Dear Lord, won't you let me win the lottery?

Sometimes, I wonder what God the Father thinks about some of our prayers.

I'm talking about the unsaved, those who refuse to accept free salvation, thanks a lot but not today, but, deep down, think they are so special that God is just waiting to give them whatever they want.

I'm talking about those who have God confused with Santa, and only think of Him when they have something to add to their wish list.

I'm talking about really, really stupid prayers.

For example:

A drought-stricken community gathers together to pray for rain. Somewhere in the crowd, a devout teenager prays that it will rain on Monday, but not on Sunday, because if it rains on Sunday, her hair will get frizzy, and she has an awesome date with an awesome guy, which is far more important than the crops blistering in the field.

A student earnestly prays, even turns off his music in reverence, that God will help him on the big test today. It's true his teacher gave him all the notes he needed, and all week-end to study, but he had to drive circles around McDonald's for hours during the week-end, then felt a little tired on Sunday and had to sleep it off. Then a friend had called last night, who really needed to talk, and he just couldn't refuse him. So, you see, God, it is not my fault that I'm unprepared, and You just need to take care of it. Didn't You say You would give me anything I want?

A woman, who refuses to do any volunteer work because she just doesn't have time, cries all afternoon because a lady on her soap-opera is facing a very serious operation. After supper, she calls all her friends and asks them to pray for her friend Penny. Later, when Penny made a miraculous recovery, she does her duty and gives God the praise.

A man, who lacks the wisdom to check the gauges on his car before beginning a trip, sees that his gas light is on, and prays God will make a gas station, with magic concrete and magic gas pumps and magic people working there, appear on the side of the road before he runs out of gas. Maybe God will also put in a magic coffee machine, just for him.

An obese person has prayed for months that God will melt the pounds off her body, but so far, she hasn't lost an ounce. She just doesn't get it. She is praying as seriously as she knows how. She always prays over her four course dinners, always is extremely nice to the young people working at Krispy Kreme and Burger King. She even prays about it when she wakes up at two in the morning with a burning tummy and has to have some ice cream to cool it down! She is trying to be patient and thinks it may just be God's will that she is fat.

An elderly man, lungs rotting from years of abuse and on oxygen, prays that God would help him quit smoking. He prays as he stops his truck and goes into the convenience store to buy more cigarettes. He prays as he takes his oxygen tank off and goes outside to light one up. He sucks the toxins in and wonders when God is going to reach down and knock that cigarette out of his hand.

After all, God is rich, full of wisdom, and knows all about the world. It would just be so much easier if He did everything for us, then we wouldn't have to be bothered with reading the Word, meeting to worship,working for a living, or doing any of the things he asked us to do. Surely, He wouldn't expect us to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced! Not us. We are the blessed people. We are special.

Maybe we should all just drink milk because it is too hard to chew real food.

Remember this: The person who plants a little will have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:6

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures. We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything. Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie. It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house. After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there. I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then. I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important. It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things. We call it Holy Smoke. Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan. It helps to use your hands (o...

Cedar Trees in Cemeteries

If you ever wander in old cemeteries, and I know many of you do, you are bound to see some cedar trees. The tradition goes back to the early days of the United States and even earlier in Europe. Cedar trees were not always used, but some type of evergreen trees were planted because they were a symbol of everlasting life. Some Cherokees believed that cedars contained powerful spirits, including the spirits of the departed buried beneath them. Perhaps because they are known as burial trees, there are many superstitions that surround cedars. My grandmother told us in no uncertain terms that if we planted a cedar tree, we would die when it was large enough to shade our graves. Some others are: Never transplant a cedar tree; it will bring bad luck. If you transplant a cedar and it dies, you will die shortly. Planting a cedar tree in your yard welcomes poverty. Some say Christ was crucified on a cedar tree, and wil...

Faith, Folklore, and Friends

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