S H M I L Y

#1 · February 21, 2003, 7:06 am

Quote from Forum Archives on February 21, 2003, 7:06 am
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

*** S H M I L Y ***

My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more.

They dragged "shmily" with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows overlooking the patio where my grandma always fed us warm, homemade pudding w/ blue food coloring. "Shmily" was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. At one point, my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave "shmily" on the very last sheet.

There was no end to the places "shmily" would pop up. Little notes with "shmily" scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards, and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left under pillows. "Shmily" was written in the dust upon the mantel and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of my grandparents' house as the furniture.

It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents' game. Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love one that is pure and enduring. However, I never doubted my grandparents' relationship. They had love down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky experience.

Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other's sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble. My grandma whispered to me about how cute my grandpa was, how handsome an old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew "how to pick 'em." Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessings: a wonderful family, good fortune, and each other.

But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents' life: my grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every step of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside.

Now the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and my grandfather's steady hand, they went to church every morning. But my grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave the house anymore. For a while, Grandpa would go to church alone, praying to God to watch over his wife. Then one day, what we all dreaded finally happened. Grandma was gone.

"Shmily." It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came forward and gathered around Grandma one last time. Grandpa stepped up to my grandmother's casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.

Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. For I knew that, although I couldn't begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.

S-h-m-i-l-y: See How Much I Love You.

<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <><

*** 10 Commandments of the Tongue ***

1) Thou shalt not gossip. Prov. 18:8 Before any evil story whispered in the ear is passed on, it should be treated as the housewife treats apples for a pie ... first peeled, then quartered, and cored, then what remains liberally sugared.

(2) Thou shalt not use a multitude of empty words. Prov. 10:19. Your tongue reveals the nature of your thinking and your character. The divine Master Himself admonishes the children of men to "let your admonishes be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

(3) Thou shalt not boast. Prov. 27:2 A small man makes long, loud boasting in order to center the spotlight of attention on himself; the great man works quietly, Silently polishing the beacon that it may guide the ship safely into the desired haven.

(4) Thou shalt not flatter. Prov. 26:28 Someone has said that "Flattery is like soft soap; it is 90% lye" - and you can count on the ratio being just about right. The words of the man or woman who would flatter you, according to the psalmist, who had a great deal of experience with that sort of thing, are "softer than oil, yet withdrawn swords."

(5) Thou shalt not grumble. Phil. 2:14 The prescription for this malady is to saturate your life with loving kindness. Let it enter every pore and the process will be absolutely foolproof against the gnawing frets and worries that are worse than termites, to eat the soul out of you.

(6) Thou shalt not backbite or slander. Psalm 64:3 The tongue that backbites or slanders is the weapon that empties churches, pours streams of bickering humans into divorce courts, fills our jails with wretched humanity, and lashes men and woman to Satan's kingdom.

(7) Thou shalt not mock or make fun. Job 11:3 Let us learn sympathy and give our fellows a helping hand instead of mockery, no matter how peculiar or odd they may be. Remember angels visit the earth in all kinds of guises.

(8) Thou shalt not lie. Ex. 20:16 The first recorded lie was told in the garden of Eden. Since then, the practice has spread like a plague throughout the whole earth. Everyone hates a lying tongue.

(9) Thou shalt not swear. Ex. 20:7 Profanity is the official language of the devil's kingdom. Have no part in it for it will disqualify you for heaven.

(10) Thou shalt not argue in anger. Hosea 7:16 Whatever the provocation is remember that "silence is golden" and that "a soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger" Prov. 15:11

<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <><

*** The Choice Is Your's ***

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky
is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is
coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It
will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The
stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise
of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the
pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the
early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made
and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I
will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that
I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to
choose. And so I choose.

I choose love . . .No occasion justifies hatred; no
injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today
I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy . . .I will invite my God to be the God
of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be
cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will
refuse to see people as anything less than human
beings,created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as
anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace . . .I will live forgiven. I will
forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience . . .I will overlook the
inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the
one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather
than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank
God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my
fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and
courage.

I choose kindness . . .I will be kind to the poor,
for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are
afraid.And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.

I choose goodness . . .I will go without a dollar
before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked
before I will boast. I will confess before I will
accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness . . .Today I will keep my
promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My
associates will not question my word. My wife will
not question my love. And my children will never fear
that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness . . .Nothing is won by force. I
choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be
only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only
in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control . . .I am a spiritual being.
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I
refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be
impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced
only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose
self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these
I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If
I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day
is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara

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Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

*** S H M I L Y ***

My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more.

They dragged "shmily" with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows overlooking the patio where my grandma always fed us warm, homemade pudding w/ blue food coloring. "Shmily" was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. At one point, my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave "shmily" on the very last sheet.

There was no end to the places "shmily" would pop up. Little notes with "shmily" scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards, and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left under pillows. "Shmily" was written in the dust upon the mantel and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of my grandparents' house as the furniture.

It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents' game. Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love one that is pure and enduring. However, I never doubted my grandparents' relationship. They had love down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky experience.

Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other's sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble. My grandma whispered to me about how cute my grandpa was, how handsome an old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew "how to pick 'em." Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessings: a wonderful family, good fortune, and each other.

But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents' life: my grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every step of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside.

Now the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and my grandfather's steady hand, they went to church every morning. But my grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave the house anymore. For a while, Grandpa would go to church alone, praying to God to watch over his wife. Then one day, what we all dreaded finally happened. Grandma was gone.

"Shmily." It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came forward and gathered around Grandma one last time. Grandpa stepped up to my grandmother's casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.

Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. For I knew that, although I couldn't begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.

S-h-m-i-l-y: See How Much I Love You.

<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <><

*** 10 Commandments of the Tongue ***

1) Thou shalt not gossip. Prov. 18:8 Before any evil story whispered in the ear is passed on, it should be treated as the housewife treats apples for a pie ... first peeled, then quartered, and cored, then what remains liberally sugared.

(2) Thou shalt not use a multitude of empty words. Prov. 10:19. Your tongue reveals the nature of your thinking and your character. The divine Master Himself admonishes the children of men to "let your admonishes be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

(3) Thou shalt not boast. Prov. 27:2 A small man makes long, loud boasting in order to center the spotlight of attention on himself; the great man works quietly, Silently polishing the beacon that it may guide the ship safely into the desired haven.

(4) Thou shalt not flatter. Prov. 26:28 Someone has said that "Flattery is like soft soap; it is 90% lye" - and you can count on the ratio being just about right. The words of the man or woman who would flatter you, according to the psalmist, who had a great deal of experience with that sort of thing, are "softer than oil, yet withdrawn swords."

(5) Thou shalt not grumble. Phil. 2:14 The prescription for this malady is to saturate your life with loving kindness. Let it enter every pore and the process will be absolutely foolproof against the gnawing frets and worries that are worse than termites, to eat the soul out of you.

(6) Thou shalt not backbite or slander. Psalm 64:3 The tongue that backbites or slanders is the weapon that empties churches, pours streams of bickering humans into divorce courts, fills our jails with wretched humanity, and lashes men and woman to Satan's kingdom.

(7) Thou shalt not mock or make fun. Job 11:3 Let us learn sympathy and give our fellows a helping hand instead of mockery, no matter how peculiar or odd they may be. Remember angels visit the earth in all kinds of guises.

(8) Thou shalt not lie. Ex. 20:16 The first recorded lie was told in the garden of Eden. Since then, the practice has spread like a plague throughout the whole earth. Everyone hates a lying tongue.

(9) Thou shalt not swear. Ex. 20:7 Profanity is the official language of the devil's kingdom. Have no part in it for it will disqualify you for heaven.

(10) Thou shalt not argue in anger. Hosea 7:16 Whatever the provocation is remember that "silence is golden" and that "a soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger" Prov. 15:11

<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +<>< + <><

*** The Choice Is Your's ***

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky
is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is
coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It
will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The
stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise
of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the
pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the
early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made
and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I
will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that
I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to
choose. And so I choose.

I choose love . . .No occasion justifies hatred; no
injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today
I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy . . .I will invite my God to be the God
of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be
cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will
refuse to see people as anything less than human
beings,created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as
anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace . . .I will live forgiven. I will
forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience . . .I will overlook the
inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the
one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather
than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank
God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my
fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and
courage.

I choose kindness . . .I will be kind to the poor,
for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are
afraid.And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.

I choose goodness . . .I will go without a dollar
before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked
before I will boast. I will confess before I will
accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness . . .Today I will keep my
promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My
associates will not question my word. My wife will
not question my love. And my children will never fear
that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness . . .Nothing is won by force. I
choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be
only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only
in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control . . .I am a spiritual being.
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I
refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be
impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced
only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose
self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these
I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If
I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day
is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara

Necessary Legal Information

I do not mail idea-central unsolicited. If you are receiving this newsletter from me it's because you have subscribed to this mailing list. If you receive this newsletter and are not a subscriber then someone, other than me, has forwarded it to you.

Normal Subscribe: idea-central-subscribe@welovegod.org
Normal Unsubscribe: idea-central-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Web Subscribe: idea-central-allow-subscribe@welovegod.org
Web Unsubscribe: idea-central-allow-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Email Group Owner: idea-central-owner@associate.com