Harold would not likely ever write about himself, but I would!
Actually, he’s not much of a reader or a writer but he’s good at math. He can add up numbers in his head faster than I can find a calculator. I’m just the opposite; so goes the saying, opposites attract.
Fun fact: Harold lived the first part of his life as “Bernard,” which is actually his middle name, and that’s what his family and old friends still call him.
Growing up in Madison, Indiana in the late 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s he was the third child born to his parents, James and Mildred. His sister, Marilyn, (1943-2024) was five years older, and his brother, Kenny, is 2 years older than him. Kenny’s given name is actually James Kenneth, but just like his brother he went by his middle name.
One of Harold’s favorite childhood memories was when they’d go to the Friday night sprint and stock car races in nearby Kentucky. They went fairly often as it was just a short car ride over the Milton-Madison Bridge. It was there he began his lifelong love of car racing.
His favorite vacation memories were at Indiana Beach. They and several relatives from his mom’s side of the family would rent a large house on Lake Schaefer where they enjoyed fishing off the docks, riding the rides on the boardwalk, and swimming on the beach. They liked it so much they returned to Indiana Beach several years in a row.
He played school basketball and intramural basketball in grade school up through high school, either as a forward or center. He was tall so that worked out in his favor.
As a teenager he helped his uncles put up hay and tobacco, which was common work in rural southern Indiana. The tobacco work required several different steps: cutting and hanging, waiting for it to dry out, striping it, then tying it into bundles.
It was in his junior high school years that Harold first came to faith in Jesus Christ. He was baptized soon after at Madison Baptist church.
In his junior and senior year of high school he worked as a lot boy at Bennett Motors. Working at this car dealership was the beginning of what would later become one of his two main occupations in his life.
After graduating from Madison Consolidated High School in 1966, he married his high school girlfriend, Linda, in 1967. Their first child, Kimberly Ann, was born in 1967, and their second child, Kevin Harold, was born in 1970. Linda filed for divorce in 1975, they separated, and then reconciled. They separated again in 1976, she filed for divorce again in 1977, and it was finalized in early 1978.
During their 10 year marriage he worked installing terrazzo flooring and he also opened up his own flooring covering business. While installing terrazzo flooring he traveled to various job locations, including a large job in Homestead, Connecticut, where he stayed for several weeks. He also learned how to do tile installation while working with terrazzo flooring. After around 4 years of working for someone else he opened up his own flooring company, Crandell Floor Covering, on West 16th Street in Indianapolis.
Harold and I met in late September of 1976 while I was working at the airport Rodeway Inn. He was friends with the hotel manager and had been staying at the hotel due to the separation. The manager introduced us to each other one night while they were in The Library Lounge talking about the carpeting job he was doing for the hotel. We just so happened to see each other again later in the lobby hallway as I was getting off shift. He asked me if I was hungry and if I’d like to go nextdoor to Denny’s for breakfast. Actually, he likes to tell the story that it was me who asked him to go out to breakfast. I’m pretty sure it was the other way around, but he’s told that story for so many years now that he’s almost got me convinced that it was me who asked him!
Long story short, after a while we fell in love with each other. I was attracted to his heart, his humor, and his good looks. We married three and half years later on my mom and dad’s 41st wedding anniversary, March 15, 1980. We traveled to London, Paris, and Rome for our honeymoon.
At this time in our lives, Harold worked at a local car dealership, and I worked for Sky Harbor at Eagle Creek Airpark.
We lived in Indianapolis, first in a Westlake apartment and then in a double (duplex) that my mom owned on Harding Street. God blessed us with our first daughter, Michelle Nicole in 1981, and also our second daughter, Megan Renee in 1986.
Although Harold had closed his flooring company in 1977, he still had an interest in flooring. So, in the mid 1980’s we started up a small business of manufacturing carpet tack strips, aka tactless strips. We also sold floor installation supples. It was a short lived business, due to low profit margins, so we sold the equipment and Harold went back to work at a local car dealership. I worked at Sky Harbor Aviation and then American Trans Air during this time.
Kim and Kevin were very much a part of our lives back in the 1980’s. They came to our home on a regular basis and they both came to live with us for extended periods of time and at various times. We were a family of six and continued being a part of each other’s lives for several years after we moved away from Indianapolis. Sadly, our relationship deteriorated over the past few years to the point of estrangement; Kim first and then more recently Kevin.
We moved in 1988 from Indianapolis to Brandon, Florida. I wrote about this move in my story titled, “The Land That I Will Show You.” Harold worked at a local car dealership, and it was here I began working at Delta Air lines in their Tampa office in 1989.
In 1990 we moved to Torrance, California where I worked for Delta Air Lines in their Los Angeles office, and Harold worked at a local car dealership. I wrote about this move in my story titled, “The West Coast.”
In 1991, we moved to Orange Park, Florida where I worked for Delta Air Lines in their Jacksonville office, and Harold worked at a local car dealership. I wrote about this move in my story titled, “Johnny Walker.”
In 1993, we moved to Lewisville, Texas where I worked for Delta Air Lines in their Dallas office, and Harold once again worked for a local car dealership. I wrote about this move in my story titled, “Green Acres.” It was here that God both blessed and surprised us with our third daughter, Mackenzie Anne, in 1996.
We still call Texas home today. We moved from Lewisville to Krum to Denton within a 10 year period, and have been in our Denton home for over 20 years now. Some of our favorite family memories in Texas include vacations, holidays, and watching the grandkids grow up and play sports.
In 2003 Harold opened his own car sales lot and then a couple of years later he transitioned it into RV sales. I helped him in the RV business while still working for Delta Air Lines, and then more so after I retired from Delta in 2009. Each of our daughters, and Kevin, helped and/or worked for Harold in one way or another and at different times as well.
Megan first helped Harold open the Lewisville car lot and worked with him in the car sales business for around two years. She also helped him transition to RV sales in Denton. Michelle helped transport RV’s and even helped sell a couple of them. Mackenzie, who as a child said she’d never work in the RV business, ended up being very knowledgeable about RV’s and the RV business in general. She worked for us the longest, sold more RV’s than anyone, confidently ran the business while Harold and I were out of town, and stayed with us until the day we decided to close up the shop.
After a long and successful career in the car and RV sales business, Harold retired at the age of 75 in December of 2023. These days we’re enjoying retirement and are looking forward to whatever God has in store for us. We’re thankful for the gift of faith, the gift of family, and His providence and guidance in our lives throughout our years together. By the grace of God, we celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary on March 15, 2024. We’re still in love, and I’m still attracted to his heart, his humor, and his good looks.
And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
The 15th of March is somewhat of an interesting date in history. As the 74th day of the year on the Roman Republic calendar, March 15 became known as “The Ides of March.” According to this ancient calendar, March 15, was associated with several pagan observances and was also known as a date for settling debts. In addition, March 15 was the exact date in which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Caesar’s death played a role in the fall of the Roman Republic and subsequent rise of the Roman Empire.
Interestingly, March 15 has become a notable date in our family, and it has nothing to do with Ancient Rome, and everything to do with love and marriage.
Starting with my great great grandfather, Sylvester Anderson, who married my great great grandmother, Pauline Terhune, on March 15, 1866. Then….
My mom and dad, Sara and Herman Query got married March 15, 1941.
Then…
My husband Harold and I married on March 15, 1980.
And then….
Our daughter Megan became Mrs. John Williams on March 15, 2009. She and John met at Denton high school but didn’t start dating until after they both graduated. I remember when we first met John, Harold told him that he really liked banana splits. Banana Splits started appearing out of nowhere! The next thing I knew, John asked Harold for his permission to ask Megan to marry him.
Megan and John married in a beautiful traditional Christian wedding ceremony, held in the Cindy Nichols Chapel at First Baptist Church Denton, officiated by Pastor Brad Cockrell.
But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:6-9
Megan’s colors were black and white with a pop of hot pink! The men wore hot pink daisy boutonnières and black Converse tennis shoes. The reception was held in Sanger Texas, where we served a Texas style dinner, and danced to a variety of music, actually mostly country!
March 15!
Four weddings in our family on this same date.
So I think it’s safe to say that we have officially established a March family tradition. Our local newspaper even featured it in their 2009 Bride Guide!
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
My grandmother, Rose Query passed away in 1930 when my dad was only 9 years old. My dad’s older sisters, Violet and Mildred helped to raise him after their mom passed away. Dad didn’t speak of his mom often but when he did, tears would flood his eyes.
Dad kept a large framed picture of his mom in a small workshop storage area of our basement on McFarland Road in Indianapolis. I was intrigued by her picture from very the first day I saw it. One day, in the mid 1970’s, I saw him sitting near it and asked him if could have it one day. I told him that I’d take care of it and hang up on a wall. He initially hesitated and didn’t reply for a while. I wondered if I hurt his feelings by asking to have it. I think it was one of only a few things that he had to remember his mom by. A few moments later he looked at me and told me I could have it “one day.” His eyes were red, as if he’d been crying.
“One day” came a few years later in 1978. After suffering from the effects of polio half of his adult life, he succumbed to metastasized lung cancer at age 58. As hard as it was to see my dad suffer with cancer, it was even harder when he actually passed away. And while mementos are just tangible objects, there’s a particular comfort in having mementos of our loved ones that are no longer with us. In addition to the picture of his mom, I have one of my dad’s Bibles, some vintage White Castle coffee cups, some video cassette tapes of guitar sessions with his friends, a 45 RPM record in which he played guitar, titled, “Feets too Big,” photos, and a handwritten notebook of their 1926 family train vacation from Indianapolis to Los Angeles.
The notebook diary is really pretty cool. Written entirely by hand, my grandmother, Rose wrote 27 pages of their most memorable moments from their 1926 vacation to Los Angeles and back. It gives me a glimpse of a piece of time in my family heritage. I imagine it was a well planned and much anticipated family vacation. The family trip included my dad, his sister Mildred, his brother Chester, and their parents, Fred and Rose. My dad’s oldest sister, Beulah, passed away in 1925 at age 20. My dad’s sister, Violet did not go with them on this trip as she married in 1925.
Their trip started on the morning of July 6, 1926, by car from Quincy, Indiana to Green Castle, Indiana where they boarded the train. As they crossed over the Wabash River, my dad, who was 5 years old said, “Is that the ocean?”
The train made several stops on the way up to Chicago where they stopped and ate supper on the banks of Lake Michigan facing the famous Stevens Hotel. It was still under construction but was already famous as it was to become the largest hotel in the world with 3000 hotel rooms. What a sight to see for a young family from Quincy, Indiana!
Rose often mentioned the corn and wheat fields, thrashing machines, the weather, and the terrain they saw throughout their train trip. They slept in berths; my dad got an upper most berth. When they crossed over the Missouri River on Wednesday, July 7 at 9:30 a.m. Rose noted how muddy the ground was and and how swampy the river seemed.
Continuing on, they stopped at Kansas City and she noted seeing several large companies such as Montgomery Ward and Sears and Roebuck, and mentioned how hot it was there.
On Thursday morning, July 8, the train passed by Canyon, TX where she noted that the land was flat, however noting it was “the prettiest scenery so far.” After passing by two more Texas cities they arrived in Clovis, NM.
During a stop at Vaughn, NM, my dad saw a Ford “Roadster” and said, “I’ll bet that’s Opal and Edd” which I’m not quite sure what he meant by saying this. Perhaps they were character’s associated with Roadster’s in some way. When he saw the mountains from afar he told his mom that the mountains were “blue.”
They arrived in Gallup, NM on Thursday evening, July 8 at 8:40 p.m. and she noted that it was difficult to breathe as it was near 10,000 ft altitude.
On Friday, July 9, they crossed the Colorado River at 6:45 a.m. and then crossed the state line into Needles, CA at 7:00 a.m. and noted the weather was very warm.
They arrived in Los Angeles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 9 and took a taxi to their friend’s home at 1826 Marne Avenue. The taxi ride cost $3.70.
They rested on Saturday and then went to the beach on Sunday, July 11. After a swim in the Pacific Ocean they ate lunch and then took a sightseeing drive through Hollywood.
On Monday, July 12 they went to Venice Beach where they saw a replica of Noah’s Ark and a huge road sign of a whale swallowing Jonah, as we know of from the Bible. They enjoyed the Fun House, a 40’ steep stair walk, a barrel ride, and the roller coaster!
July 13-23 included shopping, sightseeing, visiting some friends, and several beach visits which resulted in my dad getting “sunburnt.” The sunburn put a halt to their activities for a few days.
July 24-25 they visited Long Beach, Naples, Seal Beach, Anaheim Landing, and Wilmington Boat Landing. They also rode a ferry boat to San Pedro Bay and visited Fort MacArthur. The fort is named after Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur. His son, was Douglas MacArthur, who later became the commander of our American forces in the Pacific during World War II. Their return trip on the ferry included the transportation of 11 automobiles and a spectacular up close view of two large steamboats going in opposite directions.
July 27-29 they visited a theatre, Exposition Park and Lincoln Park where they enjoyed seeing a variety of animals, plants, and trees. They took the opportunity to weigh themselves on a scale at the zoo: Fred 183 lbs, Rose 146 lbs, Chester 86 lbs, Mildred 88 lbs, and my dad, Herman weighed in at a whopping 50 lbs.
On August 1, 1926 they departed Los Angeles at 8:42 a.m. by train. Their return route was the reverse of the route they took coming out: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana. They arrived safely back home to Quincy, IN on August 5, 1926, thanking God and remarking, “no tongue can express our gratitude for this grand trip and of the many things that made the trip an enjoyable one.” Signed: Rose & Fred, Mildred, Chester & Herman
My grandmother, Rose Matilda Hunsicker Query, passed away approximately 3 years later after having complications from a goiter (thyroid gland) surgery. Her memorial mentions that her family was with her at the time of her passing and that “Her Savior called her to come up higher.” She passed peacefully away at age 46 at 12 o’clock on Sunday, March 2, 1930 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
Fred passed away in 1947.
Violet passed away in 1986.
Mildred passed away in 2000.
Chester passed away in 1985.
Herman passed away in 1978.
And,
Beulah, who was the firstborn and also the first one in their immediate family to pass away. I don’t know what illness took her life but understand she had a long history of ill health. Her memorial speaks of a gracious young girl with a host of friends. Upon realization of her impending death she began making her own funeral plans. She selected the songs, pallbearers, and the minister who was her pastor when she first trusted in Christ at age 14 and who also officiated at her marriage just 7 months earlier. She passed away in 1924 at the young age of 20, but understood “the beauties of Heaven” and that “Heaven is made up of all ages.”
Rose sometime before 1930. Fred in the 1940’s. Chester, Mildred, Violet, & my dad in the 1970’s. Rose’s 1926 vacation notebook. And Rose’s picture in its original frame hanging up in my home, as I promised my dad many years ago.
Siblings are our first friends in life, and ideally are our friends for life. I believe God designed it that way and that siblings are gifts from God. As the 5th of 6 children in our family, life was not always perfect but more importantly I learned that God was. I’m thankful for the gift of family and for each of my siblings.
My sister, Joyce, who is 12 years older than me, got married when I was around 7 years old. She started her own typesetting business in the mid 1960’s, as a young single mom of two young children. She successfully operated that business for many years. She held a private pilot’s license with an instrument rating for many years, and is also a self taught custom interior carpenter. Now a widow in her early 80’s she’s an avid golfer and enjoys music and dancing with friends regularly.
Joyce in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s.
My brother, Eldon lived a short but meaningful life. He was blessed with a lot of friends and was just beginning his life as a young adult a few months after his high school graduation, when he was killed in an automobile accident in September of 1963. The car he was driving was struck by a drunk driver who ran the red light that was less than a mile from our home. I was only 9 years old at the time of his death. The night he died it was reported in the newspaper that approximately 20 of his friends went to the local Baptist church to rededicate their lives. While his death devastated and forever changed the landscape of our family, I came to the understanding later in life that God is sovereign and that “….all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Eldon in the 1950’s, 1961, and 1963.
My brother, Ron loved playing basketball in school, and some time after his high school graduation in 1968, he joined the U.S. Navy and served our country for 4 years. He was also an accomplished artist for several years. As a father and grandfather, he worked two jobs simultaneously for many years. Today he’s fully retired and uses a wheelchair to get around after having had a leg amputation a few years ago.
Ron in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s.
My brother Dennis also loved playing basketball in school, and was my only sibling to graduate from college. He became a teacher, a basketball coach, and a middle school principal. He’s a father and grandfather, who enjoys keeping physically fit by running regularly and various other physical activities. His wife and he are currently enjoying travel and full time retirement together.
Dennis in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s.
Our little brother Doug, who is the main subject of this writing, and who I affectionately still call “Dougie” was born 3 months premature in 1957. He was diagnosed early on as being mentally retarded. Nowadays it’s called mentally “disabled” as the word, “retarded” has long since became a slang word meant to degrade and make fun of people.
Dougie in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 1976.
Dougie had a mind that was “forever young.” He was probably the sweetest, most sincere person I have ever known. He will always hold a special place in my heart. One day in the 1980’s, he came to me upset with himself because he had told a lie and knew it was wrong. His lips were quivering and he was near tears. I told him that God knows when we do wrong things and that it was good that he was sorry for what he did. His humility was so precious and sweet. I hugged him and helped him pray out loud in Jesus’ name for forgiveness.
I remember when we were little I was his personal interpreter. He also had a speech impediment and it was hard for most people to understand what he was saying. Being the closest in age to him, I naturally spent a lot of time with him so it was easy for me to understand what he was saying.
Dougie and me in the 1950’s and 60’s
When he and I played outside I felt responsible to watch him and to help him. Whether it was playing in the neighborhood or on the swing sets at the drive-in movies across the street on Highway 31, I was his protector.
Just like any little boy, he wanted to attend the same school that all the neighborhood kids went to but he was sent to Lincoln Elementary and then over to MacArthur Elementary as they had Special Education classes. The same was true in his middle school years. He wanted to attend Meridian Middle School like the neighborhood kids but was sent to Keystone Middle School as they were the designated school at that time for Special Education kids.
He was initially held back one year of elementary school in the very beginning and then again held back another year later on. It was at MacArthur Elementary that he had two of his favorite teachers, Mr Carter who was his Special Education teacher and his Boy Scout leader, and Mr French who was his art teacher. It was here that he also had an unnamed worst teacher. I knew about his favorite teachers as he spoke of them often over the years but I didn’t know about the unnamed worst teacher until recently. He told me she replaced Mr Carter and said that, “She put her hands on me and hurt me!” After talking with him about this a little more, I learned that she grabbed his shoulders and shook him abusively one day for reasons unknown which made him very upset. If I had known about this back then I would have been in the principal’s office the next day.
Actually, not too long after I got my drivers license, Dougie came home very upset one day after school. He said some kids at school were making fun of him at lunch time. They were taking his food away from him and putting things in it, basically bullying him and making him cry. When he told me about this and also that it wasn’t the first time, I was livid. I drove over to the school the first thing the next morning and sat down in the principal’s office and told him what was happening to my little brother. I also told him that someone needed to do a better job of protecting my little brother. I barely got those words out before I began to cry. (I was young and emotional.) The principal was kind but seemed indifferent and offered zero solutions. I left unsure if the principal was going to do anything to help Dougie. I realized that day that Dougie was likely going to have to deal with people like those kids and that principal the rest of his life.
While in high school he had a crush on a neighborhood girl with blonde hair who rode his school bus. Her name was Karen Taylor. He thought she was cute but he was too shy to talk to her. He told me that he was “in love with her” and that one day he wrote her a note and put it in her mailbox but she never responded. Dougie graduated from Perry Meridian High School in 1976 and as far as I know, she was the only girl he ever had a crush on. Over 50 years later, he recalled this story with a lump in his throat.
Dougie continued living at home with mom for several years as a young adult. He worked for Noble Industries in Indianapolis. They had two locations at this time, one on the west side of town and one on the east side of town. He first worked at their west location in their greenhouse. He enjoyed working in the greenhouse but for some reason he was moved over to the other location to work in a school kitchen. His job there was taking lunch trays off the conveyer belt and loading them unto a commercial dishwasher. It was here he made $1.50 an hour and where he started singing to himself while working. He remembers singing a phrase “Wagon Ho” while he unloaded and loaded the trays. It was also during this time he picked up some “ticks.” He began blurting out a “moo” sound like a cow, and also an “ooga” sound like that of an old car horn. He doesn’t know why he started repeating these sounds although I suspect it was some type of work related stress.
Interestingly Dougie had a natural talent for tinkering with electronics. I remember I had an alarm clock radio that broke and I gave it to him to tinker with. He took it all apart and laid the parts out on a TV tray. I assumed that he’d never get it back together again. Within two or three weeks he put it back together and it worked! I was amazed. This was back when he was in his mid 20’s.
He also had a unique talent of impersonating TV personalities. His favorite was Sammy Terry, a local 1960’s-1970’s late night TV show host. The show was a Friday late night phenomenon in Indianapolis called Nightmare Theater. Sammy would open the show emerging out of a coffin and proceed to introduce the scary old movie that was being shown that night. Dougie, had fun imitating Sammy Terry’s introduction: “Good evening. Welcome to Nightmare Theater. I’m your host Sammy Terry.” (Moo-ha-ha!”) He would then go on to announce the movie, like “Tonight we have Frankenstein Meets the Werewolf” (“Moo-ha-ha!”) followed by the dangling emergence of George, his sidekick giant spider, and Sammy’s trademark laughter.
In the mid 1990’s our mom was suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s and was transitioned to an assisted living center in St Louis, to be near my sister, Joyce. At this same time, Dougie went to live in St Louis in a small nearby apartment.
While Dougie enjoyed the apartment, It didn’t work out well for him. He really needed more structure and guidance, plus he got bit by an unknown dog in the neighborhood and had to undergo a painful series of rabies shots. So after about a year of living on his own, my niece, Debbie invited Dougie to come live with her in the Central West End area of St Louis. While in St. Louis Dougie really enjoyed playing basketball and softball with a special education group. He also had the love and support of my other niece, Marlene, who lived in St Louis too.
In 2001 Debbie decided to move to the Seattle Washington area and so Dougie moved too. My niece, Marlene moved there a few months later as well. They settled in a small town called Burien, where Debbie was instrumental in creating a program, called Clean Sweep. It was specifically designed for employing disabled people to help pick up trash around downtown Burien. Dougie worked part time for Clean Sweep and enjoyed everything about it. He enjoyed his job, enjoyed working along side his fellow disabled workers, and enjoyed getting to know the local store owners and their frequent customers. He also enjoyed the independence and freedom of using an inexpensive transportation program available in Burien.
However, a downside to his independence and freedom occurred when a stranger took advantage of Dougie one day. He walked over to Arby’s and on his way back a car stopped and blocked his way. A pregnant lady with two kids told him that she and her kids were hungry. She asked him to buy them some food, and then a boy joined them and he bought his food too. She then coerced him to go to the bank and withdraw as much money as he could from the bank machine. He gave her the money (I think it was $200 or $300, or whatever the maximum bank card withdrawal was at that time) and then she left. He also lost his phone that same day. Later, a police report was filed but of course the lady was never found. We were all so upset and so sad that this happened to our Dougie.
And while he really enjoyed working, he was actually hit and injured by a vehicle on two separate occasions while working. After spending some time in the hospital with a broken hip (hairline fracture) from the second car incident, his job duties were then changed to inside only.
Besides working part-time for several years in Burien, Dougie enjoyed going to some local activities specially designed for the disabled. His favorites activities were going to a Thursday morning art class, and Friday nights to “The Club” to hang out with his friends.
He also had some problems with recurring staph infections over the past several years, some requiring hospitalizations. He had to have his middle toe removed from his right foot in January of 2023 due to another staph infection. He was hospitalized for a month, and then spent another month in a rehab center, Hallmark Manor. His only complaint was that he couldn’t get his favorite TV shows at either place although he did like some of the new TV channels he watched at the rehab center. He also enjoyed playing board games at Hallmark Manor. He enjoyed winning .50 cents from playing two of the Bingo games!
Shortly after that he developed another a wound on the bottom of his right foot which was not as bad as the other wound but kept him home most of the time.
He often talked about how much he wished he could go back to his art class and “The Club” but because of his foot issues he never got to go to back. His daily routine evolved to primarily staying home and watching his favorite TV shows.
His favorite cartoons were Popeye, Mighty Mouse, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby Doo. His favorite game shows were Let’s Make a Deal, The Match Game, and of course, The Price is Right! His favorite TV shows were old re-runs like Bewitched, The Love Boat, Emergency, The Time Tunnel, The Partridge Family, The Wild, Wild West, Power Rangers, and Star-trek. He was so proud of his “Star Trek Enterprise” model he had in his room. He also liked The Andy Griffith Show, and was also proud of his light up “Mayberry Village.” It included Andy, Opie, Aunt Bee, Barney, Gomer, Andy’s home, and the gas station. He liked it so much he kept several photos of his “Mayberry Village” on his phone. Toward the end of his life he added Young Sheldon and Night Court to his viewing schedule. His chief complaint was that the H & I (Heros and Icons) TV channel was no longer available in his viewing area which prevented him from watching all the super hero shows.
When he was being treated weekly for his foot wound, he so looked forward to going to the foot doctor on Tuesdays; that was the day he got breakfast to-go at the Jack in the Box. The rest of his meals were generally at home. He was allowed to microwave food but not allowed to use the stovetop or oven, due to safety concerns. His favorite breakfast cereals were Captain Crunch, Fruit Loops, and Lucky Charms. His favorite lunches were Hot Pockets and Smucker’s Uncrustables Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwiches. Some of his other favorite foods included Pop Tarts, chips, and corn dogs with catsup. His favorite to-go restaurants were Panda Express, Jack in the Box, Subway, and The Chicken Burger Place. His favorite desserts were oatmeal raisin cookies, vanilla ice cream, strawberry popsicles, and homemade puff wheat balls. On Sunday’s he looked forward to having a big breakfast prepared for him: eggs and sausage or pancakes with peanut butter, a Query family favorite.
Dougie loved Debbie’s dogs, Bella and Honey. They kept him company and made him laugh. Honey liked to sit in his favorite chair whenever he got up. Bella liked to sit on his bed when he was not in it. He’d give them treats in order to get them to move!
I remember when Dougie was young, the doctor told my mom that Dougie’s life expectancy would be short, however, that doctor was wrong. God had a plan and a purpose for Dougie’s life. Yes, his life was full of challenges, but God blessed him with a happy disposition, a sense of humor, a loving family, and a long life. More so, Dougie was loved by many, and was a blessing to many more. By the grace of God, he celebrated his 67th birthday on April 2, 2024.
On November 19, 2024 I received word that Dougie had passed away at home from natural causes.
I will miss our almost daily phone calls. He would talk about his TV shows, his meals, how he was feeling, the dogs, things he remembered from the past, or really about anything he wanted to talk about. Sometimes we would talk about God. Dougie knew that God was in control and that He knew the future. We prayed and talked about trusting God. We also talked about death and how God knew when our time would be to pass away. My prayers for him, in addition to his physical needs, were for God to protect him and to continually renew his child-like faith in Him. Sometimes I would sing songs to him like, “Jesus Loves Me” and he would sing along. I would end each call by telling him to call me back tomorrow and by telling him, “I love you.” He always called me back and he always told me, “I love you too.”
He didn’t call me on November 19th, 2024; he went to be with Jesus. I miss my little brother but I’m trusting in God and looking forward to the day we’ll be reunited in heaven.
Ron, Joyce, Dougie, me, and Dennis in 2017 on our Query Family Caribbean Cruise!
Walking through our local big box retail store in late November I was intrigued by the array of “Christmas” T-shirt’s on display. Every single one of them was either making some sort of fun or folly of Christmas. Now I enjoy having fun just as much as anybody, but there’s a big difference between having fun and making fun of something. I found these shirts in particular poor taste:
I wondered how did we get here?
A quick search on the internet about “Christmas” returns a lot of interesting information. For one, “Christmas literally means “Christ’s mass,” which originated from the Old English term, “Cristes Maesse.” It was sometime during the 4th century that a decision was made by the early church to celebrate the birth of Christ annually. They chose the date of December 25, which also happened to coincide with the Roman Saturnalia festival, a traditional pagan festival. Why the 4th century church chose to combine the celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world with a pagan festival is perhaps a discussion for another day, but suffice it to say that this is, in fact, what history has recorded.
Fast forward to today, it seems that while Christmas has long been a beloved holiday to most everyone, it holds different meanings to different people.
For the believer in Christ, it’s all about Christ.
For the unbeliever, it has nothing at all to do with Christ.
For the child or the young at heart, it’s a time of wonder, expectation, and excitement. It’s sweet in terms of giving gifts to our loved ones and the joy we have in watching their excitement however, their excitement is quite likely centered around the gifts. Have you first shared or read the Christmas story from the Bible? Do your children and family know why we exchange gifts at Christmastime? What about those who can’t afford to buy gifts? Or, is there possibly too much emphasis on the giving of expensive gifts in your family?
For the retail business owners, big box stores, and online retail giants, it’s a time of huge sales profits as the public spends billions of dollars buying gifts for their loved ones, many of which who go into debt buying those gifts. Bottom line, the buying and selling of gifts has morphed into a multi-billion dollar secular commercialization of Christmas.
Somewhere along the line, it seems that the importance of the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has been edged out by the the fun and the folly, and the buying and the selling.
Maybe we could place the blame on the advertising industry that is constantly in the business of promoting bigger and better products.
Maybe we could blame our government agencies who removed Nativity scenes from government properties.
Maybe we could blame the school boards who removed Bibles from schools and banned teachers from talking about the Christian faith and Jesus Christ.
Maybe we could blame the big corporations who promote whatever the latest woke ideology is, but never ever mention anything about Jesus Christ.
Maybe we could blame the progressive liberal churches, apostate churches, and the prosperity churches; all of which preach a false gospel.
Maybe we could blame the parents who fail to raise their children in a Christian environment or even tell them why Jesus was born or what He did on the cross on our behalf.
But the truth is,
Satan is the god of this world and is the major influence on the opinions and actions of the unbelievers all around the world today. Satan is hell bent on keeping people from coming into a saving relationship with Christ.
And,
As it is written:
There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12
And because of this,
Until one becomes born again through the gift of faith, the repentance of sin, and trust in Jesus Christ alone, Christmas will remain in their eyes, to be all about the fun and the folly, and the buying and the selling.
So while Christians celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmastime, nonbelievers celebrate everything but Christ.
All the more reason that Christians need to pray for those who do not yet know Christ, and to speak up, not just at Christmastime but anytime the Spirit leads.
We need to tell everyone that,
Christmas is all about Christ. It’s the integral part of God’s perfect plan of salvation through Jesus’ incarnate birth.
That’s why we give gifts at Christmastime, in honor of the gifts given to the Christ-child by the Magi.
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11
Jesus was the greatest gift ever given; His birth is worthy of celebration!
I remember years ago my mom told me that my grandpa used to write notes, aka love letters, to my grandma when they first started courting. He was two years older than her and was a school teacher in Wright Township, Greene County, Indiana from 1913 to 1920. Although she didn’t attend school during this time as she only completed an 8th grade education, which was very common in the early 1900’s.
To the best of my recollection my mom told me that grandma told her that grandpa would send handwritten notes home to her via one of his students who was also her neighbor, and she’d reply back to him the same way.
Those notes must have been very sweet, as they fell in love and got married in 1915.
My grandma was 19 years old and my grandpa was 21 at the time of their marriage. They were blessed with four children, David, Sarah, Naomi, and Ralph. My mom, who later changed her name to Sara, was their second child.
Circa late 1920’s, my grandpa, my mom Sarah, her siblings David and Naomi, and my grandma holding baby Ralph.
My grandparents were married just short of 54 years when my grandpa passed away in November 1969. My grandma survived him by 16 years, passing away in November 1985. They were both strong Christians and left a big impression in my life by the way they lived their life, and by the way they loved with the love of Christ.
A sweet memory from a January 1966 hometown newspaper clipping about my grandparents’ December 1965 50th wedding anniversary.
I recently saw an article that centered around a box of old love letters, and it sparked this old memory about my grandparents.
I thought, how sweet it would be to have some of their old love letters.
So I asked my siblings and a couple of my cousins if they happened to recall or actually have any of those letters, and unfortunately they do not, so my faint memories will have to suffice.
I actually have a box of some old letters, post cards, and memorabilia from my early junior high days. Most of the letters were from my 7th grade best friend Donita, who moved to Georgia during our junior high school years.
It’s pretty safe to say, hand written notes and love letters are now a thing of the past. Technology has definitely brought us some great advances and conveniences but has also forever changed the landscape of how we express our feelings, and how we communicate with each other.
Nowadays, texting, social media posts, and messaging have likely become the most preferred form of communication. The pros include convenience and time efficiency, but I believe the cons outweigh the pros. Some of the cons include being misunderstood, texting the wrong person by mistake, autocorrect mumble jumble, and the missing out of the joy of hearing and seeing people in person.
And,
I regret not having found any of those old notes and love letters between my grandpa and grandma,
But,
I do have several Bibles, which Billy Graham lovingly referred to as God’s “love letters” to us:
“The Bible is God’s love letters to us. It is there He tells us not only that He loves us, but shows us what He has done to demonstrate His love. It also tells us how we should live, because God knows what is best for us and He wants us to experience it. Never forget: The Bible is God’s Word, given to us so we can know and follow Him.” #BillyGraham
However,
According to a quick internet search, the Baptist Press for example, states that “while the average home in America has three or four bibles in it, more than half of Americas read little or none of the Bible. Less than a quarter of those who have ever read a Bible have a systematic plan for reading Scripture each day. And a third of Americans never pick it up on their own.”
As for me, since becoming a Christian, I’ve read through the Bible three times, studied the gospels several times, done various Bible studies, either in a group setting or on my own. In December 2022, I started a new Bible chapter-by-chapter Bible study by listening to an audio Bible app on my phone, reading the corresponding chapter in my Bible, and then studying the Bible notes. My goal has been to do this daily. I haven’t always met my goal but I do most days and while it’s going to be a long while before I finish this Bible study, it’s been such a blessing to me.
Truth be told, I haven’t always studied my Bible. There’s been more times than I care to remember when I haven’t been actively studying my Bible. Thankfully, I was convicted a while back, by the grace of God, that there’s no good reason why a Christian should not be actively involved in some type of daily Bible study.
So,
The point I want to emphasize is that studying the Bible goes hand in hand with being a Christian. It’s one of the best ways for us to know Him more and to know His will in our lives. It’s rich in meaning, instructions, and warnings. It also helps us make sense of some of the things we see going on in the world today. No matter how dark the days may seem, His word assures us that we, who are called by His name, have a hope and a future in Him.
I do believe that the Bible really is like a collection of “love letters.” It’s about,
the amazing love of God,
the promises of God,
the miracles of Jesus,
the sinfulness of man,
God’s plan of salvation,
blessings for those who obey Him,
and,
curses for those who do not.
The Bible also helps us to know that,
God is sovereign,
God is good,
God is always to be trusted,
and so much more.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
So, if you’re a Christian and you’re not actively involved in some type of Bible study, maybe it’s time to ask yourself why not. Or better still, pray about it.
Or,
If you’re not a Christian, why not carve out some time to read the Bible for a few minutes each day? It’s God’s love letters to you.
In October of 2023 Harold and I embarked on a 14 Night Carnival “Journeys” cruise to the Eastern Caribbean out of Galveston, Texas. I booked this cruise the year before when I saw the itinerary went to most all the ports (plus a few more) that we were supposed to go on in March of 2020 to celebrate our 40th anniversary. That 2020 10 Night cruise was cancelled due to Covid-19 hysteria. So, 3 1/2 years later we finally got to go on our eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Carnival Dream.
Our Itinerary:
Day 1 Galveston (Embark)
Day 2 Sea Day
Day 3 Key West
Day 4 Sea Day
Day 5 Grand Turk (XXLD due to WX)
Day 6 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 7 St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Day 8 St Kitts, Basseterre
Day 9 St Maarten,Netherland Antilles
Day 10 St Croix, US Virgin Islands
Day 11 Sea Day
Day 12 Falmouth
Day 13 Sea Day
Day 14 Sea Day
Day 15 Galveston (Disembark)
Days 1 and 2, were Sea Days and were mostly spent exploring the ship, enjoying the music, entertainment, food, and the people.
Day 3 brought us to Key West, Florida for the afternoon. We walked down to The Southernmost Point, and enjoyed several of the sights along the way: The Kapok Tree, the Key West U.S. NAS, and back to town to do a little shopping. We visited here in 2017 but missed seeing most of the things we saw on this day so this was a great stop.
Days 4 and 5 were both Sea Days as Hurricane Tammy made it impossible for the ship to dock at Turks and Caicos. We already visited Grand Turk in 2019, so we were much more thankful to be safe rather than sorry. We filled the extra time relaxing and enjoying the ship activities.
Day 6 was spent in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We took a local tour to see the old town, forts, new town, the capital building, and the beautiful colorful homes of San Juan.
On Day 7 we slept in a bit after being up late the night before at the Silent White Disco Party. Harold sat and watched while I danced with a bunch of ladies to old disco songs with headphones on! Ha! We wore all white but not everyone got the memo. In St Thomas we shopped a little and then went on the sky ride and saw some amazing views! It’s a beautiful island.
Day 8 at St Kitts Basseterre, I got up early this morning and snuck around hiding’s 7 rubber ducks with 7 Bible versed post cards. We ate made-to-order omelettes for breakfast and climbed back into bed as it was raining when we docked. We went ashore around noon just as the rain subsided and enjoyed some shopping and the colorful sights at St Kitts.
On day 9 we docked on the Dutch side of St Maarten, Netherland Antilles and took a tour of the island which included the French side as well. Interestingly it’s a long distance call from the Dutch side to the French side. They also have completely two different governments and rules. My favorite stop was at SXM airport where the beach runs right up to the landing strip. The signs along the fence warn about death and serious injury if you stand there! We ate lunch at the Sunset Beach SXM restaurant while airplanes were landing and taking off. I walked over to the beach and got a video of one flying right over me as it was landing. I remember wanting to visit SXM years ago when I worked for Delta, so I was really excited to finally get to visit here.
We spent Day 10 in St Croix, US Virgin Islands shopping and enjoying the colorful sights and sounds. Back on ship we enjoyed our nightly dinner with our dinner companions and the nightly entertainment du jour!
Our nightly dinner companions, Ralph & Pat from the Houston area, and Clovis & Donna who are full-time RV’ers.
Day 11 was a Sea Day and Halloween. We found (actually Harold found) a rubber duck this morning on our way to breakfast! That was fun, and was our first and only rubber duck to find on this cruise! The day was full of Halloween activities including a costume contest. Harold wore his Colts Manning #18 jersey and I dressed as a Colts cheerleader! We watched the Rangers play in the World Series on the Lido deck and went to bed exhausted after a full and fun day on the ship.
Day 12: We visited Falmouth, Jamaica and enjoyed some shopping at the port. The port is cone shaped which lets two cruise ships dock around it at the same time. Jamaica is full of colors, music, and a lot of humidity.
Days 13-15 Sea Days went by super fast on our way back to Galveston Port. We bought a photo package and picked out our favorite pics, enjoyed the entertainment, the amenities, the people, the crew, dinner, and especially the yummy deserts.
Some Dr Seuss fun with Sam I Am, Thing 1 & Thing 2, and The Cat in the Hat! Formal Night #1Formal Night #2Casual, formal, and our Halloween costumes! Casual nights
Overall we had such a wonderful time on this cruise and were so thankful to be able to go on a cruise like this one.
But I have to say, I came away feeling sorry for many of the cruisers. Apparently this type of cruise, a Journeys Cruise, is a favorite among the Platinum level cruisers. Platinum cruisers have cruised a minimum of 75 nights on Carnival Cruise Lines. The buzz around the ship was that this cruise had over 60% of Platinum cruisers on it and that they were hard to please. Now our nightly dinner table included Platinum cruisers and they were all very nice people but it seemed that many of the Platinum cruisers were not so nice and not so happy. Many were full of complaints and seemed unimpressed and unappreciative. We talked to several of them over the two weeks we spent on this ship. Many bragged about constant cruising and/or back-to-back cruising, and practically in the same breath would complain about this or that. Several of these same people also complained about their children and grandchildren. It made me sad for them and got me thinking about the swinging tides of happiness in some people’s lives, like a pendulum.
According to Britannica a pendulum is a “body suspended from a fixed point so that it can swing back and forth under the influence of gravity.”
My theory here is that people who have been blessed with so much but somehow always find something to complain or be unhappy about are like a pendulum going back and forth, pulled by gravity. Except in this case instead of gravity, they’re being swayed every “which way but loose” by their own choices and self-centered emotions. Not a good formula for life.
Whereas the opposite is generally true for Christians. Jesus is our Lord and it is He who is our unshakable, firm, steady, and reliable anchor in life. He is our rock, our solid foundation.
Happiness is not found in endless cruising. Happiness is not found in having a multitude of possessions. Happiness is not found in getting everything and anything you want. No!
True happiness is found in relationship with Christ 🙌🏻 and until one comes to the realization about the truth of the gospel and their desperate need for a Savior, no amount of cruising (or whatever a person is doing trying to obtain happiness) will ever fill the need in your life that can only be accomplished by turning to Christ in repentance and faith.
Cruises will eventually fail your expectations. Possessions will break, go out of style, or get stolen. Some people and some relationships will invariably disappoint you, hurt you, or even leave you.
But God,
Will never leave or forsake you. Period.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:15
True happiness is also a byproduct of being thankful for all of God’s blessings, both great and small.
Small like finding a rubber duck! Ha!
Great like having a relationship with Christ, a loving family, and a place to call home.
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
I’ve been blessed with a family of great cooks, starting with my grandma Anderson. She was such a great cook! Everything she made was yummy, especially her made-from-scratch pancakes and her homemade pies. Her pie crust was flaky and always turned out perfect! Sometimes when she had a little pie dough left over she’d make me a special treat with the leftover dough with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. She’d roll it up and pop it into the oven; it tasted so good! She made all sorts of pies but my favorite was her rubarb pie.
My grandma cutting a ham in her kitchen in Frankfort, Indiana in the 1950’s. This was probably a holiday such as Easter or Thanksgiving.
My childhood memories of visiting my grandma include the smell of food cooking in her kitchen, the love that she had for each one of us, and all of the family gatherings there in Frankfort, Indiana.
My grandma’s Dumplings recipe in her handwriting. Her dumplings were my favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving time! Coffee and desert at grandma’s house, Christmas 1972. Linda, my grandma’s niece, and my cousin Patty, with my sister Joyce.My grandma deboning a turkey, sitting in our kitchen nook at our home on Hickory Lane in Indianapolis in 1973.
My mom was great cook too, and she especially knew how to put dinners together on a budget. She made hamburger casserole dishes out of slightly expired frozen White Castle hamburger patties that my dad would bring home from work. He worked in the Indianapolis White Castle office for much of my childhood. My mom also made the best use out of leftovers, and would stretch a gallon of whole milk into two gallons by mixing it with low-fat powdered milk.
Mom making breakfast in March of 1967 in the kitchen of our Florida hotel.Mom at the kitchen sink at our Hickory Lane home in Indianapolis in June of 1972. Mom in her kitchen on McFarland Rd in Indianapolis sometime in the early 1980’s. April 1963 bunny cake & a pig drink container, made by mom. She was so happy how they turned out! My mom’s handwritten Spanish Rice recipe, which is my husband’s second favorite meal that my mom used to make. His favorite meal made by my mom was her Soup Beans!Family dinner May 1972, Hickory Lane, Indpls. Thanksgiving, November 1979, McFarland Rd, Indpls.
Honorable mention goes to my sister Joyce for her great Dressing recipe.
My sister Joyce’s handwritten Dressing recipe, 1977.
As for me, some my first memories of cooking include making Jello desserts and chocolate chip cookies. The Jello was super easy and has long been one of my favorite things to teach my girls when they were very young. The chocolate chip cookies I made were from a recipe I got from my 4-H Handbook. I used to walk to the weekly 4-H meetings which were at a home in our neighborhood. After my mom helped me make my first batch of cookies I started making them as often as I could!
I copied this recipe from my 4H Handbook when I was around 9 or 10 years old.
So I guess I’m a pretty good cook on an as-needed basis, which is pretty much daily. Ha! I enjoy cooking new recipes occasionally as long as I’m familiar with all of the ingredients. I especially like dishes that are low calorie and healthy. I dislike making new recipes if they don’t turn out good, as I don’t like wasting food, but I do love it when I try a new recipe and it turns out good.
Next, our three daughters, Michelle, Megan, and Mackenzie.
Michelle is a great cook but figured out early on in her marriage with Marty that he was a really good cook too, so he does a lot of the cooking in their home. Michelle’s favorite meal to cook is Spaghetti and Zuppa Toscana.
Michelle in our Jacksonville, Florida kitchen around 1991 or 1992. Michelle in 1998 in our Krum, Texas kitchen showing off the desert that she (or was it Megan?!) just made! Michelle and Mackenzie in Michelle’s kitchen after they prepared dinner for us on Mother’s Day in 2014.
Megan started baking and putting yummy dishes together when she was young teenager. I remember her making yummy cheese nachos that looked and tasted like they were made in a restaurant! She still loves cooking although it’s difficult being in a wheelchair so she’s taught Landon and Livia to do some cooking, and her husband, John, cooks on most nights. Megan’s favorite meal to cook is sweet potato casserole.
Michelle and Megan at their play kitchen outside our Harding Street home in Indianapolis in April of 1988.Megan in our Krum, Texas home in September of 1998, and wearing a cast on her right leg from one of her many surgeries over the years. Megan making a Gingerbread House in our Krum, Texas home. I think this was around Christmas time of 1999 or 2000.
Mackenzie enjoyed making cookies and helping with dinner when she was young but I think she didn’t really start taking cooking seriously until she moved into her first home in September of 2019. It was there that she got an air fryer and later subscribed to a meal delivery service that delivered all of the ingredients along with the instructions. Eventually she stopped the subscription service and started buying the ingredients at the grocery. Her favorite meal to cook is chicken spaghetti, which is the first meal I taught her how to make when she was a teenager.
Mackenzie making cookies in our Denton, Texas home August 2004. Mackenzie making Stuffed Mushrooms in our Denton, Texas home sometime in 2005. Mackenzie “cooking” in Minnie’s kitchen at Disney World, Christmas Day 2007. Mackenzie’s first Thanksgiving Dinner she prepared all by herself in 2018. Harold and I had been in Florida on an RV trip and it was really nice to come home to a prepared dinner waiting for us! It tasted good too!
Next, some of our grandchildren!
Gabriel, Remi, and Colby “cooking” up some sweet Christmas treats at a photo studio in December 2021. Landon enjoying some vegetables in the kitchen of their Ponder home in June of 2018. Livia helping me make dinner at our Denton, Texas home in October 2019. Mackenzie and Hudson making some Valentines Day treats in our Denton, Texas kitchen in 2019.
Finally, this story would not be complete without including my mother-in-law, Mildred. She poured her life into cooking! Whenever she visited and back when she was in good health, the first thing she wanted to do was to find out what we were making for dinner. As soon as we figured out the menu she’d start the preparations for dinner early in the day. She also had a special talent of making a variety of pies. My only complaint was that she put too much sugar in some of her recipes – even in recipes that didn’t call for sugar! Ha! Other than that she was an excellent cook!
My mother-in-law in our Krum, Texas kitchen helping prepare Thanksgiving Dinner in 2001 or 2002. My mother-in-law’s handwritten Banana Cake recipe.
I’ll close with two prayers.
The first one is old prayer that our family prayed together at our dinner table when I was growing up in Indianapolis in the 50’s, 60’s, and early 1970’s:
God is gracious, God is good,
And we thank Him for our food.
By His tender loving care,
By His presence everywhere. Amen
The second one is a beautiful kitchen prayer written by M Peterson in 1944 about God’s love, grace, and the food which He so graciously provides. The author reminds us to be thankful for everything, including the dirty pots and pans, and to ask for His blessings over all:
God bless my little kitchen, I love its every nook, And bless me as I do my work, Wash pots and pans and cook.
And may the meals that I prepare Be seasoned from above With Thy great blessings and Thy grace, But most of all Thy love.
As we partake of earthly food, The table before us spread, We’ll not forget to thank Thee, Lord, Who gives us daily bread.
So bless my little kitchen, God, And those who enter in, May they find naught but joy and peace, And happiness therein. Amen
Way back when I was in junior high, circa 1967-1969, the journalism class put out a monthly publication with all the current school happenings and the occasional commentary. I remember one of the editions included a section that published comments from several students that had completed the following statement:
“Happiness is…..”
I wish I had saved a copy of it!
What I remember most about it was that many of the comments were funny, some were trying to be funny but were not, and a few were sincere. It was interesting to read and it also gave me a glimpse into the various personalities of some my classmates.
So, what makes you happy?
Let me first say, that’s a loaded question. I know some might have trouble putting a list together right now. Others would have no problem at all. So, why do you think that is?
It’s because happiness is circumstantial and is, by and large, likely determined by what is currently happening in your life. It can be very difficult to be happy when life isn’t going very well; when life is difficult; on the sad days, when tears are many.
But, I believe there is a joy that transcends our circumstances, and it’s a joy that remains in and though the difficult times in life. It’s a godly joy. It comes from the Lord as we look to Him in all of life’s circumstances. Be they good or bad.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
The joy of the Lord is actually more than a belief. It’s my experience. Joy just knowing the Lord. Joy in the good times. Joy in the bad times. There have been several times in my life where God has given me peace in the middle of the storm, and joy in spite of my circumstances. Trusting Him no matter what. Rejoicing in Him no matter what.
Because,
The Bible tells us regardless of our present circumstances, that we are to “rejoice in the Lord.” When we look to and praise God in worship our hearts are filled with joy.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Even when life is difficult.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Roman 15:13
So here’s the first two verses and the chorus to a sweet old children’s song about the joy of the Lord. May it bless you with His joy!
I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy!
Verse 1
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart Down in my heart to stay
Chorus
And I’m so happy, so very happy I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart Down in my heart. And I’m so happy, so very happy I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
Verse 2
I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart Where? Down in my heart to stay.
Chorus
And I’m so happy, so very happy I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart Down in my heart. And I’m so happy, so very happy I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
And God’s word is clear,
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
There are only two sexes,
He (Jesus) answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female” Matthew 19:4
Yet,
In 2023 we find ourselves living in a world where:
– Gender ideology defies God and attempts to redefine God’s creation of man and woman and their God-given roles.
⁃ Men who “identify as a woman” are allowed to use women’s public restrooms and dressing rooms.
⁃ Public school teachers are allowed to actively proselytize young children about changing their “gender,” while they teach today’s world view version of sexuality.
⁃ Young children are being given puberty blockers and hormones in attempt to change their “gender,” and in some cases against the will of one of their parents.
⁃ Public libraries are hosting drag queen story hours for young children, where men mockingly dress up as sexually provocative women.
⁃ Men who “identify as a woman” are allowed to compete in women’s sports; they’re winning and literally stealing trophies away from rightfully deserving woman athletes.
⁃ Men and women are voluntarily having irreversible, painful, and numerous surgeries, and voluntarily taking hormones in a futile attempt to change their “gender.”
– Public school teachers throughout the USA (except Florida) are teaching K-12 students about the LGBTQ lifestyle and agenda issues.
And the above is just a partial list of some of the more recent societal changes considering sexuality.
How did we get here?!
Some might say we could blame it on Gloria Steinem of the 1970’s “Woman’s Liberation” movement who defied God by convincing millions of women that they had the “right” to change traditional women’s roles.
Some might say we could blame it on the government for enacting various laws such as same-sex marriages laws.
Some might say we could blame it on woke Big Corp who’ve hired DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) managers to insure their company meets certain expectations to keep their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Government) scores high.
Some might say we could blame it on all the men who fail in their God-given roles as spiritual leaders in their home and head of the household.
Some might say we could blame it on all the women who try to “run the show” in their marriage by usurping their husband’s God-given role as head of the household.
Some might say we could blame it on churches who allow Beth Moore and other so called “women pastors” like her who dare to defy God and His word (1 Timothy 2) each time they stand at a pulpit and preach to men.
While I believe all of these things have certainly played a part, they’re not the root cause.
We find the root cause in the Bible.
In the book of Genesis in the Garden of Eden, where Eve believed the serpent and chose to disobey God. As Eve was tempted by the devil, Adam was tempted by Eve, and sin entered the world through Adam.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:1-6
And,
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:12
The Bible clearly explains our root problem is sin.
We’re all sinners, deserving of punishment and eternity separated from God.
And,
Sexual sin is not only against God, it is against one’s own body,
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18
By sending His Son to take the penalty for our sin, for all who’ll come to Christ in repentance and faith.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
However,
Unrepentant sinners, by nature, don’t want to repent. Unrepentant sinners, by nature, don’t want to obey God or His word. Unrepentant sinners want to be their own gods, choose their own idols, and live their own lives irrespective of God. Unrepentant sinners love the dark.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19
And,
Unrepentant sinners pridefully reject God: “the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul” and rejects God in pride (Psalm 10:3-4). Humility is where the knowledge of God begins; therefore, those who reject God reject humility too.
But it doesn’t have to be so.
The distance between an unrepentant sinner and God is not far.
If you find yourself described here, and feel God convicting you to make a change in your life,
Just turn around.
Turn toward Christ and away from sin.
And it’s not too late.
For Jew or Greek, male or female, LGBTQ or heterosexual, rich or poor, etc.
Acknowledge the sin in your life today and repent of it. Put your faith and trust in God, the maker of heaven and earth. Cry out to Him and humbly ask for His forgiveness. Trust in Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross. Read and study the Bible. Find a biblical church. Honor God in your life and in your home. No one knows you better or loves you more than God, the author and creator of your life.
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. Ephesians 5:8-13
So then,
Trust in God,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
And,
If you’re male, trust in God’s plans and God-given roles for men. If you’re female, trust in Gods plans and God-given roles for women.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
Interestingly, I remember when I was a child, I used to dress up in my brother’s army outfit and crawl around in the back yard playing “Army guy” with a toy machine gun strapped to my back and a rubber knife in my mouth. I was a “Tom-Boy.” Vic Marrow of the TV show, Combat, was my inspiration. But, I grew out of it. How glad I am that no one tried to give me puberty blockers or tried to convince me I needed try to change my sex back then. I love being a woman. Actually, I love all the roles that God has chosen for me in life, and I especially love being a mom.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Treasure In Jars of Clay 