yet.
It is so amazing what God does for you. The food at His table tastes so good. Come and dine with me.
I seized hold of his message with both hands and my whole heart.
“Yes,” I thought, “God has prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.”
It doesn’t matter what devils of Hell and Earth assail me, I can still sit eating from the smorgasbord of spiritual gifts that God has for me. In the 23rd Psalm, I am told that God has prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.
Earlier in the week, I was made painfully aware of the depths that my enemies will stoop to. Still, God calls me to love them, no matter how bad they mistreat and use me. Still, God has a table set before me in their presence.
I thought that the enemy had won, but, once again, the devil had lied. I have won and they don’t even realize it yet.
It is so amazing what God does for you. The food at His table tastes so good. Come and dine with me.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A House Filled With Company
My house has been filled with a lot of company lately and I enjoy the buzz and the hubbub of it. When you have company, it makes you feel like your family has expanded.
Family members have been the main source of the company. Sure, my father has had some physical therapists, occupational therapists and home health nurses that have come in but the home is usually filled with family and friends.
This past Saturday, my aunt Kathy visited. She and her son, Jamie, have become frequent supper guests. We enjoy their company. Also on Saturday, my friend Melissa stopped by, as did Coleman Raines, Jr., who brought us some political signs. He and my father enjoyed a little chat about Coleman’s relatives, the Whighams, the Raineses and the Howards.
My sister, Debbie, has been staying with us and she usually has a pot of coffee on or a cold soft drink or tea available for guests.
One day, before it gets too cold, I would love to have a potluck supper and invite my friends, relatives and neighbors. We could all eat outdoors. I would invite some of my friends over to play some music and enjoy the gift of life and music that God has given to each of us.
So many times, I realize that I have been ungrateful for everything that God has given to me. This year, my family and I have encountered numerous health problems. God has tried us and we are coming forth as gold. We continue to face health and financial problems, but God is supplying all of our needs. I have to constantly remind myself that while life might not be good at the moment, God is always good!
Family members have been the main source of the company. Sure, my father has had some physical therapists, occupational therapists and home health nurses that have come in but the home is usually filled with family and friends.
This past Saturday, my aunt Kathy visited. She and her son, Jamie, have become frequent supper guests. We enjoy their company. Also on Saturday, my friend Melissa stopped by, as did Coleman Raines, Jr., who brought us some political signs. He and my father enjoyed a little chat about Coleman’s relatives, the Whighams, the Raineses and the Howards.
My sister, Debbie, has been staying with us and she usually has a pot of coffee on or a cold soft drink or tea available for guests.
One day, before it gets too cold, I would love to have a potluck supper and invite my friends, relatives and neighbors. We could all eat outdoors. I would invite some of my friends over to play some music and enjoy the gift of life and music that God has given to each of us.
So many times, I realize that I have been ungrateful for everything that God has given to me. This year, my family and I have encountered numerous health problems. God has tried us and we are coming forth as gold. We continue to face health and financial problems, but God is supplying all of our needs. I have to constantly remind myself that while life might not be good at the moment, God is always good!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Another Career Path
Although I love my job, I sometimes consider what it would be like if I had chosen another career path and, then, I think, they have many of the same problems I do.
If I had been a policeman, I wouldn’t only have to deal with angry people. I might even have to deal with them shooting at me. I would also have the awesome responsibility of protecting them.
If I had been a teacher, I would sometimes have to deal with angry parents and angry children, plus I would have the awesome responsibility of a child’s life in my hands.
If I had been a minister, I might have to deal with church members getting upset with me. I would also have the awesome responsibility of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to them each and every service.
If I had been a paramedic or a doctor or a nurse, a person’s life would be in my hands at any give time. I don’t know if I could handle this type of responsibility.
There are responsibilities and stress factors in each and every job there is, whether it is a farmer, a laborer at a plant or a house cleaner.
Maybe I don’t mind my job so much. Sure, I might have to deal with half of the county being angry at me at any given time and half of the county applauding me. Sure, I might have to deal with the tremendous stress of the newspaper business and the tremendous stress I have had to deal with at home and with my own health for the last year. I would rather be working than not working.
My ideal job would be as a bestselling novelist. I’m sure that, even then, I would find plenty to stress me out about.
I salute all the business people, the firefighters, the police men and women, the farmers, the soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, the school teachers – everyone who has a job and makes America the great land that it is!
If I had been a policeman, I wouldn’t only have to deal with angry people. I might even have to deal with them shooting at me. I would also have the awesome responsibility of protecting them.
If I had been a teacher, I would sometimes have to deal with angry parents and angry children, plus I would have the awesome responsibility of a child’s life in my hands.
If I had been a minister, I might have to deal with church members getting upset with me. I would also have the awesome responsibility of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to them each and every service.
If I had been a paramedic or a doctor or a nurse, a person’s life would be in my hands at any give time. I don’t know if I could handle this type of responsibility.
There are responsibilities and stress factors in each and every job there is, whether it is a farmer, a laborer at a plant or a house cleaner.
Maybe I don’t mind my job so much. Sure, I might have to deal with half of the county being angry at me at any given time and half of the county applauding me. Sure, I might have to deal with the tremendous stress of the newspaper business and the tremendous stress I have had to deal with at home and with my own health for the last year. I would rather be working than not working.
My ideal job would be as a bestselling novelist. I’m sure that, even then, I would find plenty to stress me out about.
I salute all the business people, the firefighters, the police men and women, the farmers, the soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, the school teachers – everyone who has a job and makes America the great land that it is!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Grow Our Local Economy
Is GOLE really interested in growing our local economy? Why are they putting all their eggs in one basket and calling on liquor to grow the economy. Will downtown Madison look the way that this downtown in this video does? GOLE should try to get things here that will help our economy and not cause more problems!
Ridiculous
I just heard the most ridiculous thing I heard since a storm knocked down a sign that was allegedly shot in Madison County, Fla. I heard that vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter was actually the one who gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby instead of Gov. Palin.
The people who are purporting this are sorry left-wing liberal bloggers! I will not even mentioned the name of the blog. They have already gotten national coverage with their accusations!
While it is true that 17-year-old Bristol Palin is five months pregnant and set to marry the father, I think that it's ridiculous that anyone could imagine something so stupid!
We will probably be reading more about the Palins in the National Enquirer and other sleazy tabloids, but the stupid bloggers beat them to making up the lie about Bristol giving birth to the Down's syndrome baby!
What is our world coming to?
Why do they have to attack Palin for anything her family did or did not do? Because they are afraid if they look at her policies, she will outshine them all!
The people who are purporting this are sorry left-wing liberal bloggers! I will not even mentioned the name of the blog. They have already gotten national coverage with their accusations!
While it is true that 17-year-old Bristol Palin is five months pregnant and set to marry the father, I think that it's ridiculous that anyone could imagine something so stupid!
We will probably be reading more about the Palins in the National Enquirer and other sleazy tabloids, but the stupid bloggers beat them to making up the lie about Bristol giving birth to the Down's syndrome baby!
What is our world coming to?
Why do they have to attack Palin for anything her family did or did not do? Because they are afraid if they look at her policies, she will outshine them all!
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