New Blog to Begin Soon

New Blog to Begin Soon

 

I have been writing this blog, Just A Closer Stumble, for the past three years. I've enjoyed sharing Southern stories with you by my character, Mitsy Lou. I will be starting a new blog soon. Thanks to all of my followers for your support and those who have commented.

Book Release-Just A Closer Stumble With Thee

Book Release - Just A Closer Stumble With Thee

 

 

We all stumble in life. Hope y'all enjoy the funny, touchin', and sometimes true Southern stories 'bout our not-so-steady walk with the Lord.

Life = Risk Motivational Video by wecell4you

Life = Risk

by wecell4you

 

 

Please enjoy this motivationl video. It's not too late to see your ambition come true!

Tryin' to Be Who You Aren't

Tryin' to Be Who You Aren't

There was a time when I wanted my hair color to look like Jane Seymour when she starred in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman on TV. I asked a fellow hairdresser, Susie May, to fix my hair for me. 

Mamma's Secret To Makin' Biscuits repost

Mamma's Secret To Makin' Biscuits repost

Mamma’s Secret To Makin' Biscuits

Mamma was famous for her biscuits, even got a write up in the paper. My sister and I asked her what her secret was to makin’ 'em. We wrote down the recipe as she told us. When the dough was made, she dumped it from the bowl onto a floured table.

Back Yard Obstacle repost

 

Back Yard Obstacle repost

When I was ‘bout fourteen years old, Daddy would let me drive his car in our back yard. This was way before under age drivin’ was against the law. I had to put pillows in the seat to be able to see. Our back yard was an obstacle course with trees on each side.

Gettin' Out of the Ditch

Gettin’ Out of The Ditch

Grandpa had twin mules, Nell and Pearl. They were good mules and didn't mind hard work. But if they got spooked, watch out! They'd take off runnin!

Gainin' Confidence

Gainin' Confidence

Accomplishin' something new gives you confidence. I remember when I got my bike. I must have been 8 or 10 years old. It was a surprise! I was so excited! Daddy bought a bike I could grow into. It was a blue and white Western Flyer.

My Pal Skippy

One of our neighbors had several dogs. Every time Mamma ‘n Daddy visited them, they’d take me with them. I loved playin’ with the dogs. Mamma said that I fell in love with the big brown eyed puppy that stole my heart. He had gray, white, and black hair. He was good natured and every time I looked at him, he seemed to say, “Take me home with you!”

Freedom

Freedom

I can't help but think ‘bout my Daddy ‘round the 4^th of July 'cause he was so patriotic.  He loved God, his family, his country, and his flag.  He proudly displayed his flag on a flag pole in his front yard.  He loved to watch it wave in the breeze.  Daddy was a technical sergeant during WWII, and knew first hand the price that was paid for our flag to wave. 

Time for An Overhaul

Time for An Overhaul

 

 

Daddy drove an ol' Ford pick up truck. It had over 100,000 miles on it, and it was rusted to the point where holes were in the floor board. He didn't care how it looked. He said, "As long as it keeps runnin' and gettin' me there and back, it's okay."

 

Helpful Hints on How to De-Stress At Work

Helpful Hints on How to De-Stress At Work

With so many things goin' on in our lives it's hard not to be stressed. Here are some things at work you can do to help relieve stress at work:

Conquerin' A Challenge

Conquerin' A  Challenge

 

Mamma didn't learn to drive until she was fifty-five years old. She'd always been scared to before. At first, she was dependent on Daddy to take her everywhere, and then when me and my sister got our licenses, we could take her where she needed to go. But, when I was in college and my sister graduated from high school, she got her courage up and took a driver trainin' course.

 

Inspirational Video-Never Give Up

 

 

Inpirational Video-Never Give Up

 

 

Hope y'all are inspired and motivated by this video! 

Happy Father's Day

 

Happy Father's Day

 

 

 

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed,

and yet one of the most

valuable assets in our society." Billy Graham, Christian Evangelist

 

Ruby Cakes

Ruby Cakes

 

Mamma baked homemade pound cakes. They were some of the best things I'd ever put in my mouth. They had a texture like velvet. People knew and liked her cakes so much, they started callin' 'em, Ruby cakes.

Yard Sale Treasure

Yard Sale Treasure

 

Maybelline Belle is one of my best customers. She came in the other day all tore up. I asked her what had happened. Maybelline started cryin' - gushin'! You would have thought somebody had died or somethin'! she used up all the Kleenex in my beauty parlor.

A New Heart

A New Heart

 

 

Daddy was never one to go to the doctor unless he felt really sick. One time when he hadn't been feelin' up to par for a few weeks, Mamma finally got him to go to the doctor.

Bone Tired But Blessed

Bone Tired But Blessed 

Mamma used to say, "I'm so tired, I'm 'bone tired' but blessed!" She worked hard all of her life just like Daddy did. Whatever they did they gave 100% and then some.

A Secret Place

A Secret Place

 

Growin' up, I'd go out in our back yard to my secret hidin' place. I'd take a blanket to sit on and some of Mamma's Kool-Aid. Skippy, my dog, would come with me. It was somewhere I went to rest and to dream. I felt safe in this place. I felt like I could solve all my troubles there.

 

Rememberin' Memorial Day

Rememberin' Memorial Day

 

What are your plans for Memorial Day? Will you have a cookout with the family? How 'bout visitin' friends? Maybe you gotta work. Will you take some time to be thankful for the men and women who served and sacrificed for us. For our country?

 

When Plans Don't Go As Planned - Regroup

When Plans Don't Go As Planned - Regroup

 

Aunt Nell and Uncle Ray wanted to renew their weddin' vows on their 50th weddin' anniversary. They decided to go on a cruise and have the ceremony on the ship. They'd never been on a cruise before and thought it would be like on that TV show, The Love Boat.

 

New Baptismal Pool

New Baptismal Pool

A few years back, we got a new baptismal pool at church. The first time we used it, Cousin Louie brought his video camera to tape it. Merlene ’n Sherlene showed up in their big new hats ‘n they plopped down right in front of me. I couldn’t see a thing. I had to keep movin’ to see ‘round them hats, and it seemed like whichever way I moved, they moved. Uncle Reefus came in in a new pair of overalls, which was unusual for him.

Stars In A Southern Sky

Stars In A Southern Sky

 

When my sister and me were growin up, Daddy'd go outside with us to look at the stars at night. He always said, "We're lookin' at stars in a southern sky." He'd spread out a blanket on the ground.

 

Mother's Day Without Mamma

Mother's Day Without Mamma

 

This is the first year without Mamma on Mother's Day. In thinkin' 'bout her, I'm reminded 'bout her great faith.

Runnin' On A Treadmill

Runnin' On A Treadmill

 

Life today's like runnin' on a treadmill! You're runnin' in the mornin's to get ready for work . At the end of the day, you get home only to continue - runnin' on a treadmill.

A Trustin' Heart

Trust is a precious treasure. When somebody trusts you, that means that they have confidence in you!

An Encouraging Christian Music Video by PlanandDestiny

 

 

An Encouraging Christian Music Video  

by PlanandDestiny 

 

 

What a blessin' it is to know that our hope is in Jesus Christ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May we put our trust 'n hope in you Lord. In the name of Jesus, amen!

 

Psalm 71:5 Fo You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.

 

 

 



Kindness - Is It Lost?

Kindness - Is It Lost?

 

Have we gotten so busy bein' caught up in our own world that we don’t take time to be kind anymore? One of the first Bible verses I learned when I was a little girl was, "Be ye kind to one another"....

When Plans Don't Go As Planned

When Plans Don't Go As Planned

 

Ever had your plans fall apart, like fallin' dominoes? We were gettin’ ready for our revival when Frog Holler had a terrible storm. It was the worst storm in 50 years, accordin’ to Mamma.

Time To Git Up!

Time To Git Up!

Mamma used to come to my room every morin' and turn the light on and shout, "Rise 'n shine"! Ugh! I didn't want to get up. I knew it was time to get up for school or church.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Why is it that people ask you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" when you're only ten years old?  Everybody would ask me that especially Aunt Ulah Mae. Every time I'd see her she'd say, "Mitsy Lou, are you gonna be a teacher? You'd make a good one."  

Gettin' Older

Gettin' Older 

When I was growin’ up, it seemed to take forever for my birthday to come ‘round. Now that I’m older, birthdays come ‘round much too fast. April 11th I turn another year older.

Gettin' A Makeover

Gettin' A Makeover

 



I remember, when me and my sister were knee high to a grasshopper, puttin' on Mamma’s high heels, and one of her many hats. Then we'd sneak into her make-up drawer and pull out a tube of lipstick. We'd smear it on. Then stand in front of the mirror. We felt so grown up and purty!

Stuck by Guest Blogger Author, C. A. Stevens

                                   

Thanks C. A. Stevens for bein' my guest blogger today! Love the way you write! Please go to the link 'n check out her book y'all!

 

 

Stuck

Harley! Harley! The other evening, I called and called my dog Harley. He usually comes right in, knowing that his supper is waiting on him. But not that night. Instead he just continued to bark, bark, bark. Being 15 years old (that’s around 105 to you and me), he neither hears nor sees well anymore. I was afraid he couldn’t hear me over the sound of his own barking, so I ventured forth into the cold, dark backyard to find him. His barks were coming from the part of the yard that has been left “natural” so I picked up a stick to part the weeds. Even with the stick’s help, I still managed to impale myself on a blackberry bramble that had sprung up despite the continuing cold weather. After fighting my way through more weeds, I finally found Harley and saw why he hadn’t come to my call. In the dim glow of a night-light, I could barely make out my little black dog and the fact that he was stuck to the spot because the long fur of his tail had gotten caught in a particularly vicious briar. Realizing I was there with him, Harley jumped on me as if to say, “Help!” I used my stick to loosen his fur from the briar’s grasp and he does his part by pulling away from the thorns. With the two of us working together we finally got him loose and gratefully headed for the house.

Harley’s predicament reminds me of the way I have felt in my own life recently. In my book, Reminiscences of the Last Old Maid on the Planet, I mention that I once heard someone say the Christian life is like surfing a tsunami. Sometimes that exactly describes what my life is like. And then, there are the other times. The times when there is no seeming movement in my life, when, to use an old sailing term, I feel “dead in the water”. This is how my life has felt for a while now. Like Harley, I seem caught by something and stuck in the dark with no way out. Seeing the way Harley handled being stuck, I realized he had once again taught me how I should relate to God. In my book I write about a time when God used my dogs to show me how to love Him. This time, He used Harley  to show me how to trust Him. When Harley found himself caught in the dark with no way out, he kept barking, trusting that I would hear him and come to his aid. He reminded me to keep praying, trusting that God will rescue me from where I am caught. Even though I cannot see a way out of my “stuck” place in the darkness, I must keep faith that God will provide a way out.

“For we live by faith, not by sight”  2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Reminiscences of the Last Old Maid on the Planet

Authored by C. A. Stevens

List Price: $7.99

 

Meet the Last Old Maid on the Planet, a woman in the middle of middle age. Using her own unique combination of humor and reverence, she chronicles the past ten years of her life. In this book, you will read about her adventures, from the ridiculous to the sublime.

CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/4032740

 

 

 

The Easter Flood

The Easter Flood

 

 

　

 

When we were little, Mamma would dress me and my sister alike on Easter Sunday. We wore the same dress, hat, gloves, and black patent leather shoes with white, lacy socks. Everyone at church would be dressed up too. As a matter of fact, there were more people at church on Easter than any other holiday. It had gotten to be a regular fashion show.

How Worn Out Are You?

How Worn Out Are You?

Why do you feel that you have to carry the weight of the world on your back? You don't have to! There is rest for the weary!

Ahh...Spring!

  I don't know ‘bout y’all, but I love spring!  A time of everythin’ renewin’.  Trees have green leaves again.  Plants grow.  Flowers bloom. A plant has roots underground that need nourishment from soil and waterin’. 

Mamma's Green Thumb

 Mamma's Green Thumb

Mamma has the greenest thumb of anybody I know. She just has that knack. One time, Aunt Elsie Huckleberry asked her what her secret was. She said, "You gotta' love diggin' your hands in the dirt to plant the seed, then you gotta' keep a check on it to make sure it gets the right amount of water, food, 'n sunshine. It gives me such pleasure watchin’ it grow! You gotta' have the right tools 'n knowledge so you know what to do."

What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Alan Jackson

 

What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Alan Jackson

 

One of Mamma's favorite hymns

 

 

 

 

 

Mamma said that Jesus is your best friend! Amen to that!

 

 

Thank you Lord for bein' our friend at all times. In the name of Jesus, amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 





When God Asks Something Difficult, repost guest blogger Jean A. Sturgill

Guest Blogger Jean A. Sturgill
Christian Author and Speaker                                           Thanks so much Jean!
Realizing Your Winning Potential



You may have heard me say that God never asks me to do anything easy. I used to drag my feet, become overwhelmed, make excuses, and even – at times – deny understanding what was being asked. Eventually, I would come around to God’s way of thinking.

When God asks you to do something difficult, how do you respond?

When I lack desire to move ahead with what God is asking, I think about Jonah. Jonah did not want to do what God asked. Instead, he ran. How often have we been like that?

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah 1:1-3

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17

Jonah’s running from the Lord ended in his being swallowed by a whale. Once he came to see things God’s way, God put him back on course courtesy of the whale. This time, Jonah listened. I wonder how much hardship we could avoid if we just listened?

Even when we don’t run, we can still be a lot like Moses. Remember his initial response to God?

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Exodus 3:3-4

Moses got off to a good start. He replied, “Here am I.” After he found out what God wanted, the excuses started. We could pick on Moses for making excuses, but he did do one thing right in all of that. He didn’t just refuse to act. He took those excuses to God, and God provided. We need to do that too!

Now, let’s consider what Jesus first ask of Paul.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:3-6

Paul responded with, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?“ Jesus told Paul to go into the city, and he would be told what to do. Sounds simple enough, right? Think again. This incident had left Paul blind. He had to be led to the city at which time Ananias restored his sight. Even as a new believer, Paul was given a challenging task.

Hopefully as you grow spiritually, you find yourself being less like Jonah and more like Paul in your response to God.

Our challenge today is to realize that God does not need us to be a part of His plan; He invites us to be a part. Each man – Jonah, Moses, and Paul - was given a challenge, and God provided for each. Whether you are a new believer or a more mature believer, you’re going to have some challenges. Remember, just as God provided for each of them, He’ll provide for you!








Jean SturgillChristian Author and Speaker
Realizing Your Winning Potential  
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Little Elmo

Little Elmo

 

 

Me and my sister had an imaginary friend when we were little.  His name was Little Elmo.   For every meal, Daddy had Mamma set a place at our kitchen table for him.  Daddy would stop on our way back home from church to pick him up.  My sister, Daddy, and me thought it was so much fun playin’ like Little Elmo was real!

Is Your Light Shinin'?

Is Your Light Shinin'?

 

When I was growin’ up, Mamma kept a flashlight in every room of our house.  I asked her why we had so many, ‘n she said, “So we’ll have a light to see by when the power goes out.” The power used to go out a lot in Frog Holler.

Cousin Claudine's Calamity

    

Cousin Claudine's Calamity

Cousin Claudine is a take-charge kind of lady. Whenever there’s a task to be done, she steps up and charges forward! Cousin Claudine knows how to get things done. There’s only one problem…it’s usually done her way, in her power. Last year she was the chair of the church’s homecomin’ committee. That’s when she learned that glorifyin’ God is better than glorifyin’ herself.

Sharin' Some of Mitsy Lou's "Encouragin' Words" On Love

Sharin' Some of Mitsy Lou's "Encouragin' Words" On Love

"Don't Have Love" (Official Music Video)-Christian singer Holly Starr

"Don't Have Love" (Official Music Video)-Christian singer Holly Starr:New Christian Music Video

 

 

Hope you'll be blessed and inspired by this young singer! If you don't have love, you don't have nothin'.

The Heart That Judges-February

The Heart That Judges 

Mamma always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” The same thing can be said ‘bout judgin’ others. 

Daddy's Valentine to Mamma

Daddy's Valentine to Mamma 

 

Every year of their marriage, Daddy would give Mamma a big heart shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, bein’ that's her favorite candy.

Guardin' Your Heart

Guardin' Your Heart

 

     One time when we were all just kids, Merlene stole some money from her friend, Thelma, in Sunday school.  Thelma laid two dollars on top of her Bible.

A New Heart

A New Heart

     Daddy was never one to go to the doctor unless he felt really sick.  One time when he hadn’t  been feelin’ up to par for a few weeks, Mamma finally got him to go to the doctor.  I went with Daddy, bein’ I was home from beauty school.