My Sunday Sermon

Source: WMC Action News 5

Last month in Memphis, Tennessee, a car caught fire after wrecking, trapping the driver inside. Witnesses worked frantically to rescue the driver. A good Samaritan and a police officer were finally able to pull the man to safety moments before the car exploded in flames. When the fire was put out, only one item was salvaged from the wreckage.

A Bible ... and it was in perfect condition ... not even singed.

Source: WMC Action News 5

Everyone always wants to know if God is real. And everyone wants to know if He is real, why doesn't He show us proof? Last month in Memphis, I think He did. I think He shows us He's real all the time, and people chalk it up to coincidence or turn a blind eye to the evidence. Despite the fact that a Bible survived, unscathed, in a vehicle completely engulfed in flames cannot be explained any other way, there will still be those who doubt His existence ... and I find that even harder to believe than an all-powerful Lord.

U.S. Now Ranks 16th in Economic Freedom

The Fraser Institute produces an annual report called Economic Freedom of the World. The index measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property. Forty-two variables are used to construct a summary index and to measure the degree of economic freedom in five broad areas:

1. Size of government
2. Legal structure and security of property rights
3. Access to sound money
4. Freedom to trade internationally; and
5. Regulation of credit, labor and business

In 2000 the United States was ranked 2nd. By 2015, we’ve plummeted to 16th. The decline in U.S. ranking started in 2010 … the first year data from the Obama administration was used. That is not just a coincidence. He promised us change, and that’s just what we got … a change in economic freedom that has grown progressively worse with each year he’s governed.

The top ten world rankings are as follows:

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. New Zealand
4. Switzerland
5. United Arab Emirates
6. Mauritius
7. Jordan
8. Ireland
9. Canada
10. United Kingdom and Chile (tied)

This study is frighteningly eye-opening. In Singapore you can go to jail or be flogged for chewing gum in public, yet they rank 2nd in economic freedom. Even the United Arab Emirates, which enforces Sharia law, has more economic freedom than the United States! How sad is it that a country where women have virtually no rights at all have more economic freedom than we do?

This year we will select a new President. Americans need to think long and hard before casting their vote. I don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat ... the fact that we have plummeted from 2nd to 16th in economic freedom under Obama should scare the crap out of you. I truly fear for the future of our country.

Olivia ... the Diva Cat

Olivia is the epitome of indifference. She was ever-so-slightly more sociable before Thing 1 and her husband kidnapped her ... but that's only because they have dogs, for which Olivia has absolutely no use. Their other cat, Louie, was raised around dogs, so he has no problem with Roo and Gus. Sometimes I think Louie has no idea he's a cat ... I believe he thinks he is a dog!

But Olivia? She knows she's a cat. Therefore, humans are a necessary evil (they fill up the food and water bowls, and keep the litter box clean). She (barely) tolerates other cats, and ... per the cat-code to which she has sworn allegiance ... she despises dogs.

When it comes to humans, she prefers men. (She's a bit of a tramp.) Olivia likes Thing 1 well enough (sometimes), but she'd much rather be in the company of a man. So, to no one's surprise, on the rare occasion she allows a human to interact with her, she prefers it be Thing 1's husband.

I rarely see Olivia when I visit unless I go upstairs to their guest room, where she holds court, hidden among the pillows. The dogs aren't allowed on the bed, so that 35 sq/ft of real estate has become her sanctuary-of-choice. When she does venture out of her pillow-filled kingdom, it's to either eat, poop, pee, nap someplace else (always out of reach of the dogs), and/or to look out the window and pretend she would be fierce if she were allowed to roam freely ... despite the fact that she was absolutely terrified the few times she made a break for it when the door was held open a split second too long.

On her way to the front window, she'll sashay through the family room as though wearing blinders. She doesn't glance around to see who is there, because, to be brutally honest, she doesn't care who is there  ... unless they are opening a can of tuna.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I delivered most of my St. Patrick Day "gifts" after work last night. It's nothing spectacular ... just shamrock-shaped cookies. It's a small, inexpensive token to let my kids, Superman and his kids/grandkids, and my best friend know I'm thinking of them. And, it's tradition!

When the kids were little, I'd make green scrambled eggs (no ham) and green milk for dinner. My kids put ketchup on their scrambled eggs. Green eggs with red ketchup doesn't look very appetizing, but it tastes the same as yellow eggs and ketchup. Besides, oddly colored food tickles kids!

I have one St. Patrick's Day package left, which I'll deliver it when I pick up my little grandson after work. Even though the people who get these know they're coming, it's nice to see them smile or get a sweet thank-you text when they discover them. It really is better to give than to receive!

Gladys is FINALLY Ready to Bloom Again

New buds on Gladys the Goldfish Plant

Last fall I transplanted Gladys (the Goldfish Plant) into a bigger pot. Then, we moved and her light source changed. She was still facing south, but I guess the move to a bigger pot and a different window shocked her system, because she quit blooming. I feared she would never bloom again. As I was watering her Saturday, though, I noticed numerous buds forming. Yea! I love those flowers (below).

Goldfish flowers.

A couple of years ago, I took some cuttings to root and started a Goldfish Plant for Thing 1. It did really well and produced a lot of flowers ... until her cat (Louie) ate every single leaf. Now that she has a good place to hang plants, I've started another from cuttings and it's just beginning to root. Once hung, Louie won't be able to reach it ... he can only look at it ... and salivate from afar.

Thing 1's new plant-to-be.

My Neighbor's Tree

Until this year, I never paid attention to how much earlier Red Buds bloom than most other flowering trees. I saw another tree with white flowers blooming. It wasn't a dogwood, so I assume it's a Bradford Pear, but I'm not sure. The only thing I don't like about flowering trees is that they only bloom in the spring. How wonderful it would be if horticulturists could figure out a way to make a hybrid tree that blooms spring through fall? The only way to make that tree better would be if it kept its leaves (not pine needles) and stayed green all winter long!

Happy π Day

For those math geeks out there, Pi Day needs no explanation. And for those non-math geeks, like me ... it's Pie Day!!

My Favorite Day of the Year

For someone like myself, I need a pretty darn good reason to give up an hour of sleep ... and daylight savings time IS a good reason. I LOVE daylight savings time. I wish we'd stay on it all year! I LOVE that it's light outside longer ... and daylight savings time signifies another dreary winter has come to and end. Granted this winter wasn't bad at all, but even a warmer than average winter is gray and dreary. Winter has no color ... even the skies are gray.

I've seen red bud trees completely covered in purple flowers and daffodils are blooming everywhere. The grass is greening up, and in between the frequent spring showers, the sky is blue. Before long, the numerous dogwoods on my property will be revealing if they are pink or white. I moved to this house last fall, so I've been waiting a long time to see what color my dogwoods are, and I can't wait!

There are apparently people who don't tolerate the time change very well, which I have never understood. If you can't tolerate a 60 minute shift twice a year, your internal clock is wound a little too tight. The nightly news has been offering tips and the web is full of articles for those who need help adjusting to the time change. But as for me ... I don't need help adjusting to the time change ... I need help containing my excitement!!!!

Selfie Deaths Now Outnumber Shark Attack Deaths

Between January and September of 2015, twelve people had died when taking a selfie, while "only" eight died from a shark attack during that same period.

Unlike the rest of the world, when I take a selfie, I'm very careful not to get myself in the frame. I took a bunch of selfies when I "babysat" Thing 1's new puppy. He was sleeping on me and he was so darn cute!

I also take selfies when I'm holding my baby grandson ... who is even cuter than all the puppies in the world combined!

I'm very careful to get as little of me in a photo as possible. I've never been particularly photogenic, and as I age, I'm even less so. My kids want pictures of me, but I want pictures of everything but myself.

The generation growing up now will grow up with photographic evidence of nearly everything they did ... every day of their lives. My memories are in my head. My kids memories are on their phones ... and all of their memories disappear if they lose or destroy their phones before they've downloaded (or uploaded) their lives.

Until the advent of cell phones, I was generally the one with the camera. My life is documented by the photographs I took ... none of which contain me ... and that's okay. I don't need a picture of myself at Amicalola Falls to know I was there. I can look a my pictures of the water cascading down the side of the mountain and hear the roar of the water rushing over the rocks in my head.

It is now a scientific fact that one is more likely to die from taking a selfie than they are from a shark attack ... except for me ... I still have to worry about the sharks.

Grandma Heaven

I was feeling a little under the weather this week, so I didn't get to see my grandson until last night. He was his usual perfect self! His daddy played with him for a bit, then I got my turn. He was a little fussy, so I sat down in the rocker with him, and he fell asleep almost immediately. I've never seen a baby so easy to get to sleep in my life! My kids were never that easy ... and little W isn't quite so easy on his mom, but he couldn't be any more perfect for grandma!

After a very short nap, we put him in his bouncy seat. The little guy pulled his arms inside, leaving only his bib and little bald head peeking above! He looked so cute and tiny ... and silly!

The amazing thing about being a grandma, as opposed to a mother, is that I don't have the day to day responsibilities of a parent. I'm not exhausted from lack of sleep. When I'm rocking him, I don't have to worry about waking him when I lay him down because I don't have to lay him down! When my kids were growing up, I didn't have the luxury of just holding them. Once I got them to sleep, I had to lay them down so that I could do the millions of other things a mom has to do.

Now, I have plenty of time without a baby afoot to do my chores, so when W is with me, he's the only thing I have to think about. I can sit back and enjoy him in a way I didn't think I had time for when I had little ones running about everyday. That's the best part of being a grandma ... not only do I have the time to enjoy the tiny, bald gift with a giant, slobbery smile ... I realize how fleeting these years are. 

When my kids were growing up, I was a single mom. I had so much to do and so much to worry about that I didn't take the time to really enjoy my kids. I was always thinking ahead of what I needed to do ... cook, clean, laundry, grocery shop, etc. Without anyone to help me, I often felt overwhelmed at the responsibilities of work, home, and kids.

Even a trip to the playground was stressful. I had three little kids, all running in different directions, and all yelling, "Mommy, look at me!". I had to make sure none of them fell and got hurt. I had to play with them equally to make sure none of them felt neglected. I had to watch them, play with them, and praise them ... all at the same time ... with only two eyes and two hands. I look at pictures of them when they were little and wish I had slowed down, worried less, and savored those moments more. I wish I had cleaned less and let the laundry pile up a day or two more. I wish I hadn't tried to be so perfect. I was so busy making their lives wonderful that I didn't always have the energy to appreciate everything. My kids all think they had an amazing childhood, which was my goal ... I just wish I had slowed down and had as much fun as they did.

When my grandson is over, I do let the dishes pile up and I couldn't care less about laundry and other mundane chores. They'll all be there after he's gone home. I know all too well how much I missed being a mom. Living got in the way of life ... and I'm not going to make the same mistake as a grandma.