Sunday, January 30, 2011

THE CLOTHESLINE



THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES (if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)




I always wondered where my Mom got the rules for hanging clothes. That is the way she made me hang them. Funny, you have to be a certain age to appreciate this, but I can hear my mamma now!




1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes- walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.


2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first. Longer, heavier things in the back. Shorter things in the front so the wind could blow through it all.


3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think? Pin lightly on the seams.


4. Wash day on a Monday! . . Never hang clothes on the weekend, or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!


5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)


6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather . .. Clothes would "freeze-dry."


7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"


8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.


9. Clothes off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.


10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!




A POEM


A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.


It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.


For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths"
With intricate designs.


The line announced a baby's birth
From folks who lived inside -
As brand new infant clothes were hung,
So carefully with pride!


The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed,
You'd know how much they'd grown!


It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,>
Haphazardly were strung.


It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare!


New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way . . .


But clotheslines now are of the past,
For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!


I really miss that way of life
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best >
By what hung on the line!
                                          - Unknown Author

THE BEST THINGS TO GIVE

The best things to give:






To your friend --- loyalty


To your enemy --- forgiveness


To your boss --- service


To a child --- a good example


To your parents --- gratitude and devotion


To your wedded mate --- love and faithfulness


To all men --- charity


To God --- your life

Author Unknown


Find more inspirational words, pictures, music, and thoughts at Spiritual Sundays.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

CURSE GOD AND DIE!

This weekend, I wanted to do something for Spiritual Sundays on this blog. I have 4 different daily devotional applications on my phone and one of them this morning struck me as something I should share with my blog friends and visitors. I'm so painfully aware of how easy it is to give up when life seems to have taken everything good away and there is nothing left but misery and hopelessness. Jesus tells us about this in the Gospel of St. John: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." NIV

This devotion is taken from the devotion called Today. It was written by Norm Prenger. I pray that the Lord will speak to you through His Holy Spirit so that you may be comforted, encouraged, and able to do likewise to those who may need it. God bless, Dr. Bobbi


CURSE GOD AND DIE

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Job 2:9


My heart goes out to Job’s wife. She lost so much—beautiful sons and daughters, a substantial lifestyle, her security and dignity. Now her husband was covered in terrible sores and mumbling praises to God with ash-covered lips. Job’s own skin had become for her a living canvas depicting life’s cruelty and religion’s futility. Something inside of her snapped.


She is not alone. It’s ironic, but many folks drift away from faith in God for one of two reasons: life can be either too pleasant or too painful. Both ways of experiencing life can lead us to forget our Creator. A life of ease can lead to laziness, and a life of pain can lead to bitter despair. Satan is happy when we experience either outcome.


The gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t promise a life of ease. It’s not some sort of spiritual painkiller to take away suffering. In fact, to embrace the truth can mean embracing even more pain—for Jesus’ sake. Leaving behind lives that are built around sin and selfishness will feel like dying. But death won’t have the last word.


Dear woman, look again at your husband, Job. See in his suffering a hint of the coming suffering of your Savior. See in Job’s faithfulness to God, despite so much suffering, an expression of the integrity of faith to which we are all called. All is not lost, and all can be forgiven.


Prayer


Lord, forgive us when we give in to despair. We trust the One who endured the cross for love’s better day. With him, may we let it all go into our Father’s hands. Amen.




Norm Prenger

http://thisistoday.com/archives/curses-into-blessings-2011-01-08/

Galatians 2:20





Wednesday, January 5, 2011

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE


Yesterday morning was one of those normal mornings. After my 3rd cup of coffee I gathered myself together and trotted off to the shower.

Let me backtrack just a bit. Over the weekend I had put together several Daily Grace devotions and one of them was using the scripture from Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." In the devotion I talked about how this day is a gift and there are many who did not receive the gift of today. Because we have the gift of today, we can experience many new things and watch the wonderful working of God. That is certainly something to be happy about.

Back to my shower story: As I was stepping out of the shower I looked at myself in the huge wall sized mirror that hangs over my vanity. As usual, my initial response is "ugh." Looking at my 60 year old body sort of does something to the female ego inside me and it isn't good.

But something was different this day as I looked at my time worn body. I began to feel greatful that I was healthy. I can walk, get in the floor with the grandchildren, use both my hands and arms. All five senses work and I have fairly good use of my brain and thought processes. Most of all, I have the Lord to guide me and protect me.

After thinking these things, which took only a few moments, I began to thank the Lord for that 60 year old body I was looking at in the mirror. I had been putting down this body for so long because it didn't look like the body it did 40 years ago. The Lord brought the devotion from Psalm to my mind and instead of saying, "Ugh!" I spoke out loud, "This is the body that Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad with it."

I can't begin to describe the burden that lifted off me and the blessing and joy I felt as I realized what a gift I have. No, I'm not going to be seeking a chance to be America's next top model, but I'm going to give what I have back to the Lord in service and rejoice in what He has given to me.