pause ‘n ponder

The Golden Box

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, "This is for you, Momma."  The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner.

Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"  She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."  The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger. 

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life.  Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends, and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.  - unknown

about my son...

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~ Charles (Chuck) Swindoll

No doubt, I made oodles of mistakes.  There were things I should have done differently, and things I could have done differently.  What kind of mother was I?  What kind of example did I live?  I know, I know.  I was full of sin then, and I’m still full of sin.   

There was this one occasion when he was in elementary school.  I was dropping him off at school and as he was getting out of the car, he spoke loudly, “1-800-xxxxx- xxxxx”!.  Not a very good morning.  That’s another story.  I was full of sin then, and I’m still full of sin.

Oh my, then there was the incident with Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny.  I thought the bunny foot prints leading from the front door were cute.  In hindsight, I shouldn’t have wasted the flour.  I was a mother full of sin then, and I’m still full of sin.

Now, about my son.  A number of couples at church told his Dad and me that they wanted their children to grow up to be like our son.  He was asked to baby sit for several couples.  There was that Sunday school class Christmas party where one couple was asked who was keeping their children.  The answer was my son.  Funny thing about that.  He was sitting for a four-ish hyper boy, a two-ish boy with Down’s Syndrome, and a newborn baby boy.  A very newborn baby boy.

My son was a good kid.  Hmm, he was generally a good kid.  Well, he was mostly a good kid.  I trusted my son.  I trusted his decisions. I trusted his choices.  I thanked God for him, although I certainly wasn’t responsible for the way he turned out.

He was full of sin then, and he’s still full of sin. I was full of sin then, and I’m still full of sin.

I still can’t believe he NEVER SKIPPED SCHOOL!    I guess I failed him there.

boo hiss

Don’t read this if you don’t like a lot of complaining.

I don’t know the reason I have fibromyalgia, but I do know God has a purpose.

For those who aren’t familiar with fibro, here comes the complaining.

This is a partial list of my main symptoms:

Pain all over –Muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, or intense burning

Fatigue – Exhaustion can be one of the most incapacitating fibromyalgia symptoms

Sleep Difficulties – Restorative sleep is lacking

Brain Fog – Trouble concentrating, retaining new information, and word-finding are common symptoms that seriously interfere with daily functioning (this is very embarrassing for me)

This is a partial list of other symptoms:

Headaches/Migraines

Morning Stiffness

Muscle Knots, Cramping, Weakness

Digestive Disorders

Balance Problems

Fibromyalgia? - boo hiss!

huh?

Rock-a-Bye Baby

Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Seriously, why did I sing this to my baby as I rocked him?

in a nutshell

Personally, I prefer a translation of the Bible over a paraphrase.  I use the New American Standard Bible (NASB).  I was thinking about the most quoted verse (?) in the Bible, John 3:16.  I googled it and found many versions, some I have never heard of, as well as some ‘unique’ wording.  I read a lot of different John 3:16s (translations and paraphrased), and bottom line: in only a few words, it simply tells about God’s love for us and how we can be saved.  The best way to tell of God’s message is to let John 3:16 speak for itself.  It’s the Gospel in a nutshell.

John 3:16

New American Standard Bible
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

New International Version
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

King James Version
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
International Standard Version
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.
The Message
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
Weymouth New Testament
For so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may have the Life of Ages.

blog, blog, blog

I blog and I don’t blog.  I think about it and I forget about it.  I start and I stop.  Most times, I can’t think of anything to write.  What can I say about nothing?  Nothing.  Precisely.  I come across quotes, photos, or something else I share.  I reminisce of days gone by.  I write of thoughts and musings.  I stare at a blank page.  I started this blogging business to write about my journey thru life.  Yes, I should be able to put into words what I encounter along the way.  Ok. I’ve talked myself into blogging again.  If there are days missing, so be it.  Of course, I have much to share about my three grandblessings!!!