GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER?

I remember when this song came out. I loved it. Our family laughed every time we heard it. I mentioned the song to my mother (who was the grandma). Everybody in the family called her Granny - even sisters, nieces, nephews, and even me, her daughter. She didn't think the song was a bit funny. She didn't even smile. I think she was irritated that we thought it was so funny. What made it even funnier is that she had a great sense of humor and laughed at just about every thing.  That was many many years ago. 

 

Anyway, a friend sent us a link to Christmas songs and this was on there so I clicked on it. This is a cute version of the song and I wanted to share it with you. Here is the link to the song: http://heavens-gates.com/fifties/grandmagotranover.html

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

I have already posted a Spiritual Sundays post on my other blog but when I got up this morning and looked at my e-mails this was one of them. It was so good that my first thought was to share it on S.S. At first I thought I'd use it next Sunday and then I thought "No, it's too good to wait a week. I'll post it on my other blog." So here it is.
I guess this meant more to me also because I have seen this lady on Fox News so many times. 

Chosen for Love
with E.D. Hill

"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent
His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."
(1 John 4:9)

When I was pregnant with my third child, I developed a very severe form of Hepatitis. The doctors tried all sorts of medicines and told me that my pregnancy complicated things. They were severely limited in their efforts to save my life because there were things they
couldn't do with a pregnant patient. Even so, I rejected the suggestion that I abort my baby.

The medical outlook was grim. I was told that if I was able to carry my baby to term, it was likely that my drug therapy would leave the baby mentally or physically challenged. There were no guarantees that I  wouldn't miscarry or the baby wouldn't be stillborn.

I was fighting for my life and the life of my unborn child. I felt so helpless. Even at one of the top hospitals in the nation, the doctors simply couldn't do anything. None of us was in control of my circumstances.

When you're successful in life and your career, it's easy to start feeling like that's the most important thing. It's easy to start believing that you control your own situation and create your own success. But lying in the hospital, I suddenly realized that I wasn't in control. The most intelligent, best-educated doctors in the country had no control. Nobody had any control. Whether my baby and I lived or died was ultimately up to God. It was His choice.

When you get down to it, what do any of us do that earns us the right to demand that God should step in and save us, as though we deserve it? It's a gift that He gives. Too often we don't accept the fact that life is a gift. Life is a gift to be treasured.

In my career on FOX News, I see so many stories that shock me. In one story, there was a drag race with stolen cars where a pedestrian was hit. This story ran several times because the lack of humanity was amazing. The person who had been hit lay in the road and nobody walked over to check on him. One would hope that this person was left lying in the street because nobody else was around, but that wasn't the case. The sidewalks were filled with people walking, going about their business. At one point, someone does walk over and peers down at the injured person, then simply walks away.

There is a person down, and the instinct of every single human being should have been to go to that person's aid. Yet that is not what happened. We have created a society and a generation where people don't want to get involved. They wait for someone else to take responsibility to help another human being. The lives around them aren't valued highly.

At one point during my hospital stay, I realized that I wasn't thinking about my job or success or any of the things I had thought were so important. I was thinking about my children. I was wondering who would help them grow to become the type of adults who value the truly valuable --  people.

Jesus, when asked which commandment is the greatest, spoke of love.
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) Jesus then said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31)

In a conversation with the disciples, Jesus told them that He had chosen them. "This I command you," He said, "that you love one another." (John 15:17)

Jesus focused on people. He valued us so highly that He willingly went to the cross to suffer and die on our behalf. His love is such that had He seen a hit and run victim, He would not have callously ignored his plight.

God chose us for love. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He chose to arrange it so that we could stand before Him, holy and blameless. Because of His love and kindness, He predestined us to be adopted by Him.

Think of it. The Lord made a choice, and that choice is us. Before everything, He chose to value us enough that He sent His only begotten Son to live among us, and die for us.

The Lord chose to save me and my baby. I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy in spite of my illness and the doctors' prognosis. I frequently tell my son, "Not only did God step in and save me for a greater purpose but He specifically wanted you on this earth because you shouldn't be here."

In walking me through my own personal Valley of the Shadow of Death, God showed me how deeply He values me and all people. Not only did He give me life, but He gave me LIFE!

This Week 

Ask the Lord to show you how valuable you are to Him. Know that He chose you, and ask Him to make that deeply real to you.

Prayer
"Father, sometimes I doubt how much you value me. Sometimes I don't value others as I should. Please forgive me. Please help me to know, deep in my heart, how much value You place in me and help me to value others as You do. Amen."

E.D. Hill joins James and Betty on LIFE TODAY tomorrow (Monday) to discuss her latest book "I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent: Helping Your Children Set the Boundaries They Need...and Really Want."

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL

Click to play

MY DOLL BLOG

I just received a blogger award for my Dolls Dolls Dolls blog and I posted my Show & Tell for this week on that blog --- sooo, if you haven't been there in the last day or two, you might want to jump over there for a look. The award is so neat. I love it.  A blogger called Tardevil gave it to me. That should peak your curiosity. 

I also would like to remind you that the linky will be up tomorrow for Spiritual Sundays. We hope you will consider joining us by posting your inspirational/spiritual posts and going there to find the links to others.

NEW SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS WIDGET

Ginger just made a new widget for our Spiritual Sundays blog. You can see it on my sidebar. We have had a lot of lovely comments on that blog. I'm so glad Ginger had the idea of starting it. It is blessing a lot of people but especially Ginger and me. If you haven't been there click on the little birdies on the sidebar to go there.

The new widget is easy to get the code and copy it to your blog, so we hope many of you will want to add it to your sidebar. 

GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART

GIVE THANKS FOR ALL OF GOD'S BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS!

TURKEY SHOOT

Here's something fun to do. They say it is a stress reliever. I'm not sure about that, but I thought it was fun. It's a TURKEY SHOOT. Just click HERE and let the fun begin. My highest score was just over 10,000. 

I went back after I posted this and played it again and got over 12,000. I'm getting better. 

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Today for Spiritual Sundays I decided to post this unique perspective on the 23rd Psalm.

I hope you will click HERE to go to Spiritual Sundays for links to more spiritual/inspirational posts. Or you can click on the Spiritual Sundays link on my sidebar.

I received this in a recent e-mail from an old friend.

The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! 

I shall not want = That's Supply! 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest! 

He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment! 

He restoreth my soul = That's Healing! 

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance! 

For His name sake = That's Purpose! 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing! 

I will fear no evil = That's Protection! 

For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness! 

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline! 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope! 

Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration! 

My cup runneth over = That's Abundance! 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing! 

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security! 

Forever = That's Eternity! 

Face it, the Lord is crazy about you.

Note from me: Let's face it, doesn't that cover it all. What blessed assurance. That reminds me of the old hymn "Blessed Assurance". 

THANK YOU GINGER

I continue to find new things to be thankful for. Ginger surprised me with this wonderful gift that just came in the mail. She knows I love Thomas Kinkade, and I love this Kinkade mug. I can hardly wait to try the Pumpkin Spice coffee. I know I will like it. And isn't that a cute little card? It looks like a real cup of tea. Ginger is not only a relative, but a great blogging friend. Thank you so much, Ginger. 

DATES, PRUNES & FRESH BREAD

Today is Thankful Thursday. I've already done a post on my Charlotte's Weblog blog for Trim the Tree Thursdays, but we just got home from Sprouts and I was thinking to myself how thankful I am for all the good food that is available to us in the U.S. Specifically, I was eating a fresh sweet prune and thinking about doing a post for Thankful Thursday.  

I've always liked prunes, but I wasn't "in love" with them, but since I've discovered the soft fresh plump ones at Sprouts, I think I'm in love. I know I'm in love with their fresh Medjool dates. I did a post about them a while back. And, I love fresh baked french bread. Another favorite thing of ours is okra and Sprouts is about the only place I can always find it. Tonight we're having fried okra and left over goulash from last night - and french bread, of course.

Ginger of Enchanting Cottage asked me if I was blogging on both of my blogs now. I told her it was her fault that I was "hooked" on blogging. She's the one that got me started. Now she's taking a break from it and has not been posting except on her Sunday blog for Spiritual Sundays. I'll bet she doesn't take a very long break though, cause breaking the blogging habit isn't easy. 

Thanksgiving is just a week away. I have so much to be thankful for that I couldn't begin to list everything. So, right now, I'll just limit it to dates, prunes and french bread - and okra - and left over goulash.

Go visit Iris at Grace Alone for lots of links to Thankful Thursday posts.

TURKEY FACTS

How much do you know about turkeys? Here's a little fun test you can take to find out how much you really do know. I'll confess I didn't do too well. The questions are pretty hard. 

Here's the link: http://home.aristotle.net/Thanksgiving/trivia.asp

A NEW AWARD

I just received this lovely award from BP at Raindrops & Rainbows. Thank you, BP. I am honored that you chose me to receive this award. It's called Marie Antoinette ~ A Real Person Award. The rules for this award want you to reflect who awarded it to you, display the icon, and pass it along to seven (7)other bloggers.

BP regularly reads my blogs and comments on my posts. She is always an encouragement to me.

I just passed on another award on my Charlotte's Weblog blog and chose 5 people for that. So, I'm passing this award on to those same 5 people, Smiling Sally, Connie at Down on the Farm, Baba's Blog, Jeanette at Jen's Chronicles, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and adding Ruthie at Just Ruthie, and BJ at Sweet Nothings.