As A Writer/Author, I wrote a list to remind me of why I write! I use this list as a tool of encouragement for those times that it seems that nobody is interested in what I have to say as a writer!
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Paying Traditions Forward!
9 JulPaying Traditions Forward!
Blackberry Cobbler
In the fast paced society that we now live in, I as a parent want to leave something to my children and to their children’s children that money cannot buy! My husband and I want our children to know that we believe that the Lord provides us with all things, but that it is up to us what we do with the provision! In my family, I am really trying to keep some past traditions alive! Both of my parents were from large families and so was I as there were eight of us which included both my parents and six daughters. We grew up on farms in Lewis County, Kentucky. I treasure the memories of growing up as a little country girl, but also the traditions that were passed down to me.
Proverbs 13: 22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just
Because we lived on a farm, we raised huge gardens and other crops that helped to sustain us throughout the year or years. Of course we raised our own meats as well. A cellar was a valuable thing for families to have as it was an ideal place for root crops especially. My mother knew how to preserve foods by canning or freezing them. She taught us by observation how to cook, run a household, and how to preserve foods as well. I regret that when both my parents were alive that I didn’t pay closer attention. I sure wished that I would have known to jot down little shortcuts that my mother made up on her own to help her feed not only her own family of eight, but usually hired hands who helped work our farm as well. My Mom would sling some of the best food on the table without a recipe and do it so quickly, but it tasted as though she spent hours on it! I’ve learned so much from her, as I am a decent country cook, and thank the Lord I am trying to preserve many of the traditions that I have kept in my memory by watching Mom and my grandmother! Also my Dad prepared the grounds for the crops, raised animals for sale as well as for our own use. He also hunted and would take us fishing which we loved to do. He taught us how to use common sense to be self-sustained.
I remember as a child that we always had some kind of berries at our house. One of our favorites was Blackberries. As a family we loaded up on the back of an old Ford pick-up truck with baskets, buckets and pails to go pick berries! We picked on our own property, but a lot of folks that we knew also had berries that never used them, so we would pick berries on different farms all day long. My Mom would then make jams, jellies, cobblers, and yes even Blackberry dumplings which were my favorite. She would also put a lot of them in the freezer as we would pick huge containers full of them!
Recently, at the edge of one of our own fields in Georgia, we have had several Blackberry bushes to begin to produce. My boys, ages fourteen and ten had discovered them several years ago, however this year was the first year that we have had enough to actually preserve some by making Blackberry jelly and freezing some of them to make cobblers or homemade ice cream! The first day they picked them I made a Blackberry cobbler just to reward them and let them know how precious their find was. I also told them about their Granny, which was my Mom making these when I was a child. I love baking the cobblers because it really makes me feel like I am connecting with my parents and especially my Mom. I also get to pass down a treasured tradition to my own children. As we ate the warm gooey cobbler with a big dollop of whipped topping, I found myself smiling as it brings back such sweet memories of my family gathered around each other enjoying my Mom’s sweet creation!
As my children are getting older, my hope is that I am instilling traditions from past generations. Although my children may not have gotten a chance to meet their ancestors I want them to appreciate the valuable gifts that were passed down from generation to generation. My hope is that they will continue to pay it forward to future generations!
My Lord has a Sense of Humor!
2 JulMy Lord has a Sense of Humor!
My Miracle Boys!
Below is an excerpt out of my book “Tell the Enemy to Scat!”
Please note that I am not trying to promote my books. My desire is to use this excerpt to encourage those of you that may need to be encouraged today!
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick : but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
I believe the number one reason that many Christians do not see God’s word being fulfilled in their lives is discouragement. If the enemy can get you discouraged and cause you to stay there, you will think that God has denied you your promise and give up. Sometimes we have to look for encouragement. Sometimes encouragement comes in ways that you’ve never imagined the Lord would send it. God will send encouragement to you and show you little rays of hope along faith’s journey to help you if you truly believe him. I must also say that sometimes, God expects us like David to encourage ourselves as well, but either way, God wants us to receive his promises and not draw back in our faith.
I remember one morning very distinctively as I had awakened early. I always loved to either sit at my kitchen table so that I could stare out through my kitchen windows or I would usually sit on my front porch to pray and worship the Lord. This particular morning I was sitting on my front porch. I was really feeling very discouraged. I remember simply reminding the Lord what I had been believing him for and how long I had stood in faith, as if he were not already aware of it. I specifically asked him that morning for two babies, after all he had promised me children and I desired them so very much. After I had prayed that prayer I then began worshipping the Lord and thanking Him for the answer as I went inside the house for a moment to refill my coffee cup. As I was pouring my coffee into my cup, I glanced out of my front bay windows in my kitchen and noticed something very strange. A huge clump of brown leaves had fallen down out of a large hickory tree into the driveway. I thought to myself that it was really early for the leaves to be that brown as it was very early into fall. I proceeded to pour my coffee and I was still looking at the leaves when all of a sudden a cat appeared and was at the clump of leaves. She was wiggling her tail and hopping from side to side and suddenly, it dawned on me. All of the leaves must have been a nest of some kind, so I ran outside to scat the cat away. I looked inside the leaves to see two tiny baby squirrels. They were only about an inch and half long and were the cutest little things. I picked them up and took them to the vet to make for sure that they were not hurt from falling such a high distance. The vet was a sweet little old man and he said something I will always remember.
“Well, It looks like you have you two little babies!” he said as he smiled at me.
Then suddenly, I remembered my prayer to Father God that very morning about wanting him to give me two babies. He knows how to encourage us and to let us know that he hears our prayers. He also knows that when we stand in faith for a long period of time that we can become very discouraged, but do not give up, his answer to you is on the way or perhaps at least a little encouragement to let you know that he hears your hearts cry and has not forgotten you.
That was many years ago. My husband and I were married twenty years before I had I my first child. Four years later I had my second one. These are my two children, (pictured). These are the two babies that I’ve asked the Lord for. As I’ve waited upon the Lord it wasn’t always easy and sometimes I became very impatient. However, The Lord is so faithful and His word is always true. I hope, like I did, that you find the Lord has a sense of humor and that just when you are at a point of possibly giving up on your promise, that He will send you encouragement. He may not send you two baby squirrels, but rest assured if you will honestly look, He will send you something to cause you to hold on tighter until His promises manifest in your life!
Bittersweet!
26 JunBittersweet!
June is always a month of activity! It is usually the first month of summer vacation for many school aged children, mine included. For many young couples in love it is often the start or the beginning of their new lives together as they have planned their June weddings. For Dad’s it is a time to be recognized. Yet for others it means that the year is half over already and they began planning for the fast approaching holidays. Bittersweet is the word I have for my June months!
The month of June is one of my sweetest months because I have had the most wonderful miracles to happen to me. I gave birth to my son after longing for and praying for children for twenty years! Yes, my husband and I were married twenty years before we conceived and had our first-born son. June was the most precious month as his birthday is June 5th ! As we celebrate my son’s birthday it is such a sweet time and remembrance that God blessed me with my heart’s desire. But wait, God wasn’t finished yet, four years later, He blessed us again as on June 12th, I found out that I was pregnant with another miracle baby! So as you can see, June is especially sweet to me because I have precious miracles to celebrate!
Proverbs 13:22 (KJV) A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Okay, to the bitter part of my June months. Unfortunately both of my parents passed away in June. My Dad passed June 22, 1997 and my Mom on June 13, 2008. My heart becomes heavy when I think of not having them with me on this side of Heaven. I long for my “old home place” to go back to and to see them, as my parents lived in Kentucky and I in Georgia. We talked on the telephone long distance every week without fail. We made Kentucky our vacation place at least twice a year, once in the summer and then at Christmas. We loved to go to Kentucky where we spent such wonderful times at “Home” with my parents. My parent’s loved the outdoors, so in the summer time we usually took fishing trips and Dad usually always planned a huge BBQ to bring the whole family together, it was wonderful. Dad was the head of our family that brought us all together. At Christmas time, everyone met at my parent’s house to visit, open gifts and to partake of the best Christmas meal you could have as my Mom was an awesome cook! I can still hear my little 128 pound Daddy with a Santa hat on yelling “HO.. HO.. HO” as he walked through the house where we were all gathered in. Those were the good ole days that I carry with me.
Unfortunately, I can’t live in the good ole days, so I try to live after my parent’s example. I want to be like my Dad. He was a giver. He sowed into lives all the time. He was always grinning and was a prankster. He loved to tell stories, which Is where I am sure that I get my storytelling ability for my books. He will never die as I see so many of his character traits like a thread running through each family member. My Mom was creative. She loved to sew clothing, design quilts, crochet, and cook wonderful meals without recipes. She also had a green thumb and could grow anything. When she would become tickled we call her “Precious Pup” which was a cartoon character that was on television when I was a child. She would try to do the deep belly laugh out loud but instead all that would come out was this funny noise as she laughed until tears rolled from her eyes. I smile just thinking about them. I thank God that I inherited wonderful genes from my parents. Although they were not rich by the world’s standards they possessed treasures within that money could never buy. I miss them so much, but I can still see them living on in my family as they have deposited little bits of themselves in each of us.
So I used the word bittersweet as this is what real life is all about. Life is good times and bad all rolled up into one life. How we let it affect us is what counts. I choose to glean from everything that happens whether good or bad. Because of my faith in God, I know that I will see my parents again, so I choose to guard the treasure that they deposited in me and use it to make them proud and for God’s Glory. My children are living examples to God’s goodness to me. The fact that I am here writing this blog to whoever may choose to read it, is a testament as to how God’s grace has been my enabler through the sorrow and pain of loss. The most important thought that I want to leave is that every day we deposit into other lives. I, like my parents, want to have deposited treasure that my children and others that I’ve touched can use to for their generation and even the next. M hope is that when I am gone, that I am remembered with a smile!
An Act of Kindness!
17 JunOne act of kindness to one person a day would add up to 365 acts of kindness in a year!
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Christine Gilliam Hornback
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