Katy Huth Jones's Blog, page 31

The Rolodex of Life

Few people under age 30 probably know what a Rolodex is, but when I did secretarial work in the '70's and '80's, they were indispensable gadgets for keeping track of folks. The little cards were easy to add and remove as contacts came and went. With electronic means of managing contacts, this item seems quaint, but it came to me that a Rolodex is a good picture of life pertaining to generations.

I've been a genealogy nerd since I was a girl, and through Ancestry.com I've discovered ancestors I didn't know I had as well as discovered more about the ones I'd learned about from my grandmothers. If we're lucky we get to know our grandparents, but few personally know more than two generations in either direction. The Rolodex cards are added at birth and taken off at death, so our only knowledge of those before us comes from stories handed down.

 Four generations: My mother's grandmother, Lola Caton Wakefield with her oldest daughter (my grandmother was the youngest of that large family), her daughter, and granddaughter, who was my mother's age). Lola babysat my mother until her death when my Mom was only 7, so my Mom has few real memories of her beloved grandmother. And her mother, my maternal grandmother, died when she was only 62 and I, her oldest grandchild was only 11.
Four generations: Now my mother has great-grandchildren and is in excellent health, so these new children may have some memories of her.

Time marches relentlessly and has no regard for individuals. The Rolodex turns, and we can't prevent our card from being removed someday. If we are blessed with a long life we'll move through each season in its turn: youth, middle age, old age. Growing older is not "fun" since our bodies are wearing down and gradually falling apart, but if we approach these changes with the right attitude, we can find many joys. I grieve to see women my age trying to recapture their youth by exercising hours a day, getting plastic surgery, and dressing like teenagers. We've had our turn to be young! Now it's time to embrace the work of being an older (and hopefully wiser) woman, like the worthy woman in Proverbs 31:10-31.

"The gray head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Proverbs 16:31

Cleaning toilets keeps you humble

My mother taught me how to clean toilets as a girl, so I decided my sons needed to learn the proper way to execute this unpleasant but necessary chore as well. Upon being hired at a local restaurant at age 16, the oldest was overjoyed when I told him he could remove "cleaning toilets" from his chore list at home.

When he returned home after his first day at work he said, "I'm glad you taught me how to clean toilets. Guess what I had to do today at the restaurant?"

I'm sure my son thought he was moving on to bigger and better things at the restaurant, but the fact is there will always be toilets that need cleaning. If we ever think we are "too important" to humble ourselves in order clean toilets, we are in trouble.

James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

Jesus set the perfect example of humility by willingly leaving the throne of heaven. He "emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8

If Christ had not been willing to humble Himself, we would not have the hope of heaven!

Notice He "humbled Himself by becoming obedient." True obedience requires humility, which is "a modest sense of one's own importance." If we pridefully believe we are more important than anyone else, including God, OR if we have a false sense of humility and believe we are worthless, we cannot submit ourselves to the Father's will. In one of Scripture's greatest paradoxes, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Have you cleaned any toilets today?

10 Rules for a Happy Marriage

 First Anniversary 25th Anniversary
When we first married, someone gave us a wooden plaque listing 10 Rules for a Happy Marriage. Now we are coming up on 35 years together, a roller coaster ride for sure, and I'm just thankful to report that we are finally figuring out how to implement those rules. When I realized there was a Scripture for each "rule" I added that, too:

1. Never both be angry at the same time. (Proverbs 15:1)
2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire. (James 3:10)
3. If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate. (Romans 12:18)
4. If you must criticize, do it lovingly. (Galatians 6:1)
5. Never bring up mistakes of the past. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other. (Ephesians 5:31, 33)
7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled. (Ephesians 4:26)
8. At least once every day say a kind or complimentary word. (Proverbs 25:11)
9. When you have done something wrong, admit it and ask for forgiveness. (I Peter 5:6)
10. Remember it takes two to make a quarrel. (Proverbs 26:20)

And don't forget this timeless advice: "Thou shalt not nag thy husband; hit him with thy frying pan: it is kindlier."

The inadequacy of words

Words, words, words. Can't communicate without them, but it's often difficult the find just the right one. Misunderstanding is so common. How can mere words be enough for people to share what's in their hearts and heads, places where thoughts are many times too enormous and ethereal to be contained in our limited vocabulary?

No wonder our Creator in His infinite wisdom revealed to us just what we need to know to be pleasing to Him. His secret things (Deuteronomy 29:29), His thoughts that are SO far above our understanding (Isaiah 55:9), could never be explained in our puny languages. Our earthly brains could not comprehend them, for we would have no frame of reference.

So we plug along our journey here, doing our best to scrabble in the dirt while heavenly music, all unintelligible, swirls above us, just out of reach....for now. :) 
"God is in heaven and you are on earth.  Therefore let your words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:2

It pays to check your email

If I had checked my email days ago I would have learned that Leandra's Enchanted Flute is a Semi Finalist in The Kindle Book Reviews "Best Indie Books of 2012" contest (in the YA category). There will be five finalists and then one "grand prize" winner announced in the next couple of months. But even if LEF doesn't go any higher in the competition, it's an honor to have gotten this far. Check here for more information: http://thekindlebookreview.blogspot.com/p/ya-semifinalists.html?showComment=1341607355486"

I know there's at least one other Goodreads Author in this semi finalist list. Congrats, Emlyn Chand!