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PAGE 4 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
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Hearts And Purses
Each day my purse goes
where I go, regardless of
whether or not it holds any
thing of great value. A while
back, I decided to clean out
my purse. I learned a great
deal about myself, as I pulled
out several personal posses
sions. The contents inside
made me stop to consider how
fortunate I am.
First, I pulled out a key
chain. It holds a key to my
Ge/eforafe. /r/e
Nancy B. Gibbs
Motivational Speaker/Writer
www.nancybgibbs.com
one in my purse by mistake. I
Valentine's Day And Forgiveness
house and to my car. I use
these keys on a regular basis.
I held up the keys and I felt
blessed. I have a place that I
can call home. I don’t have to
sleep outside on cold nights. I
have a car, which enables me
to go to work, so I can make
a living. I stopped for a few
seconds and thanked God for
the material blessings He has
provided for me.
Then I pulled out several
pieces of paper. I found gro
cery receipts, which reminded
me that I have never gone to
bed hungry. I found a note my
husband Roy wrote express
ing his love for me. I found
a memorial folder that I had
received at the last funeral I
attended and realized how un
certain life can be. My church
bulletin made me appreciate
the fact that I can worship in
the church of my choice. Not
all people have that freedom.
My pocketsize Bible gave
me the confidence that God’s
handbook for life is available
anytime that I have a need.
In the front pocket of my
handbag I found three rolls
of undeveloped film. This
reminded me that I have unfin
ished business here on earth.
Have I taken care of the other
unfinished business in my life?
Have I let my family know
how important they are to me?
Have I shared the gospel with
an unsaved friend?
I came across my ad
dress book. I flipped through
the pages and saw numerous
names. I rejoiced in the fact
that I have many friends and
family members listed there. I
foimd a bottle of medication
and thought of the people in
need of medical supplies all
over the world.
I also found a dog biscuit
inside. Many times when I
leave for work my dog comes
to the fence to say goodbye.
As a special treat, I give him
a couple of dog biscuits. Ap
parently, I must have dropped
realized how lonely the world
would be without our four
legged friends.
Our possessions can reveal
a great deal about our person
alities. Taking the time to
clean out my purse caused me
to count my many blessings
and created a lighter load for
me to carry around.
I decided to search my
heart in much the same way as
I fumbled through my purse
that day. I found a few things
that I needed to throw out
and some other things that I
needed to appreciate more.
I discovered that hearts and
purses have a lot in common.
The contents inside both need
to be purged at times, but they
can also hold a multitude of
blessings when we stop long
enough to thank God for them.
Because this edition will be
coming out on Valentine’s Day
I figured I’d write about the
odd and wonderful gifts I’ve
gotten through the years of
being married to my husband.
He hasn’t always been an odd
present giver but as the years
go on and he gets to know
me better, it seems the gifts
get odder and usually more
personal than your normal
common every day flowers
and chocolates.
In the beginning he was as
any newlywed husband would
be. He bought me a giant
basket from Mary Kay filled
with perfume and lotions and
a teddy bear. The next year
was a box of chocolates and a
bright red blanket covered in
hearts (because I don’t like to
be cold and he wanted me to
be warm.)
The third year was some
thing I treasure even today, a
pair of John Deer boots. I still
wear them today and claim
they are the most comfortable
shoes I have, besides bare feet.
They are scuffed and well
worn but probably the best
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Our publication day actually
falls on the day of love, flow
ers and candy.
I actually think that special
celebrated days like Valen
tine’s should be every day of
the year. We should always
tell those people in our lives
that we love them and show
them as much as is possible.
Love conquers all it has
been said and I do know that
it covers a myriad of sins.
We are commanded to love
one another and to love our
enemies. Sometimes that is
hard for us to do but showing
love to an enemy is the best
way to diffuse anger. You
gather more flies with sugar
they say.
Matthew West has a song
out titled ’’Forgiveness” and
asks to be shown how to love
the unloveable and to reach
the unreachable. Sadly, some
people do seem to be unlove
able but we should love them
anyway. And yes, sometimes
pair of boots I ve ever owned
my whole life.
The next year ended up
being a pocket knife because
I complained about having to
borrow his every time I needed
to cut something, especially on
our many camping trips. He
gave it to me with the explana
tion that now I wouldn’t need
to borrow his anymore. I used
to carry it with me but now it
resides in my jewelry box next
to my bed to be packed when
we go on a camping trip.
The fifth Valentine’s Day
in 2011 was something I had
wanted since having my little
girl, tattoos. Not just ordinary
“regret when you get older”
tattoos. My tattoos have very
special meaning to me and not
just in what they are but where
they are placed as well.
My granddad (my mum’s
dad) has a pair of swallows
tattooed on his forearms with
his first two daughters’ names
underneath them. Swallows
are the symbol for loyalty and
love for your family since a
swallow mates for life and
always returns home to the
same nest.
Although the placement of
his tattoos are on the outside
of his arms I had mine put
more on the inside, so that if I
help us love them or show
love to them.
The song is actually based
on a hue story of a women
who lost her 20-year-old
daughter as a result of be
ing hit by a drunk driver.
The driver was sentenced
to 22 years in prison, but
him being sentenced did
not take away the bitterness
this mother felt. It wasn’t
until she visited the driver in
prison and forgave him that
she was able to experience
hue freedom from the anger
she had inside. After that,
this mother asked the judge
to release the man early so
that he could join her speak
ing around the country on the
dangers of drunk driving!
Only the love of God can
put that kind of forgiveness
in our heart and it is this kind
of love we are to show to
people, even those we find
ourselves not liking very
much. I hope that in that
same situation I could have
fold my arms my children are
hugged close to me. The one
for my daughter is pink with a
purple flower, while the other,
my son’s, is blue with a green
and yellow star. My grandad’s
are the traditional black and
white swallows. My uncle also
sports a pair of swallows for
his children, so you can see it
is a family tradition and to me
they are a piece of art I carry
around with me that reminds
me of the two most important
people in my life.
Last year was rather tight
with money so we ended up
only going out on a mini date
night and sharing a giant box
of chocolates he bought for
me. As small as it was the day
was still just as special as ev
ery year is and as always I was
left feeling so very loved.
I’m not exactly sure what
will happen this year, because
as I write this Valentine’s Day
is still several days away,
but I can tell you my dog
Broozer has beat my husband
to it as far as giving me a gift.
Although, I’m not exactly how
delighted I should be about the
gift itself.
For the past week or two we
have had a fat mouse in our
house, having been driven in
from the hay field beside us by
show that same love.
Forgiveness is not some
thing you necessarily do for
another person, you do it
for yourself so you can have
peace. Valentine’s Day is a
perfect time to forgive.
Valentine traditions are
limited only to the imagina
tion. Chocolates and jewelry
are big as well as romantic
dinners. Seventy-five percent
of all chocolate purchases are
made by women all year long
but on the days and minutes
before Valentine’s Day, 75%
of the chocolate purchases
are made by men. In fact, it
is reported over $1 billion of
chocolate is purchased for
Valentine’s Day!
February 14th was for
merly though to be the first
day of bird’s mating for the
season which sparked the
custom of sending valentines
to each other.
While roses tend to be the
flower of choice, there is
actually a Valentine Flower;
a Bleeding Heart plant which
has colorful blooms. All
parts of this plant are poison
ous and can cause skin rash
and irritation. Their blooms
do make nice cut flowers
though.
My hubby is not a big
flowers kind of guy so when
I get flowers it is really extra
special. Valentine’s Day is
usually one of those days I
can count on flowers. We
have had a discussion about
flowers dying, etc. and my
contention is that I would
much rather be able to enjoy
the flowers while I am living
than all the flowers sent to
my funeral.
the weather. I have spotted him
several times with his plump
little butt sitting on my counter
or zooming from comer to cor
ner making me jump and curse
his presence in my home. I
have tried everything short
of poisoning him to get rid of
him. I have put out traps that
he has seemed to thwart at
every turn. I have even let our
outside cat in to hunt him, but
that usually tends to become
a disaster since marking his
territory seems more important
than mouse hunting.
Well, after what seems to
have been forever of yelping at
his surprise dashes through the
house or cursing the holes in
the bread bag, my dog Broozer
(who if you have read previous
columns you would know is
also a skilled bug eater) further
proved his usefulness in the
house. This morning when I
got out of bed, lo and behold
what should I find lying on
my side? The little fat gray
mouse dead as a doornail, with
a rather sheepish Broozer close
beside.
Now I am used to gifts of
the small dead critter variety,
having several cats over the
years that rather enjoyed stuff
ing things like crickets and
lizards in my shoes as friendly
uotable Quote ~
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now
and then doesn Y hurt. —Charles M. Schulz
we have to pray for God to that same forgiveness and
Strange & Wonderful For Valentines Day
Pay at a Time
Victoria ’’Vicky” Simmons
vsimmonsS4@gmail.com
We always try to do
something big for Valentine’s
Day or at least the weekend,
either a nice dinner or a trip
somewhere. We take turns
planning what it might be
each year and odd years be
long to David so I am always
excited to see what he might
decide to do. Of course, this
year, I will be at the doc
tor’s office in Atlanta on
Valentine’s Day so that puts
a kink in the day itself. We
do not try to go out that night
though, as it is a nightmare to
try and get in somewhere on
that day.
David has impeccable taste
when it comes to jewelry
and he has given me pieces
which are still favorites
today. My gluten intolerance
makes it interesting as well
but he always finds candy
that is gluten-free. I am so
thankful for my wonderful
hubby, not just at Valentine’s
but every day.
It really doesn’t mat
ter about the gift or what
we might do, it is just the
thought that really does
count so men at least let your
women know that you do
care and you remember them
on Valentine’s Day.
Wishing you much love
and a blessed Valentine’s
week.
From Moo To You
Abigail ”Abby” Adams
abbyadams@pstel.net
gifts (and remmders to always
check my shoes before stuffing
my feet into them) so this was
not a distressing gift but rather
a surprising one. Never in all
my years have I seen a dog
catch a mouse.
Seems there is a first for
everything and as Broozer’s
first birthday comes up on
the 12th I think that maybe
he is most definitely a useful
gift that God has sent our
way. Although he has been
the most energetic and crazy
dog we have ever had, as
he calms down into a more
well adjusted adult dog, I’m
beginning to see his worth.
It’s not every day you come
across such a wonderful
protector of our family and
exterminator to boot!
You all have a wonderful
Valentine’s Day. I hope that
the day is filled with love and
blessings!
published every week by Crawford Publishing,
Our Staff
Floyd Buford - President
Victoria ’Vicky” Simmons - GM/Publisher
vsimmons54@gmaiLcom or byronbuzz@pstel.net
Abigail Adams - News Reporter/Editor’s Assistant
Office Assistant - Michael Fleming
Kelli Johnson- Marketing Executive
Robbie Robertson - Distribution
Carey Lee - Sports Photography
Trenesia Y. Stubbs, Charles Cook,
Nancy Gibbs, Billy Powell, Angie Carr, Jeff Cook, Wade
Yoder, Dan Gatlyn, James Earnhardt Robert Tharpe, Rev.
James Snyder, Spencer Price - Contributing Columnists
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